Ovechkin scores 2, talks to NHL.com after the game

Russia 8, Latvia 2


Alexander Ovechkin celebrates after scoring a goal against Latvia during the first period of a preliminary round men's ice hockey game at the Vancouver 2010 Olympics in Vancouver, British Columbia, Tuesday, Feb. 16, 2010. With Ovechkin are Pavel Datsyuk (13), Konstantin Korneev (22), and Denis Grebeshkov (37). - AP Photo


Alexander Ovechkin in the third period of a preliminary round men's ice hockey game at the Vancouver 2010 Olympics in Vancouver, British Columbia, Tuesday, Feb. 16, 2010. Russia won 8-2. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum)


Alexander Ovechkin chases the puck against Latvia in the first period of a preliminary round men's ice hockey game at the Vancouver 2010 Olympics in Vancouver, British Columbia, Tuesday, Feb. 16, 2010. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum)


nateewell: Ovechkin's six career Olympic goals (in 9 GP) lead all players on the Russian team.

nateewell: Kozlov ought to say he's wearing 52 in honor of Mike Green.

nateewell: Among RUS, CAN, US, SWE only Iginla and Alfredsson have more career Olympic goals than Ovi


Ovechkin scores his 1st goal. Russia - Latvia 3:0


Ovechkin scores his 2nd and it's a 5th goal for Russia. It is also a GWG (game winning goal) for Ovi, awesome!


Ovechkin had 2 goals, 4 shots on goal, +1, total ice time 16:57. The closest TOI among forwards: Pavel Datsyuk with 16:08 and Alex Semin with 16:07, all from the top Russian line with Ovechkin. Fedorov had 2 assists, +2, 11:05.

Zaripov also scored 2 goals, +3. Zinovyev, Radulov, Morozov and Nikuliv also finished with +3.

Dan Rosen, NHL.com:

VANCOUVER -- Alex Ovechkin finished his first game in Vancouver with two goals in an 8-2 rout of Latvia. The Russian superstar and Washington Capitals captain skated on a line with Pavel Datsyuk and Alexander Semin and played close to 17 minutes.

After the game, Ovechkin stopped to chat exclusively with NHL.com for a Q&A about the game.

The exclusive interview lasted all of 40 seconds as Ovechkin, a back-to-back Hart Trophy winner, was rushing through the mixed zone so he could get to the locker room, but he said all that really needed to be said about Russia's dominating victory in its pool play opener.

Russia plays next on Thursday night against Slovkia. The Slovaks don't open until Wednesday night against the Czech Republic.

Here is the transcript:

NHL.com: If you could have scripted your opener in this tournament, is this how you would have written it?
Ovechkin: Yeah, you know, it's always nice when you get some good moments and a good start. We were ready for it, but it's just a start and we have to continue how we play.

How big was it for you to score that goal to make it 5-1 just 26 seconds after Latvia scored its first goal?
Oh yeah, you know it's mentally important. After that goal we just played better and better.

Did you take it to them in the third period the way you were hoping to with the three straight goals in just over two minutes?
Yes. I think we played much better in the third period than in the first two.

Returning hero: Plushenko wins short program

Ari Zakarian, Evgeny Plushenko manager, got a text message a few minutes before Plushenko's performance, from Alexander Ovechkin.

"We are watching Zhenya! Keep our fists!" wrote Ovechkin.

After Plushenko finished his performance, he told to Sovietsky sport Sergei Pryakhin that he constantly communicates with the hockey players in the Olympic village, and yesterday, for example, even visited their training. Asked whether he will go to the game vs Latvia, Evgeny replied, "Maybe. Let me just catch the breath and then I will decide.

Source: livetv.ru/lenta/21866/

Ari Zakarian and Evgeny Plushenko are Ovi's close friends and he spends a lot of time with them off season. Ari also organized a photo-shoot with Tatler for Ovechkin.


Evgeny Plushenko and his wife Yana Rudkovskaya are watching team Russia's training. Photo from Pavel Lysenkov's blog (blog.sovsport.ru/users/lysenkov/post120957179/)



Ovechkin and Rudkovskaya at her book presentation last summer (KP.ru)

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