Should Alexander Ovechkin Change His Game?

To answer my own question, no he shouldn't.

Listen, I understand that the way Alexander Ovechkin plays he's going to injury himself and tally up a few more suspensions before he plays his final game, and like any other player in any other sport you are just going to have to take the good with the bad.

And personally I don't think the way he plays the game is bad at all.

First off, he isn't a dirty player.  His latest suspension for his hit on Chicago's Brian Campbell has elicited mixed opinions from everyone in and around hockey. 

I do think that the hit was worth a penalty, maybe even a double minor, but a game misconduct and a suspension were a bit harsh.

In a sport like hockey you're going to have players make those kinds of hits because of the nature of the game.

It's easy to look at a replay and say "hey, that was a cheap shot," but when you're going all out in the middle of a game it's a lot harder to determine if the hit you are about to lay on someone will net you a trip to the sin-bin or a suspension.

Most players just make the hit, and sometimes they're wrong, but it doesn't make them a dirty player.

And as far as injuries are concerned, I'm actually shocked Ovie hasn't hurt himself more often given the way he flings his body around the ice.

So given this latest suspension and his risk for injury why do I think that Alex shouldn't tone down the way he plays?

It's simple, if you change the way a player plays the game you run the risk of screwing up his game entirely.

Alex scores the goals and gets the assists he gets because of his all out pedal to the metal style of play, and if you tone down one aspect you run the risk of toning down the whole thing.

Honestly I think Ovie's tendency to check (and check hard) his opponents cuts down the need for an enforcer.  Shoot, Ovie is his own enforcer.  If someone checks him he goes out and checks him right back.

Does this spell out a long career?  Probably not, but I don't think Ovechkin would want to change the way he plays for couple more seasons in the NHL. 

And I wouldn't want him to either.