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08:16 AM ET 08.22 | Goaltender Michal Neuvirth just shook up the offseason in Washington. Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin "isn't what he used to be," [Neuvirth] says in a surprisingly candid interview that also touches on the goalie competition, new Coach Adam Oates and more. "He isn't what he used to be, that's for sure," the Czech netminder told iSportz.cz, as translated by Russian Machine Never Breaks. "And if a team like ours wants to have a chance in Stanley Cup, we need Ovi to be the best." Neuvirth didn't stop there, discussing ex-teammate Alexander Semin -- "He didn't have the best work ethic" -- and Oates's hiring -- it's good "because it means Dale Hunter isn't staying."

Michal Neuvirth, Getty Images

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August 22, 2012 08:25 AM ET

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Sounds like somebody has sour grapes for losing the starting job to Holtby

Garbage Man

Harrisburg , PA

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August 22, 2012 08:38 AM ET

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QUOTE(#1):

Originally posted 08:25 AM ET 08.22 by Garbage Man

Sounds like somebody has sour grapes for losing the starting job to Holtby

Agree....but it also has the ring of truth in it to at least some degree. Did Semin have a great work ethic? Great talent, yes..........great effort, no. If we want to win the Stanley Cup we need Ovi to be the best.........what's wrong with that? As far as his comments on Dale, that falls in the category of a wee bit sour grapes. On the other hand, I think Dale made the right choice on Holtby last spring. Michal needs to be the best when he gets the chance.....more than once he wasn't.

Slapshot

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August 22, 2012 09:07 AM ET

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No startling revelations there. Ovie comes into camp overweight and out of shape, Semin wasn't working and Dale was being Dale. All that having been said, Holtby was the better goalie.

Burgh-Fan

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August 22, 2012 09:12 AM ET

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Do you think they call him "Lilith?"

Canuck eh?

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August 22, 2012 09:13 AM ET

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QUOTE(#2):

Originally posted 08:38 AM ET 08.22 by Slapshot

Agree....but it also has the ring of truth in it to at least some degree. Did Semin have a great work ethic? Great talent, yes..........great effort, no. If we want to win the Stanley Cup we need Ovi to be the best.........what's wrong with that? As far as his comments on Dale, that falls in the category of a wee bit sour grapes. On the other hand, I think Dale made the right choice on Holtby last spring. Michal needs to be the best when he gets the chance.....more than once he wasn't.

I agree with all of this....except about Holtby. Let's face it, The Caps have this same issue with goalies seemingly every season since they kicked Olie(yes, I was a big fan of his) to the curb.
Jim Carey
Varlamov
Neuvirth
all saviours....feh

Spiny Norman

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August 22, 2012 09:13 AM ET

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QUOTE(#4):

Originally posted 09:12 AM ET 08.22 by Canuck eh?

Do you think they call him "Lilith?"

only when playing fair

Spiny Norman

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August 22, 2012 09:14 AM ET

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Shooting practice should be fun the first week..

Buc Fettman

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August 22, 2012 09:19 AM ET

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QUOTE(#6):

Originally posted 09:13 AM ET 08.22 by Spiny Norman

only when playing fair

Don't make me post a ASPCA commercial.

Canuck eh?

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August 22, 2012 09:27 AM ET

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QUOTE(#8):

Originally posted 09:19 AM ET 08.22 by Canuck eh?

Don't make me post a ASPCA commercial.

did they not do the Lillith Fair up there?

Spiny Norman

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August 22, 2012 09:30 AM ET

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QUOTE(#5):

Originally posted 09:13 AM ET 08.22 by Spiny Norman

I agree with all of this....except about Holtby. Let's face it, The Caps have this same issue with goalies seemingly every season since they kicked Olie(yes, I was a big fan of his) to the curb. Jim CareyVarlamovNeuvirthall saviours....feh

As far as the goalies are concerned I feel very strongly both ways! By the way, I was a big fan of Olie's too. A class act, a great goalie and the only one who took us to the Cup finals. Lost to those dastardly Wings but it wasn't Olie's fault.

:-)

Slapshot

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August 22, 2012 09:34 AM ET

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The past two seasons, i've wondered who would go down in NHL history as a better player, Ovie or Sergei Federov. At this juncture, it looks like Federov is going to run away with that title.

dannylimes

Toronto, ON

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August 22, 2012 09:37 AM ET

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I didnt think Boston needed another goalie?

FanOFlyers

Philadelphia , PA

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August 22, 2012 09:43 AM ET

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QUOTE(#9):

Originally posted 09:27 AM ET 08.22 by Spiny Norman

did they not do the Lillith Fair up there?

Sarah McLachlen was one of the founders.

Canuck eh?

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August 22, 2012 09:46 AM ET

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QUOTE(#13):

Originally posted 09:43 AM ET 08.22 by Canuck eh?

Sarah McLachlen was one of the founders.

indeed she was. I wasn't sure if they did the gig for the "Home Crowd" though

Spiny Norman

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August 22, 2012 09:47 AM ET

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QUOTE(#10):

Originally posted 09:30 AM ET 08.22 by Slapshot

As far as the goalies are concerned I feel very strongly both ways! By the way, I was a big fan of Olie's too. A class act, a great goalie and the only one who took us to the Cup finals. Lost to those dastardly Wings but it wasn't Olie's fault.:-)

Sure wasn't (his fault)
just like it wasn't the beezer's fault when Fla. lost

Spiny Norman

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August 22, 2012 09:47 AM ET

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QUOTE(#11):

Originally posted 09:34 AM ET 08.22 by dannylimes

The past two seasons, i've wondered who would go down in NHL history as a better player, Ovie or Sergei Federov. At this juncture, it looks like Federov is going to run away with that title.

Federov was something to watch

Spiny Norman

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August 22, 2012 09:48 AM ET

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QUOTE(#12):

Originally posted 09:37 AM ET 08.22 by FanOFlyers

I didnt think Boston needed another goalie?

the irony of a Czech going to replace TT would be too much to bear

Spiny Norman

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August 22, 2012 09:52 AM ET

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Itake anything printed in an eastern european paper with a grain of salt, especially if they went through an online translator to do it.

Even if it is the truth, the only comment that I,d say is a little rough is the Hunter one. The other 2 seem like typical hockey platitudes...'we need to be better; this guy needs to be his best to win, this guy needs to work harder to win'....blah blah blah. Nothing to see here.

puttin on the foil

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August 22, 2012 09:54 AM ET

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QUOTE(#14):

Originally posted 09:46 AM ET 08.22 by Spiny Norman

indeed she was. I wasn't sure if they did the gig for the "Home Crowd" though

I think they it played in some of the larger cities. To***to, Montreal, & Vancouver come to mind but I could be wrong.

Canuck eh?

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August 22, 2012 09:57 AM ET

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QUOTE(#11):

Originally posted 09:34 AM ET 08.22 by dannylimes

The past two seasons, i've wondered who would go down in NHL history as a better player, Ovie or Sergei Federov. At this juncture, it looks like Federov is going to run away with that title.

Kournikova cements it for him.