<p>Any one saw the hockey game between Washington and Pittsburgh last night? There is no way that practice is all there is that separates Ovechkin from the rest of his teammates. I am sure training, passion, and opportunity are important, but so is his pedigree. His dad, I believe was a professional footballer, and his mom Tatiana (?) was voted the greatest basketballer of Russia. Starting at 19 when she was named captain until her retirement, I don’t believe her “team” lost a game. (Thinking about it, I saw her played point guard in the Montreal Olympics.)</p>
<p>When I saw Ovechkin played last night, I was curious how he managed to create space for himself, how he knew where the puck is going to go, and how to get away from the close checking…etc, etc. You simply cannot teach this stuff. It has to be there all along.</p>