Kenny Albert on why this is finally Alex Ovechkin’s moment
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NBC Sports play-by-play man Kenny Albert talks with The Post’s Justin Terranova about a quieter postseason, an old roommate and Alex Ovechkin’s big moment.
Q: Is it weird not having to cover both the Rangers (radio) and your regular NBC assignments this postseason?
A: I really enjoyed those last four or five years where there was a lot of bouncing around between a Ranger game one night and a TV game the next. Definitely a different feeling to have off-days and travel days between games, but it’s still among the most exciting times of the year.
Q: How big of an impact have the ex-Rangers had on the Lightning?
A: They’ve all been such a big part of it. Ryan Callahan’s line with Chris Kunitz and Cedric Paquette was so effective against Boston. Dan Girardi, not only defensively, but had two big goals, including one in overtime. Ryan McDonagh is doing what we saw in New York during past playoff runs. J.T. Miller is playing on the top line and scored the game-winning goal in Game 5.
Q: You’ve talked about rooming with Barry Trotz (an assistant coach) in the early ’90s, when you were an announcer for the Baltimore Skipjacks. What was your reaction to him getting the Capitals past the Penguins and into the conference finals?
A: He’s a tremendous coach and I am just so happy for him to get over the hump. I learned so much from him both hockey-wise and life in general. He’s just a terrific person, just the most down-to-earth, regular person you’ll find in any coach, in any sport and I’ve been around a lot of them.
Q: What did that win mean for Alex Ovechkin?
A: There’s no question he’s one of the greatest players not only of this generation, but all time. It was a little bit unfair that he’d take a bulk of the criticism whenever the Capitals would be eliminated in the playoffs. It was a tremendous moment for him and the entire organization.
Q: Where does this Vegas story rank in terms of all-time sports shocks?
A: George McPhee did a masterful job of putting this roster together. I don’t think you would have found many people who would have picked the Golden Knight to win more than 20-25 games. The rules were a little more in their favor than past expansion teams. But still, if you found anybody who says they predicted they’d be in the playoffs, they are probably lying.