Talbot Stirs The Pot

There's a lot to be said about intense rivalries in the NHL. The battle of Alberta, the battle of Ontario, the battle of California, and the crosstown rivalry in New York City are all based upon proximity and familiarity. Familiarity, as they say, can breed contempt, and it sounds like this year's Winter Classic at Heinz Field in Pittsburgh might be the first outdoor game to resemble a classic game of hockey from yesteryear, complete with brawls. You see, the man in the upper left posing like a superstar has turned the heat up between the two teams by calling out one of the game's most dangerous scoring threats.

In promoting the upcoming 2011 Winter Classic in Pittsburgh, Talbot decided to tee off on Alexander Ovechkin during an interview for radio station 105.9 The X, using a few choice words to describe the flamboyant Capitals superstar while telling the world just how much he dislikes The Great Eight.

"I just hate the guy," Talbot informed The X in the interview. "I can't lie. Sorry. Even more so for a guy like Ovechkin. Like, seriously, okay...yeah. I don't like him."

You would think that he might be done there, right? Nope. He continues with some venom towards Ovechkin.

"The first time I met him, actually, when I met him off the ice," Talbot continued. "You hear a lot of stories about a guy, but sometimes they're not true. You hear of guys who are not good guys, and you're like, 'Yeah, okay, I'll give the guy a shot.' The first time I met him, let's say he didn't give the best impression to me, so better reason to hate him even more."

Wow. Yet Talbot continues to hammer away on Ovechkin's character, bringing another encounter into play.

"I was actually at the NHL Awards last summer with Malkin, and we brought the Stanley Cup over there after the season," Talbot recalled. "Malkin knew Ovechkin, and introduced me to him, and the first impression wasn't great. I'm not really gonna say what happened, but I'm like, 'Ok, this guy is a real (expletive deleted).'"

That "expletive deleted"? The word "douche". Not a good description by Talbot of Ovechkin's character, and normally you never hear players talking trash about other players. That's just not kosher when it comes to the unwritten Code in the NHL.

The Capitals and Penguins already have a serious dislike for one another, and the amount of disrespect these teams are showing one another harkens back to the days of the Bruins and Flyers in the 1970s when lots of words were said in the heat of the moment. Of course, they normally dropped the gloves moments later, but it remains to be seen if Talbot's outburst will prove to be a catalyst for a dominant season by Ovechkin.

Sometimes, it's better to not light a fire under a player who needs a little motivation to do spectacular things.

Until next time, keep your sticks on the ice!