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Fightin’ words: Arron Asham calls Alex Ovechkin a “hypocrite”

Alex Ovechkin, Tyler Kennedy

Pittsburgh Penguins’ Tyler Kennedy, right, battles with Washington Capitals’ Alex Ovechkin, of Russia, in the second period of an NHL hockey game in Pittsburgh, Thursday, Oct. 13, 2011. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)

AP

Last night’s Pens-Caps game from Pittsburgh not only generated a lot of talk because of Arron Asham’s take-down and taunting of Jay Beagle, but also thanks to Alex Ovechkin’s big words after the game calling out Asham for his tactics.

Leave it to Asham to not leave well enough alone with the day’s hot-button topic, according to CSNWashington.com’s Chuck Gormley.

Asham declared that the “rivalry is back” between the Capitals and Penguins and that Ovechkin is a “hypocrite” for what he said relating to the situation. Those are some big words coming from a part-time enforcer and full-time grind line player like Asham.

This is nothing new in the grand scheme of things. One guy does something the other team doesn’t like at all and the opposing team responds to the verbal quips in kind. The talk of the Pens-Caps rivalry being “back on” is a bit surprising on its own since... We had no idea it was actually off.

It’s not like this is Red Wings-Avalanche in the grand scheme of things, the Pens and Caps are still as cutthroat as ever. Just think to last spring when Pittsburgh’s Matt Cooke caught Ovechkin with a questionable knee-on-knee hit. The blood boiled over just as much then as it is now. If you thought these two Eastern superpowers had gone quietly into that good night, you’ve been paying attention to the wrong people.