McGuire breaks down Ovechkin's wing preference

Pierre McGuire was on TSN 1050 Tuesday morning.

On Alex Ovechkin potentially moving back to LW under Barry Trotz:

“That’s where he’s had the best numbers. He’s a right-hand shot. He likes to leave the zone early. He can handle the puck on his backhand, receiving a pass as well as most forwards in the league. And he also can open up for the one timer coming down that side and that’s one of his favorite plays.

“I talked to him about it last week Dave. So yeah, no, that’s something that he brought up. Adam Oates really tried to move him over to the right side – the former coach of the Capitals. Because one of the – and Scotty Bowman did this with Brendan Shanahan, so if Brendan’s listening, he knows exactly what I’m talking about. Shanahan was a right-hand shot that loved to play on the left-hand side because he could come late in the rush and accept that back diagonal pass from the one-time as a quick release. Scotty moved him over to the right side because he wanted Brendan skating more and getting up with the rush, rather than trailing the rush, and he could create more chances off the forecheck and off the cycle because the Red Wings were more about puck ownership and dominating the puck, rather than turning it over.

“So it’s a different philosophy. But I understand exactly what Adam Oates was trying to do with Ovechkin by moving him to the right, but I know Ovechkin likes playing on the left-hand side because he likes to open up and really take that one-timer.

Source: TSN 1050/ Transcript: Nichols on Hockey