122 replies to this topic

[nessus]

While I do agree with a lot of what has been said here, he needs some time to adjust to the team this year. Josefson will get there. If it's still like this in a few more games, maybe it'll be time to worry. But as adam said he did clinch a couple of games for us, whether or not the points are there to show it (keep in mind he's at 1 PPG now). I bet he'll get a few of the bad turnovers out of his system and things will improve. He is sometimes trying to do too much, but he is judged way too harshly. People need to start looking at the good things he has been doing, like his improved backcheck and, well, goals that have clinched games for us.

I'd like to see him try something new on those 1-on-1s down the left wing, though. Have confidence in him. He has put some more pressure on himself in the offseason, but he has not forgotten how to play hockey. Kovalchuk will return to the amazing player he was during the second half last season.

[capo]

People are quick to forget that he nearly put this team in the playoffs by himself last year. He clearly needs better linemates. Palmeiri doesn't even belong in the league let alone on a line with Kovalchuk.

[Bibby89]

You have to figure, once Zajac comes back, I know its still some time, if the Parise, Elias, Sykora line can keep up how theyre going now, that could leave Zajac able to play with Kovy again and he definitely seemed to bring the best out in him last season. I'm not worried, Kovy's goals will come.

[Vic Rattlehead18]

I concur. I HAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAATE that he does the full 2 minutes of a power play.

[Joe B]

Because the dude has some very obvious flaws in his game for a "superstar" player and when those flaws come out he looks very, very bad. When he's good, he's very good no denying that, but to merely overlook the bad with this guy is not being honest and objective.

He's a high risk, high reward type of player and there are nights he'll win a game by himself and nights he'll be a goat. That's what you get. Two games in a row, Hedberg had to bail him out of brain dead shifts with the puck. When people point out obvious flaws in his game (which are all valid) it has nothing to do with his contract, his personality or reverence to fans.

I mostly agree with this. It's not just that when he's bad he's very bad, it's more that every little mistake is magnified by the 100 million, same goes for when he scores a big goal it just seems bigger(that gwg streak last year as an example). There are only a handful of players that you just can't take your eyes off of when they are on the ice. He is one of them.


He makes scoring chances out of nothing while at the same time messes up very basic things. Pucks seem to just jump off his stick for no apparent reason.

[Jerrydevil]

He is what he is. He will electrify, he will cough it up. Hopefully, it's good enough to be a playoff team.

[mouse]

He is what he is. He will electrify, he will cough it up. Hopefully, it's good enough to be a playoff Cup team.

Fixed

[Jerrydevil]

Fixed

Good fix, bro.

[njdevsftw]

Ok so its easy to say he does this because he doesn't have anybody to keep up with him. so he feels that, to utilize his speed, he must go at his pace. but im sure the case was the same in ATL, he didnt really have anyone to keep up with him either did he??

Savard, Heatley and then Hossa were/are elite players. Very much unlike his current 2nd line. So in Atlanta, most of the time, he had way better players setting him up.

I have pretty high hopes for our powerplay unit with Kovy, Parise, Elias, Larsson.. But I doubt we'll get the most out of IK if he has to keep carrying his current line.

[Exit56]

i'm glad he's playing the point on the PP and not rolston

[ryani1978]

I hope once Parise gets some time under his belt this year that he'll be double shifted as well as Kovy. He is always the one on the 4th line double shifting.

[Triumph]

Savard, Heatley and then Hossa were/are elite players. Very much unlike his current 2nd line. So in Atlanta, most of the time, he had way better players setting him up.

Heatley was not an elite player in Atlanta and I'm not even sure they played together except on the PP. I am pretty sure that Hossa and Kovalchuk were on different lines. Plus while Kovalchuk played with excellent forwards, the defense on Atlanta was terrible.

I have pretty high hopes for our powerplay unit with Kovy, Parise, Elias, Larsson.. But I doubt we'll get the most out of IK if he has to keep carrying his current line.

but this is just fine. kovalchuk with elite players isn't going to get the most out of those players, either. right now NJ has two excellent lines - last night was a perfect example. the predators matched up suter and weber on the elias line, and the elias line didn't do all that well. but the kovalchuk line dominated.

Edited by Triumph, 16 October 2011 - 10:59 AM.

[titleofusername98]

I think maybe Kovy wouldn't look like a puck hog if he had people on his line that were more his speed. Josefson and the other guy are pretty good, but they just don't match up


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Edited by titleofusername98, 16 October 2011 - 11:04 AM.

[njdevsftw]

Heatley was not an elite player in Atlanta and I'm not even sure they played together except on the PP. I am pretty sure that Hossa and Kovalchuk were on different lines.

Not sure what your criteria for "eliteness" is exactly. But Heatley won the Calder Memorial in his first year racking up 67 points in his debut season. Then followed that with an 89 point season in his second year. (Followed by the lockout season and the move to Ottawa where he was even better.) You're right in that they didn't always play together though.

Plus while Kovalchuk played with excellent forwards, the defense on Atlanta was terrible.

No doubt true, add that to his own defensive limitations and you have the explanation for his career +-.

kovalchuk with elite players isn't going to get the most out of those players, either. right now NJ has two excellent lines - last night was a perfect example. the predators matched up suter and weber on the elias line, and the elias line didn't do all that well. but the kovalchuk line dominated.

Can't really argue with that, even though a top center next to Kovy on every shift is a wet dream of mine. It is indeed likely that teams will keep matching their 1st with the ESP line. So, when we get TZ back things will hopefully look up.

For example; pay attention to Gaborik this season now that he has Richards feeding him.. It's gonna make a world of difference.

[SterioDesign]

i was watching the Oilers Cannucks game yesterday, what a game

and its true, when Hall RNH, Eberle was on the ice they were FLYING and were all over the place, it was fast and the puck was cycling in the zone so fast. There's no way Palmieri could keep up with that

and cannucks were just the Cannucks... their creativity (in the season) is just wonderful, they just make the nicest play shifts after shifts

[SMantzas]

If he scores, hes great. If sucks, he well....sucks. He needs to score to be effective, I dont know why this is news to anyone

[Triumph]

Not sure what your criteria for "eliteness" is exactly. But Heatley won the Calder Memorial in his first year racking up 67 points in his debut season. Then followed that with an 89 point season in his second year. (Followed by the lockout season and the move to Ottawa where he was even better.) You're right in that they didn't always play together though.

The Calder is for the best rookie, but 67 points is merely very good production. I had forgotten about the 89 point season, but Heatley is a great shooter, like Kovalchuk, and like Kovalchuk he doesn't really help his team's +/-. That 2003 team was outshot by 300.

For example; pay attention to Gaborik this season now that he has Richards feeding him.. It's gonna make a world of difference.

I doubt that Gaborik will put up better numbers this year than he did in 2010. His center that year was Vinny Prospal - a good player, but far from an elite center. Centers matter, but Kovalchuk can do just fine with Josefson and Palmieri. The reason why you get star players like Kovalchuk is that you don't need to surround him with 4 other great players for him to succeed.

[AlienDev]

I think it's coming on nicely for Ilya. Back to back gorgeous SO goals, and now a PP goal from the deep slot must all be helping build his confidence.

I would like to see more energy from him crashing in on the net with the puck rather than doing his big gliding runs around the back of the net, and I would like to see him get much more aggressive on the forecheck especially down low behind the goal line.

On the PP ... he's a bit too static and one-dimensional for my liking. That shot from the attacking left circle will dial in and he'll score a few there, but it's telling that he moved position and scored immediately. Looking at the Pred's PP - their 2 goals showed some positions that I would love to see us getting into ... either lurking a stick's length lateral to the goal, or in the mid slot for a deflection.

[njdevsftw]

On the PP ... he's a bit too static and one-dimensional for my liking.

Totally agree, but I feel like the whole unit is suffering from this.. I don't know much about coaching PP units, but we seem to be severely lacking creativity.. Which is odd, since we have pretty strong setup on paper.

[Devs4LIFE]

My opinion on Kovalchuk is this, there are times when he looks dominant and times where he's a wtf type player. So far I think he's been more dominant than WTF so to speak...I also think he has bought into DeBoer's system quite nicely, he's been cycling the puck down low and fighting along the boards, both are things I never expected to see out of him.
My biggest gripe is that it seems like he's been on the ice for a goal against in EVERY SINGLE GAME. That's bound to happen though when you play upwards of 30 minutes a game.