327 replies to this topic

[maxpower]

Not to mention being a baby late in the third period and rolling around on the ice like he was a soccer player. I was so ticked at him for his ten millionth careless stickhandling giveaway on the power play I didn't even get pissed at that, though in many ways it was even worse than the actual giveaway. Having to kill off a needless penalty in the final minutes down a goal was asinine. Hell I was so pissed at Kovy, I'm still more pissed at him than I am at Toronto for THEIR obvious double-standard when it comes to us and their own rules.

It was far worse because it wasn't a mental error, it was being a baby. He also never backchecked into the play, instead he half-assed his way back to stop in between the red line and the blue line to argue. AND WOULD NOT CHANGE. I think in the end he pretty much got dragged off the ice. So basically he didn't backcheck, bitched about something that couldn't be changed, and then basically made them play shorthanded before getting T'd up.

Awful. The turnover you can kinda laugh off in a funny Steve Smith WTF just happened kind of way, that stuff is just totally lame, though.

[Triumph]

Give me a break, Tri, that was one of the worst plays I've ever seen. I didn't boo him because I was too busy laughing at whoever the dumbass was that queued up that video, but give me a break.

He is the epitome of disappointment

Yes, one of the worst plays you've ever seen, no doubt. Of course he makes that move once a game and gets away with it almost always, but that's one of the worst plays you've seen. Was it a bad play? Absolutely, but 'one of the worst plays you've seen' - even for a master of hyperbole such as yourself, this is a new low (or high).

He is the epitome of a scoring player who is bad at defense. Today I was really impressed by his passing. When he has a month where he scores 10 goals and shoots 25%, we'll hear much less of this kind of bitching.

[adam85491]

Wow. I'm at of loss for once guys. I hate Kovalchuck and the refs. Kovalchuck is the worst thing that has ever happend to the New Jersey Devils. Remember this post 10 years from now when we've won nothing.

please jump off a tall building

[maxpower]

Yes, one of the worst plays you've ever seen, no doubt. Of course he makes that move once a game and gets away with it almost always, but that's one of the worst plays you've seen. Was it a bad play? Absolutely, but 'one of the worst plays you've seen' - even for a master of hyperbole such as yourself, this is a new low (or high).

He is the epitome of a scoring player who is bad at defense. Today I was really impressed by his passing. When he has a month where he scores 10 goals and shoots 25%, we'll hear much less of this kind of bitching.

Yeah, turning the puck over 10-15 feet from the net with no one behind you, while pointing the PP, totally brilliant. Just because he does the same stupid sh!t all the time makes it okay.

Basically he's the offensive answer to Devils Bob Carpenter. The best he can do is a draw. If he doesn't do what he's supposed to do, it's a waste of time.

Granted I would have a good laugh at that play if it wasn't for his awesome effort after getting sticked. Play dead, saunter back, don't backcheck, argue with the ref instead! Of course do it in a manner that they can't even change him off the ice. Totally brilliant!

[PhuckinKillAvery]

I find it hilarious that people in the forum are still sticking up for Kovalchuck. He looked like he didn't even want to be on the ice right before Larrson scored his goal. When he's on defense (granted he's a goal scorer) he literally has the look on his face of
'I don't give a fvck what happens.' If you people don't agree or can't see it you're either in denial or you're a fvcking idiot.

[Triumph]

Yeah, turning the puck over 10-15 feet from the net with no one behind you, while pointing the PP, totally brilliant. Just because he does the same stupid sh!t all the time makes it okay.

Most of the time he pulls by that guy with no problem. It's not okay, but if he beats that guy it's probably a free entry into the offensive zone, and most of the time when the puck is turned over, it's in a corner or otherwise non-threatening.

Basically he's the offensive answer to Devils Bob Carpenter. The best he can do is a draw. If he doesn't do what he's supposed to do, it's a waste of time.

Not disagreeing, but you and I have a much different understanding of what it means to 'do what he's supposed to do'. This year I've been really impressed with his passing. It's only a matter of time before the puck starts going in off his stick.

Granted I would have a good laugh at that play if it wasn't for his awesome effort after getting sticked. Play dead, saunter back, don't backcheck, argue with the ref instead! Of course do it in a manner that they can't even change him off the ice. Totally brilliant!

Yeah, I'm sure this is what happened. He did stay down and he did coast back, but he changed pretty quickly after that.

Edited by Triumph, 26 November 2011 - 11:48 PM.

[mikeford]

I find it hilarious that people in the forum are still sticking up for Kovalchuck. He looked like he didn't even want to be on the ice right before Larrson scored his goal. When he's on defense (granted he's a goal scorer) he literally has the look on his face of
'I don't give a fvck what happens.' If you people don't agree or can't see it you're either in denial or you're a fvcking idiot.

21 goals in 45 games.

Please stop playing armchair psychologist, you don't know sh!t about how the man feels, stop pretending you do. You sound like an idiot.

[maxpower]

Most of the time he pulls by that guy with no problem. It's not okay, but if he beats that guy it's probably a free entry into the offensive zone, and most of the time when the puck is turned over, it's in a corner or otherwise non-threatening.



Not disagreeing, but you and I have a much different understanding of what it means to 'do what he's supposed to do'. This year I've been really impressed with his passing. It's only a matter of time before the puck starts going in off his stick.



Yeah, I'm sure this is what happened. He did stay down and he did coast back, but he changed pretty quickly after that.

It took a couple of seconds for him to even get T'd up, and he still didn't leave, I think he had to be tugged back to the bench. It was awful and it was a nasty flashback to dumbass Langs, who couldn't contain his anger in those situations to save his life. The major problem here was that the puck was in the defensive zone for most of this sequence. Hell, if the Isles scored.... well, no one would be talking about the mental error. Which is what it is. Frustrating but it wasn't like it was the only time they had said "hey, Grabner, want a goal?" in that game... it was just the ugliest

[titans04]

21 goals in 45 games.

Please stop playing armchair psychologist, you don't know sh!t about how the man feels, stop pretending you do. You sound like an idiot.

-26, 885 out of 891 players ranked. Dig hard enough and you can spin it anyway you want with numbers.

[Amberite]

Haven't people learned yet what Kovalchuk brings? He's a defensively-challenged sniper that will reliably put up 40+ goals a season. Even last year, in which he started abysmally and the team floundered for half a season, he put up 31 goals. This season he's shooting at 6.9% which is non-sustainable and he's still at an almost point-per-game pace. As Tri said, when he suddenly starts scoring goals in bunches, noone will make a peep.

Kovalchuk is much greater than the sum of his "visible" parts and it shows in the production of his lines and the points he's generating even when he's not scoring goals. The sooner people realize that he's going to be floating around for half the game and making high-risk-high-reward passes, the sooner most of you will stop bitching and focus on other aspects of our team.

[overtime98]

seriously the Devils havent played well the last 3 games....

[Biggie B]

Haven't people learned yet what Kovalchuk brings? He's a defensively-challenged sniper that will reliably put up 40+ goals a season. Even last year, in which he started abysmally and the team floundered for half a season, he put up 31 goals. This season he's shooting at 6.9% which is non-sustainable and he's still at an almost point-per-game pace. As Tri said, when he suddenly starts scoring goals in bunches, noone will make a peep.

Kovalchuk is much greater than the sum of his "visible" parts and it shows in the production of his lines and the points he's generating even when he's not scoring goals. The sooner people realize that he's going to be floating around for half the game and making high-risk-high-reward passes, the sooner most of you will stop bitching and focus on other aspects of our team.

Hot or cold, it's his complete lack of forecheck and backcheck that stands out to me. Not to mention, he is constantly cruising rather than hussling back on defense. Are these basic skills that difficult to learn and apply?

[trailblazer]

League is sticking it to the Devils for Sykora embarassing the refs when he lied about taking the penalty.

[Amberite]

Hot or cold, it's his complete lack of forecheck and backcheck that stands out to me. Not to mention, he is constantly cruising rather than hussling back on defense. Are these basic skills that difficult to learn and apply?

Again, who cares? This is who he is, and he still puts up a point per game. Lets stop focusing on who we wish he was and accept what he is - the very same player that we saw in Atlanta for 8 years and who will be here for the rest of his career. There's no perfect player in the league, and yet it seems everyone wants Kovalchuk to be one.

Edited by Amberite, 27 November 2011 - 12:44 AM.

[Colin226]

I find it hilarious that people in the forum are still sticking up for Kovalchuck. He looked like he didn't even want to be on the ice right before Larrson scored his goal. When he's on defense (granted he's a goal scorer) he literally has the look on his face of
'I don't give a fvck what happens.' If you people don't agree or can't see it you're either in denial or you're a fvcking idiot.

If that's your actual analysis then you're such an idiot that its not even worth getting into... Right, he looked like he didn't give a crap... That's the dumbest comment on the boards this year... Stop embarrassing yourself by posting this garbage

Edited by Colin226, 27 November 2011 - 12:47 AM.

[CarpathianForest]

The Devils getting Kovy is like buying a Ferrari with now engine. It's all nice to have such a player of quality but we don't have any of the pieces to make him successful. That's why it would have beena good idea to go after Peverly when he was UFA instead of trying to plug other guys in with him in an attempt that we might be successful.

[Amberite]

The Devils getting Kovy is like buying a Ferrari with now engine. It's all nice to have such a player of quality but we don't have any of the pieces to make him successful. That's why it would have beena good idea to go after Peverly when he was UFA instead of trying to plug other guys in with him in an attempt that we might be successful.

This is silly. Most of the league's best players have to make due with linemates that might not be a perfect match. Kovalchuk's lack of goal scoring this year has nothing to do with who he plays with - it's all about luck, and he simply hasn't had it yet (6.9% shooting). Throughout his career he's always had a near 1/1 correlation between goals/assists, and so far this year he's 4/9. That tells me his linemates are just fine, and it's a matter of him finding the back of the net that's a bit off.

During the second half of last year when he started scoring in bunches, noone batted an eye because that's the type of player he is.

[Triumph]

carpathianforest's comment is even more dumb when you consider that peverley never went UFA.

[mikeford]

-26, 885 out of 891 players ranked. Dig hard enough and you can spin it anyway you want with numbers.

I ain't digging. I'm going from the time Lemaire took over, essentially.


Which, by the way, in that same span of 21 goals in 45 games from January 1st on, Kovalchuk was an even 0. Starting from the exact date of Lemaire's first game last year, 22 goals in 49 games and a -4.

So he compiled a -22 under John MacLean.

Are we placing sole blame on Kovalchuk considering that entire team sucked ass under MacLean? Doesn't seem fair.

[hurricane1091]

Watched the replay a hundred times. Parise's leg moved forward (no arguing that) and the puck went into the net. Since the rules are vague, it allows for the NHL to call it this way. I can see why it was and if you can't you're being a homer. I'm a homer 99% of the time but I let up every blue moon and this is it.