Legion15 Posted October 2, 2011 Share Posted October 2, 2011 NJ.com - Kovalchuk wants to core more this season "No. Definitely not. I will try to score more than 30 goals this year for sure," Kovakchuk told me today. "I hadn't scored less than 40 goals in the previous six years. It was a very difficult season for me. "It seemed like I got a lot of chances in every game, but I didn't score enough goals. That's what happens when you put a lot on your shoulders and try to do too much." The pressure isn't likely to subside this season. The Devils finished dead last in the NHL last season when they scored only 174 goals. Even though Zach Parise is back from a lost season due to knee surgery, there is no guarantee the Devils can produce enough offense. Let's hope they find the chemistry also later in the article this was a quote from Pronger when interviewed by Philthy media: Flyers defenseman Chris Pronger will not accompany the team to Newark for tonight's game. "Let's put it on my headstone that I won't go to Newark for a preseason game," Pronger told Philly reporters. What an arrogant douche! He's above playing a preseason game in Newark. He can go fvck himself then... Although that's the kind of attitude Philly has anyway... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
soulartist23 Posted October 2, 2011 Share Posted October 2, 2011 Blech. Pronger's an a**. I don't really care what he says though. He'll probably get hurt again shortly after the regular season starts anyway, dude's old and it's showing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LucifersDog Posted October 2, 2011 Share Posted October 2, 2011 Blech. Pronger's an a**. I don't really care what he says though. He'll probably get hurt again shortly after the regular season starts anyway, dude's old and it's showing. Maybe old and slow but gets the job done on defense and offense as well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RizzMB30 Posted October 3, 2011 Share Posted October 3, 2011 Maybe old and slow but gets the job done on defense and offense as well. Idk dude...wasn't he injured for most of last season?? He'll go down eventually. He seems to get more injury-prone with age. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jerrydevil Posted October 3, 2011 Share Posted October 3, 2011 God, I wish this guy would zip it. Kovalchuck, not Pronger. He's so weak for a supposed star player. " I tried to do too much. " STFU. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
adam85491 Posted October 3, 2011 Share Posted October 3, 2011 God, I wish this guy would zip it. Kovalchuck, not Pronger. He's so weak for a supposed star player. " I tried to do too much. " STFU. wow. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Facepainter Posted October 3, 2011 Share Posted October 3, 2011 God, I wish this guy would zip it. Kovalchuck, not Pronger. He's so weak for a supposed star player. " I tried to do too much. " STFU. I think he's referring to doing too much/leading to giveaways. I don't know what else he would be referring to. Nothing wrong with acknowledging that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ATLL765 Posted October 3, 2011 Share Posted October 3, 2011 Kovalchuk def tried to do too much last year, but that's something that was always going to be an issue with a guy who was the only true star player coming from a 2nd rate team in ATL. I've still seen him trying to make too cute of a play sometimes in the preseason. In the last game against PHI, he along with Palmieri were on a 2 on 1 and I think the better play would have been to try to make a pass to Palmieri, but instead Kovy tried to make a slick move and he didn't get a very good shot off because of it. I'm hoping he can correct this during the season and will be able to be a more efficient player this year. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pepperkorn Posted October 3, 2011 Share Posted October 3, 2011 (edited) also Jerry -- people ask. He's just giving the sound bytes. I'm never sure what I want to hear... I don't want to hear sound bytes, I don't like the questions to be ignored as if everything is fine. But to address them lets them that much more into your head. I DO know I'd prefer the players talk team for successes AND failures. It'll be called finger pointing by many but fact is there is no I in team. When you address things on a personal level you leave the door to your head open. fvck the players and the fans screaming you won't accept responsibility -- perform well and they shut up. No one will give you the space so you have to take it and just not let anyone in there. Who gives a sh!t what people have to say -- they say sh!t when you're as honest as possible and when they do THEN... well then it hurts - then it can mess with you. Edited October 3, 2011 by Pepperkorn Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jerrydevil Posted October 3, 2011 Share Posted October 3, 2011 also Jerry -- people ask. He's just giving the sound bytes. I certainly understand that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NJDevs4978 Posted October 3, 2011 Share Posted October 3, 2011 God, I wish this guy would zip it. Kovalchuck, not Pronger. He's so weak for a supposed star player. " I tried to do too much. " STFU. I can get that you don't like him as a hockey player, or his contract and what it represents but I really don't get the personal dislike. Kovy hasn't acted like a diva publicly since getting here and is being accountable for his own suckiness in the first half. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Legion15 Posted October 3, 2011 Author Share Posted October 3, 2011 I can get that you don't like him as a hockey player, or his contract and what it represents but I really don't get the personal dislike. Kovy hasn't acted like a diva publicly since getting here and is being accountable for his own suckiness in the first half. THIS Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Devilsfan118 Posted October 3, 2011 Share Posted October 3, 2011 I can get that you don't like him as a hockey player, or his contract and what it represents but I really don't get the personal dislike. Kovy hasn't acted like a diva publicly since getting here and is being accountable for his own suckiness in the first half. You didn't get the memo? Everything that went wrong last year was Kovalchuk's fault. Logic and reason be damned! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ollie McKraut Posted October 3, 2011 Share Posted October 3, 2011 I lol at Pronger and am glad we have Kovalchuk, insane contract and all Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mrthemike Posted October 3, 2011 Share Posted October 3, 2011 Kovy is the popular scapegoat. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Onddeck Posted October 3, 2011 Share Posted October 3, 2011 every once in a while we'll still see Kovy trying to do too much with the puck. he's obviously worked on it though, and gotten better. to be honest, sometimes i feel that its worth letting him do that every once in a while. he's such an elite scorer that the odds are gonna be he's gonna do somethin nice with the puck Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EdgeControl Posted October 3, 2011 Share Posted October 3, 2011 every once in a while we'll still see Kovy trying to do too much with the puck. he's obviously worked on it though, and gotten better. to be honest, sometimes i feel that its worth letting him do that every once in a while. he's such an elite scorer that the odds are gonna be he's gonna do somethin nice with the puck If its pass it to palmieri or take a shot, I vote kovy. and yes he does need to score more goals we need 70+ from him and zach Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jerrydevil Posted October 4, 2011 Share Posted October 4, 2011 I can get that you don't like him as a hockey player, or his contract and what it represents but I really don't get the personal dislike. It's not personal. It can't be, I don't know the guy. My vitriol is hockey-related. I don't want to hear his explanation about his poor play, which sounds like a bunch of BS anyway. But yeah, we need him to be good, not Kovalbust. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Colin226 Posted October 4, 2011 Share Posted October 4, 2011 (edited) The thing is, Kovy is no longer on a team built around him.. We have enough talent on this team that he should not be expected to win the game himself.. So if his goal numbers go down, but the team still does well, then I don't give a damn On a side note, it was beyond obvious that he was trying to do too much after Zach went down.. His play and his body language said it all.. The team was failing and he had just gotten a huge contract, so who wouldn't feel pressure to try and carry the team? The annoying part was the fans who acted like they were the ones paying his salary.. "Koval-Suck" posters at home games? Wow, only in the NY area do we go that far to sh!t on our team's players when we feel they are underperforming.. How dare he not play better?! I'm a fan of this team god dammit and I deserve better!! Edited October 4, 2011 by Colin226 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Triumph Posted October 4, 2011 Share Posted October 4, 2011 It's not personal. It can't be, I don't know the guy. My vitriol is hockey-related. I don't want to hear his explanation about his poor play, which sounds like a bunch of BS anyway. But yeah, we need him to be good, not Kovalbust. wtf is he supposed to say, i wasn't trying hard out there? he didn't play well, that much is obvious to everyone, including him. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Legion15 Posted October 4, 2011 Author Share Posted October 4, 2011 (edited) The thing is, Kovy is no longer on a team built around him.. We have enough talent on this team that he should not be expected to win the game himself.. So if his goal numbers go down, but the team still does well, then I don't give a damn On a side note, it was beyond obvious that he was trying to do too much after Zach went down.. His play and his body language said it all.. The team was failing and he had just gotten a huge contract, so who wouldn't feel pressure to try and carry the team? The annoying part was the fans who acted like they were the ones paying his salary.. "Koval-Suck" posters at home games? Wow, only in the NY area do we go that far to sh!t on our team's players when we feel they are underperforming.. How dare he not play better?! I'm a fan of this team god dammit and I deserve better!! it's like people suing doctors for millions of dollars because of minor, non-life-threatening mistakes. They're human too, they make mistakes like everyone else. They have off days. That has been a trait in the fanbase to dump on a player when he's struggling. Not just with Kovy. Dare I say it, we're starting to have ranjerk fans rub off on us. Edited October 4, 2011 by Legion15 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NJDevs4978 Posted October 4, 2011 Share Posted October 4, 2011 (edited) It's not personal. It can't be, I don't know the guy. My vitriol is hockey-related. I don't want to hear his explanation about his poor play, which sounds like a bunch of BS anyway. But yeah, we need him to be good, not Kovalbust. Not personal in the literal sense, but the fact is you've been one of the most vocal dissenters about Kovy so it basically clouds whatever he does or says in your mind. Otherwise some innocuous soundbyte like this you wouldn't even think about in terms of he needs to 'shut up'. Wow, only in the NY area do we go that far to sh!t on our team's players when we feel they are underperforming.. How dare he not play better?! I'm a fan of this team god dammit and I deserve better!! Oh really...you haven't been to Philly or Boston lately have you? Especially Boston where everyone including guys who've won two World Series for them are being taken to task to the nth degree over the great collapse. It's just the way sports is nowadays, you'd get the same crap everywhere from other countries with soccer, to colleges here with college football and basketball. Edited October 4, 2011 by NJDevs4978 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Colin226 Posted October 4, 2011 Share Posted October 4, 2011 (edited) Oh really...you haven't been to Philly or Boston lately have you? Especially Boston where everyone including guys who've won two World Series for them are being taken to task to the nth degree over the great collapse. It's just the way sports is nowadays, you'd get the same crap everywhere from other countries with soccer, to colleges here with college football and basketball. Philly is the only market that is worse.. Boston was not that hard on its teams before the 2000's when they all became good at once and their fans got spoiled (hmmmm sounds a little like some people in NJ with the Devils).. But they are absolutely not as bad in other markets.. Pittsburgh does not get down on their teams like we do here.. Phoenix is a very positive market (they just don't show up if they don't like you, rather than showing up to boo and hold "insert name-SUCKS" posters).. Dallas is hard on the Cowboys, I admit.. Florida isn't bad.. San Francisco isn't bad.. Detroit is excellent.. etc etc What do they say when a player comes to NY? That it's a very tough market to play in.. When you do well, you're king.. When you suck, you better have thick skin Edited October 4, 2011 by Colin226 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jerrydevil Posted October 4, 2011 Share Posted October 4, 2011 Not personal in the literal sense, but the fact is you've been one of the most vocal dissenters about Kovy so it basically clouds whatever he does or says in your mind. Otherwise some innocuous soundbyte like this you wouldn't even think about in terms of he needs to 'shut up'. If you're saying that I won't give him the benefit of the doubt, you're right. He has a lot to prove about his ability to play well as part of a team. And excuses piss me off, especially ones that portray himself as caring too much and trying too hard. It's a rolleyes moment. But I agree that booing him is counterproductive, Colin. Fans can boo if they please, but it won't help except for allowing them to blow off steam. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chorske17 Posted October 4, 2011 Share Posted October 4, 2011 If you're saying that I won't give him the benefit of the doubt, you're right. He has a lot to prove about his ability to play well as part of a team. And excuses piss me off, especially ones that portray himself as caring too much and trying too hard. It's a rolleyes moment. But I agree that booing him is counterproductive, Colin. Fans can boo if they please, but it won't help except for allowing them to blow off steam. I agree with you Jerry. He has a LOT to prove. That contract didn't magically get to that amount without him demanding it and we as fans need to hold this clown to higher degree of accountability. You want the money? Play like it every night. Show me that hussle back on defense, don't look skyward when you screw-up. I'd be happy with 30 goals and 30 assists from this guy if he had a POSITIVE plus/minus. People can whine all they want over it being bad stat, but regardless, it's a minus every single time you are on the ice when a goal is scored. Be smart about passes and don't go for the low percentage play when another one exists given his track record. I was under-impressed by the preseason by Kovalchuk. Sykora looked like the superior player in the brief time we saw the team play. I hope Ilya comes out of the gate on fire, but I don't expect it. People ignorance of his contract's affect bother me. It will effect the team for years whether you want to admitt it or not. Again, not entirely his fault as the Devils gave him what he wanted. However, the team had better make the playoffs every year with a contract like that. Right now, I don't see it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.