If freshly acquired forward Rick Nash proves to be the New York Rangers’ answer to Ilya Kovalchuk, Nash's new employers should be set to rebound from their late May loss to Kovalchuk’s Devils and make the next playoff stride.
One of the primary qualms that comes with bringing Nash onto a Stanley Cup contender is the fact that he has only four games of NHL playoff experience through nearly a decade in the league.
But while it offers no tangible assurance, Kovalchuk’s own saga at least confirms that an elite scorer can hit the ice sprinting when he is finally transferred to a team that expects a lengthy postseason.
Kovalchuk came to New Jersey in a February 2010 deal after eight-plus years and one fleeting playoff dip with the Atlanta Thrashers. His second season transcript at the time consisted of four games, all losses to the Rangers in the first round of the 2007 tournament.
Yet he led his new team with six points in five games before they were eliminated by the Flyers in the opening round of the 2010 postseason.
After the team ducked out of the playoff picture for one year, Kovalchuk topped the Devils&r ...
Read Full Article at Bleacher Report - NHL
Article written by Al Daniel
Rick Nash’s Shortage of Postseason Experience Need Not Hurt the NY Rangers
July 24th, 2012 by Al Daniel Leave a reply »
Advertisement