Ilya Kovalchuk, known as one of the elite snipers in the NHL, was consistently ripped on over the past few months for his loaded contract, and his poor play over the first month or so of the NHL season.
Two days after he botched his shootout attempt that led to New Jersey’s 12th loss of the season, Kovalchuk responded by ripping a fantastic shot in OT to seal a win against another one of the league’s current bottom-feeders, the Edmonton Oilers.
So what’s the deal with Ilya Kovalchuk? Does he deserve all the flak he’s getting, and how will he perform the rest of the season?
First of all, let’s not forget that Kovalchuk is a perennial 40-goal scorer. He has strung together six consecutive 40-goal seasons, the longest of any current player. He’s good on the power play, and it helps that he’s got a rocket of a shot.
Before landing Kovy, the Devils had a 40-goal scorer and good two-way player in Zach Parise, but many felt he was having a down year (evidenced by his statistics). It never hurts to have an abundance of goals, so the Devils went after Kovalchuk, and, albeit after a slow start, he broug ...
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Article written by Ben Ashun
Will The Real Ilya Kovalchuk Please Stand Up?
November 13th, 2010 by Ben Ashun Leave a reply »
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