December 28, 2011
Doing the Devils' work
Talented Kovalchuk’s improved attention to detail has his ice time, team’s expectations, trending up
by Kirk Luedeke/NYHJ Writer
NEWARK, N.J. -- New Jersey Devils winger Ilya Kovalchuk is doing his part to keep his team competitive in the tight Eastern Conference.
What a difference a year makes.
A year ago, and on the heels of signing a controversial long-term extension that ultimately cost the Devils a couple of future draft picks, Kovalchuk got off to the worst start of his career. Nothing seemed to go right for the former first overall selection of the Atlanta Thrashers from October through December. Critics of the devilish $6.666 million cap hit through 2025 sharpened their knives over what appeared to be a monumental organizational mistake.
Yet, through the adversity and cold streaks, Kovalchuk’s confidence never wavered. In January, he regained his scoring touch, going on to finish with 31 goals and leading the team in scoring.
“You don’t want to put too much pressure on yourself,” Kovalchuk told New York Hockey Journal. “My job is to score goals and the puck wasn’t going in for me, but I had to keep working hard. I did, and things were better at the end.”
A year later, Kovalchuk is off on stronger footing out of the gate, tallying 10 points (three goals in 11 games) before a groin injury in early November sidelined him for five contests. The team’s solid start – 12-10-1 -- is an encouraging sign after the Devils missed the playoffs last spring for the first time since 1996.
“It was very important especially after the last year,” Kovalchuk said. “We want to prove ourselves in a way better situation from the start so we did that. Now we just have to keep working, doing the same thing.”
While the consistent scoring was not a surprise for those who have followed the electrifying forward since he broke in as an 18-year-old rookie, the amount of minutes and special teams time he’s gotten under new coach Peter DeBoer has been a revelation.
“For me, he’s earning our trust as a guy we can use in a lot of different situations,” said DeBoer. “He’s been out with the net empty at the other end in a 5-on-6 situation (and) he got the job done. He’s dangerous every time he’s on the ice. We’re going to give him some responsibility on the penalty kill, too. There are nights in the year where you’re sitting killing penalties for eight or 10 minutes, and a guy like that can get cold for that long.”
Kovalchuk played an eye-popping 28 minutes in one early-season game against the Nashville Predators, a Devils win in overtime. In the team’s first 17 games, he was averaging 25:18 of ice time per contest, almost three minutes more on average than Zach Parise. That kind of employment is rare for a forward, but DeBoer made sure to point out that the elevated ice time came out of specific circumstances of that game.
The larger point is this, however: The perception of Kovalchuk has always been that of a wildly talented, but undisciplined player, whose at times indifferent play in all zones undercut his tremendous accomplishments on offense.
“Obviously, you want to play well and get a lot of chances,” said Kovalchuk. “When the coaches believe in you, it’s a good thing.”
Now 28, Kovalchuk has matured and is making it easy for DeBoer to trust him in all situations, which is great news for the Devils, who have gotten Parise back after he missed most of the 2010-11 season with a knee injury.
“Skill-wise, it’s self-explanatory with (Kovalchuk),” said Parise, the Devils’ captain. “He’s one of the most skilled (players) in the league one-on-one. He can beat you a bunch of different ways, but if he gets you one-on-one he’s tough to stop.
“He’s an underrated passer, too. It kind of gets overshadowed by him scoring 50 (goals), but he’s a very good passer. He works hard, he’s a good team guy, he’s good for people to watch and plays the game hard.”
If there was any concern that there might be a repeat of the friction that dogged Kovalchuk’s relationship with former head coach John MacLean last year, DeBoer quickly put those fears to rest. Both coach and player hit it off from the beginning of camp, and as a result, DeBoer has put Kovalchuk in the position to make his impact felt on a much wider scale than in previous seasons.
“He’s always an impressive player,” said DeBoer. “I’ve come to appreciate his commitment to winning and his willingness to do whatever he needs to do to win. The details of the game … I think watching him from the other bench (in Florida), I didn’t appreciate how willing he was to buy into doing things defensively and playing in the last minute of the game with the lead. Doing those type things, he’s been very good.”
Kovalchuk’s skill level is off the charts, but his pure hockey ability is amplified by a 6-foot-2, 230-pound frame, size that makes him a handful for opposing defenses. Even his own blueliners marvel at what he brings when going up against him in practice.
Second-year defender Mark Fayne, who made the jump from Providence College to the AHL to New Jersey last season, tried to shed some light on what has allowed Kovalchuk to rack up almost 400 goals and more than 700 points in just 10 NHL seasons.
“I personally think he’s real good at, when he gets the puck down low, walking up the half-wall and just looking for a (defenseman) or anybody,” said Fayne, “and he likes when the ‘D’ cut down and try getting into the offense, which is nice. He’s not one of those forwards who doesn’t like passing it up to the point. He’s all for it and he’s always working hard along the boards.”
Fayne said that Kovalchuk doesn’t get enough credit for his defensive game, as well.
“He backchecks just as hard as anybody; he’s so fast when he’s out there, everybody has more space because everyone’s always worried about him. It works to our advantage as well. He’s a great guy and I love playing with him.”
With the roster healthy and the Devils competing well in what is shaping up to be a tight race in the Eastern Conference this season, Kovalchuk cited the team’s effective practices with having an impact on the early collective success.
“I think the way we work in practice is going towards the games,” he said. “We’re doing the same thing on (the) ice when we play. That helps when you got intense practice and you work as a team, as a five-man unit that transfers to the game situations, and that translates to the same thing.”
His points production may be off the kind of pace he established in Atlanta as a younger pro, but the main difference now is that he’s bought into the details, and doing the little things that go beyond goals and assists. His willingness to apply himself in practice and buy into the system has made him a better player, if not a bigger scorer.
Kovalchuk hasn’t netted 50 goals in a season since 2008, but given his well-rounded game, the Devils will take it. The franchise has never seen any player reach that lofty scoring milestone, but with Kovalchuk in his prime, there is time for him to make team history.
“We don’t want to put pressure on him,” said Parise. “We got guys who can score. It doesn’t always have to be him, but he’s as dynamic as they come, so it’s good for us.”
Kirk Luedeke can be reached at feedback@nyhockeyjournal.com.
DEVILS NOTES
Martin Brodeur battled a shoulder injury in the first month of the season, but 38-year-old Johan Hedberg proved his worth as backup, going 5-3-1 in the span that the NHL’s all-time games, wins and shutouts leader was absent. In 11 games thus far, “Moose” Hedberg is a solid 7-4-1 with a 2.24 GAA and .920 save percentage while playing some of the best hockey of his career. …
Rugged forward David Clarkson, who played junior hockey for Peter DeBoer and won a Memorial Cup when the Devils bench boss was in charge of the Kitchener Rangers, is off to a fine start, with seven goals in his first 23 games. His career high is 17 goals in all 82 contests in 2008-09. He also racked up 164 penalty minutes that year and is on a similar pace this season with 46. He even got to see time skating on a line with Zach Parise and Ilya Kovalchuk. …
Rookie center Adam Henrique was a two-time Memorial Cup champion with the Windsor Spitfires, distinguishing himself with his strong defensive play and opportunistic offense. He’s doing the same in New Jersey, having posted a 4-6-10 line in 14 games for the big club. The 2008 third-rounder has the look of a young Dave Poulin and could establish himself with the Devils for years to come based on early returns. …
Speaking of rookies, fourth overall pick Adam Larsson scored his first NHL goal on Nov. 11, the day before he turned 19. It took some time for him to find the back of the net as the tally came in his 14th game, but he broke through on a bullet shot. Given his prodigious talent, there should be a lot more goals to come for the youngster.
Defenseman Mark Fayne said a year ago that he believed he would make it to the NHL one day, it was just how quickly he arrived that surprised him. Much of that was owed to injuries and New Jersey’s atrocious start in 2010-11, however the 6-foot-3 Cape Cod native weathered some tough times and a steep learning curve to stick. That early success did not create a comfort zone, however, and the second-year pro treated training camp like his first.
“This summer, I wasn’t expecting anything,” he said. “I knew I had to come into camp and work and earn a spot — nothing was going to be given. So far, it’s worked out. (The job is) still not mine for certain, so I gotta keep working every day.”
Fayne’s 3-3-6 totals in the first 17 games puts him well on pace to exceed the four goals and 10 points he tallied in 57 games with the Devils last year.
-- KIRK LUEDEKE
