Monday, November 9, 2009

Kovalev Slumping as Captain
















With the absence of Koivu and a lack of veteran team players, new head coach, Jacques Martin, has appointed Alex Kovalev as the 28th (players that held the position in non-consecutive years not counted twice) captain of the storied Montreal Canadiens franchise, much to the delight of the fans that staged rallies at the Bell Center urging Gainey to re-sign the Russian.
Saku Koivu was the first European born player to become team captain and the trend of a European captain continued with Kovalev.

The lack of French oratory skills which plagued Koivu for much of his tenure does not seem to follow Kovalev. The enigmatic Russian lifts fans from their seats with dazzling stick handling from time to time, although he does lose the puck at the offensive blue line much like last season. Not since Lafleur has a Canadien had such marvelous moves that turns the Bell Centre into a vacuum as 21,273 people inhale all at once.

The problem is though, the stick handling doesn't amount to points on the score board as Kovalev, in his first year of a two year contract, has only produced three points in the first twelve games. All three points have been gained on the first line while playing with Gomez and Cammalleri. After three consecutive games without a point, Gionta was moved into Kovalev's spot while Kovalev moved down to the second line with Plekanec and Andrei Kostitsyn. Martin, hoping to build on the scoring the line succeeded during the 07/08 season, had moved Kovalev down to the third line with Lapierre and Latendresse after he failed to gain a point but was still a plus four while playing on the second line.

Players have slumps from time to time, all of which Kovalev has been accused of being a lazy player when he goes into his own slump. It could be that being the voice of a team, in the Canadiens case it could be the province of Quebec itself, has come down on Kovalev who hasn't been able to find any chemistry with old or new teammates.

Kovalev has been playing well and creating many chances, his plus nine rating is proof enough, the puck just doesn't want to go the net for him this year. Times like this is what Kovalev seems to strive for and expect him to explode with an offensive game that rivals Ovechkin in a single night.....that is unless the powder keg that is the local Montreal media blows up on him first.

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