Erratic Kovalev Derailing Habs

There you go JR, another CHEAP pick-up for you!!!! Maybe Montreal will throw in a couple of those 100 yr. centennial patches too. [sarcasm] [alert]!

I really enjoyed the article Cory, nice job.

not to be cruel, but lot of editorializing here on something that has been hashed and rehashed 1 million times by the montreal media for years.

Repenttokyo, serioulsly…that’s your comment? How many of the fans that frequent this site actually read the Montreal news on a regular basis? Well aside from you that is, I would be interested to read your take on your blog….

Nice job Cory, good subject with Canes playing Les Habitants tonight!
Montreal always seems to bring out the best in the Canes, and in Wardo!
Maybe you should rehash the current media blitz aimed at Eric Cole in Edmonton, as he always ruled against the Canadiens.
Go canes!

Uuuuugggghhh is this how we fire up our fan base???

Nice article and all, I think would of rather the whole thing be about Sammi with a passing montion of the Habs and the rest of the pukes. I can read about the habs anywhere. I come here for ’Canes stuff.

Not pissed or anything, just it’s game day and all get is this bumper sticker? How about the game day preview or something.

Shout out to Jonathon, BTW, I hope he get’s to see a good game!!!

A

Yes, I glazed over on the Kovalev stuff.. but I’ll wear my Samsonov shirt tonight just to see if that helps us out.

1) Certainly Kovalev didn’t learn from Samsonov. You have your best production just BEFORE your contract runs out! Bad timing Alex! LOL

this is a great article, I just hope he does not have a superlative game like price did after your last hab article!

Repent — I was trying to look at it from the angle of Samsonov being treated unmercifully by the Montreal fans while those same fans were more than willing to hitch their wagon to Kovalev this year in the hopes of a repeat performance by him and a shot at the Cup.

Paladin — We’ll have more stuff before the game. This isn’t a game preview.

Wylde — No kidding. He is truly an amazing talent and so fun to watch … when he’s on.

Excellent article, Cory! Always appreciated.

What impressed me about Samsonov (and what continues to impress me… even through his drought) was his hustle in all three zones. He absorbs hits on the boards to keep puck possession – despite his size – and always looks for steals, all while zipping all over the ice and skating his heart out. Last Spring when he arrived, his play, hustle, and desire represented everything the Canes should be and weren’t at that time. Brindy fed him a lot of pucks and Brindy and him were a great team. His talent was on display. As this current line starts to gel and the offense is adjusted a bit, I think he will produce even more. Through this fall and his drought, I only saw 2 shifts where I thought he did not work as hard as he should… and one of them was after he blocked a slapshot off his upper skate and returned after going to the locker room. For a while, I noticed he was wearing a different skate, presumably stiffer, to protect the foot. I know he was playing injured for a while this Fall.

I liked how his play – and fact that he obviously “cares” as you put it – is at direct odds to what all the media labeled him as. His hustle and competitive spirit – even if he does not score – represents what I wanted and want to see from all Canes. From the whole team.

I also appreciate his “workman-like” and quiet personality. A professionalism and class. He just goes about his business and works extremely hard. From what I have read, this quality was misunderstood in the past. And I do he was used and/or given the opportunities in the past. He did not reach his potential.

Regardless…. his play is solid after the contract. As it was before the contract. He is fitting in well here.

“And it’s starting to look like Kovalev could care less.” Please learn how to speak, or at least write in, English. I think you mean he could NOT care less. I hear this error every day and it drives me nuts. At least a writer should get it right. No?

Incidentally, he does care.

Very good article Cory.

In the first few games I was surprised at Samsonov’s no goal streak, and I though it was because of lack of confidence. Maybe, It was just Laviolette that was lacking new ideas. Optimistically, Mo-ron can do something right and put some fire under his belly (not literally, I hope).

On a side note, I’d like to nominate Sergei and Nicklas Lidstrom for the “best American English by a European.” You’d never know either of them were using English as their second language if you met them on the street.

i love watching samsonov play.
i love the way he moves,
it opens up holes, and exposes the defenses.

that is what we were missing and our 2 min 3 on 2.
no movement,
just passes,

the few times that a cycle occured, we got chances,
but if everyone just stands there and passes back and forth,
the defense doesnt get worried.

it is better than before though when we couldnt even settle it in our end.

im excited for tonights game.
-chris j

i mean 2 min 5 on 3

Hey Gary, thanks for being the grammar police. I could not care less if the article is full of double negatives, dangling particples, and misplaced prepositions. It is a blog, it is supposed to be informal, and dare I say colloquial.

Incidentally, you have said that he does care, what evidence can you provide to support that?

I think it’s a mistake to assume the Montreal fans will forgive a current player based on past performance – they have Kovalev not producing and they always have, regardless of last season. This is a team that regularly boos their own players every time they touch the puck.

I was at Theodore’s last home game and you would not believe how he was treated.

Gary — Fair enough, it was a mistake. The thing is, I see several in every newspaper article I read every day, and those filter through one, two or three editors and are written as a job. For me, this is something for fun that gets done well after I should be in bed at night. So I’m giving myself some leeway.

Repent — I think the difference is the Montreal fans are ready to re-embrace their own as soon as they make amends (score). Under no circumstances do they want to see Samsonov succeed, even though he, unlike Kovalev, puts in an honest effort.

Guess we’ll just have to agree to disagree.

In my 3 years of following hockey and reading several blogs and other team’s web sites daily, I have never seen a player get a pass on his gameplay like Samsonov has. It truly is amazing since as fans we love to throw players under the bus when they are in a rut. I love the dude, but we have to admit he has not produced for this team for what he he is being paid to do at 7.5 million dollars contract (2.5 million a year average). My point is to not diss him, but to point out there are no threads throwing him under the bus like Brindy, LaRose, Ward, Leighton, Staal etc has for their lackluster gameplay, and they all have produced somewhat more in stats than he has. I look forward to seeing him breakout and just score some goals consistantly. He may be fun to watch and work hard, but if he can’t produce goals then he is failing the expectation of him for this team and fans.

As for the grammar who cares. The article is meant to give perspective which it does, so what if there is a minor grammar mistake.

As for the actual article, it was very interesting to read. I think one of the biggest differences between Kovalev and Samsonov (aside from talent) is that even when Samsonov doesn’t show up on the score sheet, he is still making plays and working hard out there. I’ve watched a lot of Montreal games this year and don’t know if you can say the same for AK27. I too like Cory, also did not think MTL would win their division and thought BOS had a better chance. Though there is still a lot of hockey left.

Caron — From above:

Since the 18-game goal drought, Samsonov has actually played well, registering four goals and five assists with a plus-8 in the past 12 games. While his confidence waned during his rough stretch, anyone who watched the Hurricanes each night knew Samsonov wasn’t taking his money and running, but rather struggling with his fragile confidence.

Nine points in 12 games is good, IMO … especially in a time when the team has struggled most to put up points.

shrug

Cory,

If I can echo you on that, even when Sergei sturggles finding the back of the net his feet are always moving. That is the difference between a player who floats and one who is just struggling with his own abilities. He is always trying to do something, he is always looking for something. PLus like you have said he is finding his form again now.

Agreed Wylde … when he’s gripping it, he tends to do too much dancing. But he rarely cruises around and does nothing.

BAHA

…you bought a Samsonov shirt.

You had to know Kovalev would score. :-)

Then stay tuned for my Patrick Eaves post ;)

Cory

From above:

The key words to your post is “18 game goal drought”. He doesn’t work any harder than LaRose and is not producing anything more than LaRose with the minutes he gets in playing compared to LaRose’s minutes, BUT he gets 2.5 million a year to LaRose’s 850k. I’m a registered nurse and if I made my RN salary, but worked hard at only producing the workload of a nursing assistant, I would be fired and no one would say “but she works so hard at doing just enough to get by”. Samsonov was not given that kind of money to produce a few points and very few goals.

If we don’t start expecting our high dollar forwards to score goals and not just assisting on points, we can kiss the playoffs goodbye. If you give Samsonov a pass on scoring goals because he works so hard, then who do you expect to score goals for this team? Why do you think we only average 2 or 3 goals a game when we should be averaging 4 or 5 goals a game? I know, I know—-the other teams have forwards that scores goals and assists with points too, we don’t thats the difference. Oh, but ours work so hard.

shrug