Nice bit about Kovalev

Kind of nice to hear this

http://slam.canoe.ca/Slam/Hockey/News/2008/03/17/5032521-cp.html

Good read, good guy, lots of talent, world class player when he applies himself.

when he applies himself.

The one reason I dislike him and others like him the most.

Kovy was always my favorite player growing up. DVD isn't all the expensive either, maybe I'll pick it up...

The one reason I dislike him and others like him the most.

Yeah I kind of agree.

I really thought it showed that he didn't want to here during his second stint.

Yeah I kind of agree.

I really thought it showed that he didn't want to here during his second stint.

Who would want to have been here during that time? Team was a mess. Plus since Soupy was the coach, they treated Kovy terribly. Campbell hated Kovalev and Messier is the only reason why he wasn't traded before he was. He only lasted one season after Mess left.

Who would want to have been here during that time? Team was a mess. Plus since Soupy was the coach, they treated Kovy terribly. Campbell hated Kovalev and Messier is the only reason why he wasn't traded before he was. He only lasted one season after Mess left.

Have you forgotten where he came from? Was NY really a worse situation than PIT at the time?

And who cares what Soupy did? He was four coaches removed at that point

Have you forgotten where he came from? Was NY really a worse situation than PIT at the time?

And who cares what Soupy did? He was four coaches removed at that point

I'm talking about the first time he was here.

Anyway, I think he was more happy in Pittsburgh because he was "The Man" over there.

I'm talking about the first time he was here.

Anyway, I think he was more happy in Pittsburgh because he was "The Man" over there.

I understand what you're talking about. And my point is when Alex came back, Soup had been gone for years.

I understand what you're talking about. And my point is when Alex came back, Soup had been gone for years.

They were meant to be two separate statements, my fault in not putting the paragraph break ;)

Good read, good guy, lots of talent, world class player when he applies himself.

Agreed 100%. When he wanted to be, he was awesome. But he drove me crazy alot of the time...when he passed up wide-open shots, it would drive me crazy.

Still, he's a good dude and he was one of the main focal points to the cup run.

They were meant to be two separate statements, my fault in not putting the paragraph break ;)

Ah.

Still, get over it Alex. Neil Smith was gone. Mike Keenan was gone. Campbell was gone. He was going from a team with huge financial question marks to a team where he had been successful (albeit not to the level of PIT) who were willing to spend money and were closer to making the playoffs.

He drove me nuts with all that talent, and I was saying good riddance to him when he left. It takes a while for me to forget when a player shows that type of attitude. I saw him being interviewed on the French CBC last night, and he was talking about how he re-applied his old training methods and gained a step or two. But mostly, he adjusted his outlook. I wonder if it took the pressure of playing in Montreal to turn him around, I thought he was out of there the way he was last season.

he was just out of place. He came from PITT where he had many very good years on the right wing and on the left point. He comes to NYC and he's a left winger with Lindros and taken off the point very quickly. And just like so many Rangers at that time, he looked lost and part of an unorganized group. He's always been one of my favorite players and I watch a lot of his games still. I understand his shortcomings, although it's not really his lack of trying or being interested. Too often he tried to do it himself and you just can't do that on a consistent basis in the NHL. his lazy penalties, however, were annoying.

I still don't forgive him for throwing that elbow at Hollywood.

Kovy is still my fav Ranger.
I happen to believe that player's will has little to do with his performance. Like everything related to art ( and starring in any sport is an art) is in G-d hands rather then product of individual effort. Val Kamenski was probably one of the finest all around players in history, yet he failed here miserably. New York is a Bermuda Triangle for hockey talent.

having the right makeup of players and playing the guys with the right partners. Often it's almost as simple as that. And as I mentioned with Kovalev - he went from successful seasons as a right winger (his comfortable off-wing) to the left wing - it doesn't make much sense to take a 60-70 point guy and change the posititon in which he's had the most success. The Rangers' coaches over the years have done this a lot and it's tough to understand why they'd do this.

Determination and work ethic has a lot to do with how well a player does. It's just like anything else. Natural ability and talent can get you far, but if you're not willing to put 100% (no I won't use the cliche 110%) into your career, then you won't get as far (although I'd say making millions and playing in the NHL is far) and you won't perform anywhere near your potential as if you did.

Well im from MTL and im a habs fan.
Im born in 1983 and Kovalev is my favorite player since Patrick Roy.
Since I played hockey as a forward for 20 years now , I never really been exciting about goalies so I can say Kovalev is the most exciting habs I saw all my life.

I respect his talent but he's never been a favorite of mine. Although I do give him full credit for his superb play during the Cup winning season in the playoffs (and at such a young age!). It's funny to think that earlier that season he was being threatened by Keenan to clean up his act with the bad penalties and all or maybe find himself playing on another team.

Determination and work ethic has a lot to do with how well a player does. It's just like anything else. Natural ability and talent can get you far, but if you're not willing to put 100% (no I won't use the cliche 110%) into your career, then you won't get as far (although I'd say making millions and playing in the NHL is far) and you won't perform anywhere near your potential as if you did.
That is applicable to regulars like you and I. Genius are irrelevant to any ethic, including work. That is why true talent does everything with no effort. Those who require effort are no longer a true talent.