My Thoughts Regarding this Obvious Benching

[nj_cup]

see problem with that thinking...since you mentioned his play as being a part of the benching...i think its a very valid point of mine that other players have performed just as badly but they somehow get a pass? from the coach and esp the fans? thats a good sign by a rookie headcoach to divide the locker room...two sets of standards eh?

 

[MCDevils]

Has Kovalchuk played up to expectations so far this year?

 

[MCDevils]

Also, the locker room was already divided. It was divided since the moment Ilya arrived if you believe what's leaking out.

 

[nj_cup]

noooooooooooooo BUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUT

he is tied for the team lead in goals...and points...has a better +/- then elias langs zubrus arnott.....yeah he deserves to be benched! lol

ON TOP of that....they get pounded 6-1 then he scores the teams only goal in tonights game? yeah your right he def deserves to be benched!

 

[nj_cup]

well seeing how this team has done squat in the oh so i dunno 5 past years before kovy got here...somehow i dont think he's to blame? call me crazy on that one

 

[nj_cup]

also seeing how many coaches this team went through i again say i DOUBT kovalchuk is the problem

 

[MCDevils]

So you want to judge if Ilya should have been benched based off what he did after the benching? I'm sure you watched the Montreal game. He wasn't good there. He wasn't good in the Colorado game, which I attended despite having 1G, 1A.

This is speculative in nature because none of us know why Mac benched him. Also, you talk about the last 5 years the Devils have done nothing, well Ilya really helped carry those thrashers to enormous heights.

Furthermore, your definition of "done nothing" is essentially based off not winning the cup equals a total failure. It's a stupid way of looking at it. You can't judge which teams better based off small sample sizes of the playoffs. Is Montreal a better team than Pitt or Washington?

 

[nj_cup]

i just named 3 people who have been just as "bad" as kovalchuk this season but i dont see anyone bringing their names up in benching talks? i think its INSANELY stupid for maclean not to say why he was benched...then you know what maybe we would have a better idea of the reason and not just a ton of rumors that won't really go away until this team turns it around...stupid move by maclean

is it too much to ask for a team to get out of the 1st round after finishing 1st in the divison how many years? is that really too much to ask? i'm guessing the sharks year after year arent chokers right?

i said when they signed kovalchuk the only thing i want him to do is SCORE GOALS thats what he does and thats all i want and expect him to do...now if your telling me your ok with him being benched 7 games into a 15 year contract because of his "defense" well then its going to be a loooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooong 15 years.

 

[MCDevils]

Also, you criticize others for defending Elias or whoever because they haven't played well. Before tonight Elias had 1G, 3A. Kovay had 2G, 3A. So it's not like he's lighting the world on fire.

Finally, if you want to talk about a double standard. Let's say that MacLean had benched Elias instead of Kovy it's still a double standard. Right now, your just as bad as people who think that Marty, Zach, Elias or whoever, can't do anything wrong.

 

[Vortimous]

yeah, slumping, playing horrible, Lang is horid (esp the penalties tonight), elias is gone, defense is terrible, Marty played okay.... benching anyone now is not the answer, esp kov. And lets not forget our main problem which has haunted us for the last 5 years... Our inability to score on the PP.... any PP. You get at least one or two goals off of them, and we win some of these games.... but no we pass pass pass pass pass shot, missing the net... pass pass pass its over.... same thing year in and out... its getting old... and so is this team.... You all keep saying its too early to panic.. but guess what, its time to push the panic button... or we will be so behind its impossible to catch up... isnt anyone else concerned that our only two wins were shutouts? that is horid

Vort

 

[MCDevils]

The fact that you don't care if he plays defense as long as he scores goals tells me everything I need to know. How have the caps done with the all offense no defense approach. You talk about winning the cup, look at the forwards on the last three stanley cup champions.. You see names like Staal, Crosby, Toews, Sharp, Zetterberg, Datsyuk. There's a very strong trend amongst those names. They are all excellent two way players. I don't see names like Heatley, Gaborik, Ovechkin, Backstrom, Kessel, Vanek, Thornton. etc, etc.

 

[nj_cup]

hes not lighting it up but he is still scoring...elias i watched tonight was a complete non factor! on that mini 2on1 in the 3rd he does a spinorama and shot? stop! with 15 seconds left he takes a horrible shot front in front of mara who was down on one knee?

you think its ok to bench your star most talented player 7 games into a season when your having trouble scoring....i dont..call me crazy!

that move is just going to raise more and more questions cause more and more doubts that kovy shouldnt of come here...it just adds another level of magnification this team doesnt need right now

 

[nj_cup]

see you bring up a decent point...but kovalchuk isnt out there playing 60mins a game....so yeah you know what im willing to risk that if he does make a mistake the two defenseman can bail him out? if NOT then im hoping that the all time greatest goalie in the world can bail him out...thats too much to ask for i guess?

so yeah im willing to put up with his bad "defense" (who btw has a better +/-) then most on the roster...if it means he will score some goals

 

[MCDevils]

yeah, slumping, playing horrible, Lang is horid (esp the penalties tonight), elias is gone, defense is terrible, Marty played okay.... benching anyone now is not the answer, esp kov. And lets not forget our main problem which has haunted us for the last 5 years... Our inability to score on the PP.... any PP. You get at least one or two goals off of them, and we win some of these games.... but no we pass pass pass pass pass shot, missing the net... pass pass pass its over.... same thing year in and out... its getting old... and so is this team.... You all keep saying its too early to panic.. but guess what, its time to push the panic button... or we will be so behind its impossible to catch up... isnt anyone else concerned that our only two wins were shutouts? that is horid

Vort

I'm very, very concerned over this start so far. The pack is finally starting to rapidly separate from us, and considering 10 points is the difference between winning the Division and missing the playoffs, everyone should be worried.

 

[nj_cup]

I'm very, very concerned over this start so far. The pack is finally starting to rapidly separate from us, and considering 10 points is the difference between winning the Division and missing the playoffs, everyone should be worried.

your right lets bench kovalchuk again

 

[MCDevils]

hes not lighting it up but he is still scoring...elias i watched tonight was a complete non factor! on that mini 2on1 in the 3rd he does a spinorama and shot? stop! with 15 seconds left he takes a horrible shot front in front of mara who was down on one knee?

you think its ok to bench your star most talented player 7 games into a season when your having trouble scoring....i dont..call me crazy!

that move is just going to raise more and more questions cause more and more doubts that kovy shouldnt of come here...it just adds another level of magnification this team doesnt need right now

Elias sucked tonight, there's no denying that, but on the play your referring to the defense got back and he didn't have the speed to go around them and he had no chance of generating anything by going wide.

 

[MCDevils]

your right lets bench kovalchuk again

I don't know why Kovalchuk was benched. Maybe he did something in the locker room or undermined MacLean. Maybe he did nothing and MacLean wanted the team to realize that they need to start playing better because they can't wait around for Kovy to save them. Who knows.

 

[nj_cup]

he should be benched then

 

[nj_cup]

until it comes out its a stupid move on macleans part...plain and simple....its even more stupid that he cant say the reason why? which leads me to believe it is over his defensive play....lord o lord how the media would love that!

 

[MCDevils]

This team could use a Brent Sutter bike ride.