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Originally Posted by Fletch
one of the reasons his shot totals were high in PITT was he played the PP point, and took blasts from there. Now he's in an uncomfortable position on the PP and he's not getting the shots off. Further, he's not going to get a lot of ES shots since he seems to be the focus on that line and must move the puck quickly to be effective.
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I don't necessarily disagree with you here Fletch, but I do think you're placing too much emphasis on the system and not enough on the player. While it's true that Pitt did utilize Alex more on the point, that is not the reason why he isn't playing the same. In PITT Alex was a completely different player, he was a superstar on a team that didn't have many stars. While here in NY he's more of a reactive player, in PITT he was proactive, he made things happen everytime he touched the puck. He would use his handles to skate the puck to the center of the ice and then he'd let a blazing shot go. I hardly ever see him do this anymore, now he goes to the outside much more.
Another possible problem I see with his game is the line he plays on. You mentioned that he's the focus of his line...well that isn't really anything new for him. He was the focus of his line in the Burgh also, and that didn't stop him for dominating. It is possible that the current line he plays on may not be condusive to his style. Last season Alex said that he wasn't used to the Rangers system cause its too passive and no one heads to the net. He needs to play on a line with a guy who'll park himself in front of the goalie and set screens and get his rebounds.
There is no doubt in my mind that most of Kovalev's problems are in himself. He has the kind of talent that he should be able to score regardless of who he plays with, or where he plays. As some of us had feared, it appears Alex has regressed back to the player he was pre-Pitt, and it's very possible that he's just yet another case of a player who can't take the bright lights of the city.
