Towards the end of the first half of the season, the Czar led the league in goals and points, it looked like the Thrashers, while shaky and erratic, still had a playoff chance, and the great man looked set to win the Rocket Richard Trophy, the Art Ross Trophy, and the Hart Memorial Thingy. How things have collapsed. Literally, in the case of the Czar: I'm sure none of you need me to remind you of this. I might be blowing this a bit out of proportion, but I think Ruutu's hit on Kovalchuk--dirty or not, beside the point--derailed most of his season. His injury was more serious than it looked: it stifled his skating for a run of several games (which somehow coincided with the losing streak that obliterated us), and he's started to recover only recently. Had he not been taken down by Ruutu, it would be Kovalchuk, and not Ovechkin, leading the league in goals and points and possibly willing his team into a playoff position. Even if the Caps don't make the playoffs, I think the point still stands.
All of which should tell you two things about the Czar: 1) to have his season hampered by an injury and still score 52 (and counting) goals, he has to be Really Fucking Good, and 2) the way he continues to play the way he does in each game, even with his injured knee, proves that Kovy is desperately committed to the team, and that he would do anything to help us win. Kovy has tied his own record (and the Thrashers' record) of goals, the amount he scored the year he won the Richard Trophy (along with Jarome Iginla and Rick Nash). Let's hope the Czar has a restful summer; we need that knee next season. He'll make his buddy Ovechkin look like, um, Ovechkin in a season where Kovalchuk scores more goals and leads his team to the Stanley Cup. Perhaps.
2 comments:
and perhaps around Prince Kari. Tool. :)
I wanted to do a separate post about Kari's 4th shutout, but I lost the will...I'll make it up to him somehow. He IS definitely the other great one on the Thrashers. Long live Kari too!
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