Confirmed with Link: Ilya Kovalchuk to Capitals for 2020 3rd round pick

[Portable Mink]

Imo Ovi plays too much defense these days for
example. He isn’t naturally good at it but backchecks and heads out of the zone early when there’s loose pucks. It’s nice of him but I wish he’d sometimes double down on a loose puck or two.

 

[txpd]

Defense isn't a skill you're getting good at based solely on effort. You're either gifted with understanding basics of the game without the puck or you're not. Bergeron would school 90% of the players in the world in his sleep when it comes to defending. This talk about "effort" and you're suddenly good at defense by putting it in is silly.

Defensive ability is a skill. Yes. But it's a skill that takes years to develop. Kovalchuk has plenty of physical skill to be good at defense.

 

[kicksavedave]

Defense isn't a skill you're getting good at based solely on effort. You're either gifted with understanding basics of the game without the puck or you're not. Bergeron would school 90% of the players in the world in his sleep when it comes to defending. This talk about "effort" and you're suddenly good at defense by putting it in is silly.

This is mostly, not 100%, but largely, nonsense.

First, no one suggests defense is based solely on effort, but its mostly based on effort. Back checking aggressively doesn't require some magical sense that only the rare few possess, it just takes determination. Blocking shots doesn't take some skill that only Bergeron has, it takes guts. Next, EVERY NHL player understands the basics of the game without the puck. There is of course varying degrees of anticipation, but that isn't what you claimed. You stated some people get the basics and some don't, which is mostly baloney. Of course there are varying levels of skill in terms of anticipation, positioning, reaction time, without the puck, but again this isn't what you claimed. You claim its some absolute gift which any player either has or doesn't have, simple nonsense.

It can be developed, it can be practiced, it can be improved. Bergeron didn't come out of the womb with great defensive instincts and effort, he worked at those things.

But the simplest, easiest thing most players can do to improve their defense is to simply try harder at it. There's nothing silly about this concept. Cup winning teams give defensive effort much much greater than their own regular season defensive effort - We saw this personally with our Cup win, Ovi blocking shots, Backie blocking shots, everyone committing to the backcheck. Its actually silly to suggest that better effort would not lead to better defensive results, we see this in our own team all the time, withing a game, within a season.

 

[Melkor]

This is mostly, not 100%, but largely, nonsense.

First, no one suggests defense is based solely on effort, but its mostly based on effort. Back checking aggressively doesn't require some magical sense that only the rare few possess, it just takes determination. Blocking shots doesn't take some skill that only Bergeron has, it takes guts. Next, EVERY NHL player understands the basics of the game without the puck. There is of course varying degrees of anticipation, but that isn't what you claimed. You stated some people get the basics and some don't, which is mostly baloney. Of course there are varying levels of skill in terms of anticipation, positioning, reaction time, without the puck, but again this isn't what you claimed. You claim its some absolute gift which any player either has or doesn't have, simple nonsense.

It can be developed, it can be practiced, it can be improved. Bergeron didn't come out of the womb with great defensive instincts and effort, he worked at those things.

But the simplest, easiest thing most players can do to improve their defense is to simply try harder at it. There's nothing silly about this concept. Cup winning teams give defensive effort much much greater than their own regular season defensive effort - We saw this personally with our Cup win, Ovi blocking shots, Backie blocking shots, everyone committing to the backcheck. Its actually silly to suggest that better effort would not lead to better defensive results, we see this in our own team all the time, withing a game, within a season.

The level of aggression and effort that required from players who don't get how to play defense with his brains and rely simply on their physical tools and competitiveness is not sustainable in the regular season. Especially for the players who made a name for themselves as offensive players first and foremost. You can play like that in the playoffs and still be pretty average defender but you can't play like that consistently all year long. You need a natural talent for that. You wrote too many words about the thing that you could have put in a couple of sentences like tex did. You think my point is nonsense. I'm exactly the same opinion about this poema you wrote.

 

[kicksavedave]

The level of aggression and effort that required from players who don't get how to play defense with his brains and rely simply on their physical tools and competitiveness is not sustainable in the regular season. Especially for the players who made a name for themselves as offensive players first and foremost. You can play like that in the playoffs and still be pretty average defender but you can't play like that consistently all year long. You need a natural talent for that. You wrote too many words about the thing that you could have put in a couple of sentences like tex did. You think my point is nonsense. I'm exactly the same opinion about this poema you wrote.

I'm sorry that a few paragraphs overwhelms you. I'll make it more simple.


Defense takes both effort and skill. Effort can overcome lack of skill. Skill cannot overcome lack of effort.

 

[Melkor]

I'm sorry that a few paragraphs overwhelms you. I'll make it more simple.


Defense takes both effort and skill. Effort can overcome lack of skill. Skill cannot overcome lack of effort.

I'll surprise you - that's simply not true. When you have no skill or talent to do something you'll never do it properly, you can work your tail off all you want, nobody would take you seriously anyways because you're talentless bum. When you're working your ass off in the opposition end but have no idea what you're doing your effort is downright useless. What knowledge we can get from that? Right, you have to know what you're doing before doing anything. This nonsense about how every hockey player knows how to play defense should be out of discussion. There's like a shit ton of players who have no idea where to stand, how to position their stick and make reads on opponent's passes. There's actually more of this kind than defensive masters.

 

[kicksavedave]

I'll surprise you - that's simply not true. When you have no skill or talent to do something you'll never do it properly, you can work your tail off all you want, nobody would take you seriously anyways because you're talentless bum. When you're working your ass off in the opposition end but have no idea what you're doing your effort is downright useless. What knowledge we can get from that? Right, you have to know what you're doing before doing anything. This nonsense about how every hockey player knows how to play defense should be out of discussion. There's like a shit ton of players who have no idea where to stand, how to position their stick and make reads on opponent's passes. There's actually more of this kind than defensive masters.

In high school freshman hockey teams maybe. In the NHL, no there are not. Everyone in the NHL knows these basics, your claim that there are a shit ton of them that don't doesn't pass the laughable sniff test. Even Jensen and Kuzy know these basics, you cannot find a single player who doesn't know the fundamentals here.

Of course there are varying degrees of skill, anticipation, reflexes, awareness, etc, that make some players into Bergeron and others into poor defensive players. But even the poor ones know the basics.

A player who makes a mistake, even more than once, is not the same thing as a player who doesn't know the basic fundamentals.

 

[kicksavedave]

Also, effort is still the single biggest differentiator, or maybe you haven't watched the Caps get abused for 2 periods then come out flying and crush the opponent in the 3rd period, so many times this season alone. Do you thing they got genetic implants in the 2nd intermission, or simply improved their compete level?

 

[Melkor]

In high school freshman hockey teams maybe. In the NHL, no there are not. Everyone in the NHL knows these basics, your claim that there are a shit ton of them that don't doesn't pass the laughable sniff test. Even Jensen and Kuzy know these basics, you cannot find a single player who doesn't know the fundamentals here.

Of course there are varying degrees of skill, anticipation, reflexes, awareness, etc, that make some players into Bergeron and others into poor defensive players. But even the poor ones know the basics.

A player who makes a mistake, even more than once, is not the same thing as a player who doesn't know the basic fundamentals.

There's no point in keeping on trading these ironic remarks about how laughable this and that. I'm watching these players that just can't play in their end effectively and contribute to getting the puck back on a daily basis. Some are fringe NHLers, some are good offensive players that just clueless defensively or weren't teached defense when they were kids because they were too talented offensively to waste their time on rounding out their overall game and got a pass from coaches and now it's just too late and they cant keep up in that regard.

As for the Caps, it's a good hockey team. Of course, they were able to get back in the game. They are talented, they were winning some games on a talent alone early in the season. That's a bad example. You better tell me why does Buffalo or Sam Jose is struggling this bad. Do you think they are not putting effort in? That's not a serious talk. Eichel is fed up with the stuff happening with them over there year in and year out. They're trying. But what's the result? Jose isn't trying well enough? They never won a cup, why wouldn't they try?

 

[kicksavedave]

There's no point in keeping on trading these ironic remarks about how laughable this and that. I'm watching these players that just can't play in their end effectively and contribute to getting the puck back on a daily basis. Some are fringe NHLers, some are good offensive players that just clueless defensively or weren't teached defense when they were kids because they were too talented offensively to waste their time on rounding out their overall game and got a pass from coaches and now it's just too late and they cant keep up in that regard.

As for the Caps, it's a good hockey team. Of course, they were able to get back in the game. They are talented, they were winning some games on a talent alone early in the season. That's a bad example. You better tell me why does Buffalo or Sam Jose is struggling this bad. Do you think they are not putting effort in? That's not a serious talk. Eichel is fed up with the stuff happening with them over there year in and year out. They're trying. But what's the result? Jose isn't trying well enough? They never won a cup, why wouldn't they try?

Try to keep up. I'm talking about the effort from one period to the next for the same team. Thats the variable. The Caps defense looks awful for two periods then looks unbeatable for the 3rd period. What changes?

Buffalo and San Jose lack talent overall, which is why they lose more than they win, but even if you watch them, they can play unstoppable defense for a period here or there. How is this even possible if the effort isn't changing?

 

[Melkor]

Try to keep up. I'm talking about the effort from one period to the next for the same team. Thats the variable. The Caps defense looks awful for two periods then looks unbeatable for the 3rd period. What changes?

Buffalo and San Jose lack talent overall, which is why they lose more than they win, but even if you watch them, they can play unstoppable defense for a period here or there. How is this even possible if the effort isn't changing?

You have a dislexia or what? I literally have explained why the Caps are able to flip the switch and perform.

 

[kicksavedave]

You have a dislexia or what? I literally have explained why the Caps are able to flip the switch and perform.

If you think this was an explanation, I beg to differ. Its nothing. It doesn't explain what switch is flipped, or how or why they change their effort and result within a game. Try again.

it's a good hockey team. Of course, they were able to get back in the game. They are talented, they were winning some games on a talent alone early in the season.

 

[txpd]

The Caps defense looks awful for two periods then looks unbeatable for the 3rd period.

I saw a team that looked strong til they took one penalty after another. I saw a 4 on 2 giving the Flyers a 2 goal lead. So til it was 3-1 the defense looked fine to me.

And being this is the Kovalchuk thread, he needs to score tonight

 

[EYEuhFRAYtee]

Kovalchuk bumped Leipsic off the roster who hadn't scored a goal since November. I'm willing to give him more than 5 games before the pitchforks come out.

 

[txpd]

Kovalchuk bumped Leipsic off the roster who hadn't scored a goal since November. I'm willing to give him more than 5 games before the pitchforks come out.

Pitchforks. Ok. HA. If you don't think the pressure doesn't start to build up, ok, but that is not realistic. Particularly with the team trying to dig out of a hole. Kovy is on the team for 20 games. He got all that positive media when he arrived. Him not producing isn't going to go unnoticed.

 

[CapitalsCupReality]

I saw a team that looked strong til they took one penalty after another. I saw a 4 on 2 giving the Flyers a 2 goal lead. So til it was 3-1 the defense looked fine to me.

And being this is the Kovalchuk thread, he needs to score tonight

well played....

 

[ALLCAPSALLTHETIME]

One goal and one assist against the Rangers.

The third line looks good!

 

[kicksavedave]

Not only did Kovy score finally, he also apparently taught Hags how to snipe the top corner. Never seen stone hands do that before, must be because of Kovi-Wan-Kenobi

 

[EYEuhFRAYtee]

Crisis averted!

 

[CapitalsCupReality]

Not only did Kovy score finally, he also apparently taught Hags how to snipe the top corner. Never seen stone hands do that before, must be because of Kovi-Wan-Kenobi

I thought Hags stumbled and accidentally put it there lol....

 

[txpd]

geez. poor hagelin. at his best he is the butt of the jokes.

 

[kicksavedave]

geez. poor hagelin. at his best he is the butt of the jokes.

Well to be fair, he's rapidly approach being the Caps best player, so there is that.

 

[txpd]

Well to be fair, he's rapidly approach being the Caps best player, so there is that.

If Eller would curb the penalties, that line is easily the most impactful these days.

 

[Lacoste]

Defensive ability is a skill. Yes. But it's a skill that takes years to develop. Kovalchuk has plenty of physical skill to be good at defense.

Kovie needs to play more ice time, not 12 min. in game and 36 sec. on power play. Same story like in LA. Canadians gave him more ice time and he was there much better.

 

[Ovechkins Wodka]

Kovie needs to play more ice time, not 12 min. in game and 36 sec. on power play. Same story like in LA. Canadians gave him more ice time and he was there much better.

Chill dude. We had 1 PP last game... 36 seconds isn’t bad considering