On a bad day, you're better off sticking Youppi!, the team mascot, on the ice.
When the Montreal Canadiens acquired Kovalev from the New York Rangers in March 2004, it wasn't until the playoffs before they saw the player they really traded for.
Sitting fourth in the Eastern Conference and only 11 points behind the first-place Buffalo Sabres (with 33 games to go), the Habs need Kovalev to play with fire in his eyes -- and under his butt.
The 33-year-old star winger is a motivated-driven player. He excels when it truly counts. Given the Canadiens' success this season and their realistic, albeit difficult, shot at catching the Sabres, Kovalev has already started to mold into Super Kovy.
The Canadiens are 6-9-0 in their last 15 games, but have shown glimpses of recent improvement.
In Montreal's last three games, Kovalev has skated better, played with more passion and looked as if he's found his desire to perform. The better he plays, the better the Canadiens are.
Captain Saku Koivu and All-Star Sheldon Souray are having career years and rookie Guillaume Latendresse continues to show signs of brilliance. Mike Johnson, Radek Bonk and Mike Komisarek are shutting down the opposition, and the likes of Chris Higgins, Andrei Markov and Michael Ryder are doing their parts offensively. And, well, Cristobal Huet is Cristobal Huet.
Despite their solid play, the Canadiens could still use some assistance and rumors involving Peter Forsberg will not go away -- and for good reason.
Yes, the Canadiens have been speaking with the Philadelphia Flyers about Forsberg. Could he be the answer the team is looking for? Maybe. Could he and Kovalev work together and give the Habs an explosive tandem? Perhaps. Will they be able to pluck him away from the Broadstreet Bullies before the Feb. 27 trade deadline? Possibly.
But until that happens, the Canadiens need to focus on the present, and that involves an all-around effort from Mr. Kovalev.
The two-time All-Star not only puts points on the board, he sparks his teammates to join in the fun.
With eight of their next 10 contests against teams currently holding a playoff spot, the Habs will need an all-around effort from their players and an inspired Kovalev to keep them within an arms length of first place.
