Interesting take on Kovalev

ALEX KOVALEV: A USER'S GUIDE

Alex Kovalev, a Penguin from 1998-2003, begins his second stint with the flightless birds tonight at Carolina. For those who might not have witnessed Kovy's act the first time around, we present ALEX KOVALEV: A USER'S GUIDE.It doesn't come with a guarantee.*Kovalev's first shift will reveal what kind of game he's going to play. Kovy isn't the kind to start slow, then build to a crescendo. If he dominates right away, chances are he'll cut the other team's heart out before the night's over. If Kovy sucks early, it usually doesn't get much better. In fact, it often gets worse.*Even when Kovalev stinks, he manufactures at least one breathtaking near-miss that leaves you marveling at his skill. Jaromir Jagr worshiped at the altar of Mario Lemieux. But Jagr routinely said that Kovalev had as much talent as Mario.*Kovalev is streaky. Look at his month of February with Ottawa. He opened with a three-game goal-scoring streak. At one point, he had six goals in eight games. The last two games, he didn't even get a shot on goal. That one month is Kovalev's career in a nutshell.*You're going to love Kovalev. Even when he struggles, he doesn't dog it. He just stickhandles his way to oblivion. He's a great entertainer. Very fan-friendly. I got Robbie Brown to reprise the windmill when he returned to the Penguins. I'm going to get Kovalev to get out the moonwalk.*At some point, Coach Disco will want to strangle Kovalev. He might extend a shift too long. Might hold onto the puck too long. Kovy won't mangle Bylsma's system; he may tweak it. Kovy's going to shoot high, short side on the power play. Not good for deflections and rebounds. But that's what Kovy's going to do, and just about every time, too. If Kovy does well, hopefully Bylsma will settle for results. If he doesn't, well...this was always a gamble, right?*If circumstances allow, Kovalev will win games. He's a perfect fit for the tight contests the Penguins have been losing. He's good on shootouts (16-41 lifetime). He's excellent in 4-on-4 overtime, often serving as an explosive offensive defenseman during his first run in Pittsburgh. He's dynamic on the power play. Seems like a good fit for this team right now.