Stu Cowan: Johnathan Kovacevic's 'not horny' recreation blossoms with Canadiens

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Rick Inexperienced was the No. 1 general decide on the 1976 NHL Draft by the Washington Capitals, performed 15 seasons within the league, was a part of Montreal’s 1986 Stanley Cup group and after retiring as a participant spent 11 years as an assistant coach with the New York Islanders, Los Angeles Kings and the Canadiens.

Inexperienced is now an everyday panellist on the Montreal Gazette’s HI/O Present and it was attention-grabbing — however not shocking — that he mentioned on a bonus episode taped this week that defenceman Johnathan Kovacevic is the participant who has stood out probably the most to him by means of the Canadiens’ first three video games this season.

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Kovacevic doesn’t have any factors, however he’s averaging 18:59 of ice time and thru Wednesday’s video games his plus-6 differential was tied for the most effective within the NHL with fellow defencemen Cale Makar of the Colorado Avalanche, Seth Jones of the Chicago Blackhawks and Brady Skjei of the Carolina Hurricanes.

After I advised Kovacevic about Inexperienced’s feedback following observe Thursday in Brossard, he smiled.

“That’s good to listen to, particularly as a result of I feel personally that my recreation just isn’t horny, per se,” Kovacevic mentioned. “Followers aren’t essentially drawn to it. However I do assume that simply being sincere with my recreation I’ve been enjoying fairly strong. It’s little issues that I do nicely, like good sticks on puck, being in passing lanes, getting a stick on a go that will get deflected. That’s not going to be horny, per se, however as somebody who’s a defenceman it’s one thing you may respect.”

The Canadiens claimed Kovacevic off waivers from the Winnipeg Jets 4 days earlier than the beginning of final season and it has turned out to be an awesome transfer by GM Kent Hughes.

“Kovy is Kovy, it doesn’t matter what … irrespective of who he performs with,” head coach Martin St. Louis mentioned after Thursday’s observe. “I feel he understands what he’s. With that mentioned, he is aware of what he has to enhance on as a result of he is aware of what he’s. He’s a really clever younger man. He’s very sincere of the issues he wants to enhance on, however he is aware of what he’s good at. He defends fairly nicely. He’s obtained a superb stick defensively. He sees the sport growing in entrance of him. He’s a fairly clever participant on the ice.”

He’s fairly clever off the ice, too. Kovacevic performed three years at Merrimack School, the place he was an assistant captain and earned back-to again Hockey East All-Educational Workforce honours with a 4.0 GPA, which means he had straight As whereas finding out civil engineering.

Earlier than being claimed off waivers by the Canadiens, Kovacevic had solely performed 4 video games within the NHL with the Jets after being chosen within the third spherical (74th general) of the 2017 draft and it regarded like he is likely to be a profession minor-leaguer. However the 26-year-old has made probably the most of his alternative with the Canadiens, beating out youthful defencemen for a spot on this rebuilding group.

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When requested if he’s amazed how far he has are available in one 12 months, Kovacevic mentioned: “It’s not one thing I have a tendency to consider as a result of I feel once I’m completed with my profession, once I’m older, I’ll positively look again and go: Whoa! That was a loopy experience. However now that I’m in it, I’m simply attempting to concentrate on in the present day.”

On Oct. 8, one of many Canadiens’ energy coaches identified to Kovacevic that it was the one-year anniversary of him being claimed on waivers and talked about how far he had come.

“When you might have that one date the place you sort of can look again, I’m like: Nicely, I’ve come a great distance within the 12 months and that’s encouraging as a result of I’m giving my all into the group, into my recreation and to attempt to be higher,” Kovacevic mentioned. “I feel I’m additional alongside this 12 months than I used to be final 12 months. So subsequent 12 months presently I need to be even additional and that’s simply the best way it goes.”

Adam Nicholas, the Canadiens’ director of hockey growth, has labored with Kovacevic and proven him movies of Carolina Hurricanes defenceman Jacob Slavin, who performs an identical fashion of recreation, to assist Kovacevic enhance.

“He defends very well with out taking penalties,” Kovacevic mentioned about Slavin. “Having a extremely good stick and he’s a much bigger man. I really feel like I can take rather a lot from him.”

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The Canadiens lead the NHL in penalty minutes with 85, however Kovacevic has but to be penalized. He has been comfortable along with his recreation because the begin of coaching camp, however continues to search for methods to enhance.

“It’s by no means going to be excellent, nevertheless it’s constructing, I feel,” he mentioned. “I’m getting extra comfy. I feel final recreation I didn’t like my first interval, however I appreciated my second and third. I’m proud within the sense that I can do this — have a nasty begin, however have the psychological energy, the resilience to be like: OK, that’s there and now let’s concentrate on the following interval and we are able to flip this recreation round. That’s my pep speak to myself. If feels good to have the ability to do this.”

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