Ilya Kovalchuk hasn’t scored in six games. He hasn’t registered a point in five.
These are unfamiliar times for the Russian sniper, who has twice reached the 50-goal plateau in his NHL career. He is also in the third year of a 15-year, $100 million contract.
But the start of the 2013 season looks, at least based on statistics, to be a forgettable one. He has two goals and five points in nine games.
Despite Kovalchuk’s struggles, Devils head coach Pete DeBoer doesn’t seemed concerned.
“That’s the bottom line. I’m not worried about (Kovalchuk),” DeBoer told the Newark-based Star-Ledger.
“Kovy is on board and he’s doing a lot of little things the right way and it’s helping us win games. He’s on the ice all the time and he’s getting chances. Those are eventually going to go in for him.
“The reason we’re winning is the guy is on the ice 26 minutes a game...He’s having an impact in a lot of different areas rather than just on the scoreboard.”
The Devils are fourth in the Eastern Conference with a 5-1-3 record.