Why Jovo kinda sucks these days...

[ClamRussel]

You know what, I'd take the younger wild hitting Jovo anyday over this new "turn & skate by" Jovo in a heartbeat. Sure he's putting up the pts....(duh its a contract year)...but I wonder why he just isn't hitting any more?

It just really bugs me when I see a guy play the puck in the corner & Jovo does the ol' "skate by" w/o even thinking of touching him. We need our blueliners to plaster players in the corners not give them free reign. Jovo is developing a nasty habit of not hitting this year & I for one do not appreciate it.

[magnum44]

a little from each column I'd say

[Mozy]

i think if he wasnt haveing such an offensive output then you could worry more...its not like he is doing absolutley nothing...

[levelheaded]

I think he just wants to pad his stats, seeing it is a contract year.
But in a not so harsh way, it may also be because he doesn't want to look like he did at the end of game 7 against Calgary. A complete idiot for taking ridiculous penalties. At least he isn't taking himself out of the game because he's getting frustrated anymore, but, everyone else is doing it instead.

[WCE]

Interestingly enough Clam, his minutes are up around 25 this year, about a 2 minute increase from last year.

If the canucks are going to go deep this year, Ohlund, Salo and Jovo are all going to have to be playing around that mark in the playoffs. If Jovo can't be effective in that time, we are in big trouble.

I've always disliked the way that Crawford has given him free reign to do as he pleases. I think it has distracted him from the development of his defensive game, and he has concentrated too much on his offensive responsibilities.

Jovo is a one of a kind, kind of player. He is perhaps the most dynamic d-man in the entire league. However, his physical and defensive responsibilites need to be re-examined.

Crawford needs to see that and make an adjustment. He hasn't so far, and it has been frustrating to watch...About as frustrating as seeing him match up Sopel against Iginla's line last season in the playoffs! If it's not working, you have to step back and reconsider sometimes!

[WCE]

I've always been fond of Jovo as a player. I loved watching him play 2 seasons ago where he would level an opposition forward with a crunching hit and then get his "crazy legs" going and generate offense for us.

I really think that Crawford has put too much emphasis on him being the catalyst for our offense. Jovo isn't a guy that can handle that kind of responsibility, and I am not sure who in the NHL could do what Crawford asks of him and still be able to focus on his defensive assignments.

It clearly hasn't been working (remember last season as well)...It's too much for him to handle. Maybe that is his own fault for signing that 5 million dollar contract, and these are the expectations of him.

However, at some point you have to either fish and cut bait...My opinion? Cut friggin bait. Don't trade Jovo! But reconsider his role on the team. Sooner or later a decision has to be made that our defensive system needs to be altered.

From everything my source has told me, Jovo is pretty much an overgrown kid. He is a goofy personality, and perhaps not the most mature player on the roster...But the guy has passion, and he wants to win. He is one of the few players on our roster (Cooke is another example) who upped his energy for the playoffs. The guy wants to win and wears his heart on his sleeve. I'll take him with us to the playoffs this year, but I want Crawford to make some adjustments. If he can't do that, than having Jovo doesn't do us any good.

[ClamRussel]

Jovo will never be an elite defenceman until he adds consistent hitting & smart defence to his repetoire. Stevens never stopped hitting until the bitter end & Jovo should take note. It doesn't mean he has to run around like a chicken w/ his head cut off either...but for gawd's sakes at least take your man out when the opportunity presents itself....the odd open ice bone crunching hit would be nice also. If Jovo was more responsible defensively he'd be a Norris candidate...until then he'll just be seen as a one dimensional player who could have been so much more.

Too bad Crawford can't get more out of guys like Jovo & Bert...they'd be an unstopable one-two punch.

[rikster]

I think, or at least I am hoping that there are a number of reasons for his lack of physical play and his growing number of major mistakes.....

One is the system.....

Is there a team that employs a more difficult system for blue liners or goalies to play in?....

I think a system more suited for Jovo is the Jersey system wherein a player like Scotty N flourished.....

Crawford pushes the dmen to join the attack constantly and Jovo is the most skilled one of the bunch so he is expected to contribute offensively....

He never seems to want to make the safe play when that is the only play and I wonder sometimes if he has the mental skills to be given such a free reign ....Is there another reason why he has so many of his shots from the point blocked?, he has to lead the league in that stat......

I think he is more suited to a system like the one they play in Calgary or Minny where its defense first and more of a touch and out style of game.....

Another reason might be the minutes played......As WCE pointed out, his minutes are up which means he has to conserve his energy which will naturally take away from the physical side if his game......

And I think the Nucks team as a whole have their game on cruise control......They have been a very good team for a few seasons ago and know that this is their last kick at the cat as a group to do it in the playoffs......

I wouldn't be surprised to see them floundering with a win or two here and a loss there until after the Christmas break when they can see the homestretch ......

Take care....

[WCE]

I agree with rikster.

Well, actually Rikster agrees with me because I said it first

Jovo is miscast as a player who can handle the responsibilities being given to him. It didn't work last season, and I don't think it is going to work this season.

Sooner or later crawford is going to have to realize that it isn't working and it's causing too much pressure on him to think offense first before he has taken care of his defensive responsibilities.

If's crawford's play, Jovo and the rest are merely actors. It's up to Nonis and Crawford to as the director and producer to get the right actors for the job.

But sometimes, maybe the damn play just isn't working! And maybe sometimes a couple a lines in the play need to get switched around to give it more flow and let the actors become comfortable with their characters.

Jovo is great talent and capable of doing great things at both ends of the rink. I think we need to manage that better.

[MinnesotaCanuck]

I think the Canucks would be well-served to limit Jovo's offensive expectations during 5-on-5 situations. Get him to focus on his defensive assignments first.

Then, when the team is on the powerplay, give Jovo free reign. The team gets so many powerplays, I don't think this would cost them many goals on offense. However, it should help our defense tremendously.

Having a sixth defenseman that Crow is actually willing to play would also help Jovo, by reducing his minutes.

[mindbender]

Does Jovo wear the "A" on his jersey? The only reason I ask this is because it seems to me he has played some of his best games when he has been wearing the "C" in Nazzy's absence. This guy loves to play and has a passion and fire for the game. I'll never forget him in the (yes) penalty box in the playoff series game 7 against the Flames when Cooke ties the game. That says it all about his character to me.

With that said, this season so far he looks more like Brian Mcabe than the Jovo we have all come to know and love but let's be honest as he is not the only D-man we have who is having trouble with the new NHL rules and has certainly looked lost on the ice far too often. The missed NHL season seems to have affected some guys more than others. I'd like to see Jovo get a couple of massive hits soon and I think his game will pick up if that happens. With all those points he has he is still a "0" plus-minus. Maybe he needs to take some lessons from Salo who is a +6 and clearly the most impressive d-man thus far on the team.

[Fred]

The Crawford system is the overlapping defense, That's it, end of story. Jovo has been transformed to that role and from his days in Florida has for the most part been a better all around player. Listen to the howls when i state this, Sopel was another element of the Crow system. They both lacked defensive prowness but Crows system was to outscore the opposition and so they fit. Scotty Bowman was an advocate of that system and praised the two players that were the driving force, those two were made for the system that was played. They both made defensive gaffs but on the whole did what was asked and I have to believe their minds were always up at the red line.

The other aspect that I believe some miss is the Canucks forwards are not capable of playing without the offensive flair provided by the likes of Jovo and Sopel, they depended on the extra man to a large degree, they miss Sopel (as does Ohlund right now) adding those extra points that made it work. Sopel who played often with the big line had 32 assists in his last season playing here(plus 10 goals) and was rated 14th over all for defencemen in the league for points. It's an element that the big line is missing right now.

If you further change the system expect bigger drop ofs from the forwards. You can't compain if you ask for more defense without the resulting drop off in the attack

[GusAdams]

How about letting Jovo play left wing? Kind of a crazy sugestion but it would be interesting to watch. Bert centering Nazzy and Jovo.

[Fred]

I tell you what i do think is funny, the P/P. They brought in a new P/P with Bert & Jove in front, Mo and Nas on opposite half board and Salo on the blue line (middle) very succesful scored a lot and now they've gone away from it. You have to wonder if they've canned it until the play-offs, tried it. it works Ok lets save it for an important time ??

[WCE]

I will agree with you that Fred that Sopel fit into Crawford's vision to a tee...However, I am not so sure that I really like the system all that much these days. I'm not sure if it would work even pre-salary cap, but now with us having to shed talent I don't see the pieces being there for that system.

Sopel was a very good catalyst for the top line, I agree. You can see Crawford trying to slip Jovo into that role right now. Too bad that it made both defenders look foolish. Though I don't know what Brent's excuse is right now, as he hasn't looked great in an Islander uniform...He still is prone to missed coverages that plagued him while he was here.

About your comment in regards to Ohlund missing Sopel...No kidding Sopel is a more valuable player than Baumgartner!

They played together a long time and Mattias got to know Sopel's tendencies, and when he would have to bail him out.

Ohlie didn't play at all last year (his son is very sick) and missed the preseason. His positioning has been gradually improving and I don't think it will be long before we see him return to past form, sans Sopel of course.