Ilya Kovalchuk makes first trip to conference finals

This postseason has been a bit of a coming out party for Ilya Kovalchuk as he erases just about every criticism that's ever followed him throughout his career.

His overall game has evolved to the point that he's one of the Devils regular penalty killers (including significant time in overtime of playoff games), and has still maintained his ability to be a top goal-scorer.

Before this season he had never played for a team that won a playoff series. In fact, he only ever made two trips to the postseason, due in large part to spending most of his career playing for a dreadful Atlanta Thrashers franchise that aimlessly stumbled around without any direction. His first trip to the playoffs, the only time the Thrashers ever qualified, ended in a clean four-game sweep. His second, which came after he was traded to the Devils two years ago, ended in five games.

That lack of postseason success always seemed to be held against in him whether he was responsible for it or not.

That has all changed this season, and with the Devils eliminating the Flyers on Tuesday night, Kovalchuk will now be making his first ever trip to the Conference Finals, and he seems pretty happy about the new experience, as well as missing out on what had become a yearly tradition for him this time of year -- playing at the World Championship.

"For the first time in nine years I'm not going to the World Championship," said Kovalchuk after Tuesday's game. "It's fun."

Kovalchuk has arguably been the Devils best player this postseason. He is averaging over a point-per-game, including the seven he recorded in the second round against Philadelphia, and is averaging over 24 minutes of ice-time per game. And he is doing all of it while playing through an injury that held him out of the lineup in Game 2.

He's not only a part of a team that is now halfway to winning a Stanley Cup, he's been one of the biggest driving forces behind its success.

Photo: Getty Images

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