Ilya Kovalchuk shootout attempts have brought fans to their feet for years at Philips Arena while he was a player for the Atlanta Thrashers. That wasn’t the case last night while donning his New Jersey Devils jersey:

That gaffe put the Devils on the losing end of a 5-4 game against the Buffalo Sabres and here’s a fun fact.

The Russian speedster packed his bags and moved to New Jersey where he signed a record $100-plus

million contract that will keep him in N.J. for more than a decade. And the 23-year-old rookie, Niclas Bergfors, that was traded for Kovy at the deadline last year has 4 goals and 6 assists for 10 points in 12 games while Kovy lags behind with just 3 goals and 5 assists for 8 points in 15 games.

Kovy does however maintain a 1-0 lead in blooper reels thus far in 2010 with this humorous shootout attempt.

It would have been better to trip. . . at least he could have blamed a chip in the ice.

Used with permission of the author.

Jay Donetelli is a Tampa-based freelance sportswriter and contributor to Sports Climax. With an opinion sharper than an Ovechkin skate blade with the sting of an Ali jab, Donetelli has a loyal cult of readers who have found a way to love him.

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