If you had to write a script for this game, having it start and end with goals from Ilya Kovalchuk would seem a little too on the nose. It’s the kind of feel-good return to the ice for a player who missed 10 games after ankle surgery, who saw his ice time dip to unprecedented lows, who saw himself demoted to the third and fourth lines and taken off of the top power play unit. A point per game player before Willie Desjardins took over behind the bench, Kovalchuk found himself trying and failing to win the trust of a new coach.
Los Angeles Kings @ San Jose Sharks Game #36 Recap: Welcome back, Ilya!
