Player Check-Up: Ales Kotalik

Among the many players that performed well in last night's contest with the Edmonton Oilers was winger Ales Kotalik. Kotalik was brough to the Rangers via free agency this past summer, and so far he has been worth every cent of his $3 million contract. Through seventeen games this season, the Czech native has recorde six goals and nine assists for fifteen points. Those fifteen points currently have Kotalik ranked third on the team in scoring, behind Vinny Prospal and Marian Gaborik.

Three of his six goals have come on the powerplay, where coach Tortorella has placed Ales on the point with Michael Del Zotto. These two have been near unstoppable when quarterbacking the Ranger powerplay from the blueline. A QB with the man advantage has obviously been lacking from this team in recent years, but so has a threatening shot from the point. When you have a big shot coming from the top of the zone, it can make a world of a difference on your powerplay, and that is exactly what the presence of Ales Kotalik brings to this club's special teams unit. Take Gaborik's goal last night for example. Kotalik planted himself, took a hard shot through traffic and placed it low. The puck made it to the goal line when Gaborik tapped it in. Little plays like that add up, especially on the powerplay, and this is a major reason why I believe Glen Sather signed Kotalik in the first place.

Twenty percent of Ranger victories this season have come from game winning goals by Ales Kotalik. There is all this talk of how Drury is such a clutch player on this team. Well, I think that role might have been handed over to Kotalik, as this guy comes through when it most matters. I can think of quite a few crucial goals he has scored as a Blueshirt so far.

The first being the game winner against the New Jersey Devils in early October. Kotes had a game tying goal in Washington, which was later diminished and regained by Gaborik. But at the time, he brought the Rangers back into a game that they were being heavily outplayed in the second period. The veteran forward registered yet another tying tally against the Devils at Madison Square Garden on the breakaway. The Rangers ended up losing that game, but the fact is that once again, Kotalik came through with a meaningful goal. And then last night's slapper from the point which turned out to be the game winner in the second period. Without Kotalik, there could be two additional games in the loss column and two less in the win column. Sure you could say that someone else may have possibly stepped up and scored that big goal, but the bottom line is that Kotes has done it more than once for teh Rangers, making him a vital part of this team.

Another thing I like about Kotalik is his personality. Not only on the bench and on the ice, but also in interviews. It is sometimes overlooked by the general fan of how important attitude is, and that starts with interaction with the fans and the media. Kotalik is openly willing to admit to mistakes that he made in the previous game, but at the same time, is ready to build on what he has accomplished. In a postgame interview with MSG Network last month, Kotalik must have spoken for at least five whole minutes, pointing out the individual efforts by his teammates which led to a 3-0 win over Anaheim. I do not know about you, but when a player is willing to talk to the fans and media for anywhere over two minutes, I respect that, knowing that he feels that the Ranger faithful are also a very important part of this team.

In a way, I feel that this signing was downplayed by the Rangers fans when it first occured, but now it is proving to be a great addition to this team. However, I do realize that it is still early, and that Kotes has had previous problems with consistency in the past, but as of now, he is on pace to break almost all of his career highs in statistics. Kotalik has been great defensively in addition to his exceptional offensive conversion as well, and has become very reliable. It is always a good sign when the coach is pointing you out in a good way in the postgame meeting with the media, just as Tortorella has done at the conclusion of the last three contests.

All in all, I must say that I am very impressed with the play of Ales Kotalik since joining the Broadway Blueshirts. He has made a major impact, is among the top three in scoring on the team, and is eighth in the NHL when it comes to game winning goals. It may have taken the fans by surprise, the quick start did, and really, there are no major problems with Kotalik's play thus far. No, he may not be as noticeable as Marian Gaborik night in and night out, but that is not what is expected of him, nor is he being payed like that. At the end of the day, he has been getting the required job done, and that is all one could ask of him. We can only hope that he will continue to produce at this rate, especially from the point on the powerplay.

(Image courtesy of AP Photo)

Kotalik's Blast Against Devils.....