Thread: [CP Story] Banking on Bennett
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Old 03-23-2017, 10:50 AM   #50
Five-hole
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Tkachuk and Bennett are interesting comparables because they play such different styles. Tkachuk has a knack for soft spots, slowing the game down, and finding seams. He's not a quick skater by any means but sees the ice so effectively he doesn't have to be.

Bennett, on the other hand, seems to want to take his play TO the game and the result is forcing a lot of things that aren't there. Linemates with little offensive ability probably compound this result, as they are not doing things like getting into open areas, making smart pick plays, and so on.

I think the analogy is how much Chaisson brought down Gaudreau and Monahan early in the year. They weren't helping themselves a whole lot either, but having a crash-and-bang winger with stone hands and a cement head (seriously, does anyone go inexplicably offside as much as Chaisson?) definitely hurt matters.

I get why they're effectively asking Bennett to learn how to play with average, mediocre or worse offensive players. Once he gets some time with good players it will be like a revelation, and his play on Tuesday didn't fall far short of revelatory.
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