Quote:
Originally Posted by MrMastodonFarm
He was downright awful, on one shift, one brutal very bad shift mind you. Hartley is hard on the young guys, that's his style apparently because I don't see vets like Glencross, Jones, Galliardi etc benched after similar bad shifts leading to a goal.
|
It wasn't one shift, he had another terrible defensive play in the first period. And another, maybe this one is nitpicking, with the puck right in front of the net wide open he missed it on a scramble and I think Jones bailed him and Berra out. The play wasn't Backlund's fault but if the puck went in he may have been benched in the first period instead of third...
And more importantly it hasn't been one game. I feel like I'm taking crazy pills everytime someone talks about his defensive game lately. Early on it looked like he would make a great defensive player, and with offense could make a two-way threat, his offense hasn't arrived yet but I was never too concerned with that. More important to not be a defensive liability at a younger age, but the problem is he's regressed defensively. Maybe it's Hartley, maybe it's the pressure that he's now a 'vet' but the guy has had terrible defensive game after terrible defensive game. He gets scratched or has his time reduced and the same posters who preach meritocracy are saying he needs to be in a top 6 role because he's the "future."
I'm not suggesting he has to go, he is afterall under 25, but at the same time he can't keep making these same mistakes every game and expect to play in the top 9 let alone stay in the lineup. If he is part of the future at this point I don't think Hartley is doing a disservice trying to drive the point home with him.