Quote:
Originally Posted by Textcritic
The result last night has me wondering openly about how important J Brodie may be to this team. Yes, his re-insertion into the lineup upgraded their defense, but I have to think this also reflects something about his relationships with his teammates, and his position as a leader in the room. I imagine the whole group was extremely relieved to have him back.
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I've been saying since the Hartley days; this team goes as Brodie does. More so then any other player (other then the goaltender). A Brodie who is playing well brings such a great dynamic from the backend. He's still the best skater on the team IMO and it's clear his teammates love him. He's sometimes prone to giveaways that end up in the back of the net. But that's the price you pay to have a D who can skate and carry the puck like he can, which aren't a whole lot around the league.
The team is much better with him then without. His comments about learning to enjoy hockey again really leads me to believe that he'll be a better player going forward. I know some are quick to run him out of town. But I think the team would miss him immensely if that happened.