Quote:
Originally Posted by TheSquatch
It's not like that though. Take a classic dangerous transitional play - a guy shoots real hard from the face-off dot, and misses the net. High and wide, short side. The puck goes a long way fast, and it's travelling toward the blue line, where an opposing forward collects it and leaves the zone. A defenseman has a quarter of a second to read that correctly and either collect the puck and hold the zone (something I think Rasmus is great at) or retreat. Same thing occurs here - Bennett flying in, bangs it hard off the pads and continues his path into the far corner. There's a dangerous situation occurring immediately after this, as he drifts into the corner the turnover has occurred.
What does Bennett do? Skates to the bench.
Now this would be a genius play if he could get in on one end of the bench and someone hops out at the other end, you see that sometimes, old school! But nothing like that happens in this case. It's 5 on 4 and the Oilers score. Did the Calgary defense do a good job? No, really that shouldn't have happened the way it did. But Bennett could and should have cut hard back to the center and pumped like hell to catch that play, take the trailing man at least.
So okay. The goal isn't his fault, as such. But there was a big opportunity for the Oilers there, and he did nothing to mitigate it, or even recognize it.
I'm not a hater, I love the guy, I hoped to see him as a full time center with reliable wingers this year. He's a hell of a fighter and one of the more truculent members of the club. I'd like a lot more Bennett. Or rather, a lot more "good" Bennett.
Just for argument's sake, watch his shift on the 1-1 goal. Do you think he was effective there?
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Gaudreau was up ice with him as well. The trailing man for the Oilers wasn't even involved in the goal. It was a rapid play back up the ice with Poolparty and McDavid doing a quick give and go.
You're on a witch hunt at this stage. The 1-1 goal, he pretty passively challenges the point shot - fair criticism - but we're not talking about that. We're talking about Poolparty's goal, which to say was his fault is an absolute joke. Lindholm and Tanev BOTH made a mistake, and Lindholm even knew it. When you've got McDavid and someone rushing up at you, and two players both get beat (Tanev and Lindholm), you're in trouble.
To say it was because Bennett's rebound came out an unfortunate angle that allowed for a quick transition that the goal against was caused by him is ridiculous in this situation. You're just looking for reasons to blame him.
Bennett flat out hasn't been good this year - which, before Saturday, he shared that in common with the majority of Flames forwards. On this play though? That goal against is not caused by him in any real way (unlike the poor effort on the 1-1 goal).