Quote:
Originally Posted by SuperMatt18
This.
Gulutzan hammered Bennett on puck management and not taking too many risks with the Puck. It killed his confidence and he stopped trying to do any of the creative stuff that was part of his game. They tried to turn him into more of a North-South grinder.
And I worry the same thing is happening to Dube now. Ward benched him for taking a penalty and for his puck management. And he’s just been brutal since then looking very passive on the ice and like he’s afraid to make a mistake.
Young guys need the freedom to make a mistake and still be trusted next shift.
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I will not get into another Bennett conversation, but I have been meaning to discuss Dube.
What you say (bolded) has been a concern of mine for a while. Dube was arguably our best forward for the first 10 or whatever games - he was driving the play and generating a lot of offense. I thought his entire game was really strong. Did he make mistakes? Of course. But it was worth it - his game was a positive.
Then he got sat.
And ever since, he has been an ineffective player. He has joined the ranks of the rest of them, plodding along and accomplishing very little.
The only forward that seems immune to the cancer that currently permeates the room, is Mangiapane.