MONTREAL, QC.– With the Canadiens firing on all cylinders and leading the game 5-to-0 against the Devils, a thought occurred to me — does coach Jacques Martin return P.K. Subban to the line-up for Saturday’s game against the San Jose Sharks? Asking the folks on Twitter for their opinion ignited a spirited debate.
What is it about this single player that has fans and media taking leave of their hockey sense and launching into a passionate endorsements as if they are speaking about a family member or best friend?
I get it — you think that Subban is a likeable guy. Well, as long as your name isn’t Mike Richards, or Sidney Crosby, or [insert any Subban-disrespected NHL veteran’s name here].
“Primetime,” as coined by Mike Cammalleri, oozes with charisma. Think of some of the great duos: Penn and Teller; Boris and Natasha; Hootie and … well, you get the idea. P.K. and the media is certainly an example of an obligate symbiotic relationship.
The two feed off each other. Subban never met a microphone or videocamera that he didn’t like. From the media’s perspective, he is camera-friendly and very quotable.
But it’s not all show. The Canadiens rookie has the talent to back it up.
Forget the flair. It’s not the ‘Subbie-doos.’ Hopefully those are lost like baby teeth as defenders start to catch on. It isn’t the wind-up on his point shot either, which can be clocked with an egg-timer.
Subban has above-average, but not exceptional skills. There are Canadiens who are better skaters, have a harder shot with a quicker release, and more acute hockey sense. Subban counters this by committing to be one of the hardest-working players on the team.
It is Subban’s confidence and aggressiveness that makes him somewhat unique on the ice, coupled with an in-your-face approach. He is bold enough to say that he’s not afraid to make mistakes.
This leads to P.K. grabbing the spotlight on a regular basis and being a magnet for both hero-worship and controversy. The jury seems to be out on his attitude, as his performance fluctuates.
There is history to provide context. You may be familiar with the story about P.K. getting sent down to the principals office in his father’s primary school for an attitude adjustment. He also was a regular visitor to coach George Burnett’s office while he was a member of the Belleville Bulls.
Now it was Martin’s turn to instill some discipline.
- Is Subban confident or cocky? Does he show a lack of respect for the opposition or his teammates?
- Is he resilient when making errors or doesn’t he care enough about the consequences of his actions?
These are things that the Montreal coaching staff is trying to determine right now.
Which brings us to the rookie defenseman being scratched from the game against the New Jersey Devils. Some fans and media were shocked and outraged by the decision of Jacques Martin.
But why?
In pre-season, Subban’s play was erratic, from exciting to dreadful. He was terribly undisciplined and needed guidance from the coaching staff to adjust to a more focused, simplified game. Subban needed to play smarter.
In an article titled Subban: Not Ready for Prime Time, I wrote that some guidelines to fans and media including, “Let’s hold our tongues when Subban’s ice-time is reduced, he is sent to the press box, or a stint in Hamilton is required.”
Mission failed, gang.
It’s all quite normal to expect a rookie defenseman to spend some time in the press box during the season, apparently until you add the name P.K. Subban to the discussion.
Sitting occasionally during one’s first year in the NHL does seem a reasonable expectation even before looking at Subban’s performance in Wednesday night’s game in Montreal. Looking at his play only adds support to the decision to sit him.
Alright, let’s hear you, all in unison please: “But, other players have played worse this season and not been sent to the press box!”
Let me disavow you of the notion that the same rules apply for veterans and rookies alike, even in a non-Martin dressing room. Sitting a rookie sends a message to the player while ‘punishing’ a veteran can (emphasize “can”) undermine the stability of the team.
I know, you have a rebuttal: “It was Mike Cammalleri who turned over the puck on the winning goal in over-time!”
Yes, Cammalleri couldn’t corral a rolling puck and gave it up to Dustin Penner for his breakaway goal. It was a mistake, and not his only one of the night.
But the responsibility as a last line of defense rested with Subban with the teams playing 4-on-4 in overtime. Rather than cruising and admiring his not-so-pretty pass, Subban should have been positioning himself between Penner and the Montreal goal. His lack of focus and awareness was costly.
Having said that, it was Subban’s major gaffe on the Oilers shorthanded goal that tied the game which was the most egregious on the night. With his team holding a 3-2 lead in the third period, Subban had no business launching himself like a bowling ball at the two Oiler forwards. Like a toss into the gutter, Subban missed everything and hung his team out to dry.
It was an amateurish, reckless and a move that had a low probability of success. Subban’s selfish play is the biggest reason he sat in the press box in New Jersey.
The Canadiens win, and winning big, lets Subban know that his presence is the line-up isn’t essential. That must sting. But my gut-feeling is that Subban won’t truly take the message to heart until he has sat for a second game.
Once is a novelty. Twice could be the start of a trend.
What will Martin decide for Saturday’s game? The coach is notorious for clinging to a winning line-up. He is characterized as reactive preferring to wait for a loss to make changes.
If Martin chooses to reinstate Subban in the lineup, it is unlikely that Yannick Weber will be the casualty. Weber played 17:10, tallied an assist and led the Habs with six shots on goal. He looked good managing the first power-play unit and was solid defensively.
Martin could choose to rest a veteran but the chances of that happening are remote. Alexandre Picard is the most likely candidate to sit. Picard’s performance has been competent, but at times, he has been woefully out-of-position. He has the least upside of the defense corps.
But what if the coach chooses to let Subban sit for a second game? Can P.K.’s fans abide a decision that will put him in street clothes high above the Bell Centre ice?
Time will tell. But we can expect that Friday will be filled with debating the issue, speculation and an inappropriate amount of attention given that the principal of the story is P.K.Subban.
What is your take? Leave your comments below and vote in the All Habs Poll.
(photo by Getty)
Personally, I think they need to rest Spacek whose performance has been sporadic. Hamrlik is known to be good for young players to learn from so either Weber or Subban will benefit (most likely Weber if it ever happens).
Scratching Picard would have to break up the D-mix anyway since both Weber and Subban are righthanded and having a rookie playing out of their usual side would not be a good idea.
Of course, Martin may choose to dress 7 d-men and scratch Lapierre whose play did not impress anyone. In this case, I wonder why Martin did not give Boyd another chance.
Comments are closed.