All-Blogs.net directory Light the Lamp - a Columbus Blue Jackets blog: Hainsey scratched

Countdown to Rick Nash's contract expiration:

Tuesday, December 18, 2007

Hainsey scratched

Word around the camp fire is that Ron Hainsey will be a healthy scratch tonight. Hainsey, who has 0 points in his last 5 games and is a +1, has been struggling lately.

Some may look at this move by Hitch and say "but he leads our D in points", I look at this move and think "finally, a real shakeup".

Hainsey on paper doesn't look that bad as he's got 15 points and is a +5 but for a guy who gets all the PP time he can handle he just is not getting it done offensively -- to many bobbles, to many missed nets, to many bad decisions. Defensively the guy has been decent but he's not seeing the ice well, making a good first pass and our powerplay has been abysmal of late.

This is a wake up call for #6 and should be for the rest of the team as well. Nobody is above the ultimate goal of winning on this squad and Hitch is not gonna allow complacency to sneak into this locker room. Being a .500 team is not good enough.

Hainsey will be back in next game I would gather and it will be up to him how he responds to this scratch. He could use it as a motivator and spring board into free agency this summer or he could sit back and pout about it.

For now though, lets see how this team responds versus a Flames team that is on fire.

-LTL

No comments: