Admit it folks: if you're like me and saw the Yahoo Sports NHL blog headline Plight of the goalless: the NHL's surprisingly unproductive players, we all thought "Ryan Clowe". This is actually an interesting list, with Clowe ranking fourth in the group of players who have yet to score a goal. Here's what Harrison Mooney of Yahoo wrote about Clowe in his list:
Considering the insanely productive top six in which he plays, and considering he's registered 22 shots, you'd think Clowe would have put one in by now. But no. In his defence, he's also the league-leader in penalty minutes. Maybe he'd have more than 0 goals if he wasn't spending half his time in the box.
This blog has voiced its concern about Clowe's struggles to stay out of the box for extended stretches. Twice this season the power forward has instigated fights that cost him almost an entire period of penalty box sentences. The Sharks expect Clowe to play with an edge, because every successful team in the NHL is likely going to have one of its top six forwards running amok and wreaking havoc on the ice. But the caveat is that player needs to toe the line between effective and reckless. Whether or not Clowe has crossed the line too much early in the season is just that: too early to determine, so give him the benefit of the doubt. The Sharks need a player like he is to not just play rough with others but contribute some goals. Then again, search out "Ryane Clowe" on YouTube and you mostly get his best fights: Clowe throwing down with Vancouver's Zack Kassian; with Los Angeles' Kyle Clifford; with the New York Rangers' Brandon Prust; with ex-San Jose teammate and Chicago tough guy Jamal Mayers.
Admittedly, take fighting and the pest factor away from Ryane Clowe and he's not going to have the same impact he's made during his career as a Shark. But at some point he needs to start scoring a few goals. The Sharks need you, Clowe-y.
Here's some proof he's more than capable of doing just that when it matters most:
No comments:
Post a Comment