Pete DeBoer used the stick — in this case, the bench — to make his point to Calum Ritchie on Thursday night in Ottawa.
asserted
DeBoer → use → Ottawa
Rather than demoting Ritchie off the second line, DeBoer kept him there, having gone over video with him the day prior to reinforce the message that Ritchie’s puck management needs to improve.
asserted
management → demote → message
“It’s all part of the process,” DeBoer said.
asserted
DeBoer → ’ → process
“I had Wyatt Johnston in Dallas.
asserted
I → have → Dallas
I had Thomas Harley.
asserted
I → have → Harley
They all went through this.
asserted
They → go → this
They all had great games and they had games where they took a step back.
asserted
they → have → step
You had to sit and watch for a little bit.
asserted
You → have → bit
Of course, that has the added benefit of being true.
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that → have → benefit
Things worked out pretty well with Johnston and Harley, and the safe bet is that they will with Ritchie too.
asserted
they → work → Ritchie
Ritchie, scoreless in four straight games going into Saturday, seemed to take the message in stride.
asserted
Ritchie → go → stride
“I think I’ve been forcing some plays offensively a little bit,” he said pregame Saturday.
asserted
he → think → plays
“I’m just trying to generate offense and I’m forcing some things.
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I → try → things
Making smarter plays is a big thing and obviously, I think just battling harder.
asserted
I → make → plays
I think those are the two biggest things probably.”
Making better decisions with the puck has been a near-constant refrain from DeBoer at the start of the season, with Ritchie far from the only player to struggle doing so.
asserted
Ritchie → think → player
Given their speed deficit on the blue line when Matthew Schaefer is off the ice, and their lack of offensive firepower, giving away high-end chances that stem from turnovers simply isn’t something the Islanders can get away with.
asserted
Islanders → give → turnovers
The giveaways from Ritchie, along with taking a penalty, irked DeBoer enough on Thursday night to sit him for the last 11:30 of regulation and all of overtime in an eventual 2-1 defeat to the Senators.
asserted
giveaways → take → Senators
“I think a bit of it is not executing what I’m seeing,” Ritchie said.
asserted
Ritchie → think → what
“I’m seeing something and just trying to make a play and they close it off quickly.
asserted
they → see → it
It’s kinda like, a more high-risk play, you’re not sure it’s gonna happen.
asserted
it → ’ → ?
It’s just getting back to the basics, simplifying my game a little bit.
asserted
It → get → game
Of course, he can’t tilt too far in the other direction either.
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he → tilt → direction
The Islanders don’t want to mute Ritchie’s skill with the puck on his stick, or force him into a mentality where he’s scared to make a mistake.
asserted
he → want → mistake
Learning when to try and make a play versus when to just dump the puck in and move onto the next one — especially with a new coach whose principles are different from what Ritchie was taught last year — will be an ongoing process.
asserted
Ritchie → learn → what
“He’s a young guy that’s finding that line between creating offense, how to create offense in this league against some big, heavy teams and big bodies, but also do it without being reckless with the puck,” DeBoer said.
asserted
DeBoer → ’ → puck
That’s something every young player goes through.
asserted
player → ’ → ?
It’s OK to sit and watch for a few shifts here and there.”
asserted
It → ’ → shifts
At least to hear him tell it, Ritchie’s confidence won’t be affected.
asserted
confidence → hear → it
He knows this is normal and if he forgets, he can always reflect on last season, when the Islanders sat Mathew Barzal and Anthony Duclair for a third period over back-checking issues.
asserted
Islanders → know → issues
“You still gotta play hockey,” he said.
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he → got → hockey
“You gotta play free.
asserted
You → got → ?
If you’re not playing free, you’re not gonna play very good.
asserted
you → play → ?
For me, everyone kinda goes through that.
asserted
everyone → go → that
Stars in this league get sat sometimes.
asserted
Stars → sit → league
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