Eh boy…
That was my reaction when I saw this news, which came out in the last minutes.
Chris Kreider will not play this afternoon as his club faces the Devils. And it's not because he's hurt…
The veteran disappoints and his performance has been atrocious since the start of the campaign.
He only has 12 points (11 goals) in 30 games and there, Peter Laviolette said to himself that that's enough.
Kreider will be left out today, even if he is healthy:
Chris Kreider is one of the leaders in New York.
We've seen him wear a letter on his jersey in recent years, and that's why Laviolette's decision is important.
The coach wants to send a message to the rest of his group, which makes sense.
Recall that before being traded to Seattle, Kaapo Kakko said he was not satisfied with having been left out by Laviolette even though he “wasn't the worst” player on the team.
It caused a stir because he pointed the finger at his coach in front of the journalists. He was traded a few days later…
That said, perhaps Kakko's comments have made their way to Laviolette's ears.
It didn't fall on deaf ears, obviously… And Laviolette does what he can to keep his job.
It remains to be seen whether the decision will bear fruit…
Prolongation
Note that this is a second match in as many days for the New York team.
Yesterday's game against the Hurricanes was presented on TVA Sports, and Sébastien Goulet, who described the match, said that he hardly saw Kreider all evening:
Sports
Canada
