After all the odd man rushes against Friday night, you’d have to assume John Tortorella addressed the need for a forward to stay high if a defenseman pinches more than a few times before the game on Saturday.
So what happens the first time a defenseman makes an ill advised pinch in the offensive zone? Brandon Dubinsky unconscionably gets caught going after the puck instead of retreating back on defense which leads to a 2-on-1 Maple Leafs break and an eventual goal against.
Here’s the video…
Let’s just say Tortorella was not happy and Dubinsky found himself stapled to the bench.
Luckily the benching didn’t last long as Dubinsky, who was dropped to the fourth line, buried his ninth goal of the season (second in four games) to tie the game at two in the second period.
Here’s Tortorella on Dubinsky (via Bergen Record)…
“We need Dubi but I’m not going to watch the same mistakes all the time. For us to get where we want to be, he needs to be part of this, I’ve said this from Day 1. But we need to see consistency in all parts of the game.”
…i couldn’t believe it when I saw Dubinsky get caught after everything that happened Friday night. Was even more shocked to see Tortorella actually put him back in. Could have had something to do with Dubinsky’s 1g, 2a in the previous three games games.
…great response by Dubinsky though, who seems to be coming out of his season long slump. And it couldn’t come at a better time, as the Rangers are going to need his scoring if they want to have any success in the playoffs.
Remember to follow me on Twitter & Facebook or e-mail me at [email protected].
Add The Sports Daily to your Google News Feed!
