Comes as no surprise that Tyler Myers will watch tonight's game from a solo seat in Suite 150.
He's -9. Has only one goal and no assists in eleven games played. His play is consistently inconsistent.
Lindy Ruff is scratching Myers for tonight's game on Long Island.
After the optional skate. Myers professed his embarrassment over his benching.
“I’m embarrassed, and I should be,” said Myers, who was benched for a game early last season. “Two years in a row now. It doesn’t feel very good, but silver lining, I responded the way I needed to last time, and this is what I have to do this time.”
Getting benched sucks, no matter what level you play at. Myers frankly has been a mess in all aspects of his game. What compounds the angst and anger is that Myers is making $12 million this season. He's carrying around the mega-contract like a grand piano on his back. Hockey is 10% temper and 90% mental. A change will do the big man some good.
“It’s just all mental for me. I make a mistake, I’m too hard on myself and put too much pressure on myself in the long run,”
Watching the game with Teppo Numminen from 150 feet above the ice may be just what the doctor ordered. The game looks slower and more methodical from the press box. Why do you think the coaches, scouts and broadcasters sit so high up? The birds eye view reveals all of the right angles and outlets, in a way that video on an I-Pad cannot.
“I think I just need to relax and take a step back and start enjoying myself instead of working my way out of my own game.”
Its a tough lesson, one thats long overdue. Its time for Tyler Myers to sit down and watch a game from the press box. There's no denying the fact that Myers is a marked man right now. Its hard to spin his -9 rating. He's -6 in his last four games. For a guy who has been under the microscope, Myers certainly hasn't done anything to prove his critics wrong. He was on his way to getting benched last Saturday in Montreal, but Sekera's injury put the kibosh on that deal. His one goal and no assists are shocking to me. He's better than that , He has all of the tools and all of the ability. Where did his game go? Why all of the indecision?
You need look no further than the 5-4 shootout win over Montreal for overwhelming evidence as to why Myers deserves a table for one in Suite 150. He was on the ice for three even strength goals by Montreal.
Whats a 6'8 guy doing belly flopping on a routine entry pass in his own end?
Whats he doing Landeskogging on this Gallagher goal?
Plekanec hit the after burners and left Myers in a cloud of exhaust fumes on this goal:
The move makes all the sense in the world because Myers has been dreadful this season. Ruff is likely expecting Myers to react in an angry, surly, truculent manner tomorrow night when Boston plays in Buffalo. Were I Ruff, I'd bench Leopold for the Bruins game.
The best news to come out of today's optional skate on Long Island is that Pat Kaleta will play tonight.
Kaleta suffered a recurrence of an old neck injury when he was hit from behind by Toronto's Mike Brown two weeks ago.
Thanks, hockey-fights.com
Kaleta missed the rest of the game and would spend the night in hospital for observation. No concussion. The Angola native missed five games as a result of the Brown hit.
John Vogl of the Buffalo News tweeted from the skate that Kaleta and Sekera will play tonight.
Lindy will have to sit a forward down to make room for Kaleta.
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