I told you all yesterday that I was worried about the idea of Robin Lehner starting an NHL game against the Detroit Red Wings. I wanted to see the positives that all of you were boasting about when trying to sway me in believing that a start against a Stanley Cup contender would be nothing but a learning experience for Lehner. Hey Phil, what can really go wrong? However, I couldn’t help but think of all scenarios in which things could go wrong for the young man. I failed to take into account the scenario that put a major damper on an otherwise entertaining game.
As we all watched last night, we never could have imagined that the person that did the most damage to Lehner would be the one that was supposed to protect him from any damage. But in a season that has gone horribly wrong for this franchise, why not add this to the list of things? You might as well since everything else that could go bad has gone bad.
Robin Lehner didn’t need to be protected in that spot. He was competitive and the team as a whole were putting up a good fight against a juggernaut that is sure to battle for the Western Conference title and a shot at the Stanley Cup. He had given up a couple of soft goals, but the two that he gave up prior to being lifted weren’t a result of him being over-matched, under-prepared or being in awe of the moment. If anything, the players that fit that description were the defensemen that are paid to protect the front of the net.
Seems like everyone that was supposed to protect the young man last night really dropped the ball, but the last line of defense and the man that has the final say on doing what’s right even let him down. He may try to hide behind the idea that he was doing something for the greater good of the future goaltender, but Cory Clouston wasn’t thinking about Lehner’s development when he pulled him in the middle of the second period. Robin Lehner found out very quickly how cruel professional sports really are and how much business plays into the everyday decisions of a roster.
I have no problem with Clouston still trying to win hockey games. The thinking has to be that if he can win a few hockey games before the end of the year, he might be able to impress someone enough that he can stay in the NHL in some capacity. The problem I have with him after last night’s move is that he either: a) was thinking about himself and not about Lehner’s development…or b) he has no sense on how to properly handle these situations and he actually thought he was doing the right thing.
Either way, it’s not good and now we have a goaltender who has to feel rotten, sour and disappointed about a performance he should be commended for instead. Lehner shouldn’t have to apologize for anything he did last night, but there he was doing exactly that after the game. The saving grace in this whole scenario is that the crowd loudly booed the decision seconds after it happened. It reinforced my faith in this town as an intelligent one and proved to anyone who doubts how knowledgeable and passionate of a hockey market this truly is. Kudos to you Sens fans. You stood up for something that clearly wasn’t right.