Benching ‘message’ to group: Clarkson
Veteran forward thinks he is being made scapegoat
TORONTO For about 10 minutes during the morning skate, they talked. It was an animated conversation. David Clarkson waved his hands in the air and pointed a finger at interim head coach Peter Horachek. The Toronto Maple Leafs player looked angry. At the very least, he seemed frustrated.
Later that night, Clarkson was a healthy scratch for the second straight game. And while he tried to curb his emotions, he clearly believes he is being made a scapegoat for the team’s struggles.
“It was obviously a message to the room,” said Clarkson, who spoke for the second day on the topic. “It’s tough, but at the end of the day we’ve got to win some games here and last game was a step in the right direction. We’ve got to do that again tonight.”
When asked if the lengthy conversation he had with Horachek on Tuesday morning was a sign that he disagreed with the decision, Clarkson said, “We were just talking.”
“I’ve got a ton of respect for him,” he said of Horachek. “He’s one of the nicest coaches I’ve played for. I’m sure you guys have interviewed him. He’s one of the nicest men you meet. So the respect I have for him is huge. This was something where there’s a message being sent, and I’m sure everybody got the message.”
Horachek also downplayed his talk with Clarkson, saying it was the sort of thing that happens every day behind closed doors with players. He added that he appreciated the fact that Clarkson was unhappy about sitting out again.
“All I can say is, he’s a proud guy and he’s a competitor and he’s handled himself as a pro,” said Horachek, who decided not to change the lineup for Tuesday’s game against the New York Rangers after the Leafs snapped an 11-game winless streak with a 5-1 win against the Edmonton Oilers on Saturday. “He wants to get better, he wants to get back in the lineup. But I made the decision to stay with the same lineup that won.
“He’s fiery and I love that. I have a lot of respect for him, absolutely. He’s proud and he’s a competitor and that’s what we need more of.”
Indeed, while Clarkson has five goals and 15 points this season, his recent play has not warranted a spot in the lineup. With just one goal and two assists in the past 20 games — and one power-play point all season — he is once again failing to live up to his massive seven-year, US$36.75-million contract.
When asked what Clarkson needs to do better, Horachek was vague. “Specifically from his game, we want more,” he said.
Clarkson agreed, saying: “Individually I think you can get better. There’s always things you can improve on. That’s the game of hockey. You have to find a way to do that stuff.”