Unselfish Motte shining in playoff spotlight
The Tyler Motte question often pops up like bread in a toaster.
His critics still believe a small man can’t grind out an NHL career in a big man’s game — even as a dependable, low-cost, low-maintenance Vancouver Canucks fourth-liner — because those gritty intangibles aren’t nearly as vital as point production.
Travis Green believes Motte’s value requires a broader lens.
Through seven games of this revealing post-season, the left winger led all club forwards in hits and blocks and was second in take-aways. His positioning on the penalty kill and his ability to create scoring chances through speed on an aggressive forecheck resonate with the coach.
Being pointless in those seven games isn’t the point. It’s pointing the club in the right playoff direction against the defending Stanley Cup champions.
Motte, who averaged 13:07 of ice time this shortened season, logged 19 minutes Friday in a 4-3 overtime victory over the St. Louis Blues. He then had a career-high 24:17 Sunday in a 3-2 overtime loss in which he had four shots, seven hits, four blocked shots, three giveaways and two take-aways.
By comparison, agitating winger Antoine Roussel played only 7:35 in Game 3 and just 1:20 in the third period. Motte logged 6:40 in the final frame, including 1:37 on the penalty kill. Green knows he needs more from Roussel, but knows what he’s going to get from Motte in the first-round playoff series.
“He’s a guy who doesn’t get a lot of recognition,” Green said. “At times, I’ve been asked why he’s in the lineup but, man, this guy is an important part of our team. He goes to a lot of the hard areas — especially against a team like St. Louis — because you have to fight for space and it’s not just about the PK with him.
“He does a lot of things five-onfive that go unnoticed and (he) really helps relieve and create pressure on the other team. In playoff hockey every year, there are guys stepping to the forefront who maybe haven’t before and it’s not always goals. You need guys to provide certain parts of the game and he does that.”
Whether in a first penalty kill pairing with Jay Beagle, or being asked to hem top lines in their own zone in tough matchups, you have to be wired a certain way. The 25-year-old Motte must be a fivefoot-10, 192-pound bowling ball to deliver disruptive hits and absorb them. He must also fall in front of heavy snapshots and knows a good night involves denying scoring chances while trying to create them.
On Sunday, Motte was at his best when it really mattered.
When Loui Eriksson took a high-sticking minor with two minutes remaining in regulation, with the clubs locked in a 2-2 draw, he used smarts and speed to nullify the power play.
After Beagle lost the defensive zone draw, Motte positioned himself in the high slot to intercept a centring feed from the corner boards. He then sped away, got a shot on net, retrieved the rebound and killed even more time by feeding the puck back to his own zone. Unselfish and unsung. “Unsung hero is right — you nailed it,” Beagle said. “This guy doesn’t get that much credit. He brings it every night and just keeps getting better and I’ve seen him grow over the last two years. And the way he has played this year, it’s pretty special to play with him.
“He makes the game easier. He talks a lot and is a physical presence who works harder than anyone else. And he makes great reads on the PK. He has been elevating his game and it’s even up another level in the playoffs.”
The bravado comes with a price. Motte missed 23 games with a foot fracture after blocking a shot Oct. 25 against Washington. And on Dec. 14 against San Jose, he suffered a shoulder ailment in a collision with Erik Karlsson and was gone another eight games. Yet, in just 34 games, he still finished second in hits and blocks among team forwards to go with eight points (4-4).
Motte did have a career-high nine goals and 16 points in 201819, but knows where his bread is buttered. Far removed from a 32goal season at the University of Michigan, he had to reinvent himself as a bottom-six forward under the demanding Joel Quenneville in Chicago and John Tortorella in Columbus.
“I feel I can play and skate with some of the best, even with the size difference,” Motte said. “It doesn’t get in my head at all. I just play the game. Some people might be surprised because of my size, but that’s been my game. And it’s pretty clear my role on a lot of nights.”
Motte is a restricted free agent on an expiring US$975,000 salary cap hit and it’s also clear he’s a leftwing lock on the fourth line.