Rookie in name only
Only five games into his NHL career, Drew Doughty is already being given many of the responsibilities of a veteran NHL defenseman. He's playing more than 20 minutes per game, including time on the power play and penalty kill. He's joining the rush on a regular basis, including on his first NHL goal last night, and showing some offensive potential. Here's Doughty's minute total for his first five game:
at San Jose: 17:40
vs. San Jose: 23:56
vs. Anaheim: 15:52 (didn't play third period)
vs. Carolina: 22:28
vs. Colorado: 25:07
Terry Murray was asked after last night's game whether Doughty had permission to jump up and join the rush whenever he wanted to...
MURRAY: ``We would really like him to keep it pretty simple out there, moving the puck on the breakouts and doing all the right things that we ask all of our defensemen to do. But we know that he's a special player and he has a special high end and will get there some day, on a consistent basis. He has the ability to jump up in the play, and we ask our defensemen to do that. He's got an ability to be able to attack with speed, to make a play or to do what he did on that goal. That's just a tremendous individual effort.''
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J.P. Hoornstra writes about NHL and IHL hockey for the Los Angeles Newspaper Group. He welcomes any and all dialogue on the finer points of hockey.
E-mail J.P. at jp.hoornstra@inlandnewspapers.com.
Jill Painter joined the Daily News in 2000 and during the last eight years she's covered the Dodgers, Cal State Northridge, UCLA, Kings, golf and everything in between. Even though she's from Colorado, she still freezes in the Staples Center press box but always manages to thaw her fingers in time to make deadline. E-mail Jill at jill.painter@dailynews
.com.
Vincent Bonsignore is a sports columnist for the Los Angeles Daily News. E-mail Vinny at vincent.bonsignore
@dailynews.com.
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Its amazing how Drew is only 18 years old and has played only 5 NHL games yet he looks like he's been on the team a few years now. Yes, he's made some rookie mistakes (one against San Jose where he didn't get the puck in deep and was turned into a goal, and last night against Ryan Smyth) but his play is solid and he doesn't look out of place at all. If this keeps up Drew will be in contention for the Calder trophy, which would put him into the elite group of defensemen who have won the Calder. This kid is going to be a superstar one day.
I just cant believe we have this guy on our team. I cant wait to see what hes gonna be like out there in 2-3 more years. I know they are trying to make him more sound defensively....but dont take away his greatest weapon, his puck carrying ability. I dont see any of our other defenseman even thinking about trying to do what he did last night on his goal. Doughty!!
Philbert -
And those two mistakes are specific types that he has to make in order to learn how not to make them. Everybody knows to get the puck deep; everybody knows to take the man. But what you don't know until you experience it is just how silly a guy like Ryan Smyth can make you look (even though, on that play Smyth benefited from the bounces, and the shot was insanely perfect), and, as far as not getting caught up ice goes, you have to experience the speed of an NHL transition over and over for yourself before your instincts (for a defenseman, to anticipate it, to protect against it) take over and seeing the plays becomes second nature. Doughty has learned both those lessons at a slower speed; now the knob is turned up as high as it goes.
Anonymous-
I agree to an extent that none of our other d-men would even think about doing what Doughty did on his first goal, with the exception of a healthy Jack Johnson. If I remember correctly, JJ's first goal came on a 2 on 1 breakaway.
While I doubt JJ will be as good as Doughty, he is still going to be a great D-man, both offensively and defensively.
We all commented last night he looked like a forward carrying the puck in, right up there with Kopi and Sully for bring the puck into the zone! I love this kid!
How have the other young dmen done for their respective teams so far this year?