Confidence impacting Karlsson's defensive game
/Star Senators defenceman Erik Karlsson noted this week he feels he's only in the "high 80's" or "almost 90" percent of top form.
Wednesday morning, The Ottawa Sun notes Senators coach Paul MacLean was asked about Karlsson's road back from his injury. After speaking of Karlsson's offensive game, MacLean switched to defence.
"I think he's been better ... when he won the Norris Trophy he was better at it," MacLean said. "But I think part of that is the confidence ... he's not the big, strong guy, he has to use his skating ability to do it.
"I think when he gets into that battle sometimes, the injury resurfaces, type of thing, and he doesn't have the same amount of confidence in it as maybe he did in the past. That's just time, letting it get stronger and stronger until it gets back to where he was."
Also: "Again, we show it to him, we talk to him about 'not everyone sees the game the way you see it, you've got to keep it simpler for the guys you're playing with so that they understand what you need and where you're going to go with pucks.' It's all part of the process. Continuing to learn and be an elite player in the league, it just doesn't happen overnight . It's something that you have to learn. he's willing to learn it and we spend lots of time talking about it."
The article also has a funny note about Robin Lehner's piranhas, four of whom are named after Ottawa beat writers. "The fifth one got eaten."
Source: Don Brennan, Ottawa Sun