from Damien Cox of Sportsnet,
Sometimes it really can’t be much fun being an NHL scoring star.
Here’s what happens: You get to the Stanley Cup Final, the ice is either slushy or bouncy, they don’t call any penalties (which frees up the grinders to foul the skilled without consequences), and you’re usually going up against world-class defenders every shift.
Then, if you don’t score, everyone wants to know what’s wrong.
Not a big game player, huh? Can’t handle the big stage, huh? Not willing to go to the tough areas, huh?
The best of the best, of course, shrug all this off as part of the job, and the smartest accept it as part of the huge dollars they command in salary. What helps is that sometimes, like in this Stanley Cup Final, the star scorers of the San Jose Sharks and the Pittsburgh Penguins have all vanished — at least from the scoresheet.
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