Zherdev said sitting out has motivated him to play better.
"I watched a couple games," Zherdev said. "It was good. Coach told me what I needed to do on the ice. He told me that I need to go to the net and shoot the puck. He told me what I was not doing on the ice. He wants me to focus on shooting and play a straight [north-south] game."
Now, that's sweet and all. But go to the site and watch the video on the left to see Bob sitting in the stands again for a little while and then leaving. He's really into hockey, and that makes me love him a ton more. Also nice to see a player do some crazy **** like that, gives them character.
It seems like Lavi didn't tear into Zherdev or get angry with him or bag skate him for making those early season mistakes.
I think that's a good sign for Zherdev. He was able to correct his flaws without needing to be reprimanded.
Sure the benching probably hurt, but it's good that he realizes it was for his own benefit; that it was a learning experience.
I feel as though that when he got here, Zherdev was playing at a million miles an hour to take control and prove himself. It worked in the preseason, but once the regular season began his dekes and one-man showmanship were not working.
I think he's corrected a lot of it. Some of it is still there, and it will always be there. That's the type of player he is. That said, I think Lavi played this one perfectly.
We will see if he brings a consistent effort game to game.
Laviolette is the best thing to happen to this team last year.
Agreed. Even though I wasn't a huge Stevens hater, I shudder at the thought of how he would have handled some of the situations of the past year and such. Lucky to have Lavi I think.
I would not be surprised if Z is our hottest scorer for a few good stretches this season, he brings some nice skills to the table for sure.I think Lavy can push the right buttons and get him to use all of his talents effectively.
Thing is, flying off the handle at a guy that has had previous attitude problems isn't going to work. You are going to piss him off, and he's going to fly off back to russia. Zherdev wants to be here, he wants a job in the NHL, and hasn't played here for a year. He was always going to need to adjust to the game again. The KHL is almost a different sport compared to the NHL.
Thing is, flying off the handle at a guy that has had previous attitude problems isn't going to work. You are going to piss him off, and he's going to fly off back to russia. Zherdev wants to be here, he wants a job in the NHL, and hasn't played here for a year. He was always going to need to adjust to the game again. The KHL is almost a different sport compared to the NHL.
Well, I think "pushing the right buttons" is what comes into play here. If Z continues to do well, then apparently whatever was done, worked.
But yea, he has a lot of adjustments to continue to get used to... I just hope thats what it is, because he had some issues in the past when he played in the NHL.
I really wasn't sure how this situation would turn out, but its refreshing to hear both Lavi and Zherdev handled it like adults - some other coaches and players around the NHL certainly wouldn't have.
