BRIGHTON, Mass. – For those wondering why Danton Heinen hasn’t received the healthy scratch treatment, Bruce Cassidy has an explanation.
Six million dollar man David Backes served as a healthy scratch earlier this week against the Flyers, hard-hitting Noel Acciari was removed from a very effective fourth line as a healthy scratch against St. Louis on Thursday night and Ryan Donato will be the odd man out against the New York Rangers on Saturday night against the Rangers. But Heinen has managed to avoid it since earlier in the season despite one point in his last five games, two points in the entire month of January and a clear lack of confidence with the puck on his stick.
Nowhere was that more obvious than in the win over the Blues when Heinen had time, space and a clear shot at the net from the high slot, and instead of shooting couldn’t get the puck off his stick fast enough in a prime scoring area. Despite those struggles and with just five goals and 12 points in 46 games this season, Heinen is sticking in the lineup because he’s not hurting the team in the 200-foot game.
“As long as he helps us win he’ll stay in and we’ll allow him to play through it. Unless we find a player that’s better or more suited, then we’ll always take a look at that,” said Cassidy. “That could be from within if a player grows his game and passed him. But right now he’s still a positive for us. We met yesterday and I think in his puck battles he needs to be a little more determined.
“He’s relied on his stick and his IQ over the years, and I think his body positioning now needs to become more of a factor. You can see that with [Peter] Cehlarik lately that his game has really grown in that area from the last time we saw him. So that’s where Danton can improve some of his puck possession play and maybe that’s where he can grow his offense a little more.”
Perhaps that is a possibility for Heinen if he goes to the danger areas with more regularity and then wins battles there. But there’s also a clear and present loss of confidence for a player that had a chance at 20 goals and 50 points last season, and has clearly taken two steps backward after 16 goals and 47 points in 77 games last season.
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