Rick Stephens

As I said, it appears that the message is not getting through, that defensemen should play on their natural side, the side they're most comfortable with.

Right now, and going into the Islanders game, it's going to be Matheson, Dobson, Gooley, Carrier, and then third-pairing Struble, Hudson.

although Hudson won't be getting third pairing time.

He'll be getting a lot more than that.

Jack, I, uh, the odd, uh, defenseman out.

Um,

I think you just have to figure out a way to put Hudson and Gooley on their left side.

Matheson never has trouble going on his left side, and he's always there.

But they seem to want to swap around Gooley and Hudson.

And Gooley has struggled, and Hudson hasn't been as effective when they've not been on their proper side.

Um, Struble and Jack, I, they just aren't trustworthy.

Uh, they're getting minimal minutes.

Um, and that's going to be trouble come playoff time.

Um, when, when you're down to playing essentially for defensemen, uh, when things are much tougher, um, and Alex Carrier has regressed.

Um, he has become, um, a liability.

Um, I don't, I don't know what's happened to, to Carrier.

He's, he's, uh,

playing far more risky.

He's taking bad penalties.

He just isn't having a good second half to his season.