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SKA: Ivan Demidov relegated to the third line (and his playing time suffered as a result)

 Félix Forget
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SKA: Ivan Demidov relegated to the third line (and his playing time suffered as a result)
Credit: Getty Images

For a few weeks now, Ivan Demidov’s playing time in Russia has been drawing attention for the right reasons. Since the Canadiens’ visit to Russia and Evgeny Kuznetsov’s injury, SKA’s coach, Roman Rotenberg, has been giving a lot of ice time to the kid.

And Demidov is responding by scoring points like crazy. Proof that playing your best players pays off.

In short, instead of talking about the scraps of ice time he was getting at the beginning of the year, we’re discussing his impressive performances on the top line… but today, that has changed.

Following the 5-0 loss suffered by SKA in their last game, it was Demidov who took the hit… as he has been relegated to the third line today.

Rotenberg continues to play yo-yo with the young forward, who wasn’t responsible for the latest loss of the team.

And during the first 40 minutes of the game, it obviously had a significant impact on his ice time. He did not play at all on the power play, and in the second period, he spent more than seven minutes without stepping on the ice.

Six minutes of ice time in two periods: it had been a while since that number was so low for the Canadiens’ prospect.

The good news, however, is that in the third period, while his team was down by a goal, Rotenberg decided to give Demidov another chance by bringing him back to the first line.

And after spending 6:01 on the ice during the first 40 minutes of the game, he spent 6:35 in the third period alone… and that’s considering that his team was short-handed for six minutes. One can assume that his ice time could have been even higher.

Demidov did not score any points in this game (it was the second game in a row without points for the young player), and seeing SKA lose a second consecutive game makes one wonder if Demidov will not return to a support line for the next match.

However, seeing the team’s coach turn to Demidov in the third period when his team really needed a goal might be a sign that the coach realizes that playing Demidov is a good way to win games.

Again, we know that ice time does not always go to merit with SKA… but I liked the coach’s reaction in the third period. Let’s see what this will bring for the upcoming matches now.


In Brief

– The Canucks, who face the Maple Leafs tonight, were unable to fly to Toronto last night due to the weather. It will be tough for them tonight.

– What to expect from the Western teams as the trade deadline approaches?

– It’s the battle of Connors tonight in the NHL.

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