Ryder/By S. Bradley
WILMINGTON, Mass. — Michael Ryder says he’s changed linemates so much this season that an in-game switch like the one he experienced Tuesday night in the win over New Jersey is no big deal.
After one full roll out of the Bruins’ lines, Ryder settled in next to Patrice Bergeron and Mark Recchi until head coach Claude Julien shifted the veteran winger to a line with Gregory Campbell and Shawn Thornton in Brad Marchand’s place.
While the line juggling isn’t worth making a stink about, Ryder’s lack of production regardless of who he skates with is a major issue right now. Ryder has scored just once in his last 16 games, and three times in 25 contests heading into tomorrow night’s showdown with his former team from Montreal.
“I can’t score. But that happens, you know. I had a few chances a couple games ago. And I don’t know,” said Ryder in regards to where his game is right now when asked after practice at Ristuccia Arena today.
Last week in Columbus, Julien tried to get Ryder’s attention by making him a healthy scratch for the first time in his three seasons with Boston.
“Definitely [I was disappointed], especially when it’s not because of an injury, “said Ryder, who had skate in 172 consecutive regular-season games prior to the benching. “But there’s nothing you can do. Hopefully there’s more games in front of me.”
Ryder says he didn’t change anything about his game because of the scratch. Nonetheless, the next game he came out and fired seven shots on goal in the loss to Nashville. Early in the loss at Toronto he was active as well, but disappeared like most of his teammates the rest of that night. He didn’t do much against the Devils other than blow one gimme, which went off a defenseman’s skate into Martin Brodeur’s midsection. A simple flick of the wrist and lift of the puck would’ve avoided that unfortunate result and gotten Ryder back on the score sheet.
Unlike many players, Ryder’s only at his best when he’s scoring. Sure his stickhandling can sometimes open up a teammate and every once in a while he might intercept a puck in the neutral zone. But when he’s not scoring, he’s mostly just taking up a lineup spot.
For part of last month, he looked like he would keep a hot hand and be someone the Bruins could rely on down the stretch to put up points. Instead, he’s now in a situation where he doesn’t know whether he’ll be in the lineup from game to game and can’t seem to give the Bruins a solid reason to keep him in there regularly.
Ryder skated with Marchand, Bergeron and Recchi again today, in an obvious mental ploy by Julien to keep Ryder’s confidence high and also let Marchand know he has to earn the spot on the second line he won with his all-around play in early January.
Ryder and Julien have been together for many years with many different teams. The coach usually knows how to push the player’s buttons. Ryder’s not sure how to describe where their relationship is now.
“I don’t know, I’ve been with him so long. He kind of knows me and I have no idea [where we stand],” said Ryder.
Ryder said he didn’t necessarily agree with the decision to scratch him but “it’s a coach’s decision. So whatever they decide, there’s not much I can really do about it.” Well, there is one thing he could do — score some goals.
Ryder has picked a terrible time to revert to his 2009-10 form, as the Bruins need him to produce and he’s heading into free agency this summer. He’s going to turn 31 next week and could really make a decent pay day with a strong finish, especially considering the expected dearth of available goal-scorers on the market.
As a healthy scratch, Ryder can’t do anything to benefit his or the Bruins’ cause. That’s why this stretch of games since the healthy scratch is so vital to establish himself as a lineup regular before the playoffs. Tyler Seguin’s improved play and Daniel Paille’s decent amount of chemistry with Thornton and Campbell have provided Julien with multiple options.
“I don’t know what’s going to happen for next year. But I haven’t really thought about it much. But it’s still in the back of your mind,” said Ryder. “You know, you want to play and you want to show people you can play. For me, I’ve just got to work hard. I think people know I can play. So it’s just a matter when I’m back in the lineup showing that I can do that.”
There’s no telling how many more chances he’ll get to show what he can do, so Ryder might want to start that display as soon as he can.
How about this for a quote from Ryder.
“I can’t score. But that happens, you know. I had a few chances a couple games ago. And I don’t know,” said Ryder in regards to where his game is right now when asked after practice at Ristuccia Arena today.
ARE YOU KIDDING ME? What kind of rediculous quote is that? I cant score? Really? Great attitude.
He better step his game up the next few weeks or so or else we have to let him walk this off season.
Even talking to the media, Ryder has no clue what to do… how can we expect him to have the right attitude on the ice? He’s obviously taking Claude’s decisions to heart, like an immature brat. You would think that he would leave that mess in junior. But nope, 10+ years later and he still acts like a turd.
It’s too bad because once and a great while Ryder unloads the type of shot that would make him valuable if he did it with any sort of consistency. It might be strange to say but he strikes me as an offensive-minded player that has no offensive awareness. It’s easy to see the difference in Seguin who has much better vision and instincts in the offensive zone, he just has to get better at applying it.
Didn’t see the game yesterday, but glad to hear the man under a microscope is growing up.
Go Ryder Go SOMEWHERE ELSE!!!
If Ryder were cheaper I would see defending him, but for a 4 million cap hit he isn’t do much to help the team but suck up cap space.
I do think he is terrible on that second line-not sure how much of it is him or how much of it is him with Bergeron and Recchi.
Personally I see a lot of chemistry between Seguin and Peverly and would like to see them together-I wonder if putting Ryder on their wing wouldn’t work better, shift Marchand back up to Bergeron and change Kelly to the 4th line would produce more.
Either way, he pretty much stunk in the last several games and if he isn’t scoring he really doesn’t bring much IMO.
I hate it when a guy say “there is nothing I can do about it”! It’s a comment that shows alot about the player. Why he shouldn’t be in a Bruin uniform next year even for 1/2 or 1/4 his current salary.
On a a possitive note GO Seguin! I’ve been critical of his play this year, but he showed some grit against NJ.
Lucic Krejci Horton
Seguin Bergeron Peverly
Recchi Kelly Ryder
Thornton Campbell Marchand
It is no insult to Marchand to be on the fourth, it makes it a dangerous line. Julien is going to share ice time more and more as the playoffs roll on, so that the less played don’t get rusty or cold, and so that the more played don’t get tired, physically or mentally.
We are always spoken of for our time, it’s time to take advantage of it.
Greenpeace will be glad after this year. We’ve clear cut forests writing about this enigma.
Terry
Ryder is untradeable. Do you think the rest of the league doesn’t know that he isn’t good and yet still costs 4 mil per? Dupont had it right. They should have put him in the minors to make the Kaberle trade and kept Stuart.
Ryder is awful. He is worse when you watch him live. Although he was terrific in the post season last year, I am not holding out hope for this season. All I can do is sit back and know I don’t have to watch him next season
Jones & John – combine those comments and I agree.
But – I will say I think Paille is pretty unappreciated. I admit I’ve called him stone-hands, but watching him over the course of the year, I’m really impressed with how many pucks he wins, and how he is able to turn away offensive flow.
Also – lets not forget that Ryder is a -5 with 38 points and Paille is -1 with 8pts. Ryder has to be more accountable 5-on-5.
Could have made abetter deal with sending him out of town with Wheeler. Guy dosen’t want to play here pretty evident.
SEGUIN-PEVERLY-RYDER
Nifty – same here. I was a supporter earlier in the season when he seemed to be giving good effort and producing, but recently he has been nothing shy of awful. Passing up shots to try to stickhandle through 4 guys should not be in his repertoire, yet every single game he trys it. I’ve yet to see him succeed at it, even just once.
In Ryder’s defense, he draws more penalities than anyone else on the team, by a long shot.
Granted, our power play is awful…..just saying.
Ryder has historically been a streaky player and my guess is that is exactly why Julien was trying to motivate him. I don’t see anything wrong with that. But sticking him on the 4th line is silly and definitely not a good use of an active roster spot.
It seems to me that it would make more sense to put Ryder on the 2nd line for a few games to see if he can get something going and move Marchand back to the 4th line to make that line a little more dangerous (granted Thornton scored against the Devils).
Either way, having Ryder in the lineup is much more valuable than having Paille out there in any capacity.
He did score four goals during the real season last year. I’ve gone from defending him to pleading with him(through a local psychic) to ragging on him. I feel like the parent of a delinquent. There has been times when I see a guy flying around making moves and I check the number. Sure enough it’s 73. I do know that he’s going to be needed. Hopefully he’s got an I’ll show you mindset.