Martin St. Louis faces a wave of fan criticism after his Joe Veleno decision
In a game where the Canadiens struggled for offense against the Stars and losing Alex Newhook left a hole, Martin St. Louis using Joe Veleno on PP2 sparked debate.
A hot topic this morning...
The reactions came fast.
They were strong.
And they were aimed directly at Martin St. Louis.
Everyone knows that in Montreal, when things go bad, it doesn't take much to set people off... a simple tweak to the power play was enough to ignite everything.
The reaction to Martin St. Louis' choice with Joe Veleno
It all started the moment people saw that Joe Veleno was taking Alex Newhook's spot on the power play after his unfortunate injury.
The surprise was immediate, because Veleno isn't known as a natural offensive forward.
One observer, very followed by Habs fans, shared his confusion with a direct question widely echoed by the fanbase:
"Why. WHY would Joe Veleno be your replacement for Newhook on PP2??
He's been pretty good lately, but what offensive ability has he shown that would warrant any sort of PP time?"
- Matt Drake
.He's been pretty good lately, but what offensive ability has he shown that would warrant any sort of PP time?"
- Matt Drake
It's simple: nobody really understood.
To add to all that, Veleno's career stats aren't very convincing...
In eight professional seasons, he tops out at 81 points in 318 NHL games.
He has never scored more than 12 goals in a season.
He has several seasons with a negative plus-minus.
In short, this isn't the profile you expect to revive a power play.
I understand why a lot of people are frustrated.
When a team is struggling, a decision like this can completely break whatever rhythm is left.
For some, it's a lack of vision.
But no matter how you look at it, this choice isn't going over well.
And I think it brings out a real question: are we actually using the right players at the right time?
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