I don't want him riding pine. You either stick with him for 10 games or you decide this is it and look to move him IMO. We don't have the luxury of letting him develop in the AHL after this season and it's imperative that they know who he is in the NHL before expansion.
I will be the first to say Pouliot was pretty bad last night. The first goal he was responsible for he stopped moving his feet and let the eventual goal-scorer beat him to the net. That is definitely a correctable error, he lacked the necessary effort to play the right way at the NHL level. I don't think he can learn how to correct this by playing in the AHL. The second goal he was responsible for, he let Hartnell out-hustle him to the outside and made a weak-ass attempt to prevent the net-drive. Again, effort issue.
Pouliot is a tough nut to crack. Usually, you associate lazy play in hockey with guys who are far bigger and ganglier than he is. Usually, defensemen who are Pouliot's size get their noses dirty and grind it out. He does not do that, at all. He plays a thinking man's game, but he makes the wrong decision sometimes and when that happens it is in the net.
If I were Sullivan, I would put Pouliot right back out there tonight against the Devils and see if he responds. If he doesn't, then send him to the press box. I really don't think sending him back to the AHL will help Pouliot. He is processing things at an AHL level right now anyway. The only way he will learn to play more quickly, and make the right reads and decisions, is to be in the NHL. Because most of the plays he does right now, he could probably get away with at lower levels.
If there is a silver lining here, we probably don't have to worry about protecting or losing Pouliot for/to expansion. His level of play is not nearly good enough right now. We have better players to offer Vegas.
I am kinda glad we got spanked the way we did last night. For one thing, our forward lineup is a total hot mess. There is no way we will win a playoff series against bigger, grittier opponents like Columbus or Washington or Philadelphia with Crosby playing with Sheary and Rust. Sullivan has to decide which one he likes more with Sid and move the other guy down the lineup. Secondly, PLEASE put Malkin and Kessel back together. Splitting them up at this time has neutered both players and, ultimately, both lines. Yeah they were amazing against the Rangers, but the Rangers were ripe for the picking that night and we destroyed their will to compete pretty early on. Last night, we played a hungry team and suffered the consequences. Lastly, it is time to be HBK to bed for good. It has been fun, but we need to move on.
Hopefully, they will take their frustrations out on the Devils tonight. Jersey and Philly played a very spirited affair last night. It was a lot of fun to watch that game last night. A little old-school Patrick Division hockey. I love it. But that game had to have taken a bit of an emotional (if not physical) toll on the Devils. We need to pounce on them early and often tonight.