Sorry if this has been discussed before in previous GDTs. I don't read them all, especially when we are losing
I noticed a couple of times this year when we ice the puck and our 4th line is on the ice, Thornton takes the defensive faceoff but intentionally gets thrown out to get replaced by Campbell. I have to think that the reason for doing this is because the refs almost never remove a second player of the same team from the faceoff, which I believe would lead to a penalty. So if you don't want Campbell to be removed from the faceoff, you send Thornton first who intentionally gets removed, and then Campbell has near immunity to do what he wants to win the faceoff.
Seems like a brilliant move by Julien. Or is there another reason why Thornton would be the 1st player to take a defensive faceoff and I'm giving Julien too much credit?
I noticed a couple of times this year when we ice the puck and our 4th line is on the ice, Thornton takes the defensive faceoff but intentionally gets thrown out to get replaced by Campbell. I have to think that the reason for doing this is because the refs almost never remove a second player of the same team from the faceoff, which I believe would lead to a penalty. So if you don't want Campbell to be removed from the faceoff, you send Thornton first who intentionally gets removed, and then Campbell has near immunity to do what he wants to win the faceoff.
Seems like a brilliant move by Julien. Or is there another reason why Thornton would be the 1st player to take a defensive faceoff and I'm giving Julien too much credit?