Lovejoy patiently waits for call
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Ben Lovejoy has not played in 10 of the past 11 games.
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The hard part, Ben Lovejoy says, is not trying to decide precisely when to throw his body in front of a shot, to prevent a puck from getting to -- or past -- his goaltender.
It is not having to make a split-second read on how a play will develop, knowing that a bad decision could have even worse consequences.
It is not determining the best way to defend an onrushing forward -- who just might be among the best in the world at what he does -- while realizing that the price of failure might well be severe embarrassment and a goal-against.
No, Lovejoy says, the toughest thing about being a defenseman in the NHL is not being able to do any of that.
"It is," he said, "significantly harder to not play than it is to play."
That's a reality of which Lovejoy has been reminded often in recent weeks.
He is, at least for now, the No. 7 man on a six-member defense unit and has spent 10 of the Penguins' past 11 games in street clothes.
Barring an injury to one of the players ahead of him on the depth chart, Lovejoy likely will be no more than an interested observer again at 7:08 p.m. Wednesday when Anaheim visits Consol Energy Center.
"I obviously would prefer to be in the lineup, but right now we have seven healthy [defensemen] and everybody is playing well," he said. "You don't [dress] seven defensemen."
Not under normal circumstances, anyway, so Lovejoy will have to bide his time until one of the other defensemen gets hurt -- hardly out of the question, since all have missed at least one game this season because of injury -- or suspended, or plays his way into the press box.
"We started playing some better hockey, and this is the group we're going with," said assistant coach Todd Reirden, who oversees the defense. He was quick to add, though, that "it's still a competitive situation every night for all seven of our guys."
Lovejoy, however, is the only one who has been in workout clothes or a suit in most recent game.
Consequently, he approaches routine practices with an urgency most of his teammates don't match.
"You have to bring your game focus to practices, because if I don't, I will lose that competitive edge," he said. "I'm out there working hard to not only keep my wind but keep my skills and to stay sharp.
"I felt like I had a very good game the last game I played, when I was called upon, and that's my job right now. I'm not in the lineup every night, and I go stretches where I'm not in at all, and my job right now is to be professional and to be ready and excited to play when my number is called."
First Published February 14, 2012 12:08 am
