For the second year in a row, analyst Jeremy Roenick has criticized San Jose Sharks winger Patrick Marleau during the playoffs. Last year, Roenick criticized Marleau for not hitting anybody. This time he said something similar, criticizing Marleau for being gutless and having no heart:
Marleau has not scored a point in San Jose’s series against Detroit, one the Sharks lead 3-2. Worse yet, he was embarrassed by Pavel Datsyuk who stole the puck from him and assisted on a goal that gave the Red Wings a 4-3 lead Sunday. Still, Marleau is one of San Jose’s top players having scored 73 points during the regular season. He may not be doing anything against Detroit and he needs to help them close things out.
The question is whether Roenick’s criticism was unfair. Look, I can’t stand Roenick from his playing days, but I think he was giving his honest opinion as a good analyst should. Was it accurate? Was it harsh? Those are debatable points and matters of opinion. You can also question Roenick’s loyalty considering the two were once teammates. To the Sharks fans offended by the analysis, I’ll say this: just hope Marleau uses it as motivation to prove him wrong. If Marleau has a good Game 6, it may have been the best thing for San Jose.
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