NHL goalies are an introspective sort. More than your average hockey player, they default to candor, especially when things aren't going so hot and frustration wins out.
Such was the case with Ben Bishop Tuesday night. Stars coach Ken Hitchcock's decision to yank his starting goalie at 4:04 of the second period didn't sit well with Bishop. It was a 3-2 game at the time, still quite winnable, when backup Kari Lehtonen entered in what Hitchcock said was an attempt to correct a lethargic start.
But the Stars went on to lose 5-3, and Bishop partook in a very public venting session afterward.
FILM SESSION: On Connor McDavid and the elements of speed
"I'm not very happy with the decision," Bishop told reporters, via the Dallas Morning News. "There is still a lot hockey left and it's a 3-2 game, and I felt good. I'm not very happy with the decision...There is a lot of fight in this locker room the game wasn't over. I don't know what the reason was. I'm fully confident we'll come back when we're losing 3-2 on the road."
Ben Bishop: "There was no reason for me to come out. I guess that's the coach's decision... I'm not very happy with the decision." pic.twitter.com/Km4I3yauCA
— Dallas Stars (@DallasStars) October 25, 2017
To Bishop's point, the timing of the decision was odd, considering the game context and that Bishop is off to a very strong start to the season (5-1-0, .920 save percentage). But pulling the goalie can sometimes jolt a team back to life, and making that call is based entirely on coaching instinct.
Hitchcock worked to diffuse the notion of any controversy surrounding his key offseason acquisition.
"It was time to make a change, we were slow and dozy across the board," he said. "We needed a wake-up call, so we got it. It has nothing to do with Ben Bishop. It has to do with: `Wake up, let's get playing.' Which is exactly what we did. It has nothing to do with Ben, and I'll do the same thing with any other goaltender.
"If I think it's going to help the team and change their mindset, I'll have to do whatever it takes."
