22-year-old Russian defender “New Jersey” Nikita Okhotyuk explained his poor performance in the NHL.
Okhotyuk was selected by New Jersey in the 2019 NHL Draft with the 61st overall pick and made his senior debut in April of last year. This season, in 9 games, the Russian has an abandoned record with a utility indicator of “+1”. The Russian scored the same amount for the whole last season.
– In two seasons in the NHL, you scored two goals.
– Yes, when we played against Los Angeles, we managed to score, and even the winning goal. These are beautiful times. Everyone wants to score more. But I don’t really think about it. If there’s a moment to join the attack, take a shot, create a scoring chance, then I will. But if for that it will be necessary to risk the defense, I will not start. I’m not that kind of player.
You only landed ten shots in two seasons. Why so little?
– So I say: if I have the puck and I have a line to throw, then I will throw. But deliberately dragging the puck out of your zone, throwing it randomly – at this level you shouldn’t do that. My NHL career is just beginning. There will come a time when I will cast more often.
Are you inspired by the Devils’ best defenseman, Dougie Hamilton? We don’t talk about it often…
– First of all, you pay attention to his composure. He is very calm. Gets the puck and makes no extra moves. Do not panic when two players cling to it. He calmly understands the moment and is not dismissed. Hamilton is also very attacking. He knows how to open, where to connect. To be on a penny or to appear in front of an empty corner, to end up somewhere. He also has a good shot. Did you see him score in overtime with Pittsburgh? It’s impressive!
A source:
Source : MatchTV
I’m Emma Smith, a dedicated journalist and avid storyteller. I have been writing for news websites for the past 5 years, reporting on hockey news and delivering in-depth analysis of the sport. In my current role as Author at Athletistic, I write about hockey events from around the world to keep followers up-to-date with what’s happening in the sport.
