Embarrassing is having a 3rd overall pick that we saw as our center of the future playing 2nd fiddle on the wing to a midget who's been wholly ineffective all year long despite being top 20 in points per minute for centers. THAT's an embarrassment.
Galchenyuk was moved to the wing for two reasons:
First, he was on the ice for WAYYYY too many goals against during a losing stretch. This was over a 4 week period, and not just a statistical fluctuation.
Second, Lars Eller was not working out as well as hoped as a winger. He has been much better at C, in fact should be in our top 6, as you and I have both been saying for a couple of years. At C, at least Eller has a chance to shine more.
Using Galchenyuk at wing is perhaps something which some folks do not agree with, but the idea came to his Junior coaches and the US Junior Team coaches long before Therrien thought of it. Maybe, just maybe, despite the fact that the fans desperately want Galchenyuk to develop into the next Guy Lafleur (but who plays C), he is more like Damphousse and Stamkos and other who can play either C or wing and it is no big deal.
Saying that Galch is "second fiddle" to DD, you would think that he plays A LOT LESS, but the difference is 25 seconds per game! On the PP, Galch even plays more than DD. He is third in minutes played on the PP this year.
Reading posters here, you would think Dale Weise plays more than Galch on the PP or overall, and of course it is not true. Weise plays less minutes per game than Eller and even Fleischmann. Weise is 8th in minutes/game, seventh if we eliminate Fleischmann who has been in the stands lately.
Now, would I be happier if Desharnais and Weise played about a minute less per game and Eller and Galchenyuk a minute more than they have? Sure, but that is hardly a BIG ENOUGH difference of opinion to justify the vicious piling on I have seen lately.
I'm ok with criticizing Therrien, and I do it myself, but lately it's been a tad overblown. When someone goes too far, and another poster (jfm133) speaks up and points this out, attempting to silence the guy who brings some moderation to the debate is not a fair response. Yeah, he has repeated himself, but the MT critics repeat themselves ad nauseum and yet the moderators don't step in for that!
I for one appreciate it when I hear many different opinions.
Incidentally, I find that the "midget" tag crosses the line, and is personal and unfair. Being short is not something a person can help, nor has it stopped some players from excelling and reaching the Hall of Fame or from becoming shoo-ins to do so. Again, verbal abuse against certain individuals has become so commonplace, we are so used to hearing it, that hardly anyone even stands up for decency anymore, for fear of being branded a "DD-lover".
Criticizing DD's lack of production is fair game, disparagingly calling him a "midget" is not. I'm sure there are actual midgets out there who are not too amused to see this crap. And before anybody trots out the fact that they like Gallagher, think about how much that sounds like "I'm not against short people, some of my best friends are midgets".
Do you think you could at least state that we should refrain from using that term for Desharnais, and thus discourage others from doing so as well?