Buffalo, NY (WGR 550) - With the talent that Rasmus Dahlin possesses, it's hard to believe that Phil Housley and Ralph Krueger never asked him to take a shootout attempt until almost the end of his second year.
Dahlin got the chance on Monday against Washington and he didn't disappoint. Dahlin came in between the circles and faked a slap shot by tapping the ice on his follow through. He then brought his stick all the way through and easily scored on a stunned Braden Holtby. Dahlin said it's a move he learned from an old teammate, "It started from a buddy in junior, and then I saw [Linus] Omark doing it too, so it was bad ice and I tried it."
Dahlin has spent two seasons hoping he'd get the chance and he smiled when Krueger finally tapped him on the shoulder, "When he said my name, I got really happy and went out there and tried something funny and it worked out."
Dahlin was hoping to get the opportunity in his rookie season, but it didn't work out, "One time I was the eighth shooter, but then we won the game. So I've been in the discussions, but I never got to do it."
When Dahlin was struggling, I wonder if he would've had the confidence to try something like that. He said having overall confidence in his game helps him in anything he does on the ice, "When you have the puck on your stick a lot in the game, you get more confident. I mean a shootout is not really hockey, but I have a lot of confidence in doing shootouts and I wanted to try something new and something funny."
Dahlin seems better with the puck. He's not as jumpy when under pressure and is making better decisions and better plays with the puck. Dahlin said that he got that confidence he now has from playing better defensive hockey, "You get so much confidence in playing good D. It's breaking up passes, playing good D, reading your opponents and when you play more two-way hockey, you get more confidence."
As Dahlin plays better, Krueger gives him more responsibility and the young kid appreciates that, "I got the chance to play some PK the other night and I got a lot of confidence from that too, so I'm young, I'm learning and I'm getting more confident every day."
There are many avenues where a player can learn. Dahlin said he uses them all including assistant coach Steve Smith, "It's a mix of everything, but I think the main thing is playing. That goes with video and talking to Smitty, but when I play in situations I've never been in, you get more used to everything because it takes time to be a good defenseman in this league and I'm never going to quit learning."
Dahlin said if he gets another chance, he will try something new.
The team worked in the gym on Tuesday and will be back on the ice for practice on Wednesday.
