Frustration Boiling Over

[der meister 3,248]

Broken sticks litter the hallway that connects the Toronto Legion locker room to the playing surface. A blast like the crack of a whip indicates that another has joined the pile. A steady stream of obscenities has been filling the air, a constant angry hum, like a cursed prayer wheel grinding away a seemingly endless cycle of expletives. Ryuji Sakamoto is not a happy young man. I wince as another stick breaks, grateful that I'm sitting in the stands near the hallway, instead of being in the hallway itself.

 

After two reasonably successful campaigns, one in each of the VHLM and VHLE, plus a silver medal in the most recent World Junior Championship tournament, Sakamoto seemed poised to transition smoothly into a role in the VHL with the Legion. He never expressed, to me, at least, any expectation that he would be registering the gaudy numbers that he put up in the past two seasons, either offensively or physically, but I know for fact that his expectations were higher than what he's produced so far. In his most recent contest, a visibly frustrated Sakamoto finished the game with a remarkable 32 minutes of ice time - and nothing but zeros on the scoresheet. No goals - he's still seeking his first at the VHL level - no assists, no shots, no hits, no blocked shots, an even plus/minus rating. Quite literally zeros across the board.

 

As far as I can tell, his teammates are letting Sakamoto blow off some steam, leaving the young blueliner alone, giving him space to explode and get out his frustrations. I wonder if they would intercede if they knew just how many sticks he has already broken.

 

You may be asking yourself, "What is it that's keeping Sakamoto from having personal success so far in this young VHL season?" A number of things come to mind, ranging from a need to become considerably stronger to regaining the speed he demonstrated in the VHLM. Ultimately, though, if I had to pick one single thing that is holding Ryuji Sakamoto back, it's that he's trying to do too much on the ice, to prove that he belongs. His game has never been one with a lot of flash and flair, but it is an effective one. His game is predicated on protecting his net first, making a quick, simple clear to center ice, and then joining the rush. If the opportunity presents itself, crush an opponent with a thundering body check. Similarly, get his body in front of any and all opposing shots. 

 

This season, however, he seems outmatched by the sheer speed of the game, the strength of his opponents, and the millisecond's notice he has when the puck is on his stick before he's faced with pressure. I have confidence that this young man, who is playing against a group made up of people who are not his direct peers for the first time in his brief hockey career, will eventually find his way to the same type of success he has demonstrated in the past, but in the meantime, it seems like he may have to use a sizeable amount of his salary on replacement hockey sticks.

 

 

Like this, but with a longer last name.

[BOOM 8,818]

[Garsh 1,195]

just dance away your frustration