Media Jinx

[Gaikoku-hito 2,130]

Media Jinx

 

Last season Pierre Marc Bouchard was on a complete tear to rip apart the VHLE as he was on pace to complete a feat that very few had done in the VHLE; score 50 goals, 50 assist and 100pts in a season. And if you followed the VHLE season at all; you will know that Bouchard fell very short of these marks as the writer jinx took full effect.

 

Had scored 29 goals through the first 40 games; it was always going to be close to reach the 50 goals mark by season end but no expected his scoring to crash into a tree like it did. Only scoring 14 more goals over the remaining 30 games to in the fall seven short of the goal.

 

“It was rather ugly” stated one outside observer. “He started gripping the stick too tight and started getting frustrated and started fighting in every second game when thinks didn`t go his way. I think the pressure got to him once at article broke about how good of a season he had.”

 

While his goal scoring crashed and burn it also slowed his assist and total points; but he still managed to reach 62 assists only 6 off his expected pace so was it really that bad of a finish to the season for Bouchard?

 

Well, No!! Not when you look at the fact that he finished with 105pts but clearly the GM of the VHLE thought otherwise when award season came around as they reward an inactive 8 season VHLE player with majority of the awards leaving a rather lemon, bitter taste in the mouth of the Finnish player.

 

“It is just another black eye on a league that most players really don`t want to play in” added another outside observer. “Why would anyone want to be a star in the VHLE to be complete over-looked this way when they can pad some stats in the VHL and be consider for the Rookie of the year. It was a rather kick in the teeth, if I may say so!!”

 

It would seem the regular season awards might have been affected by the struggles that Bouchard faced in the play-off as he put-up decent numbers with 3 goals, 6 assist for 9pts in 13 games as the team lost in the finals but when you compare it to that of his regular season and what his team mates did; Bouchard was very average and might have many pointing the finger at him as the reason Bratislava lost in the finals!!