exterminator-x
10-31-2003, 04:52 AM
Interesting news out of Hershey regarding the enigma known as Nikita Alexeev:
Fixter [ed. Bears head coach] had a message for right wing Nikita Alexeev Thursday morning: get the offense in gear.
“He’s got to score goals for us, no question,” Fixter said. “He’s an offensive guys. He’s got to score.”
Through the team’s first eight games, the 6-foot-5, 225-pound Alexeev hasn’t scored a goal and he’s only accounted for one assist.
Despite great size and skating ability, the 21-year-old remains an enigma. He’s never scored more than seven goals as a pro, even though he was the eighth overall pick in the 2000 NHL Entry Draft.
Fixter is finding out first hand why people scratch their heads when talking about the Tampa Bay Lightning prospect.
With all his physical gifts, why can’t Alexeev be the dominant player some thing he can be?
“If we had those answers, we’d be geniuses,” Fixter said. “It has to come from within. All I can do is provide the opportunity for him and I’m giving him ice time. I’m giving him opportunity. He’s got to find a way to make it happen.”
Fixter said he’s like to see Alexeev spend more time in front of the net and pay a price to score a few goals as opposed to playing on the periphery.
“He’s got to find a way to get it done,” Fixter said. “He’s got to want to score goals. How do you do that? You hang around the front of the net. You don’t fall out of the tough areas.
“In front of the net, there are some big defensemen in this league who beat up on you. That’s painful, but you have to stay in those high-traffic areas.”
Ref: York Daily Record (http://ydr.com/story/bears/15114/)
Fixter [ed. Bears head coach] had a message for right wing Nikita Alexeev Thursday morning: get the offense in gear.
“He’s got to score goals for us, no question,” Fixter said. “He’s an offensive guys. He’s got to score.”
Through the team’s first eight games, the 6-foot-5, 225-pound Alexeev hasn’t scored a goal and he’s only accounted for one assist.
Despite great size and skating ability, the 21-year-old remains an enigma. He’s never scored more than seven goals as a pro, even though he was the eighth overall pick in the 2000 NHL Entry Draft.
Fixter is finding out first hand why people scratch their heads when talking about the Tampa Bay Lightning prospect.
With all his physical gifts, why can’t Alexeev be the dominant player some thing he can be?
“If we had those answers, we’d be geniuses,” Fixter said. “It has to come from within. All I can do is provide the opportunity for him and I’m giving him ice time. I’m giving him opportunity. He’s got to find a way to make it happen.”
Fixter said he’s like to see Alexeev spend more time in front of the net and pay a price to score a few goals as opposed to playing on the periphery.
“He’s got to find a way to get it done,” Fixter said. “He’s got to want to score goals. How do you do that? You hang around the front of the net. You don’t fall out of the tough areas.
“In front of the net, there are some big defensemen in this league who beat up on you. That’s painful, but you have to stay in those high-traffic areas.”
Ref: York Daily Record (http://ydr.com/story/bears/15114/)