Not since Phil Housley scored 91 points with a plus/minus of -14 for the Winnipeg Jets in 1993 has the NHL seen as big a defensive liability as Brian Campbell. I recall back in ’93 Housley’s stats had the league scratching their collective heads to the point they scheduled a hearing to see how his 26 goals could be at -14. Unfortunately Housley was caught up ice and failed to attend.
Sure it was fun to watch him join the rush, but when he was on the ice the opposition scored at an alarming rate. In summary, it was absolute crap defense from a perennial all-star. No wonder Winnipeg moved to Phoenix.
Fifteen years later the Blackhawks have their answer to Phil Housley and his name is Brian Campbell. The former Buffalo All-Star signed on to wear the Indian-Head sweater last year for 8 years at $7 million per making him the richest Blackhawk in history. And as the number one defenseman, his poor play in his own zone is starting to raise eyebrows and the collective temperature of the Blackhawk faithful. Campbell was terrible again Wednesday playing bitch to Sergei Samsonov’s prison bull on Carolina’s first goal. His minus 1 doesn’t do justice to his general defensive cluelessness. We’ll give him a pass on the two easy goals he missed scoring because at least they didn’t put his team further behind. Such performances are becoming more and more common and making this writer nostalgic for the days of Cam Russell and Greg Smyth.
The boos every time he’s on the ice are becoming deafening to the point he can’t catch a pass let alone make one. The 29-year old looks completely lost and it’s time Joel Quenneville had the stones to bench his rich pretty boy before Campbell turns into a complete basket case. Otherwise we’ll get to see what Rex-Grossman-syndrome looks like on the rocks. And that’s the word of Sand.
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