Expectations for Clune (and video)

Rich Clune did a good job in training camp, good enough that — from everything I heard — it was highly likely that he was going to make the opening-night roster before his late-camp groin injury. Here’s what Terry Murray said today about Clune, followed by a video of Clune highlights…

Question: What type of a game are you looking for from Clune?

MURRAY: “I had a meeting with him this morning. It’s important that he recognizes the opportunity, but to go out and play the right with, with intensity, bring us energy, bring us the style of game that we saw in the last couple training camps, and everything with control. We’re not looking for him to put us in a tough situation, through a careless, reckless-abandon play and sit in the penalty box or whatever, to give the opponent some energy. We want to see him play the game the right way, with his style of play.”

Question: What would be the contrast with Segal and Clune?

MURRAY: “There is a little bit of a difference in the players. Both play with a pretty good tempo to their games. They get around the ice very well. They skate, they handle the puck, they make plays, they understand the system and they have a pretty good head on their shoulders on that side of it. Clune can push it a little bit more on the reckless-abandon side of it than Segal does. That’s probably the biggest difference right now. I think the upside for Clune, if he gets an opportunity and handles it the right way, I see where maybe he can move himself up into a third-line style of a player. Be responsible, check. That’s certainly down the road, but that would be an opportunity for him and that would be his goal, I would think, for the future. Clune is a highly competitive guy, maybe on the extreme side, and that would be the difference with him.”

Question: What did you see from him in the last couple training camps?

MURRAY: “This year, he did a great job in training camp. He competed hard every shift. He was trying to grab on to the opportunity of making the team. If it wasn’t for an injury, he might have been able to grab a spot right out of the camp, because he played a team game. He battled very hard for his teammates. He gave everybody the support. He recognizes, on the bench, whenever something is happening with another player taking liberty with one of our skill guys, and the next shift he’s going to go out and try to take care of things. So he’s a great team guy. He’s got a great attitude. The whole key for us is to bring that under control, so that we can depend on him in important, critical situations.”

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