Versatility pays off

Peter Harrold was a healthy scratch for the first five games of the season. Played the next four , watched the next six. Played one, sat one, played four, including one at right wing. Then, after another one-game absence, Harrold returned to the lineup last night — on defense — and scored the game-tying goal early in the third period, his first goal of the season. It isn’t easy to do what Harrold does, sit out for long stretches and then be expected to play at a high level when called upon. That’s a big reason why Terry Murray was so effusive in his praise of Harrold…

MURRAY: “Well, he’s a great pro, Harry. He’s one of those guys that I described as a utility player last year. He’s so versatile, and he just accepts it. He wants to be a part of the team. He’s a great team member. He says, `I’ll just be ready. The next time I get in, I’ll be ready.’ It’s as simple as that. You can see how he paid attention to the hard work. He was ready when he did get the opportunity. I was real happy for him to score that. That was a huge goal. The young kid, though, made a great play. Clifford made a great play taking it to the net, and then hanging out there with some traffic and screens. But Harry did the right thing. He’s up on the play, just throwing pucks to the net.”