In the enlightened world of the new NHL, in which a more gentlemanly style of play is the order of the day, old school defensemen who deliver solid body checks without apologies were supposed to be like wooden sticks — ancient history.
John Erskine is a throwback, and the Washington Capitals love it.
Erskine enters a game with the finesse of a New York cab driver trying to beat a red light. He defies opponents to stand around his crease and bother his goaltender.
“When he’s out there, especially on the penalty-kill, it’s a huge body [the opposition] has to contend with. They have to get through him to get in front of us,” goalie Brent Johnson said. “He can stand there and box them out, and that’s a huge plus.”
Erskine is 6-foot-4, 220 pounds but quick for a man that size. He comes at the opposition with one thought in mind: to prevent the player from getting through. If he has to deposit him on his butt, so much the better.
“If you look at the makeup of our defensive corps, the one thing that was lacking before Johnny came in was that real mean physical presence back there,” said coach Glen Hanlon, who acknowledges being “happy” with Erskine’s play but not surprised. He has provided one of the key missing elements the team needed.
The Caps signed Erskine as a free agent the day training camp opened in September after he spent time with Dallas and the New York Islanders. He has three goals in 145 career games, totals that clearly illustrate what kind of defenseman he is.
Erskine had a good camp but was assigned to Hershey in mid-October without playing a game. He was caught in a financial and numbers crunch — too many defensemen and not enough payroll. He was recalled when Jamie Heward was hurt, and there are no signs he will see Hershey again soon.
“He’s an old-time defenseman,” said assistant coach Jay Leach, who runs the defense. “He’s tough, there’s an urgency to his game and he makes better puck decisions than anybody gave him credit for. He’s got courage, and I like that. He does what we ask, and I don’t know if you can ask for more than that.”
He’s doing what was asked and more. He has been paired with Steve Eminger, a top prospect who has struggled this season, and the matchup seems to be beneficial for both. Eminger’s play has improved in the four games he has been with Erskine, giving him confidence that wasn’t there before.
“He makes quick decisions, and that makes it easier for me to read off them,” Eminger said. “He plays an aggressive game, backs a lot of guys off, holds the line pretty well. I know he’s back there. He’s pretty solid defensively, so if I’m going [to pinch], I know he’ll back me up. Yeah, I feel more comfortable.”
The native of Kingston, Ontario, played three seasons of junior hockey before Dallas took him in the second round in 1998. Along the way he learned to be a textbook defensive defenseman and was named the Ontario Hockey League’s top defender in 1999-2000.
“He makes opponents pay the price,” Leach said. “He hits, and he hits clean. He’s been schooled the right way. He does good things, the things a defenseman should do.”
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