He's a bottom-six forward who understands his role on a team.
"My job is usually the same no matter where I've been. My line is supposed to take a few shifts a period, go hard for 45 seconds, hit some people, play solid defense and get everyone else on our team a breather. If we score, it's gravy. If we can draw a penalty, that's awesome, too" said Cracknell.
Only on a rebuilding Dayton team could Cracknell find himself starting his 6th game in a row on the top line. After returning from a lower-body injury, Cracknell was placed on the top line with Center Derek Ryan and Drew Stafford. The results? Five goals and 1 assist for six points in six games. A pace even Cracknell will tell isn't going to last.
Tonight, Cracknell scored his 6th and 7th goals of the year and added an assist as well to lead the team to a 4-2 win over Seattle. It was the third win in the last four games for the Musicmen.
"Yes, this is kind of fun right now - we haven't seen a lot of fun this year due to the trades - but the new lines combos are working much better, guys know their jobs and the coaches are letting us stay together even if we have a bad game. That makes a big difference. I'm not sure why I'm getting the goals recently but I'll take them." said Cracknell.
Cracknell is signed with Dayton through the end of the 18-19 CCHL season, but right now, wouldn't make the next CCHL Disk. With just 5 games played in the NHL, and currently in the minors, he knows he needs someone to get hurt for him to get another shot at the NHL.
"I understand I'm probably not going to be spending much time in the NHL anymore. My career is probably ending pretty soon. I've had a great time, met some wonderful people and I appreciate the management here in Dayton bringing me on board for this season. Hopefully, I've made a difference."
What's next?
Dartmouth visits the Gem City on Wednesday night for a 8:30pm game...
No comments:
Post a Comment