Matt Niskanen scratched Monday

Matt Niskanen is the target of a lot of frustration down in Dallas. At first it was just among the team's die hards and bloggers and we didn't hear much from the coach. Then we saw some insightful quotes from the frustrated defenseman from Virginia, Minnesota. Now, it appears the coach Marc Crawford is ready to deliver a more public message to the former UMD Bulldog.

From the Dallasnews.com....

At the end of the day it's really up to Matt Niskanen," Crawford said of the 23-year-old defenseman, who has played 199 career regular-season games.

"He has to decide if he wants to play and play in a fashion that's going to make him successful out there."

Whether Crawford brings Niskanen back Tuesday in Philadelphia is yet to be seen. But he'll get his chance again. He's a valuable asset who has performed well in the past.

"He's capable of doing it," Crawford said. "We've seen this year that when he is on his game, he's much more assertive.

"The most important factor is that he believes he can do it, and that he does something about it."