By Jonathan Bombulie
September 28, 2017
(Chaz Palla/Tribune-Review)
Jake Guentzel is on the verge of winning a scoring championship for which no trophy, cup or memento is awarded.
Not even a certificate suitable for framing.
With nine points in three exhibition games, Guentzel is in position to claim the NHL's preseason scoring title.
His sense of pride in the potential accomplishment, needless to say, is mild. He said he's perfectly fine with the fact that no trophy is coming his way soon.
“It's preseason, so you can't really think too much into it,” Guentzel said. “I think you're just getting ready for the season, and everything goes from there.”
Still, there is something to be gleaned from Guentzel's position in the preseason scoring race.
For one thing, just look at the company he's keeping. The player in second place in exhibition scoring this season is reigning Art Ross Trophy winner Connor McDavid with eight points. Over the last four years, the preseason scoring title has been won or shared by players such as Ryan Johansen, Tyler Toffoli, Pavel Datsyuk, Joe Pavelski and Jordan Eberle.
These aren't slouches.
“Hopefully it just carries over to the season,” Guentzel said.
Also, it's another piece of evidence that Guentzel is about to become the first homegrown All-Star to come through the Penguins system since Kris Letang a decade ago.
There was the two-goal game in his NHL debut last November followed by scads of regular-season success playing on a line with Sidney Crosby.
Then came his 13 playoff goals, making him the first rookie since the NHL took possession of the Stanley Cup in 1926 to lead the league in postseason goal scoring outright. Only five rookies have hit double digits in playoff goals — Guentzel, Dino Ciccarelli, Brad Marchand, Jeremy Roenick and Claude Lemieux — and they all went on to become elite scorers, if not bona fide stars.
Add those factors to his gaudy preseason numbers, and expectations for Guentzel are shooting through the roof. ESPN.com's fantasy hockey division is projecting 30 goals for him this season. On Thursday, Penguins coach Mike Sullivan did nothing to tamp down that kind of talk.
“I think Jake has built a body of work. It's hard to not have high expectations,” Sullivan said. “He's a really good hockey player and shows no signs of slowing down. He has great hockey sense. He's a competitive kid. He thinks the game on a high level. He has a quiet confidence about him that I think really helps him as a young pro.
“Internally, we have high expectations for him because we think he's a really good player. “
If Guentzel were forced to project his own point totals for the season, he would probably include more assists than goals. Since arriving in the NHL, he steadfastly has proclaimed himself more of a passer than a shooter. He did, after all, have 79 assists in 108 college games at Nebraska-Omaha.
“It's hard to say that when he scores every game,” linemate Conor Sheary quipped.
Whether he sees it himself or not, Guentzel's future looks to be as a finisher.
Last season, counting regular season and playoffs, AHL and NHL, he scored 50 goals in 98 games. He also developed a special chemistry with Crosby, who has been known to set up teammates for a goal or two in his day.
“I think maybe he doesn't give himself enough credit,” Sheary said. “He's got a good, quick shot, a hard shot. To his credit, he can find guys, too. He's definitely a passer when it comes to that. I think he's a playmaker at heart, but he can definitely score goals.”
Jonathan Bombulie is a Tribune-Review staff writer. Reach him at jbombulie@tribweb.comor via Twitter at @BombulieTrib.
No comments:
Post a Comment