This time it wasn't Daniel Sprong's work in the defensive zone that got him demoted. But it probably didn't help him either.
This time, in his second stint in the NHL, Sprong scored just two goals in 10 games, both in a Jan. 5 game against the Islanders in Brooklyn. That might be good production for some, but not good enough when he was playing on a line with Sidney Crosby.
On Monday, the Penguins reassigned Sprong, their prized prospect, to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton where he had previously scored 18 goals in just 29 games.
The writing had been on the wall for Sprong earlier Monday when he did not participate in line rushes. Bryan Rust, who had been out since Dec. 27, took a rotation on a third line, meaning his return is imminent. Sprong was seen leaving the Lemieux Sports Complex, hockey bag in hand, soon after practice.
When Sprong was called up Dec. 30, it was hoped the Dutchman could give the Penguins a much-needed offensive spark and lift the team's sagging playoff hopes. And he did, for a while. In his first four games, Sprong had 17 shots on goal, including the two goals vs. the Islanders, but then had just six shots in his final four games. The Penguins went 5-3 during his brief stint but have still fallen out of the playoff picture.
Sprong was benched for the entire third period in last Wednesday's loss to the Ducks and was then made a healthy scratch for the remaining west coast games against the Kings and Sharks. Against the Ducks, Sprong was caught leaving the defensive zone early, a big no-no in Mike Sullivan's system.
Asked why he sat Sprong in Anaheim, Sullivan gave this critique: “I was just trying to go with the guys I thought were going. The guys who are playing hard, the guys who are making something happen are going to get an opportunity to play. Those are just decisions coaches make game to game.”
Of course, this does not mean that the organization is down on Sprong or that the 20-year-old will fritter the season away riding buses in the minors.
After this week's home games against the Hurricanes and Wild, the Penguins will have a four-day All-Star break. With Rust coming back and there being little chance of Sprong playing in either game, it could give the 20-year-old a chance to go back down and work on his game. Wilkes-Barre has games Wednesday (at Hershey), Friday (at Lehigh Valley) and Saturday (vs. Binghamton) this week.
Much more on Sprong and his conversation today with Dejan Kovacevic in Grind at midnight.