CRANBERRY TOWNSHIP, Pa. -- While some players used the NHLs All-Star break to get completely away from the game for a few days to reset their minds and bodies for the stretch run that awaits, Jake Guentzel was not one of them. Well, sort of.
Guentzel returned to Omaha, Neb., his birthplace and home of the University of Nebraska-Omaha, the school that propelled him to a third-round NHL Draft pick in 2013 and an eventual Stanley Cup hero. This past Saturday, he was honored during the Mavericks' win over Western Michigan, even dropping the ceremonial first puck. No, they didn’t retire his old No. 20 but, hey, give it some time.
"Anytime you can go back and see a place that meant so much to me, it's special," Guentzel said after practice Monday.
Special is what Guentzel was for the Penguins last season. Like on Nov. 21, 2016, when he scored a pair of goals in his NHL debut and then, most remarkably, when he led all scorers in the playoffs last spring. Needless to say, Guentzel has handled pressure situations -- like Game 1 of the Cup Final against the Predators -- with aplomb:
But this season has presented different challenges. Notably, this is the first time that Guentzel has had to endure the physical and mental demands of playing a full 82-game schedule in the best hockey league in the world. Though technically a second-year player, Guentzel played just 40 regular-season games last season, or just 15 more than is required for him to be considered a rookie this season.
The jump in number of games is a challenge for any young player, particularly college players who had been playing 35 games a season.
"It's an adjustment they have to make," Mike Sullivan said. "The upside is that kids that come out of college tend to be really fit guys. They develop in very structured environments with strength coaches. They spend a lot of time on the fitness aspect of their game. That gives them a foundation to make that adjustment."
Last year, Guentzel played in just 33 games in Wilkes-Barre before he was called up to Pittsburgh. He then scored 16 goals in 40 regular season games and 13 in 25 playoff games.
In 51 games this year, the notoriously streaky 23-year-old has just 15 goals and only three in his last 23. Here's his last goal, last week vs. Carolina:
"I think it's more just confidence," Guentzel said. "You get those bunches when the goals start coming. So I'm definitely hoping for that."
By no means does Guentzel play a small game. He routinely gives up his body, as his 99 hits (third-most on the team) and 28 blocked shots (third-best among forwards) can attest. He willingly goes into the high-danger areas to score most of his goals. And, as you'd expect from the son of a hockey coach, Guentzel has a strong hockey IQ that Sullivan raves about. His possession number, a 53.51 Corsi For, is three percentage points higher than a year ago. But there's only so much his 180-pound frame can endure.
"You’re going to have nights when you don’t have it sometimes," Guentzel said. "You just have to find a way to make sure you're ready every day. And taking care of your body is something you have to learn to be at your best every day."
Physical limitation is not the only thing that's been working against Guentzel from replicating his production from last spring, though.
He did a stint at center earlier this month but that plan was quickly scrapped after four games because he was getting pushed around down low. Lately, he's been skating on the third line with Riley Sheahan and Phil Kessel. That has allowed Sullivan to achieve a decent balance in the lines but playing with Sheahan isn't like playing with Sidney Crosby, as Guentzel did last spring during his brush with stardom.
Ideally, both Guentzel and Kessel would be receiving top six minutes playing with Crosby or Evgeni Malkin. But until a third-line center is acquired, the situation is what it is. The Penguins have been winning, eight of their last 11 heading into tonight's game against San Jose. Guentzel says he's going to keep playing his game.
"Whoever you play with, we have good depth," Guentzel said."Whenever you're in the lineup, you're going to have good players around you. Just have to stick with your game."