Yet, there is little to no evidence Beniers has hit any sort of wall or loss of energy. Yes, the 20th goal of his sensational rookie season he scored in Saturday's 7-2 win over pursuant Nashville is his first in 14 games. But it's undervaluing any NHL player's worth to measure goals and assists too heavily.
"That happens in hockey, it's a lot of games," said Beniers Saturday when reminded he hadn't scored in a while. "You go without scoring - not everyone, some guys do - and that's just part of the game."
When expressing the aside, "not everyone," Beniers was smiling and likely thinking about linemate Jared McCann, who now has logged 27 points in the last 26 games. While Beniers was bagging No. 20, McCann reached the 35-goal mark.
"You've just got to get through it," continued Beniers, "keep playing your game and not think about it too much."
He's gone through a couple of spells, not long [scoring] droughts," said Dave Hakstol Saturday. "If it bothers him, he doesn't show it. He just keeps going. He just keeps pushing the envelope and playing hard and that's what we all really respect about him."
To wit, Beniers is averaging just over 17 minutes of time on ice per game, roughly in lockstep with fellow center and two-time, Stanley Cup winner Yanni Gourde. He was on the ice during the last minute of regulation in Tuesday's and Thursday's close games. Every game, whether this week or all season, he is hunting down and disrupting an opponent's rush to the Kraken net. He's been taking key defensive zone faceoffs this past week and for a good month of play.
"About the defensive zone faceoffs, we've got different guys [to choose from]," said Hakstol. "Matty is improving in that area. He's very competitive in that area ... we would like to see him keep growing."
Hakstol and penalty-kill leader, assistant coach Dave Lowry, have recently entrusted Beniers with shorthanded time on ice, most noticeably when a key PK forward such as Gourde, is in the box.
"He's done a nice job on the kill," said Hakstol. "He understands it. I think he enjoys the challenge of it and takes a lot of pride in it. Whether he's getting a lot of opportunities or spot duty, has to do the job, right? Those become real critical shifts because you can't have a hole in the kill, even if [Matty] is not going out there regularly. He's ready to go and he's done a nice job."
Let's agree, veteran NHL coaches like Hakstol and Lowry would not be assigning extra duty to Beniers if they were concerned about wearing down a prized rookie who plays a two-way game respected by other teams. Those NHL foes are clearly noticing and game-planning for Beniers among other Kraken. It's typical to see opponents taking the rookie into the boards or down to the ice, only to see Beniers spring right back into the game flow.
"Matty, he's a good player," said Hakstol. "There's not a lot hidden in this league. [Teams] know he's a real good two-way player for us. He's gonna get a little extra attention. But he handles it well. He's very aware of where he is on the ice, and what's around him, and he's competitive as hell. Those things serve him pretty well. He's going to continue to face difficult and tough matchups."
With no worries about the rookie's physical stamina or mental grit, Hakstol and his coaching staff will no doubt continue to put Beniers on ice for big minutes in the Kraken's first-ever bid for the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
