Guentzel flourishing in role as unassuming star with Penguins
Forward among top NHL players born in United States since 2016-17
By
Wes Crosby
NHL.com Independent Correspondent
The first-line left wing could fall behind centers Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin, and defenseman Kris Letang, in that regard. But to the Penguins, Guentzel is an unassuming star that has helped them reach the Stanley Cup Playoffs each of his first six NHL seasons.
"I think Jake is an elite player," Penguins coach Mike Sullivan said. "I think he gets better every year."
Guentzel, a native of Omaha, Nebraska, remains one of Pittsburgh's premier offensive players and will be counted on against the St. Louis Blues at Enterprise Center on Saturday (3:30 p.m. ET; ESPN+, ABC, SN360, SNW, SN NOW) as part of Hockey Day in America. He's third on the Penguins with 51 points (24 goals, 27 assists) in 53 games this season, behind Crosby (69) and Malkin (58). His 24 goals are second to Crosby's 25.
That doesn't satisfy Guentzel, who averaged at least one point per game in each of his previous three seasons, especially with the Penguins (27-21-9) one point behind the Buffalo Sabres, Detroit Red Wings and Florida Panthers for the second wild card into the playoffs from the Eastern Conference, fifth in the Metropolitan Division and at risk of missing the postseason for the first time in 16 seasons.
Pittsburgh lost its fourth straight game Thursday, 7-2 to the Edmonton Oilers.
"It's been not too good, not too great," Guentzel said. "Fluctuated a little bit, but I feel like I'm getting a lot more chances lately. Puck might be going in a little bit more, so I just have to stick with it and make sure I'm trying to play the best I can and help the team win."
Guentzel has looked the part since entering the NHL, scoring twice against the New York Rangers on Nov. 21, 2016. The 28-year-old ranks fifth among United States-born players with 185 goals since 2016-17. Toronto Maple Leafs forward Auston Matthews is first with 285 and Rangers forward Chris Kreider is fourth (192).
Guentzel's 392 points are 10th during the same span, 10 behind Vegas Golden Knights forward and former Penguins teammate, Phil Kessel (ninth, 402). Patrick Kane of the Chicago Blackhawks is first with 562.
"I think there's another level to his game," Sullivan said. "He's still a young player. I think what it looks like is a wiser version of himself, which means the subtlety of the game he'll get better at through his experiences. He has an appetite to improve. He works at his game on a daily basis.
"He's willing to put the work in and that's what makes me think that there's another level, because of his drive. His drive to play, his will to want to be the best, I think, is evident."
Since 2018-19, his first of two 40-goal seasons, Guentzel leads the Penguins with 147 goals in 306 games. Among those to have played at least 200 games in that span, he leads Pittsburgh with a shooting percentage of 16.0 percent, ahead of Crosby's 15.2 percent.
"For me anyway, he's not underrated, but he might be a little bit because you talk about Crosby and Malkin," New York Islanders coach Lane Lambert said before a 4-2 win against the Penguins on Monday. "But Jake Guentzel is a great hockey player."
Guentzel could be underrated because of his place in the lineup. He's played left wing next to Crosby throughout most of his NHL career, sometimes leading his numbers to be seen as a product of his environment. To Guentzel's credit, there's no separating him from Crosby when healthy. That's been contrasted by more of a rotation at right wing.
Bryan Rust has played with Crosby and Guentzel in recent years but has been replaced by Rickard Rakell for lengthy stretches this season.
In Pittsburgh, Guentzel is viewed as Crosby's partner rather than a sidekick. He had the chance to prove his individual value in 2019-20, when Crosby missed more than two months with a core muscle injury sustained Nov. 9, 2019.
Playing mostly with Malkin, Guentzel had 29 points (12 goals, 17 assists) in 22 games before a shoulder injury sustained Dec. 30 required surgery. He returned for the best-of-5 Stanley Cup Qualifiers, when he had a goal and two assists in a four-game loss to the Montreal Canadiens.
"He finds those openings. He's a goal-scorer," Crosby said. "He's a guy that, whether it's at the netfront, the slot or off the rush, he creates a lot of different ways. He's a good two-way player, so I think his ability to find those areas and score goals, his consistency and the way he competes every night [is important]."
A relative lack of consistency could explain Guentzel's personal disappointment this season. He has three goals in his past five games but had four in his previous 11. He went eight games without a goal from Dec. 18-Jan. 5 and had a five-game drought from Jan. 22-Feb. 7.
That's left Guentzel unsatisfied, which he said is for the best.
"If you don't think that, you're content," Guentzel said. "I don't think anyone wants to be that. I think I can get to another level. Just have to play with the puck more and be more confident with it out there. Just try to play as many plays as I can."
