The penguins staged an intrasquad scrimmage on Saturday and added various details to make it look like they were playing something akin to a game of consequence for the first time since the NHL went into stasis four months ago due to the coronavirus pandemic.
It was performed in the antiseptic environment of the team’s facility in Cranberry, and the only spectators in attendance were a handful of masked reporters or team employees.
But it was like the old days.
From the beginning of March.
There were also reminders of other, brighter times, such as his last Stanley Cup race in 2017.
The meeting of Sidney Crosby, Jake Guentzel and Conor Sheary on the top line of the team offered that.
Sheary connected with Crosby and Guentzel to score goals twice during the scrimmage, showing the chemistry and intrigue they possessed as a trio the last time the Penguins held the Cup.
“It’s good to get into game situations with those guys,” Sheary said during a video conference on Saturday. “You can try to emulate that in practice, but it’s not always the same. (Saturday) It was a bit more like a game. “
While hitting a handful of goals against teammates with 85% isn’t the same challenge as trying to do it against the Boston Bruins or New York Islanders, Saturday’s scrimmage showed there was a lot of cohesion present between Sheary, Guentzel and Crosby, who left the game during the second period for undisclosed reasons.
Both scores they represented were generated by Sheary’s behind the net game.
“Behind the net, all three of us like to play below the goal line,” Sheary said. “Many times, when you don’t have the disk, you try to open it. We were able to find a couple of goals today. Hopefully, we can continue to create that chemistry and continue to find ourselves out there. “
Guentzel added: “Conor is such a smart player, you know he can make those kinds of plays. It just showed up on Sid’s goal on the short side. It was a good move to go there (backhand). Obviously a special player and I really like playing with him. “
The trio broke up after the 2017-18 season when the Penguins dealt Sheary, and his $ 3 million salary cap, to the Buffalo Sabers to settle part of the payroll.
Sheary’s hopes of enjoying similar success in Buffalo were not fulfilled as she staggered through two uncomplicated seasons with that unfortunate franchise.
The Penguins bought back Sheary on the trade deadline of February 24, in part because Guentzel was sidelined with what was expected to be a season-ending shoulder surgery. But with the NHL postseason delayed until August, Guentzel appears to be fully recovered from his ailment and ready to meet with Crosby and Sheary.
Despite being one of the youngest NHL players at a supposed 5-foot-8 and 179-pound, Sheary’s ability to operate in compact, high-traffic areas, such as behind the net, is what makes him a Ideal choice to join All-Stars like Crosby and Guentzel.
“His narrow area skills are really good,” said coach Mike Sullivan. “I think that is one of the strengths of Conor’s game. Play with a lot of courage for a smaller boy. He is willing to go to difficult areas, and he is willing to play in the trenches. And it’s so elusive with its lateral mobility and agility in tight spaces. That’s what allows him to be effective when playing with guys like Sid and Jake because they thrive in that area of the track. Conor just improves on that with the strengths of his game. “
Even with the chasm of more than two years since his last royal game alongside Crosby and Guentzel, Sheary has a vivid understanding of what it takes to stay effective with his former linemates.
“I’m not going to change my game at all,” said Sheary. “It is obvious that my game is mainly speed and then making plays without haste.” (So) once we get into the (offensive) zone, we get to that routine game. ”
Seth Rorabaugh is a writer for the Tribune-Review. You can contact Seth by email at [email protected] or by Twitter.
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