PITTSBURGH (AP) The fresh-faced, 22-year-old rookie who leads the NHL in playoff goals – a hot streak that has him in the middle of the Conn Smythe Trophy conversation given to the postseason MVP – was once too embarrassed to shoot the puck.
So Jake Guentzel didn’t. Not in any sort of great quantity. Better to use his uncanny vision to set up teammates than be greedy. It’s a mindset that helped the budding Pittsburgh Penguins star set a school record for assists during his freshman year at Nebraska-Omaha three years ago, a selflessness coach Dean Blais tried to change, with mixed results.