He’s affectionately known as Stas by his relatively still-new teammates, but Paul Stastny could easily carry the handle Clutch.
When there’s a series on the line, he’s demonstrated during his NHL career an ability to elevate his level of play and grab the spotlight. He’s a proven difference-maker in heavy-duty games, and the Winnipeg Jets hockey club is the latest beneficiary.
Stastny, acquired from the St. Louis Blues at the trade deadline Feb. 26, is making Winnipeg general manager Kevin Cheveldayoff look mighty good right now.
Case in point, the 32-year-old centre registered a couple of key points before Game 7 was even 11 minutes old Thursday night to significantly dull the “smash” in Smashville.