As Beau Bennett ripped a slap-shot past Henrik Lundqvist on Saturday, it made me realize that the Penguins made the right move in sticking with this kid. Really that was just the cherry on top so to say of reasons to keep him in a Penguins’ uniform for the rest of the season. Bennett is just a 21 year old kid who is turning out to be a pleasant surprise this season.
Coming into this season there was some worrying being done by Penguins fans as to who the wingers were going to be for Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin. By now it is pretty evident who deserves those spots. We all knew that James Neal was going to be on one side of Malkin, but the other side was open for the taking. During a shortened training camp; Bennett split some time at that spot with Eric Tangradi, and once the season started it was Tangradi’s spot to lose. Well he lost it and Bennett had no problem stepping into that open spot.
When the Penguins drafted him 20th overall in 2010, they were hoping he’d turn into a quality winger that could play alongside Crosby or Malkin for years to come. After a career at the University of Denver full of injuries, he decided to go pro after his sophomore season. It’s easy to look back now and say he made the right choice there. He is playing a crucial role for a team that is the hottest team in hockey right now. Not to mention is playing next to one of the best players in the world in Evgeni Malkin.
Bennett has 2 goals and 5 assists in 15 games played in the NHL. He has proven that even with little experience he can hang with the best competition in the world. Bennett might not be lighting up the scoreboard with goals, but it’s the little things he does that make him stand out as a rookie. The game at the professional level is a lot more fast and physical than college or even the minors, but he has learned to just make the smart play instead of going for something that is a little bit more risky. Even yesterday Pierre McGuire, who used to work for the Penguins, was singing the praises of Beau Bennett. McGuire was really taken aback by the amount of hockey sense that Bennett has and how good he looked on the ice.
To think that he is just 21 and already making a difference has to have Penguins’ fans “smiling like a butcher’s dog” to quote radio broadcaster Mike Lange. Yes he might be a little smaller when it comes to his body, but there plenty of time for him to grow into his body and put on some muscle. People used to say Malkin was a little bit on the lanky side; now look at him; he’s turned into the second best player in the game. The lockout didn’t help Bennett’s case either, cause I’m sure if officials could talk to players they would have had him on a summer workout to help him bulk up a little. But is the only knock on the kid is that he needs to get bigger, that is a good problem to have. He knows his role and knows how to play the game, what more could you as from a rookie. Not everyone can perform like Crosby and Malkin did in their rookie years, but I think it’s fair to say the Bennett is exceeding expectations.
Imagine how well Bennett would be doing if he had a full training camp to learn the Pen’s system and actually had time to practice it. Since that didn’t happen he almost has to learn it on the fly. There was one game a few weeks back that while he was on the bench you could see Brandon Sutter and Assistant Coach Tony Granato trying to teach him where he was supposed to go during a certain situation. Granato pulled out the iPad and went through the play and showed Bennett how he was supposed to play that specific situation. That’s another great sign though; that he is willing to learn and listen to the veteran’s on the team.
The way that Bennett has been playing make General Manager Ray Shero look like a genius for not only picking Bennett, but allowing him to play at the NHL level with very little professional experience under his belt. While the lockout of was happening Bennett was playing for the Wilkes-Barre Scranton Baby Penguins. Down there he got off to a slow start, but once he was acclimated he took off, and earned himself a spot in the AHL All-Star game. He proved he can perform in the minors and now is showing he has what it takes to be a National Hockey League winger for years to come.
