When the Penguins brought back veteran defenseman Mark Eaton, many fans speculated as to why the front office would make such a move. With a defense core that seemed to have one guy too many before Eaton came back, it seemed as though the Penguins had no use for a 35-year-old who had been plagued by injuries ever since he left Pittsburgh in 2010.
However, Paul Martin’s injury last week against Carolina opened the door for Eaton to enter the lineup when the Pens went to Montreal. Eaton responded with 19:04 of ice time, with a +/- of even in the Penguins 7-6 win.
Nothing amazing, but an even +/- rating in a 7-6 game is pretty good.
Eaton’s number aren’t going to stick out to most fans. Honestly, half the time you don’t even notice that Eaton is out there, which could be the best thing you could say about a defenseman. It means he isn’t making very many mistakes on the ice.
But for the most part it’s the little things that Eaton does that have made him such an effective player for so long, and why he remained in the lineup over Simon Despres Thursday night against the Flyers.
For example, late in the second period Thursday the Flyers had an odd man rush into the Penguins zone. Flyer winger Scott Hartnell hit a wide open Claude Giroux in the high slot, but Giroux’s slap shot was blocked by Eaton, who was also trying to tie up Wayne Simmonds in front of the goal.
If Giroux scores, it’s 5-4 Philadelphia going into the third, and then who knows what happens. Maybe the Pens don’t come away with that victory. It didn’t show up on the stat sheet, but it was a huge play.
Eaton has always been a favorite of General Manager Ray Shero. Shero signed Eaton in 2006 from Nashville, where Shero was the assistant GM before taking the job in Pittsburgh.
Eaton’s ability to kill penalties and block shots made him a vital piece to the Penguins’ 2009 Stanley Cup championship team. After the 2009-10 season, Eaton signed with the Islanders as a free agent and played two seasons in New York. Now, back in Pittsburgh after two and a half years, it’s as if Eaton never really left.
Who knows how long the Penguins will stick with Eaton in the lineup, but his familiarity with the Penguins system along with his steady play have earned him a spot over Despres and Robert Bortuzzo, at least for the moment.
Also, the Pens’ 3-0 record with Eaton makes it hard to go against him.
Photo Credits: Getty Images
