Tonight, the Penguins will be back in Winnipeg to take on the Jets for the second time this season. They also will be taking on an old friend as well.
Newly acquired winger Eric Tangradi will play his first game in a Jets uniform against his former team, and he had a lot to say about them after the Jets’ morning skate today.
“It’s like running into your ex at the bar the next night,” Tangradi said.
Tangradi told the Post-Gazette’s Dave Molinari that “Sometimes I felt like I had a short leash out there,” during his time in Pittsburgh. Tangradi added that “I felt like I was playing just not to make a mistake.”
Apparently Tangradi also believes he wasn’t given much of an opportunity with the Penguins.
Really Eric? Um, okay.
Tangradi had the opportunity to make the team every year in training camp since the 09-10 season. That hardly seems like he wasn’t given a chance.
He made the team coming out of camp in 2010, but only played in 15 games and was sent back down to Wilkes-Barre. During the 2011-12 season, Tangradi played in 24 games, but produced no goals and two assists. This season, in five games with the Pens, Tangradi had no points and was a healthy scratch for eight straight games before being traded.
During all this time, the Pens chose Tangradi over guys like Nick Johnson, who is playing well for Phoenix this year, and Dustin Jeffery, who has proven he can be a top six player when given the chance, but continues to be a healthy scratch, or when he plays, is relegated to the fourth line.
They even gave Tangradi the opportunity to play with Evgeni Malkin and James Neal, and he still couldn’t produce.
No, Eric. You were given ample opportunities. You just didn’t take advantage of them.
I’m not trying to put down Tangradi here, and I’m almost certain that by saying all this he will score against the Pens tonight. But for Tangradi to say he wasn’t given an opportunity in Pittsburgh just doesn’t make any sense at all.
Photo Credits: Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
