Welcome to Stats ‘N’ At, a weekly feature that takes a deep dive into the numbers that define the Pittsburgh sports scene.
It takes a special set of qualities to play on the wing with the most special player of this generation, Sidney Crosby. It takes the ability to control the puck down low--and a willingness to take the beating that entails--and also the savvy to think two steps ahead, to keep pace with Crosby's brilliant hockey mind.
The best men for the job haven't necessarily been superstars themselves. There was Pascal Dupuis, originally acquired in 2008 from the old Atlanta Thrashers as an afterthought in the blockbuster Marian Hossa trade. And Chris Kunitz, a 2009 trade pick-up from Anaheim in the Ryan Whitney deal who had seemingly peaked in his mid-twenties. And now, we could be witnessing the emergence of another grinder whose skill-set meshes well with the preternaturally gifted Crosby.
Dominik Simon, a former fifth-round pick who had typically ranked a notch below some of the Penguins' other forward prospects, has been awesome during his brief NHL career when paired with the captain.
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