2013 Stanley Cup Playoffs: Penguins looking to extend Jaromir Jagr’s scoring slump
By Matt Shetler
As the Pittsburgh Penguins and Boston Bruins prepare to kick off the Eastern Conference final on Saturday, there will certainly be plenty of storylines to follow.
Jarome Iginla’s decision to spurn the B’s for the Penguins at the trade deadline will likely be one of the most talked about stories, but it was the countermove the Bruins made that they hope pays off in a big way.
May 8, 2013; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Boston Bruins right wing Jaromir Jagr (68) in action against the Toronto Maple Leafs during game four of the first round of the 2013 Stanley Cup playoffs at the Air Canada Centre. The Bruins beat the Leafs 4-3 in overtime. Mandatory Credit: Tom Szczerbowski-USA TODAY Sports
Boston’s decision to acquire former Penguin Jaromir Jagr hasn’t exactly paid off yet, as only two of Jagr’s 16 goals on the season have come in a Bruins sweater.
Even though he has had his struggles in Boston, Jagr is still a guy who has some big goals left in him and the Pens would be wise to hope he doesn’t find his scoring touch in this series.
Jagr hasn’t scored a goal in his last 14 games, 12 of which have been postseason contests. The 41-year-old has tallied only four assists this postseason and was held without a point during the Bruins’ second-round series victory over the New York Rangers.
But there’s still something about seeing Jagr in the postseason that should make the Pens worry just a little bit.
He’s been getting the scoring chances and seems to be getting comfortable with linemates Patrice Bergeron and Brad Marchand in the playoffs. Eventually the pucks are going to start finding the back of the net. For the Pens’ sake, hopefully Jagr won’t regain that scoring touch until next season.
Jagr was a 18-year-old boy wonder in 1991 when the Penguins came back from down 2-0 to defeat the Boston. He then played a big role in the Penguins sweep of the Bruins in the 1992 conference finals, en route to the second of back-to-back championships. Now he returns to Pittsburgh on the big stage once again.
This isn’t the first time he has faced his former mates in the postseason. Jagr was a member of the Rangers team that lost to the Pens in the 2008 postseason and also returned to Pittsburgh as the villain last year as a member of the Philadelphia Flyers.
For the Bruins to beat the Pens this series, they are going to have to find goals from several struggling forwards. Jagr is a guy who still has the talent to jumpstart an offense and contribute in a big way.
The Pens simply just have to keep doing what they have been doing. Preventing Jagr from having a big series will go a long way toward them reaching the Stanley Cup Final once again.