BOSTON – The NHL’s 11th-best all-time goal-scorer begs to differ with conventional wisdom. Brendan Shanahan says his knack is an acquired skill.
“Practice,” Shanahan said, is the root of his scoring prowess. “When I do shoot in practice, I try to shoot at game speed, getting it away quick. You know you have more time in practice, and you can get into bad habits.
“I developed [my shot and quick release] in the NHL. That’s why I don’t buy the theory that you can teach defense, but can’t teach offense.”
Shanahan brings 652 regular-season goals into tonight’s game against the Penguins in Newark, and he needs 17 more to pass Luc Robitaille and crack the Top 10. He is the NHL’s leading active scorer, and had two goals in his first four games with New Jersey.
“I wasn’t that proficient a scorer before. One guy who really helped me was Doug Sulliman, both as a teammate and later as an assistant coach,” Shanahan said. “And he told me how Rick Tocchet was developing into a really good goal-scorer. I watched Rick Tocchet and Tim Kerr a lot, and it didn’t hurt watching Brett Hull. I was fortunate.”
Tonight in Newark, against the Penguins, Shanahan, 40, is expected to tie Phil Housley for 12th place on the all-time games played list at 1,495, second among actives to Chris Chelios (1,624).
Signed as a free agent Jan. 15, Shanahan has bolstered the Devils’ attack, giving them threats on every line. He has played with Bobby Holik and Mike Rupp lately, and at 6-3, 220, is the smallest player on that line that may be the biggest in the NHL.
More a wrist shooter than a slapper, Shanahan says his is not a terrifically speedy shot.
“I probably wouldn’t finish in the Top 5 on this season for the hardest shot,” Shanahan said. “Release and control are more important than velocity. And there’s only 4-5 miles per hour between all of us.”
Meanwhile, the player who was bumped out of the lineup when Shanahan moved in, Jay Pandolfo, sat out in his hometown last night.
“I didn’t play the last three games, and we’ve been winning, so I didn’t expect to play,” Pandolfo said. “[Brent Sutter] is the coach. I respect his decision. The only thing I can control, if I do get in, is how I play.”
Pandolfo, 34, allowed that he’s not happy about sitting out, but his minus-8 rating is the worst on the team, and he stood 4-5-9 in 45 games.
“There’s no reason to change the lineup right now. We’re not in the early part of the season. We’re in the final third,” Sutter said. “I’m sensitive towards it, I understand it, but the last three games, we’ve played very well. If you do it for sentimental reasons, who are you going to take out? The right thing to do is to stick with the same lineup.”
