Penguins Sheary a Hit

About a month ago I sat down to write a piece about a favorite bone of contention, the Penguins’ lack of size. Conor Sheary—just recalled from the Baby Pens—was going to be my focus. I tapped out a few lines and, feeling uninspired, pushed away from the keyboard. One of the very few times as a PenguinPoop blogger I’ve done that.

I’m so glad I did. Had I posted what largely would’ve been a lament, I’d be eating a lot of humble pie right now.

Sheary’s won me over. Big time.

When he rejoined the Pens on January 15 following a two-week stint in Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, I made it a point to watch the 23-year-old forward more closely.

At first, I’ll admit, it was kind of painful. The diminutive Massachusetts native—generously listed at 5’8” and 175 pounds—absorbed a beating from much larger foes. Indeed, he seemed to spend half his time just scraping himself off the ice following a big hit.

But he kept getting up. And he kept pursuing the puck. Often with a sled-dog drive and tenacity that I’ve come to appreciate and admire.

Simply put, the kid works his tail off. Heart and soul.

Take Thursday night, for example. Rarely have I seen a player pour as much of himself into a shift as Sheary when he assisted on Scott Wilson’s first NHL goal. The sequence started when he flew into the slot and set up Wilson with a pretty drop pass that didn’t connect. Undeterred, the UMass grad pursued the puck to the end boards, where he engaged Mike Green in a battle for possession. After wrenching the rubber—and his stick—free from the bigger Detroit defender, No. 43 eluded Brendan Smith, spun, and delivered a picture-perfect pass to Wilson while falling down.

Just watching the play on TV fired me up. I can only imagine the inspirational effect it had on his teammates.

True, Sheary’s stats aren’t overwhelming. In fact they’re somewhat anemic. Three goals and five points in 23 games for the black and gold entering the weekend. Hardly the stuff of a future scoring champion.

But numbers can be deceiving. Conor creates an abundance of chances with his non-stop hustle and helps drive possession (a healthy Corsi For % of 54.5 at even strength). Indeed, announcer Paul Steigerwald has noted on numerous occasions that the puck seems to follow him. A reflection of Sheary’s on-ice awareness and keen sense of anticipation. More often than not, he’s in the right place at the right time.

“Even though he’s a smaller guy, he’s extremely competitive and not afraid,” former Baby Pens and current Devils coach John Hynes said. “He finds ways to compensate for his lack of size.”

In some instances, his compact frame may even provide an edge. Shifty and clever, Sheary has a knack for slipping undetected through the cracks and seams. Ideal for a player with a sneaky fast release.

Will the second-year pro emerge as an undersized star in the mold of recently retired Martin St. Louis and Tampa Bay’s Tyler Johnson?

It’s hard to say. But I wouldn’t bet against him.

Sheary doesn’t quit.

“You just have to compete and play hard and forget about your size, focus on other things like quickness and strength,” he said. “People can’t deny that when you have that.”