David Quinn said on Tuesday that Rangers defenseman Neal Pionk is likely to be a healthy scratch against the Bruins on Wednesday. (Newsday)
Quinn said that Pionk has done a “really good job” playing against top players but that his recent injury seems to have “slowed him down” and caused him to lose some confidence. (Newsday)
Ad
He said that when Pionk is on his game he is “very decisive” and plays quickly but that lately he has been “just a half-afraction-of-a-second off” on the ice. (Newsday)
Last night against LA, Pionk played 14:35 with a minus one, 1 shot attempt and 1 giveaway.
This season, by Month, Pionk has:
- October: 0 goals, 6 assists, minus eight, 19 shots, 22:59 per game in 10 games
- November: 4 goals, 5 assists, plus four, 23 shots, 22:27 per game in 14 games
- December: 1 goal, 3 assists, plus four, 24 shots, 23:35 per game in 12 games
- January: 0 goals, 8 assists, minus eight, 15 shots, 20:17 per game in 8 games
- February: 0 goals, 0 assists, minus two, 6 shots, 16:28 per game in 8 games
Quinn said on Wednesday of Pionk, “his injury was not an easy one and he tried to play through it and that is one of the reasons why we shut him down before the break. He’s coming back from it, I think he has lost some of his confidence, swagger, decisiveness, which he has had for most of the season, he was trying to play through that injury and wasn’t playing great and I think he lost some of his confidence.” (NYR)
Following a three-assist game against Washington on 10/17, David Quinn said that Pionk was “outstanding, probably our best player” and a “big piece of what we’ve got moving forward.” (NYR)
Later that week, Quinn added that Pionk was being “pro-active,” assertive at both ends of the ice and playing with confidence. (NYR)
On 10/23 Quinn said that Pionk had been playing with “a whole new level of confidence. He moves the puck quickly, he’s picking the right moments to get involved offensively, he’s really doing a heck of a job on the power play, (and) defending. He’s really made a big jump the past two weeks.” (NYR Game Notes)
After his end to end rush and goal against the Habs on 11/6, David Quinn said that Pionk “can skate,” has an “offensive flair to his game,” saw open ice and just “kept going.” (MSG)
Adam Rotter: This is Pionk’s first full season in the NHL so it’s understandable that he go through some ups and downs. Overall though, Pionk looks like someone who should be in the Rangers top-four on defense for a long-time. His skating is great, he can make plays and, I think, he is getting better in his own zone.