NHL unleashed a monster in Johnny Gaudreau with crackdown on slashing
The Minnesota Wild knew what they were up against when they faced off against superstar winger Johnny Gaudreau and the Calgary Flames last November - so they figured, if you can't beat him, slash him.
The result: Gaudreau was slashed 21 times in that fateful game, with one well-placed whack breaking his finger and forcing him out of commission for 10 games. Between Gaudreau's busted digit, the Sidney Crosby-Mark Methot lacerated finger incident, and countless other slashing-related injuries, the league finally decided it was time to significantly crack down on malicious stick work.
The news must have been music to Gaudreau's ears.
"He really got slashed last year," teammate Michael Frolik told theScore. "He's a guy that carries the puck a little bit more than me, but when he goes through the neutral zone and stuff with his speed, it's definitely good for him."
The NHL is sticking to its guns on the crackdown - and so far, the results have been astonishing. Officials called 791 slashing penalties last season; just over two months into the current campaign, we're already at 587. It's no coincidence, then, that Gaudreau, who ranks sixth in league scoring with 37 points through his first 30 games, has enjoyed having a little more space to create.
"Just (to) make that extra play, have the puck for that extra second," Gaudreau said to theScore. "A lot of teams in past years had their sticks to the hands and it's tough to make a play. You gotta make a play a little bit quicker, and now you have that half a second to keep your head up and try to find that open guy."
Since arriving on the NHL scene, Gaudreau has been one of the league's most thrilling playmakers, and he's no longer limited to generating chances from the perimeter. Able to manufacture offense fearlessly from anywhere in the attacking zone, it appears the game is suddenly tailor-made for his exhilarating abilities.
"That's a guy you don't want to give space," head coach Glen Gulutzan told theScore. "He can beat you wide, he can curl up and find guys. He's dynamic when he gets space, and now it allows him to go into traffic areas, which he does without getting the big whacks or pucks knocked off your stick."
Gaudreau has taken advantage of defenders' limitations on a nightly basis, drawing 16 penalties so far in all situations - the second-highest total in the league. There's no denying the ripple effect the changes have had on long-time partner in crime Sean Monahan as well - he's comfortably on pace to smash his career high in goals.
Yet, as much as the slashing enforcement has set Gaudreau free, Gulutzan believes there's more to the success of his top players this season.
"The biggest thing I've noticed about Johnny is his commitment to a 200-foot game," Gulutzan said. "I've kind of changed the way I've implemented those guys, they play against the top guys every night, and when they had their success - the 45 points in the month of November - they were committed to playing, getting above the puck, working above the puck, and playing defense and they got really rewarded for it."
Still, it's about what Gaudreau does at the offensive end that has people buzzing about his potential. And in one of the most eye-opening statements of the season, future Hall of Famer Jaromir Jagr - who out-produced just about everybody in the peak of the dead-puck era - proclaimed upon arriving in Calgary earlier this season that Gaudreau can win all the Art Ross trophies he wants.
Just over 12 months ago, Gaudreau unwillingly became the poster boy for a league-wide epidemic. Now, in the midst of his most productive season as a pro, his greatest adversity as a player has become an afterthought - and he's taking full advantage.
(Photos courtesy: Getty Images)
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