Usually when I see a journalist cite penalty minutes as a positive statistic, I know I can pretty safely ignore the rest of the article.

837 penalty minutes, minus five minutes for each fighting major, gives 567 PIM.  Some others were certainly coincidental, so let’s call it an even 500 PIM in 280 games.  You’ve got roughly a 5/6 chance of killing off any given penalty, or much less if that penalty causes a 5-3 (and some of them probably did).  So his penalties probably caused somewhere around 70-75 goals against.  Over that same time, he has 86 goals and 126 assists.  That is to say, his penalties probably negated most of the goals he scored, and a third of the goals he contributed to with a point.

Posted by Ryan from Toronto on 07/12/08 at 07:13 AM ET

Zenon is the kind of guy you hate to play against but would love to death if he was on your team. I hope he sticks with Tampa Bay, as it will add one more team to my watch list on Center Ice next season.

Posted by WK from Chicago on 07/12/08 at 08:21 AM ET

A little late, but I should point out my mistake before someone else does.  I somehow ignored the fact that 500 PIM is 250 2 minute minors, so the 70-75 goals is closer to 35-40, depending on how many coincidentals and 5-on-3 penalties he took.

Posted by Ryan from Toronto on 07/12/08 at 09:17 AM ET

Don Brennan tends to put to much stock in ‘the home town factor’. He always seems to want Ottawa to pursue those players he knows and is comfortable with regardless of how much sense it would make for the team. To the point where he’s built his own little reality in which these signings would actually make great sense.

I guarantee you any consideration might (and I stress MIGHT) have given to signing Konopka ceased the moment thet signed Jarko Ruutu. Brennan will just have to be happy with the Brendan Bell signing (and the Mitch O’keefe signing, which also have a local connection.)

If I have to read another article about how the Sens missed a ‘golden opportunity’ when they failed to sign Patrick Lalime or Zenon Konopka or some other former sen/67/pet player, I’m giving up on Brennan altogether!

...and if I hear the name ‘Gary Roberts’ at the deadline, I’m going to lose it.

Posted by Da Lil Guy from Ottawa on 07/12/08 at 06:52 PM ET