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Zenon Konopka: Making Of A Goon
by PuckStopsHere on 12/06/09 at 12:35 PM ET
Comments (10)
There is a new goon sitting atop the NHL penalty minute totals. It is Zenon Konopka of the Tampa Bay Lightning has 113 penalty minutes so far this season. That gives him a significant lead over last year’s leader, Daniel Carcillo of the Philadelphia Flyers, who has 87, Konopka has always been a tough guy, but for a long time he was never pictured as a potential penalty minute leader in the NHL.
Konopka played in junior with the Ottawa 67’s of the OHL. He was undrafted by the NHL. He managed to continue his hockey career when he got a job with the Wheeling Nailers of the ECHL. He was an ECHL power forward scoring 70 points and adding 231 PIMs. He bounced around the AHL and ECHL for a few years. In the 2005/06 season he had his first NHL shot. He played 23 games with the Anaheim Ducks. He attempted to be an NHL power forward. He scored 7 points in 23 games and posted 48 penalty minutes.
He had his biggest minor league success in the AHL: playoffs that season. Konopka was the playoff leader in assists with 18, as he scored 29 playoff points with the Portland Pirates in the Calder Cup playoffs. He had that offensive success despite the fact his team did not advance beyond the semi-finals.
Unable to come to terms on a new contract that he liked in North America, Konopka tried jumping to Russia. He signed with Lada Toyotti of the Russian Super League. He only lasted four games before returning North America. He was again buried in the AHL. He played nine games over two years with Columbus, before signing with Tampa Bay in 2008. Last season was spent shuttling between the NHL and AHL, but in the NHL he settled into an enforcer type role and gave up attempting to be a power forward. Konopka put up 113 penalty minutes in 27 NHL games played last year. He has been in the NHL all season so far and has 113 penalty minutes in 28 games so far.
I don’t know if Konopka really adds much to the Tampa Bay Lightning. They probably are not winning games because of his presence, but he has finally found a more permanent NHL job. He is noticeable when he is on the ice as an agitator. He can get opponents off of their game, as they focus on attacking him instead of defeating his hockey team. That is a success. He is not much of a scorer, but he is a better overall player than some of the goons who regularly suit up in the NHL. One can debate the merits of players like Konopka in the NHL, but as far as that type of player goes, he is a solid one.
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Tags: Tampa+Bay+Lightning, Zenon+Konopka,
Comments
Konopka is consistently one of the best faceoff guys that the Lightning has. He doesn’t get to take as many as say, Lecavalier or Stamkos, but he’s better than either of those two. And he’s pretty solid defensively as well. So while he might not be contributing to the goal scoring very often, he is contributing outside of the penalties. And when he does take a penalty, he’s very good about making sure he doesn’t leave his team shorthanded.
Posted by Cassie from Virginia on 12/06/09 at 12:41 PM ET
Is Carcillo’s total of 87 PIMs updated for the 29 minutes he got last night?
Yes
Posted by PuckStopsHere on 12/06/09 at 12:55 PM ET
Cassie is correct. Not only is he money on faceoffs, but he never takes stupid penalties either. He’s also willing to fight with anyone, and will never back down, even after getting pounded. As with most agitators, he also brings a strong presence in the locker room, finding a way to lighten things up when it’s required. His teammates know that eh has their backs at all time, and that is invaluable in building chemistry on a team with so many new faces.
Posted by Cleo from Brandon, FL on 12/06/09 at 02:02 PM ET
I don’t know if Konopka really adds much to the Tampa Bay Lightning.
And I don’t know if you have actually watched a Lightning game. The guy centers an energy line that has more than once scored a goal, energized other lines to score in ensuing shifts, or draw penalties leading to power play goals. He’s more than just a pile of PIMs. Watch a game, and don’t just select out of context stats, and you would know that.
Posted by Todd on 12/06/09 at 03:18 PM ET
He was sort of a fan favorite in his few games here. Cleo is right in that the dude will fight anyone at any time. He is fearless. We offered him a 2 way contract, but he thought he could get a one way somewhere else and he left. Many were sore to see he took a 2 year in Tampa Bay, but it seems to have worked out well for him. He is entertaining to watch.
Posted by Dave from Cbus on 12/06/09 at 04:52 PM ET
Let’s face it…the power forward role doesn’t exist anymore in the NHL and that’s for the better. If you don’t have the hands to score without crashing the net you shouldn’t be in the NHL (unless your andrew brunette apparently).
Posted by stoneman from vegas on 12/06/09 at 07:52 PM ET
Watch a game, and don’t just select out of context stats, and you would know that.
You mean you want him to actually watch games instead of scouring mostly meaningless and useless stat sheets when he blogs about something?
Blasphemous.
Posted by Flashtastick56 from Milford, CT on 12/06/09 at 09:41 PM ET
Let’s face it…the power forward role doesn’t exist anymore in the NHL and that’s for the better
Malone, Smythe, Lucic, Perry, Arnott, Morrow, Byfuglien, half the guys on Calgary, etc.
Maybe even throw Ovechkin and Franzen into the mix. They don’t fight, but otherwise fit the bill.
Posted by steve on 12/06/09 at 10:06 PM ET
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Is Carcillo’s total of 87 PIMs updated for the 29 minutes he got last night?
Posted by J.J. from Kansas on 12/06/09 at 12:38 PM ET