2023-24 Playoff Focus: Jake Guentzel (R2, GM4)
Leading the charge
Heading into Game 4 of their second-round series vs. the Rangers, the Hurricanes were facing an all too familiar scenario: They were controlling a good chunk of the action (52.6 xGF%), but their perimeter-heavy offense wasn’t bearing fruit. Even when they did engineer the odd Grade A opportunity, their finish betrayed them.
The acquisition of Jake Guentzel was meant to address that very weakness, and he did on Saturday night to extend his team’s season.
By now, you should know about his exceptional OZ spacing. He’s a natural at slipping into open space at exactly the right moment. Moreover, his partnership with Sebastian Aho (CAR 20) has maximized the impact of that trait:
As Jordan Staal (CAR 11) fights off some puck pressure near the boards, Guentzel (CAR 59) travels against the grain and below the goal line to disappear from New York’s radar. Aho spots him down low long before the Rangers do, and he tests Igor Shesterkin (NYR 31) along the ice.
Thanks to his keen timing—and perhaps a less focused opponent—Guentzel racked up chance after chance in Game 4, pacing both clubs in expected goals.
He couldn’t buy an actual goal.
However, he’s not a one-trick pony. In addition to his scoring threat, he’s a vastly underrated playmaker who challenges the heart of the defense on a regular basis. His interplay with Sidney Crosby around the goalmouth was a joy to watch in Pittsburgh, and that versatility enabled him to apply serious pressure on Saturday:
After receiving a link-up pass from Andrei Svechnikov (CAR 37), he circles and immediately peers into the slot. No hesitation. No inkling of a reset. Instead, he connects with a streaking Jaccob Slavin (CAR 74) in the guts of the ice.
Guentzel would pair his vision with a healthy dose of deception on the 3-1 marker:
This may not look like a dazzling feed on its face, but watch his eyes. The 29-year-old shifts his gaze from the left circle to the slot to the back door and back again in milliseconds, mesmerizing three defenders as Aho breaks free from Artemi Panarin (NYR 10) for a gift.
With his squad on the ropes staring down a 3-0 series deficit, Guentzel took the fight to New York’s front door, buzzing around the net and generating a wealth of opportunities for both himself and his teammates.
As a result, they put four pucks past a red-hot Shesterkin and live to fight another day.
On the night, Guentzel posted 5 high-danger chances, a 69.7 xGF% and 1 primary assist.
Here are the full highlights: