Ex-Penguins forward Nick Bonino finding more goals with Predators

NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Nick Bonino shook his head while tabulating an impromptu inventory.

Sitting in his stall in the Nashville Predators’ dressing room at Bridgestone Arena on Friday morning, Bonino looked to his left at a dry-erase board on the wall with the Pittsburgh Penguins’ lines and defensive pairs scribbled in marker.

He didn’t see a Kessel or a Hagelin or a Daley on the board.

Instead, he glanced at unfamiliar surnames like McCann, Tanev and Riikola.

Even several of the guys he knew who are still on the Penguins roster weren’t jotted down because of injuries.

“You look at their lineup, they’ve got four of my good friends out,” Bonino lamented. “And there’s a lot of new faces.”

When the Penguins beat the Predators, 5-2, on Friday, they were without forwards Sidney Crosby and Patric Hornqvist as well as defensemen Brian Dumoulin and Justin Schultz. All were key contributors to the Penguins’ Stanley Cup championships in 2016 and ’17.

So, too, was Bonino as the center of the hypersonic HBK Line with Carl Hagelin and Phil Kessel on his flanks.

But this is a different Penguins team than the one Bonino departed two-plus years ago. That doesn’t mean reunions aren’t poignant.

“Playing against (Pittsburgh) brings back good memories,” he said. “It hasn’t been too many times. Really, only twice a year.”

Having joined the Predators in 2017 as an unrestricted free agent, Bonino is in the midst of his third and most productive season with Nashville.

Currently second on the team with 13 goals in 38 games, Bonino is only nine short of the career-best 22 goals he scored with the Anaheim Ducks in 2013-14.

His success comes despite being on the fourth line of a team stacked at the center position. Ahead of him on the depth chart are Matt Duchene, Ryan Johansen and Kyle Turris.

“At the beginning of the year, I had success with (forwards Craig Smith) and (Rocco Grimaldi),” Bonino said. “Just complement each other well. This past week, I’ve been with (Smith) and (forward Austin Watson) for a little bit. Just moving around a decent amount. Trying to be trustworthy for (coach Peter Laviolette) is one of my biggest goals.”

That dependability would appear to manifest itself in how Laviolette deploys Bonino. This season, Bonino has taken 237 defensive-zone faceoffs, second on the team, and won 59.1% of those draws.

That consistent 200-foot game, to borrow a favorite phrase of Penguins coach Mike Sullivan, long has been a staple of what Bonino offers.

“He’s always a very reliable two-way player,” Predators defenseman Ryan Ellis said. “But this year, you see a lot of his goals, he’s going to the dirty areas, going to the net. Obviously, some good deflections and some good chances at rebounds. He’s a guy that doesn’t get enough credit but plays the right way every night, whether it’s a (defensive) zone draw or a net-front presence, Nick’s your guy.”

Bonino insists he hasn’t altered his game a great deal beyond, perhaps, his geography on the ice.

“Haven’t changed much,” Bonino said. “Just trying to go to the net more. Have had a lot of goals around the crease. Playing hard defensively, as always, trying to get it out of our zone as quick as possible.”

Bonino isn’t one of the Predators’ most valuable or talented players. At a salary-cap hit of $4.1 million, he has nine teammates who carry a bigger price tag.

But given he is the only member of the roster with a Stanley Cup ring — two, to be precise — he might be the most respected member of the Predators’ roster.

“He doesn’t speak a whole lot when it’s serious,” Ellis said. “But when he does speak, everybody listens. Everyone’s ears perk up. Obviously, a guy that’s been there, done that. Had a lot of success. Had a great career so far. So when he does speak, everyone listens, and the message is usually sent and received. He’s been great for our locker room, not only for the great times but the bad times, as well.”

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