Improved shot leads to big things for Penguins' Jared McCann

Even within the close-knit community of the Penguins dressing room, there are cliques.

Patric Hornqvist and Marcus Pettersson are tight because of their Swedish heritage.

Teddy Blueger and Alex Galchenyuk have found a kinship in seemingly competing to be the last player off the ice after each practice.

Jake Guentzel and Bryan Rust are really into golf, both as fans and participants.

And don’t forget Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin. Theirs is an exclusive fraternity that only fellow Hart or Conn Smythe Trophy winners truly can appreciate.

Then there are Jared McCann and Matt Murray.

Well before they became teammates in Pittsburgh after McCann’s arrival via trade in February, they were teammates with the Sault St. Marie Greyhounds of the Ontario Hockey League.

You’d be hard-pressed to find two members of the roster with a greater bond.

So it shouldn’t be a surprise McCann turned to Murray to help him with his shot. Especially since Murray’s job is to stop shots.

“I work with ‘Muzz’ (Murray),” McCann said. I ask ‘Muzz’ all the time what kind of shot is the hardest shot to stop. It’s the little things like that I feel like will let you take your shot to the next level.

Said Murray: “I’m a goalie. I wouldn’t say I give him too much advice on that. I just tell him to shoot it as much as he can because he has such as good shot. He can score from places most guys can’t. So that’s all I told him to do is to shoot when he has a chance.”

McCann has realized that chance nine times this season, second on the team to Guentzel’s 16 goals.

McCann’s 55 shots represent a slight increase over his pace last season. In 2018-19, he averaged 1.92 shots per game. This season, he’s at 1.96 per game.

In a 3-2 overtime win over the Calgary Flames late last month, McCann put nine shots on net, including a goal.

“My linemates did a good job of getting me the puck, and I feel like that’s one of my biggest assets is to shoot it,” McCann said. “Just try to get the puck on net as much as possible.”

Said general manager Jim Rutherford: “He’s always had that quick, hard wrist shot. This year, he’s getting rewarded for it with his nine goals. He needs to continue to use it. If it’s on the corner, it’s hard for the goalie to get it.”

It hasn’t just been quantity for McCann. He also has taken steps to refine the quality of shots.

“When I was younger, it was more kind of like grip it and rip it,” McCann said. “Now, you’ve got to pick your spots. I’ve matured over the years where I can kind of pick my spot a little bit better. Obviously, it’s something I’m still working on.

“You’ve got to practice no matter what way (side) you’re facing. The one thing I’ve noticed over the years is that if you have your body facing one way than your stick, then you can shoot the opposite way and it really messes up the goalie.”

McCann is on pace to easily surpass the career best of 19 goals he established last season between the Penguins and Florida Panthers. He professes that number, as well as most statistics, are irrelevant to him.

“I’ve never been a huge point guy,” McCann said while shaking his head side to side. “I never will be. I don’t really think that points define you as a player. There are players in the NHL who have been phenomenal players but just don’t get points. It’s definitely not an emphasis on how they are as players. Points are cool. I get it. But I’m not the type of guy that will focus on that stuff.”

For now, McCann just wants to focus on shooting. Many times, that requires an antipathy to altruism.

“Sometimes, you’ve got to be selfish,” McCann said. “If you’re on a two-on-one (rush), and you see (your teammate) on the other side and the defense has taken him away, sometimes you’ve just got to grip it and rip it. Just shoot the puck hard. Maybe it will go in, and maybe it won’t. Sometimes you’ve just got to be selfish.”

Management doesn’t seem to have any issue with that lack of generosity.

“Success breeds confidence,” coach Mike Sullivan said. “So when you score some goals as a player, you feel good about yourself. You feel good about your game. All of a sudden, the net gets a little bit bigger. Jared has always been a shoot-first guy. I’m sure his confidence is high right now, and that’s allowing him to continue to think ‘shoot the puck first.’ ”

Added Murray: “When you’ve got a shot like that, you should be looking to get it off. Anytime he gets in the middle, he has a chance to score. He’s that good of a shooter.”

Notes: The Penguins assigned forward Joseph Blandisi to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton of the American Hockey League. Blandisi has been recalled three times this season. In 11 NHL games, he has three points (one goal, two assists). … The Penguins had a scheduled day off Sunday.

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