A Dog on a Bone on the Puck

Throughout Blake Lizotte’s hockey career, he has always prided himself on being someone who can drag his teammates into the fight with his tenacity, passion, and energy. He has brought all of that and more to the lineup in his first season with the Penguins after signing a two-year deal in free agency.

“Not really being a highly sought-after prospect, it's always been a part of my game to play with intensity and play rough and kind of give everything you have to win a battle… and eventually, hopefully, win the game,” said the undrafted forward, who’s listed at 5-foot-9.

After Thursday’s 9-2 victory in Montreal, the Penguins have now won six of their last eight games. Lizotte has played a big part in that, as the start of this stretch coincided with his return to the lineup following his recovery from a second concussion.

Lizotte was sidelined for the first 11 games of the regular season due to the first concussion he sustained in the Kraft Hockeyville preseason game, after getting struck with a puck while sitting on the bench. After returning, Lizotte played seven games before taking another puck to the face, this one in a game against Detroit on Nov. 13.

“He’s had some brutal bounces,” teammate Cody Glass said. “Great to see him back out there scoring. Couldn't happen to a better guy.”

Lizotte – who turned 27 on Friday (Dec. 13) – has three goals over his last six games and had a four-game point streak from Nov. 30-Dec. 7, the longest of his career.

“I think it's just that I missed so much time, and you watch the guys play, and it just makes you want to be out there,” Lizotte said. “For me, it's just having fun. I wanted to be out there for the six to seven weeks that I was out. Just playing with passion and joy has been part of the success so far.”

On the season, Lizotte has racked up six goals and 10 points in just 15 games, an impressive pace. It’s been remarkable to see, especially considering that the Los Angeles Kings was the only NHL club Lizotte had known before coming to Pittsburgh. He’s done a tremendous job fitting in with his new team and finding ways to overcome his injuries.

“It's obviously a great confidence builder. It's kind of a season that was off to a weird start for me,” Lizotte said. “I'm thankful that I was able to score a few early to kind of gain that confidence and that in-game feel. So, it's been a nice return so far.”

Lizotte is the kind of player who’s a treat to coach. Head Coach Mike Sullivan has praised the details of Lizotte’s game, saying his sound defensive conscience is the strength of his game. He then smiled and added, “he’s tenacious, you know? He’s a dog on a bone on the puck.

“He's got a good puck pursuit game, and I think he makes us harder to play against in that regard, also. He brings an element of speed. He can skate. So, I think he brings all those things to our lineup when he's in.”

Part of the reason the Penguins traded veteran center Lars Eller to the Washington Capitals back in November was because they felt so strongly about Lizotte’s abilities.

“Obviously two really unlucky injuries, but once he was back, it allowed us to move forward,” Penguins President of Hockey Operations and GM Kyle Dubas told SportsNet Pittsburgh’s Josh Getzoff in an episode of the GM Show. “Going back years, going back when he was in college (at St. Cloud State University) and certainly with LA, just the tenacity that he plays, with the energy that he brings, the speed at which he does things – felt there was probably a little bit untapped there offensively.

“We could give him more opportunity than they could in LA, given the way that their center ice position is structured, or certainly the way it was last year... we thought he could move a rung up and help our team, at even strength and on the penalty kill.”

Lizotte has rewarded Dubas’ faith in him, and his shorthanded goal in a win over Toronto last Saturday is a perfect example of that. The Penguins were holding a one-goal lead late in the third period, and have struggled with preserving them this season. But Lizotte refused to let that trend continue, stealing the puck from John Tavares and sending it the length of the ice into the empty net to give Pittsburgh a 4-2 lead.

"Lizzo's been great. He's a buzzsaw, he's a stop out there,” teammate Michael Bunting said. “So, he's been fun to play with and he's been a great addition to this team. That was a great effort for that empty-net goal. That was unreal that he was able to win that battle and shoot it down the ice."

With a new system in Pittsburgh, ‘Lizzo’ has clicked perfectly with the team’s style of play.

“There are a lot of offensively gifted players here,” Lizotte said on what has allowed him to thrive since arriving in Pittsburgh. “I think we get pucks to the net and don’t waste a lot of time. Guys can make plays, and they’re skilled. It seems like we score more goals here, so I think it’s been beneficial for me.”

Off the ice, Blake and his wife Abby are enjoying their new surroundings.

“It's been a great transition so far. We're both from Minnesota, kind of a small town, so Pittsburgh really feels like home,” Lizotte said. “Not that we didn't enjoy Los Angeles, but we love the transition and kind of the lifestyle here.

“Then coming into this locker room with some legends is pretty cool. You get a little starstruck seeing Sid for the first time and Gino and all these guys. So, it's been fun to kind of get to know them more on personal level and become their teammates.”