The X-Factor

After being acquired from the Minnesota Wild in February of 2020, Jason Zucker seemed like he was the perfect fit and addition to the Penguins' lineup.
Zucker found the net three times in his first four games as a Penguin, and ended up putting up twelve points in 16 games before the season was halted due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Unknowingly, so, too, was Zucker's ability to remain a consistent piece of the Penguins' lineup.

After the Penguins bowed out to the Montreal Canadiens in the 2020 playoff bubble, Zucker appeared in just 79 of the Penguins' 138 regular season games over the ensuing two campaigns, available just 57% of the time for Mike Sullivan and his staff. Often referred to as an "X-Factor" for a Penguins forward group looking for some secondary sparks, Zucker's inability to stay healthy left both he and the fanbase wanting more from the 31-year-old.
This season has been a different story.
Completely healed from a lingering core muscle injury that required surgery in January of 2022, Zucker was able to put in a full summer of training this offseason, and the results have been fruitful for both the winger and his team.
Sunday versus the Rangers marked Zucker's fourth straight game with a goal, his longest streak since 2017-18 with Minnesota. He has 11 goals in his last 14 games, and his nine goals in eight games since Feb. 26 leads the entire NHL. He is tied with Dallas' Roope Hintz for the most goals in March with seven.
"I'm trying to contribute, you know?" Zucker said about his play this year. "I'm trying to make a difference every game and it's not always that easy. It's been nice to help produce."
The statistical production has been a welcome part of Zucker's game, but his consistent presence is just as important. Mike Sullivan consistently compliments the compete level of Zucker on a nightly basis, and the veteran provides a steady dose of leadership on and off the ice, along with a gift of gab that makes him endeared by his teammates and disliked by his opponents.
"His personality can be contagious. I think he's very well-liked in our locker room. He's a bit of the team comedian, as well," Sullivan said. "I just think he brings some juice. He brings energy, he brings a certain swagger, and he plays that way as well. It's the combination of his personality with how he plays - I think our team feeds off of that."
Despite standing at just 5'11", 192 pounds, Zucker's fearless play is inspiring. He's never afraid to mix it up and consistently has a willingness to go to the net. That's impressed one of his more frequent linemates in Bryan Rust.
"He's phenomenal at getting to the net," Rust said. "I think that makes him such a good player; he's able to get down on the forecheck and separate the puck from the opponent and after that he can make plays. I think he's so dangerous when he's on his toes."
The ability to bring that effort night after night is a byproduct of the winger finding a clean bill of health for the first time in a long time into 2022-2023.
"For the longest time, we've had a hard time keeping him in the lineup consistently," Sullivan reflected. "And last year, that was the case. So, it was hard for him to establish any traction in his game. This year, he's the healthiest he's been as a Pittsburgh Penguin. That's allowed him to practice every day, get the repetitions every day. It sets him up to play the game that he needs to play in order to be effective."
"It's much easier to get into the rhythm of things when you're healthy," Zucker agreed. "When you're in and out of the lineup, it's hard to keep that rhythm and feel good and get that confidence that you need to play the game. It's a game of confidence. I tell my kids all the time, confidence is the world's most powerful drug. It's fun to have it when you do."
That success has allowed Zucker to not only be a consistent part of the lineup, but also cement his status in the Penguins' top-six, establishing himself on a tandem alongside Evgeni Malkin. There isn't a player with all of his intangibles in the team's forward group, and the finishing touch this year has been an even better addition to what already looks like a more complete package than years past.
"Scoring goals is why you play the game," Zucker said. "And winning games, that's the goal out here. So for me, I know scoring goals helps win games, and that means you're going to hopefully win a Stanley Cup later on. It's just been a lot of fun, but I've got to give credit to the rest of my teammates. They're the ones that helped me do this."
For Zucker and the Penguins, the most important hockey is ahead. The player has done himself a strong service with his package of play this season heading into an offseason of unrestricted free agency. The team has benefited from Zucker's performance and the stabilizing power he's provided for the forward group. With the trade deadline in the rearview and the Penguins in the midst of the NHL's true stretch drive of the regular season, Zucker is front and center in the middle of it all. The "X-Factor" is finally living up to expectations.
And for Zucker and the Penguins, each side can only hope that the best from a strong season already is yet to come.