Players with more than 1,000 NHL games on their resume aren’t often known for setting milestone numbers that far into their careers, but Predators defenseman Luke Schenn did just that in Nashville’s Dec. 17 game against the New York Rangers.
In that game, Schenn posted a career-high seven shots on Rangers’ future Hall of Fame goaltender Igor Shesterkin. While none of those shots actually got past Shesterkin, Schenn putting that much rubber on any goaltender is quite the surprise.
Schenn entered that game averaging right at one shot on goal per game, with 33 in 31 games played, and just one of those 33 shots had made its way past the goaltender, with his only goal of the season coming in the fifth game Oct. 19 against the Detroit Red Wings.
At this point in his career, the 35-year-old Schenn epitomizes the term “defensive defenseman,” and he’s definitely not one of the players the Predators are looking toward for contributions in the offensive zone.
Known more for his ability to shut down opponents and kill penalties, Schenn inherited more ice time with a recent surge of injuries to his fellow defensemen.
How and where Schenn amassed those seven shots on goal is even more amusing. Six of the seven came in a furious three-second span midway through the second period.
As the game neared its halfway mark, Schenn saw an opportunity when the puck was down low in the New York zone and crept down to the goal line from the right point.
When the puck came his way, Schenn started swatting at the puck, continuously. At the conclusion of the play, Schenn was credited with an eye-opening six shots on goal in the span of those three seconds, all on backhands within 10 feet of the net.
As amazing as that exchange was, there was little time to process all of what happened, as some after the whistle shenanigans soon took place, with Schenn’s fellow defenseman Marc Del Gaizo starting off the activities by cross checking New York’s Will Cuylle and then dropping the gloves to fight the much larger Rangers forward.
“It led to a nice scrum, and the boys got in the mix,” Schenn said. “(Del Gaizo) dropped the mitts there and caught a nice scrap. It kind of seemed to energize the guys there and everyone was sticking up for each other.”
The Predators pitched a 2-0 shutout in the game. Afterward, head coach Andrew Brunette applauded the effort of Schenn in the game, with a nod to the defensive effort he provided but acknowledging the fun second period sequence.
“That’s old school, just keep whacking at the goalie and getting those shots right on his pads,” Brunette said after the game with a laugh.