Los Angeles Kings' Dustin Penner credits Darryl Sutter for success -NHL Playoffs Update
Los Angeles Kings were on the brink of having another failed season earlier this year, but now as they lead the race to become the next Stanley Cup champions and preparing to go up against Phoenix Coyotes in the 2012 National Hockey League (NHL) Stanley
Cup Western Conference Finals, there is only one man the credit goes to according to forward, Dustin Penner.
For Dustin Penner, that man is newly inducted head coach, Darryl Sutter, who he thinks is the person that really had it tough when he accepted the challenge of coaching the Kings team and now managed to revolutionise every aspect about them.
Sutter on the other hand believes that Penner has also worked extremely hard to be a big contributor to the team and has definitely managed to boost his career by manifolds and now be recognised as one of the best in the league.
"Nobody has had a tougher past 12 months than Dustin, no question," Kings coach, Darryl Sutter, told NHL.com. "It has been a rough road for him and this is just something that is fresh and it feels new for him. And, it's good."
Dustin Penner, a 29-year-old undrafted player from Winkler, Manitoba, Canada, saw a 60 point plus season back in 2009-2010. Ever since then, he has not managed to get any significant playing time along with barely getting the points down.
He played in 65 games last season and put up just 17 points (7 goals, 10 assists), but now, in nine postseason games, Penner is doing better than ever with seven points (2 goals, 5 assists) in nine matchups alone.
"Darryl has been instrumental in helping me," Penner told NHL.com. "We have a good relationship. It's business at the rink, but when you're not focused on hockey it's more personal. He's a great coach and a better person. He's a western guy, a prairie farmer,
and geographic location has its own characteristics and traits. It's just one of those things; we get along."
Injuries, bad play and lack of control have haunted Penner during the past few seasons, but now, it seems like the veteran forward is finally getting back to his old superstar self.
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