Over their past 10 games, the Ottawa Senators have posted a 6-2-2 record, but even better, the team has earned points in five of six outings (4-1-1) since Shane Pinto made his return to the lineup on January 21 in Philadelphia.
And it’s no coincidence the club has been able to ice their best roster during this time. Interim head coach Jacques Martin is the beneficiary of being able to ice a full triumvirate of forwards, which includes Pinto and fellow centres Josh Norris and Tim Stützle, something former head coach D.J Smith was only able to do on 25 occasions since Pinto made his NHL debut April 17, 2021, in Montreal.
Signed to a one-year pro-rated $775,000 contract, Pinto said the suspension “broke his heart” upon returning to skate with his Senators’ teammates.
To his credit, the 23-year-old hasn’t displayed any rust after completing his 41-game ban for violating the NHL’s sports wagering rules. Pinto hasn’t missed a beat, jumping in where he left off last season when he registered 20 goals and 15 assists in 82 games played in what was deemed his rookie campaign.
The Senators’ 2019 32nd overall selection was limited to only five appearances in 2021-22 after a shoulder injury sidelined him for three weeks four games into the season. Pinto tweaked his shoulder in his return to the lineup and subsequently required surgery.
In his six games to date, the Long Island area resident has produced two goals and two assists, which includes his spectacular overtime game-winner in Detroit, the Senators’ final game prior to the All-Star break. Pinto out-raced former Senator Alex DeBrincat, driving to the net to reach out and steer Thomas Chabot’s pass by Red Wings netminder Alex Lyon.
His 19:08 of ice time marked the second time in days that Pinto skated 19 minutes or more. While it’s not unusual for a centre who spends time on both the penalty kill and the power play to play at least 19 minutes in a game, Pinto had accomplished this only five times during his previous 101 NHL games.
In addition, Pinto’s strength dating back to his tenure at the University of North Dakota is his ability to win draws. The lanky six-foot-three pivot has won a whopping 61.4% of his 57 faceoffs taken to date. Pinto recorded a 52.1% rate last season, albeit in a total of 862 draws.
Pinto is still finding his game after his long stretch away, telling TSN1200 analyst Gord Wilson postgame after the Senators’ latest victory, he’s getting more comfortable each day, “I feel I’m definitely feeling more like myself. I think the first two games were all on adrenaline and the last couple were just trying to figure it all out again, and the last two I felt pretty good.”
In a season that’s seen more “downs” than “ups” and its share of unexpected twists and turns, Shane Pinto is quickly turning into one of the Senators’ bright spots early in 2024.
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