The hits keep coming for Penguins forward Zach Aston-Reese

When they signed him out of Northeastern in March of 2017, Pittsburgh Penguins management suggested Zach Aston-Reese could be a replacement for power forward Patric Hornqvist.

Today, he’s looking more like a replacement for forechecking forward Brandon Tanev.

Through 28 games, Aston-Reese is tied for fourth in the NHL with 104 hits.

Tanev, his former linemate who was claimed by the Seattle Kraken in the expansion draft this past offseason, is eighth with 98 hits in 30 games.

“(The statisticians at PPG Paints Arena are) just giving them all to me,” Aston-Reese joked. “I’m just jumping into the glass and making it look like I hit somebody.”

In an era where puck possession is monitored in a far more detailed fashion than ever before, hit statistics have taken on a negative connotation to some. And it’s easy to figure out why.

If you are throwing a hit, that means you don’t have the puck.

But to those on the ice, hits can help make up for other deficiencies.

In Aston-Reese’s case, he sees hits as a way to make up for a lack of scoring. His offense has been somewhat stagnant with only one goal and seven assists.

“I’m not scoring right now, and that’s been kind of the case all year, obviously, with one goal,” Aston-Reese said. “So that’s one way I have to make an impact and keep my spot in the lineup is just playing physical and hitting guys. That’s what I’m sticking to until the goals start coming, at least.”

That viewpoint comes with the benefit of experience. Now in his fifth NHL season, Aston-Reese has a greater grasp on his role with the team.

“Zach has really gained a good understanding of what his competitive advantages is,” Penguins coach Mike Sullivan said. “In other words, what separates him from other guys. With each year he’s been a Pittsburgh Penguin, he gets a better understanding of it and I think he becomes a more mature player. Zach is a real good player for us. He’s a conscientious 200-foot player, he’s a guy that’s very good defensively, he’s a good penalty-killer, he’s a good shot-blocker, he’s very good on the wall. He’s strong, so he’s good in the battle areas.

“And he has an offensive dimension. Now, he hasn’t found the back of the net as often this year as he has in the past, but we still believe that he has that capability.”

Those strengths have allowed the Penguins to rely on the third line to neutralize the opposition’s top lines in most contests. While Brock McGinn was signed this past offseason to replace most of Tanev’s minutes, Aston-Reese largely has replaced Tanev’s physicality, at least as far as hit totals are concerned.

But that doesn’t mean Aston-Reese has done anything extra to fill the void created by Tanev’s departure.

“I don’t know if he’s doing anything more,” Penguins forward Evan Rodrigues said. “I think he’s just getting more recognition because you don’t have (Tanev) flying around kind of taking the eyes away from him. I think you’re starting to notice him more. (Aston-Reese) does his part. He plays a heavy, physical game, and he’s key to the success of that line.”

As recently as two seasons ago, Aston-Reese was inhibited from playing this way because of a left shoulder injury that required surgery in August of 2020.

“Ever since getting the shoulder repaired, I think it’s been night and day being able to play physical,” Aston-Reese said. “Going into the (2020 postseason), I just remember I would get in a scrum and cross-check somebody and my shoulder would slip out. It was a really tough mental block that you know that at some point, your shoulder was just going to pop out. Not having to worry about that is really nice.”