James Neal hasn't lit the lamp for the Pittsburgh Penguins since Jan. 10 and the end of the month marked the third straight time that the sniper scored fewer goals than he had in the month prior—he scored eight times in November, six in December and only three times in January.
The pressure he's putting on himself to find the back of the net at this point is palpable, even through a television screen. Not only is Neal failing to post goals, he's also struggling to get the puck on net at all.
All scorers go through slumps, and the 26-year-old is among the most capable shooters in the NHL. He knows what it takes to put up strong numbers in this league. He said as much to Rob Rossi of The Pittsburgh Tribune-Review following the Penguins' 3-1 loss to the Phoenix Coyotes on Saturday:
You just need to go back to getting the puck in, maybe being a little bit more physical and maybe going to different areas. When you're playing at the top of your game and feeling good each night, sometimes you can get a little complacent — and then when you start not playing well, it's more noticeable.
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Article written by Franklin Steele
Blueprint for James Neal to Snap out of Current Scoring Slump
February 3rd, 2014 by Franklin Steele Leave a reply »
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