Lee Stempniak
9 February 2009
Posted by Jeff Ponder | No comments yet
25 November 2008
On the other end of the deal, fan favorite Lee Stempniak was the only man dealt to the Maple Leafs. Being reunited with former penalty-kill linemate Jamal Mayers, Lee has been heralded as a hero in the St. Louis area. During his rookie season in 2005-06, Stempniak notched 14 goals and 27 points in the Blues’ last-place season. Following a 52-point season in 2006-07, Lee struggled his junior campaign, when he added just 13 goals and 38 points in 2007-08. This was quite a disappointment to head coach Andy Murray, who bumped Stempniak back down to the third line with Jamal Mayers and David Backes a large portion of the season, as well as limiting his power-play time. After a slow start in 2008-09, Stempniak picked his game up and recorded 13 points in the first 14 games before the deal took place.
Posted by Jeff Ponder | No comments yet
31 October 2008
Lee Stempniak should not be on the point on the power-play. He struggles immensely with keeping the puck in the zone and never seems to be in the right position to take a good shot. Paul Kariya should always be along the boards, ready to rip a shot to the net for Tkachuk to deflect or knock in a rebound.
Posted by Jeff Ponder | No comments yet
10 October 2008
Lee Stempniak is another player that underperformed in 2007-08. Scoring just 13 goals, Stempniak appeared out of place on the ice and never seemed to be in a good position to shoot. He will need to improve his positioning and ability to get open if he wants to continue playing in St. Louis.
Continue reading "A Glimpse into the Future: The 2008-09 ..."
Posted by Jeff Ponder | No comments yet
19 September 2008
The good news is that Andy McDonald, Lee Stempniak and Jay McClement seem to be in great shape. In the first heat, McDonald skated it with captain Eric Brewer, Paul Kariya, Manny Legace, Trent Whitfield and Dan Hinote. Manny tired out pretty quickly, but the rest kept pace for awhile. When it came down to the last three skaters remaining, McDonald, Kariya and Brewer were skating almost as hard as they could. I have to give Brewer credit, because he seemed to be dead tired, but tried to stay with the other two as well as he could. He really showed his leadership out there, pushing himself to the max. Once Kariya tapered off, Andy skated another round by himself, pushing the whole way. His legs were definitely on today, and that can only be a positive sign for the upcoming season.
Posted by Jeff Ponder | 1 comment
