Jets' Neal Pionk: Among NHL's top scoring defenders
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Pionk set up three goals in a 6-3 victory over the Rangers on Tuesday.
Don't look now, but Pionk is tied with teammate Josh Morrissey for second among NHL defensemen with 17 points. Pionk's best season came in 2019-20, when he rang up 45 points in 71 games. He's miles ahead of that pace with three goals, 14 assists, five power-play points and 33 shots in 16 games.
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Jets' Neal Pionk: Logs assist in Saturday's win
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Pionk had an assist in Saturday's 4-1 win over the Stars.
Pionk's hot October has given way to a quieter November -- he has two helpers over his last five games. That was likely to happen anyway, as the 29-year-old is a solid scorer but certainly not a point-per-game threat. He has three goals, 11 assists, 33 shots on net, 27 blocked shots, 20 hits and a plus-10 rating through 15 outings overall. Pionk should continue to offer strong non-scoring production even if his offense fades further.
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Jets' Neal Pionk: Contributes helper Friday
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Pionk managed an assist, two shots on goal, two hits and a plus-2 rating in Friday's 6-2 win over the Blue Jackets.
Pionk got on the scoresheet for the second game in a row, and he's done so in eight of the Jets' first 11 games. The defenseman set up Mason Appleton's second-period tally, which was the game-winner. Pionk is offering a bit of everything early on with 13 points, 27 shots on net, 15 hits, 17 blocked shots and a plus-7 rating while playing on the second pairing and second power-play unit. The offense will fade eventually -- he's never finished with more than 45 points in a season -- but Pionk is looking like a strong blueliner for fantasy.
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Jets' Neal Pionk: Lights lamp twice in big win
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Pionk scored two goals, one on the power play, in Wednesday's 6-2 win over the Red Wings.
The veteran blueliner found the back of the net in the first and third periods, recording his first multi-goal performance since Oct. 19, 2022. Pionk has been one of the engines of Winnipeg's hot start to the season, piling up three goals and 12 points in 10 games with 25 shots on net, 16 blocked shots, 13 hits and a plus-5 rating.
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Jets' Neal Pionk: Extends point streak to five games
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Pionk notched two assists, one shorthanded, in Saturday's 5-3 win over the Flames.
The veteran blueliner extended his point streak to five games with the performance, a stretch in which he's collected one goal and nine points. Pionk's hot start to the campaign has come without the benefit of consistent power-play time, and once the undefeated Jets begin to cool down, his production will likely cool down as well.
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Jets' Neal Pionk: Manages helper in overtime win
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Pionk provided an assist, six shots on goal and three blocked shots in Thursday's 4-3 overtime win over the Kraken.
Pionk is off to a stellar start this season, and he's now on a four-game point streak. The 29-year-old defenseman has a goal, seven assists, 18 shots on net, 10 hits, 13 blocked shots and a plus-5 rating through seven appearances. He remains in a top-four role, and with the Jets starting the year 7-0-0, Pionk has emerged as a strong secondary scoring threat from the blue line to complement Josh Morrissey.
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Jets' Neal Pionk: Erupts for four points
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Pionk scored a power-play goal on two shots, dished three assists and went plus-2 in Friday's 8-3 win over the Sharks.
One of his helpers also came on the power play, as the Jets' second unit made some noise in this contest. Pionk is up to five points, seven shots on net, five hits, two blocked shots and a plus-4 rating over four games. The 29-year-old defenseman has been a little less physical than usual, but over time, he should average out to being an excellent depth option for category coverage.
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Jets' Neal Pionk: Garners assist Wednesday
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Pionk produced an assist, two blocked shots and a plus-2 rating in Wednesday's 6-0 win over the Oilers.
Pionk helped out on Mason Appleton's tally in the first period. A consistent all-around defenseman, Pionk has finished between 32 and 34 points in each of the last four years. Last season, he also had 220 hits and 118 blocked shots. The 29-year-old is expected to feature on the second pairing and second power-play unit, giving him modest upside for deeper fantasy formats that play a lot of categories.
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Jets' Neal Pionk: Logs helper in loss
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Pionk notched an assist, two shots on goal, three blocked shots and four hits in Tuesday's 5-2 loss to the Avalanche in Game 2.
Pionk helped out on a David Gustafsson tally in the first period. After posting 33 points for the second regular season in a row, Pionk should be able to offer solid offense and plenty of physical play from his second-pairing role in the playoffs. The 28-year-old blueliner had 220 hits, 118 blocked shots, 63 PIM and 146 shots on net over 82 regular-season outings.
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Jets' Neal Pionk: Sends pair of assists
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Pionk registered two assists, two hits and two blocked shots in Tuesday's 4-3 win over the Kraken.
Pionk has six helpers and a plus-4 rating over seven contests in April. That matches his point total from all of March. The 28-year-old defenseman continues to offer steady all-around production in a top-four role. He's up to 33 points (eight on the power play), 146 shots on net, 219 hits, 115 blocked shots, 63 PIM and a plus-7 rating through 81 contests. He's earned at least 30 points in five straight seasons.
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Jets' Neal Pionk: Nabs helper in win
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Pionk logged an assist, six hits, two PIM and a plus-2 rating in Thursday's 5-2 win over the Flames.
Pionk helped out on the second of Gabriel Vilardi's three goals in the game. With four helpers over his last five outings, Pionk is making steady contributions on offense. The defenseman is up to 29 points, 138 shots on net, 209 hits, 102 blocked shots, 57 PIM and a plus-5 rating over 76 appearances. If he can pick up one more point, he'll reach the 30-point mark for the fifth straight year.
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Jets' Neal Pionk: Collects assist
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Pionk provided an assist, three hits and two blocked shots in Monday's 4-3 win over the Kings.
Pionk had posted just two helpers over his previous seven outings. He'd also fallen off defensively in that span, logging a minus-9 rating and just 10 blocked shots. The 28-year-old defenseman is up to 28 points, 138 shots on net, 203 hits, 101 blocked shots, 55 PIM and a plus-3 rating over 75 appearances, putting him at risk of missing the 30-point mark for the first time as a Jet.
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Jets' Neal Pionk: Two helpers vs. Edmonton
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Pionk grabbed a pair of assists in a 4-3 overtime loss to the Oilers on Tuesday.
Both of Pionk's helpers came in the third period, setting up Brenden Dillon before adding a second assist just a minute later on Sean Monahan's game-tying tally. It's just the second multi-point game of the year for the 28-year-old Pionk, his first since Oct. 24. He's up to 27 points (five goals, 22 assists) with a plus-7 rating through 72 games this season.
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Jets' Neal Pionk: Playing after all
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Pionk (illness) is on the ice for warmups and is expected to play Thursday versus the Devils, Mike McIntyre of the Winnipeg Free Press reports.
Nate Schmidt and Logan Stanley are both absent for warmups, which clears the way for Pionk to play after having been previously ruled out earlier in the day. He's expected to skate on the second pairing against New Jersey.
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Jets' Neal Pionk: Unavailable Thursday
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Pionk (illness) isn't expected to play Thursday versus New Jersey.
Pionk has five goals, 25 points, 53 PIM and 187 hits in 68 contests this season. Colin Miller is expected to draw into the lineup and play alongside Brenden Dillon due to Pionk's absence.
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Jets' Neal Pionk: Dealing with illness
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Pionk missed Wednesday's practice due to an illness, per Mike McIntyre of the Winnipeg Free Press. The defenseman is questionable for Thursday's game versus New Jersey.
Pionk has five goals, 25 points, 53 PIM and 187 hits in 68 outings in 2023-24. If he can't play Thursday, then Colin Miller, who has spent the past three games as a healthy scratch, might serve on the second pairing alongside Brenden Dillon.
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Jets' Neal Pionk: Helps out on power play
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Pionk registered a power-play assist in Friday's 6-0 win over the Ducks.
Think of Pionk as a no-frills fantasy defenseman. It's not likely that he'll light up the box score on a given night, but Pionk has a safe floor as he's close to making it five straight seasons with 30 points or more while representing the Jets. Pionk has displayed a well-rounded game this season, stacking up five goals, 19 assists, 86 blocked shots, 183 hits and a plus-11 rating through 66 contests.
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Jets' Neal Pionk: Nets opening goal Monday
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Pionk scored a goal on three shots, added two PIM, doled out five hits and blocked four shots in Monday's 4-0 win over the Capitals.
Pionk's tally midway through the first period was all the support Connor Hellebuyck needed to guide the Jets to a win. It was Pionk's first since Jan. 16, and he picked up five assists over the 20 contests between goals. The defenseman is up to 23 points, 123 shots on net, 178 hits, 85 blocked shots, 49 PIM and a plus-13 rating over 64 appearances this season. Without an uptick in offense, he's in danger of missing the 30-point mark for the first time since 2018-19.
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Jets' Neal Pionk: Puts up helper in win
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Pionk notched a power-play assist, two shots on goal, two blocked shots and two PIM in Saturday's 4-2 win over the Canucks.
Pionk helped out on Gabriel Vilardi's first tally of the game. This was Pionk's second straight game with an assist, though he went six contests without a point prior to his recent success. The 28-year-old won't always have consistent offense, but he usually adds steady non-scoring production. He's at 20 points, 99 shots on net, 137 hits, 65 blocked shots, 41 PIM and a plus-9 rating over 52 appearances this season in a top-four role.
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Jets' Neal Pionk: Nabs assist in Friday's win
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Pionk notched an assist in Friday's 3-1 win over the Ducks.
Pionk extended his point streak to four games (one goal, three assists) with a helper on Nikolaj Ehlers' game-tying tally in the second period. It's good to see more consistency from Pionk, who has maintained a top-four role amid a slightly down first half of the season on offense. The blueliner is at 16 points, 68 shots on net, 83 hits, 47 blocked shots and a plus-10 rating through 38 appearances, and it seems he's leveling off at his usual scoring rate.
