Defensive-minded Frost forward Kelly Pannek rediscovers offensive touch to lead PWHL in scoring
Kelly Pannek was so determined to carve out a future in hockey while still at college, the forward made the conscious decision to sacrifice offense to focus on her shutdown skills. The choice led to Pannek becoming a U. S.
national team fixture as a three-time Olympian, beginning in 2018, and establish herself as one of women's hockey's best defensive forwards. Some eight years later, Pannek discovered she hasn’t lost her scoring touch in closing her third PWHL season with Minnesota. In a league featuring proven offensive stars in Hilary Knight and Marie-Philip Poulin, and teammates Taylor Heise and Kendall Coyne Schofield, Pannek topped them all as the two-time defending Walter Cup champion Frost open the playoffs at Montreal on Saturday .
Pannek led the PWHL with 16 goals and a league-record 33 points, and was one assist from completing what would have been rare hockey triple crown — for men or women. “I think more than anything, it’s reassuring and confidence-building to know that I used to be someone who was often relied on to provide offense for teams, and I still am that player,” Pannek said by phone this week. “I just needed to kind of re-find it, I guess.
” Her 33 points in 30 games this year surpassed her total production in her first two seasons, when she combined for seven goals and 27 points in 54 games. Still thriving on defense And the offensive output didn’t hinder Pannek’s defensive play. She finished sixth in the PWHL with a plus-13 plus-minus rating.
She also won 341 of 575 faceoffs for a 59. 3% success rate, third among players with 200 or more attempts. “I don’t want to say no, because I think she’s a great player,” Frost coach Ken Klee said when asked whether he expected this much production from Pannek.
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