Christensen Story
Sniper Looking To Add To Arsenal
By Bob Grove

Goaltenders know him as one of the National Hockey League's most dangerous shootout performers.

Teammate Sidney Crosby calls him a sniper.

Coach Michel Therrien talks about his "tremendous skill."

They're pretty impressive accolades for Penguins' forward Erik Christensen, who at 23 has yet to play a full season in the NHL. He enters this season, however, as nothing less than an important piece in the offensive arsenal of a Pittsburgh team that figures to possess one of the league's most potent attacks.

As Therrien's preferred line combinations took shape during training camp, Christensen was the only one of the apparent top 12 forwards being plunked down at a position they'd never before played. A left winger last season, Christensen was placed on the right side with center Evgeni Malkin and left wing Gary Roberts.

If he doesn't adapt - quickly - it could force changes up and down the lineup.

"Guys like Erik Christensen, there's no doubt he's a good shooter and has tremendous skill," Therrien said. "Last year he played most of the time on the left wing. . . we want to give that opportunity to see what's available to him, because he's a potential player to be on the top two lines. It's a breakout year for him. We want to make sure we give him a really good chance to show that he's capable to handle that situation."

Christensen, who signed a two-year, one-way contract this summer, embraced the learning curve that comes with playing on the other side of the rink - not the simplest of tasks for a young, left-handed shot. In the defensive zone, he won't be able to take passes along the boards on his backhand.

"It's a completely different position, from even when I was playing left wing. I have to think a little differently," he said. "There's different stuff, pivoting, so many little details in switching positions that you have to learn, even spots where you can kind of cheat, sneaking in behind the defense to take a stretch pass for a breakaway.

"It will just come naturally, and I think I'm smart enough to figure it out. The staff will help me out if I make a mistake, because I think they understand it's new to me. But it's on me to be able to convert in games, because if I can't do that, I won't be out there too much to help the team."

That's precisely the attitude Therrien expects.

"One thing about young players: most of them, they want to make sure they're versatile," he said. "Jordan Staal, we played him on the wing last year. This year, we want to try and have him at his natural position because we have to look at the big picture. We figured that Jordan could be the type of centerman we were missing in the past few years.

"It's a little bit of an adjustment, but in time Erik will be OK. Skilled players, they usually are able to pick up pretty quick, especially when they're young. Young players are desperate, first of all, to establish themselves in the NHL. So they're accepting those changes." Christensen, who is still learning to use his body along the boards, has to be responsible defensively. And he has to be productive offensively, whether it's using his lightning quick release to score at even strength or relying on his one-on-one moves in the shootout. Last season, he shared the NHL lead in shootout goals (eight) with Minnesota's Mikko Koivu.

"Everyone talks about the shootout, and that's something I take pride in and enjoy thoroughly," he said. "No matter how much I played in the game, when the time came for the shootout, I had to be mentally ready. Even if I wasn't playing late in the game, (the shootout) was my time to take a look down at the goalie, see what he was doing, and plan ahead."