Corey Perry’s Remarkable Start
Corey Perry is defying age yet again by posting one of the most remarkable starts in his lengthy 21-year NHL career. The 40-year-old winger delivered a stellar performance in the Los Angeles Kings’ narrow 3-2 victory against the Pittsburgh Penguins, marking the best start he’s had in the initial 10 games of a season since his days with the Anaheim Ducks. With this latest outing, he accumulated his seventh goal and 11 points, placing him fourth in the Kings’ scoring rankings, despite playing six fewer games than the players ahead of him.
Coach’s Praise
Kings’ head coach Jim Hiller praised Perry’s contributions, expressing astonishment at how effectively he performs. “I don’t think anybody expected him to come in and play 14, 15 minutes a night and any of this stuff. I don’t know how he does it. He’s got tremendous hockey sense and soft hands but he just makes the game somehow look pretty easy. He’s done it his whole career but doing it now, the way he’s doing it, it’s really nice,” Hiller said after the game.
Record-Breaking Performance
Perry’s 11 points in his first 10 games have set a record for any player aged 40 and above, surpassing Joe Thornton’s mark of 10 points with the Toronto Maple Leafs back in 2021. His current form starkly contrasts with his previous season in Edmonton, during which he struggled to net more than a point a game, tallying only one goal and one assist in his first ten appearances. This year, however, he is on target to exceed 50 goals and potentially finish with around 83 points, a feat he last achieved during the 2010-11 season when he won the Rocket Richard and Hart Trophy.
Stepping Up for the Kings
Looking back to his past, Perry hasn’t enjoyed such a strong opening 10 games since 2014-15 with the Ducks, where he recorded nine goals and twelve points. It’s evident that with every game, Perry is stepping up as a pivotal player for the Kings, especially since recovering from a knee injury that had sidelined him at the start of the season. Despite beginning the season on the fourth line, he has steadily elevated his role, even making his way into the top power-play unit that has since scored in every game since his inclusion.
Looking Ahead
In addition, the Kings recently broke their Eastern Conference drought with this latest victory against the Penguins, achieving their first win against an Eastern opponent of the season, now registering a record of 1-2-2 in that aspect. As the Kings embark on a six-game road trip, Perry’s resurgence is timely and could signal a crucial turning point for the team’s offensive output this season.
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