When Jim Rutherford was looking at value buys for his Pittsburgh Penguins last summer, he placed an emphasis on “character guys with leadership.”
He had one particular name in mind. Except Matt Cullen wasn’t entirely sure he had enough gas left in the tank after 18 punishing years of professional hockey.
“I did sense that he was contemplating not playing any more,” Rutherford said Thursday.
What eventually pushed Cullen over the top was that shiny silver trophy he’s spent 10 years trying to get his hands back on. The Penguins were a legitimate Stanley Cup contender, he reasoned, and so the hockey nomad charted course for an eighth different NHL city.
“When this opportunity came up, it was kind of one of those that I felt was too good to pass up,” said Cullen.
His signing was one that flashed by relatively unnoticed in early August – an $800,000, one-year contract that was recorded only in the agate pages outside of Pittsburgh.
But a funny thing has happened since the 39-year-old journeyman hitched his wagon to a star-studded roster: He’s made a difference. Cullen is no passenger in this pursuit of the Stanley Cup, he’s one of the depth players that make the Penguins such a dangerous opponent.
Some of the highest praise in this second-round series has actually come from Washington Capitals coach Barry Trotz, who had Cullen in Nashville two years ago and can’t quite put his finger on exactly what’s allowed the centre to keep thriving now.
“He’s having a hell of a series against us,” said Trotz. “I know that.”
Not only did Cullen slip behind coverage to score during Wednesday’s victory in Game 4, but he’s been a reliable option for Penguins coach Mike Sullivan to deploy in high-leverage situations.
He’s often sent out specifically to handle defensive zone faceoffs and logs a lot of minutes on a penalty kill that has allowed the dangerous Capitals to convert on just one-of-12 chances in this series so far.
These are the kinds of things that have allowed him to play 1,294 career regular-season games – sixth most among active players – and another 83 (and counting) in the playoffs. His intelligence, his awareness, his conditioning.
“Well he can skate,” said Rutherford. “When you can skate at his speed it makes up for a lot of things that go on on the ice. He’s a smart player, he’s a faceoff guy, he’s a penalty killer, he’s smart 5-on-5 and now he’s producing offensively at a higher rate than expected.”
A second-half scoring surge propelled him to 16 goals, which is pretty solid for a third- or fourth-line player, and started earning Cullen a little more attention.
However, what has impressed those around the Penguins organization most is the consistency he’s shown since Day 1 of training camp. You can count on a first-class effort and attitude no matter what the situation.
Rutherford knew all this after having Cullen for two tours of duty with the Carolina Hurricanes, including that franchise’s 2006 Cup victory, and was confident he could contribute to a successful mix in Pittsburgh. He sees a lot of parallels between what he’s doing now and what he did a decade ago.
“Same thing,” said Rutherford. “Really good with his teammates, really good with (young) players, doesn’t get frazzled by anything. He’s a guy that can keep a real even keen in tough situations – as we all know in the playoffs the emotions get high and things.
“He brings a very calming effect to the team.”
At heart, he is a laid-back Minnesotan who loves the game. Cullen remembers playing on an outdoor rink in Virginia, Minn., and attending high-school games where his father Terry was coaching.
Now he has his own three sons running around the Penguins dressing room after games, and they’re old enough to experience and enjoy this playoff run, too.
The natural question is what happens next? Rutherford believes he’ll still be good at age 40 – “I do want him to return, but we’ll deal with that at the appropriate time” – although Cullen seems somewhat less certain about his future.
As good as he’s played and is playing, it’s not out of the question we’re watching his final games.
That’s why he views his decision to come to Pittsburgh last summer as a gift. It’s been everything he could have hoped for and more.
“If you have a choice, you’re obviously trying to find a team that you believe has an opportunity to go deep into the playoffs,” said Cullen. “You hope that what you bring to the team can help them make that next step.”
He’s doing a pretty good job of that now.
