Penguins forward Noel Acciari has a nose for defense
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It didn’t take long for Noel Acciari to show what he is all about as a member of the Pittsburgh Penguins.
To be precise, it might have been 6:16 into the season.
In the team’s season opener at PPG Paints Arena on Oct. 10, the Chicago Blackhawks were granted a power-play opportunity and unleashed their new toy in the form of superstar rookie forward Conor Bedard.
Off a passing sequence, Bedard whacked a one-timer from the Penguins’ left circle that missed the mark on the near side.
The shot might have been on net had it not been for Acciari, who slid to the ice as if he were stealing home like Wille “Mays” Hayes on a block attempt that appeared to prompt Bedard to hurry his release. After goaltender Tristan Jarry stopped the puck on the outside of the post, Acciari recovered to his skates and cleared the rebound off the glass, bouncing it out of the defensive zone.
(Video courtesy of Danny Shirey of Breakdowns & Breakaways.)
That display was a vivid representation of Acciari’s brand of play.
“I take pride in the (penalty kill),” Acciari said last month. “I don’t like getting scored on. If I can sprawl out, block a shot, whatever I can do to not get scored on, I’m going to try to do out there. I don’t like to get scored on the (penalty kill).”
That hard-scrabble approach was largely what the Penguins were looking for when they signed Acciari as an unrestricted free agent on July 1, agreeing to a three-year contract with a salary cap hit of $2 million (and an eight-team modified no-trade clause per Cap Friendly).
The base numbers largely verify Acciari is offering what was hoped so far this season.
In 12 games, he leads the team with 24 hits and leads all Penguins forwards with 14 blocked shots as well as an average of 2:27 of short-handed ice time per contest.
But beyond any kind of in-depth tabulation of his body of work, a quick review of Acciari’s body would verify how he goes about his business.
Presumably covered in numerous cadaver-esque blotches on seemingly every appendage from blocking pucks or absorbing slashes, Acciari wears braces on each knee and has a nose that is listing off to the starboard side as if it struck an iceberg (or was used to block one).
“I’m glad I’m married now,” Acciari quipped. “It might be tougher to find someone with this face.”
(Note: Penguins forward Reilly Smith was privy to Acciari’s conversation with a reporter about his proboscis and bellowed, “I think it’s perfect!”)
In addition to finding a spouse who clearly has a strict interpretation of that vow about “sickness and health,” Acciari has found a way to last nine years in the NHL despite being undrafted and coming from Rhode Island, a state that has produced all of 19 NHL players in the league’s first 105 years of existence.
“I started in Rhode Island in high school then went to prep school in Connecticut,” Acciari said. “Found my way back to Rhode Island with Providence. I’ve been a New England kid pretty much my entire life, whether it’s playing in Rhode Island, Massachusetts, Connecticut. I was very fortunate, out of college, to sign (with) Boston. It’s been a great road.”
A native of Johnston, Rhode Island, Acciari attended Providence College and helped that school claim its first — and still only — NCAA championship in 2015. His success with that program led to him receiving a two-year entry-level contract from the Boston Bruins in June that same year.
Like another undrafted forward from Providence, former Penguins forward Brandon Tanev, Acciari realized his key to carving out an existence at the professional level would require him to adhere to a style of play that would take a toll on his body.
“Our coach at Providence, Nate Leaman, was definitely big on finishing every check and blocking every shot,” Acciari said. “It didn’t matter if you were the most skilled guy on the team. He wanted everyone to have that trait. That stuck with a lot of us. It’s helped us to be where we are today.”
In addition to the Bruins, Acciari has suited up for the Florida Panthers, St. Louis Blues and Toronto Maple Leafs.
His brief 23-game tenure with the Maple Leafs last season following a trade with the Blues, played a role in Penguins president of hockey operations Kyle Dubas, previously the Maple Leafs’ general manager, to bring Acciari to the Penguins.
“I’ve had Noel Acciari in the past,” Dubas said on July 1. “I know what he brings. He’s going to be extremely physical every night, able to kill penalties, able to chip in and score as well. But in terms of the toughness that he brings, I think it’s undisputed in the way that he plays in that he’ll put any part of his body on the line to block shots. He’ll be very welcomed here at even strength and on the penalty kill.”
Acciari once reached the 20-goal barrier with the Panthers in the 2019-20 season (which was shortened due to the pandemic). So he has a history of offensive contributions. Thus far with the Penguins, he has been limited to a single assist while averaging 12:16 of total ice time per contest.
That said, Acciari’s offensive opportunities are a bit limited as he has primarily served as the Penguins’ fourth-line center while being flanked by Matt Nieto on the left wing and Jeff Carter at the right wing.
“Playing against him over the years, he’s a hard guy to play against,” Nieto said. “He’s not the tallest, but he’s a heavy guy. He’s very physical, wins his battles. Has a scoring touch as well. It’s an underrated ability of his. He can score around the net. His physicality really makes a difference out there.”
There’s little to indicate Acciari will ever stray from the approach that has brought him success.
“In college, I was big into blocking shots, throwing hits,” Acciari said. “Once I was in the pros, I knew to crack the lineup, I needed to continue with that and make my presence be known. I might not put the puck in every night, but I need to bring something to the table. I figured throwing a hit, blocking a shot … would kind of make me stand out a bit. I think I‘ve kind of ran with that.
“When the hit is there, I’m going to take it. I’m going to try to get in the lane of every shot and try and block it as best I can. Try to help out the (defensemen) and the goalie. I take pride in what I do. I tried to perfect that as best I can.”
Note: The Penguins had a scheduled day off on Friday.