The information presented after the jump is cool and interesting but I’m not really sure how it connects to the criticisms people (including head coach Pat Quinn) have been making of Penner. The criticism of Penner’s isn’t a) suggesting that he hasn’t been the Oilers’ best forward this season, or b) that he’s looked “lazy” and “disinterested” all year. The criticism is pointing instead to his play over the last 26 games (roughly, from the end of the road winning streak until today). In those 26 games Penner has scored 5 goals out of the Oilers’ total of 47, or 10.6% of the total, a pretty substantial decrease from earlier this season.

That said, I agree with you that Penner is not the problem and that he hasn’t been poor over most of that 26-game period (some bad but more good, much like earlier this year). I’m just not sure how the numbers you’ve presented make that case.

What I do think makes the case are his percentages which have taken a surprisingly wild swing:

First 32 Games:
Personal 5v5 Sh% 17.8%
On Ice 5v5 Sh% 13.2%
On Ice 5v5 Sv% .936
On Ice 5v5 Goal Differential +16

Last 26 Games:
Personal EV Sh% 9.3%
On Ice EV Sh% 3.9%
On Ice EV Sv% .888
On Ice 5v5 Goal Differential -10

People are seeing way more pucks go in the net at the wrong end of the rink than what took place before and have concluded that Penner is “back to his old ways” when really, not much has changed for him personally. He was riding unsustainable percentages and getting all the credit for them and now he’s doing the same thing on the low end and taking all the blame. His Corsi percentage in the last 26 games is actually better than it was in the first 32 (.526 compared to .507). I’ve noticed a couple of bad games here and there but honestly, he looks like the same guy to me the last few weeks as he did in the first couple of months, that is, a slightly better version of Penner than we had last season.