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When Clark Seymour dropped the gloves with Lehigh Valley’s Oliver Lauridsen on April 8, he did it to send a message.
But it wasn’t necessarily meant for Lauridsen.
The Penguins led the game 1-0 at the time, and Seymour noticed that the momentum was still pretty even.
He figured a fight could change that and show his coaches that he is willing to do whatever it takes to help the team win.
“That’s part of my game and things like that go a long way with a coach,” Seymour said. “They see a player willing to do whatever it takes to get the guys going.”
Seymour, who was drafted by Pittsburgh in the fifth round in 2012, has spent most of his rookie season in Wheeling but has earned a couple brief call-ups to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton.
With his latest opportunity, which has lasted five games, Seymour hopes it sticks.
With injuries depleting the blue line in Pittsburgh and call-ups opening up spots in Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, Seymour’s opportunity has never been better.
“It’s a great chance for myself to prove to the organization what I have to offer,” he said.
And there’s a lot the 6-foot-4, 220-pound Seymour can offer.
Head coach John Hynes said Seymour’s size and strength are his foundation, and lately he’s put it to good use.
“He’s a big guy that uses his reach and plays big. It’s nice to have a guy like that and Clark’s developed that a little bit better this year,” Hynes said. “He’s on track to be able to make an impact the rest of the year here with us and into the playoffs.”
For Seymour, using his size means more than just a willingness to drop the gloves. It’s about using his reach to swat pucks away, break up plays, punish opponents in the corners and even use his long stride to get the puck up ice.
“There’s a couple of components to it,” Seymour said. “I was drafted for my size and physical play and they want to see me use it.”
Now that Seymour is doing just that, he’s hoping for an extended stay with the Penguins.
“The more time you spend with a team you get comfortable not only with the systems but the city in general,” he said. “You feel more at home and you can get into a groove.”
NOTEBOOK
– Seymour suffered a scare in Tuesday’s practice when he hurt his leg and had to be helped off the ice. Afterwards, Hynes said he didn’t think it was anything serious. “It looked a little bit worse on the ice. He should be good,” Hynes said.
– With D Scott Harrington, D Brian Dumoulin and F Scott Wilson called up to Pittsburgh, the Penguins are hoping for the return of a few injured regulars. D Barry Goers could be the first. Hynes said he is day-to-day and possible to return this weekend.
– W Bryan Rust, D Reid McNeill and C Nick Drazenovic are still week-to-week, while Hynes said LW Anton Zlobin won’t be back for the playoffs.