To say Jake Guentzel came out of nowhere these playoffs is selling short the performance the Penguins rookie sniper put on during the regular season.

After all, Guentzel had 16 goals in 40 games — a pace for about 33 during a full 82-game season.

And then there's his NHL debut, too.

“He scored on his first two shots,” captain Sidney Crosby said of the Nov. 21 game against the New York Rangers. “So that's pretty good.”

Actually, Guentzel needed three shots to score his first two goals. In his first period as an NHL player.

He hasn't matched that pace in the postseason. It only seems like it.

After scoring twice — including the winner 10 seconds into the third period — during Game 2 of the Stanley Cup Final on Wednesday, Guentzel extended his NHL playoff goals lead. The 22-year-old has 12 goals in 21 games.

After an eight-game drought that extended through the Eastern Conference finals, Guentzel has rediscovered the touch he had when he scored nine goals over the first 11 games of this playoff run.

“Just in right spots at the right times and pretty thankful they're going in,” Guentzel said in his understated tone.

Guentzel has three more goals than anyone else in the playoffs (teammate Evgeni Malkin is tied for second with nine). He's setting records with seemingly almost every goal. Already the Penguins single-postseason rookie record-holder for goals and points (19), Guentzel on Wednesday passed Joe Mullen (18 in 1982) for the NHL playoff record for U.S.-born rookies.

Guentzel also passed Brad Marchand and Jeremy Roenick for second place all-time in goals for a rookie in a single postseason. Only Dino Ciccarelli (14 in 1981) is ahead of him.

“It's crazy. You can't even put it into words how it feels,” Guentzel said. “But the ultimate goal is two more wins, and that's obviously tough to get.”

Guentzel's skill and hands have shown flashes over the years. He was a third-round pick four years ago. He scored 19 goals in 35 games in his final season at Nebraska-Omaha and had 21 goals in 33 games for the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins earlier this season.

But plenty of players are big scorers in college, and many an elite scorer at the AHL level fails to translate that production to the highest level.

What's made Guentzel different?

“He's been given a lot of responsibility,” Crosby said.

And that opportunity — in terms of ice time, high-caliber linemates and power-play usage — have been earned by way of his play in areas that go well beyond goal-scoring.

“Obviously the puck is going in for him, and he's making great plays to score goals,” veteran Matt Cullen said. “But I just think it's his overall game. I mean, I thought last game watching him, he brings energy. He's hanging on the pucks and making plays.

“He's an all-around player. Obviously, he's finishing so well right now, but he does everything. He puts himself in spots to score goals, and he's got a great shot. He's just been so clutch for us.”

Coach Mike Sullivan openly opined before Game 1 that Guentzel might be scratched, something Sullivan owed to possible fatigue in his first year going through the grueling grind of pro hockey.

Sullivan said instead of sulking, Guentzel approached the criticism in a way that was beneficial.

“He's a conscientious kid,” Sullivan said. “He's a pleasure to coach. We just talked about just playing the game the right way, focusing on the details shift after shift and not being concerned with scoring. Play the game the right way, winning puck battles on the wall and playing with what the game gives you.”

Said Crosby, “Even when they weren't all going in, he was still creating chances and still doing all the right things. It's great to see him score those big ones for us.”

Chris Adamski is a Tribune-Review staff writer. Reach him at cadamski@tribweb.com or via Twitter @C_AdamskiTrib.

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