If one graded Brent Burns on the January 14th win over the Pittsburg Penguins, he would get an A+. Burns went 0-fer the night, had 2 minutes of penalty time, worked 22 shifts for 23:13 minutes of playing time. But…..he beat Sidney Crosby on a face-off. That alone, is worth dropping the mic and strutting away.
Yet, that is not the task at hand.
By the numbers, Burns has had a very typical (for him) first half of the season. Six goals , 23 assists, and 34 penalty minutes. 20 to 25 minutes of playing time, and averaging around 25 shifts a night.