Las Vegas Sun

March 29, 2024

Pitt content to help fellow Wranglers find the back of the net

Scott Pitt

Stephen R. Sylvanie / Special to the Sun

Scott Pitt of the Las Vegas Wranglers fires the puck into the offensive zone during the third period against the Colorado Eagles at Orleans Arena on Saturday, March 2, 2013.

Wranglers vs. Eagles March 2, 2013

Sean Wiles celebrates after scoring a first-period goal on a slapshot from outside the faceoff circle against the Colorado Eagles on Saturday night. Launch slideshow »

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Scott Pitt has been asked to shoot the puck more. He's heard it throughout his career, whether it has been in college at Mercyhurst in Pennsylvania or in his professional career.

He has a reason why he doesn't shoot more. He doesn't think he has a great shot, and prefers to help a teammate score.

After all, a goal scored — no matter by whom — still counts the same.

"I understand that I don't have the greatest shot," said Pitt, who did register an assist in the Wranglers' 5-3 loss to the Colorado Eagles on Saturday. "I'm more of a playmaker. ... I like setting guys up and helping my teammates out."

Coach Ryan Mougenel said Pitt has a great shot; he wants Pitt to be more aggressive on the offensive end.

"I need Scott to score goals. He's definitely not selfish enough," Mougenel said. "He should have six, seven shots a game. That's how you score."

Don't mistake that comment as Mougenel being unhappy with Pitt. Quite the contrary; Mougenel likes what Pitt brings to the table, especially when it comes to setting up teammates and getting assists.

Pitt is ranked in the top 20 in the ECHL in assists with 35, and he leads the team in the category.

"A lot of those assists are primary assists, where he's working hard," Mougenel said. "He's been great since we got him."

The Wranglers acquired Pitt from Greenville, S.C., in a trade in December, which provided Pitt with a sense of relief. He wasn't enjoying his time in Greenville, pointing specifically to not being happy with playing time.

"It wasn't going my way," Pitt said. "(When) I heard about the trade I was ecstatic."

The move to Las Vegas, Pitt said, revitalized him and it shows on the stat sheet. Since joining the Wranglers, Pitt has tallied 25 for the team, and is playing on a forward line that seems to have found its groove.

Sean Wiles and Andrew Sarauer join Pitt on that line, and Sarauer leads the team in points with (47).

"We have a pretty good chemistry. We feed off each other. Every guy on that line brings something and we all complement each other," Pitt said. "Wiles has a great shot and can snipe. Sarauer is patient and he sees the ice so well.

"It makes it easy to play with those guys. I feel like we know where each other are on the ice."

Last season, Pitt played for the Florida Everblades — the team that defeated the Wranglers in the Kelly Cup Finals last year. He played in 63 games with 36 assists and 22 goals.

So when Pitt arrived to Las Vegas, he felt comfortable knowing the team has made a commitment to winning and has proven it with appearances in the Western Conference finals and Kelly Cup finals.

"This organization knows how to win," Pitt said. "I love it here. ... They have a good fan base. I wasn't sure how many fans we'd get. It's been unreal so far."

Three Stars: 1. Kyle Ostrow, Colorado (2 goals, 1 assist); 2. Sean Wiles, Las Vegas (1 goal, 1 assist); 3. Michael Formey, Colorado (1 goal, 2 assists)

Up Next: Las Vegas wraps up a three-game homestand with a rematch with the San Francisco Bulls. The two teams played Friday, which the Wranglers won 2-1. The puck is scheduled to drop at 2:05 p.m.

Paul Delos Santos can be reached at 990-2416 or [email protected]. Follow Paul on Twitter at twitter.com/pauliedelos.

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