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Boko Imama clarifies his role in the Pittsburgh Penguins lineup
Photo credit: Edit from The Hockey News
Penguins' recent call-up Boko Imama clarified his role on the team, saying he can definitely fight when needed, but he is served to bring the energy to games.
Boko Imama took full advantage of his season debut with the Pittsburgh Penguins and achieved an important milestone in Philadelphia.
Playing in the Penguins' 5-1 victory against the Flyers on Monday, he spent a total of 9:39 minutes on the ice, the longest in his NHL season and one second more than his longest mark with the Arizona Coyotes in the 2023 season.
Previously recalled from the AHL affiliate in Wilkes-Barre/Scranton that morning, Imama was slotted into the fourth line and noticed the uptick in ice time right away.
In his career, he averaged less than six minutes per contest in his first 33 games of NHL action.
What Boko Imama's reputation is around the league
Imama has a reputation for size, but he has expanded his skill set well. It was no surprise that his work effort in the AHL landed him a call-up, and his first appearance of the season demonstrated his ability to make plays in a variety of ways.
His second contest of the week, in a 4-3 victory over the Lightning, involved less activity.
Imama played only 5:38 minutes of ice time due to a fight in the first period against Curtis Douglas, resulting in both players being sent to the penalty box for five minutes.
Why Boko Imama feels he can do more than just fight
Physical play is a part of his game, but Imama has shown that he has the skill to make intelligent plays too.
"I don't see myself as a fighter," Imama said. "I can fight anybody, for sure. But I see myself as an energy player."
His most impressive play came on Nov. 26 in the AHL, where he scored a penalty shot goal in Hershey with a nice backhand move that fooled Garin Bjorklund cleanly.
Imama knows that the availability of NHL playing chances is limited for those who mostly play in the AHL league. For this reason, to prolong his stay with the Penguins, he continues to be a vital player in every match he participates in.
| POLL | ||
DECEMBRE 9 | 102 ANSWERS Boko Imama clarifies his role in the Pittsburgh Penguins lineup Is Boko Imama more of an enforcer/fighter or an energy player? | ||
| Enforcer/fighter | 61 | 59.8 % |
| Energy player | 41 | 40.2 % |
| List of polls | ||