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Penguins Wrap: Mixed Results, Popular Rookies, & Malkin Shines
After a highly anticipated training camp, the Pittsburgh Penguins got down to it. With mixed results. They decided on their season-opening roster, including a couple of those youngsters everyone was tracking, and opened the season. It went, well, so-so, with a blowout, mistake-filled loss, followed by a better performance in their first win.
They were just two games, but they provided some talking points — what lines worked, a power play that just has to be better than last year, and how some Penguins and NHL debuts went.
To catch up on an eventful week, click the links.
Saturday: After missing all his team’s preseason games because of an undisclosed injury, defenseman Erik Karlsson finally went through a full-go practice. Afterward, he talked about being ready for the opener, the power play and new assistant David Quinn in a wide-ranging interview.
Defenseman Ryan Graves did not exactly win a lot of friends among the faithful last season, his first with the team, as he struggled. Despite some good depth in the organization at the position, it looks as if he will be given every chance to rebound. What does he have to do? Here’s a checklist.
One of the younger players looking to stick in the NHL, Sam Poulin, didn’t make the final roster. But he didn’t get plucked off waivers before he got sent to the AHL. However, the Penguins did lose a piece of their depth on defense off waivers when the Colorado Avalanche claimed John Ludvig.
Sunday: It’s great fun and of great interest every year. Probably more so this year with a lot of competition in training camp. PHN took a stab at the final roster and lines.
The roster trimming continued, with more decisions looming, as the Penguins sent two players to the AHL, including one who was in competition for one of those spots on defense, Sebastian Aho.
Monday: The long-awaited final roster got set. Yes, Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin and Kris Letang made it. Again. But the bigger news was that top prospect Rutger McGroarty made it.
He was poised and had a strong rookie tournament, followed by an equally strong training camp. Along the way, he earned a ton of praise. It was thought he might have earned a nine-game NHL tryout. In the end, he was one of the final cuts as the Penguins sent 2024 second-round draft pick Harrison Brunicke back to juniors.
Penguins president of hockey operations and general manager Kyle Dubas outlined his hopes for the club, and was realistic about the where the team is starting out, in a season-opening press conference.
Tuesday: The pundits had spoken. Dubas had spoken. PHN went straight to the sources and asked the players themselves. A popular response was that the playoffs could again be in the picture, and they had a good feeling about the team in a locker room survey.
With everything pointing to Rutger McGroarty making his NHL debut in the Penguins season opener — and perhaps slated to get some time on the penalty kill — he recounted the reaction when he called home with the news.
Top-line winger Bryan Rust joined practice in a non-contact capacity, and goaltender Alex Nedeljkovic returned to the ice with a group of rehabbing players in a promising injury update.
Wednesday: What do Evgeni Malkin, Tristan Jarry and Kevin Hayes have in common? Besides the obvious, of course. They are in a small club — the three Penguins PHN projects could lift or sink the team.
Finally, Game 1. And it was … fully forgettable. The Penguins flopped in a 6-0 loss at home against the New York Rangers. Not surprisingly, that led to some less than flattering grades in the report card.
Also weighing in was popular coach and and instructor Francis Anzelone, who offered a full Coach’s Debrief of the opening loss in an informative video.
Thursday: Marcus Pettersson is considered the Penguins’ steadiest defenseman as he has consistently improved over the years. However, he is also a pending free agent. That puts him in an interesting situation.
The Penguins got the bounce-back that they needed. Joel Blomqvist was strong in his NHL debut, the Penguins used some revamped lines, Evgeni Malkin hit a milestone, and newcomer Anthony Beauvillier scored twice in a 6-3 win in Detroit. Not surprisingly, with Malkin and Blomqvist leading the way, things looked much better in the report card.
Hear from the players themselves, including Blomqvist, in this video trip through the Penguins locker room.
Friday: The Penguins had a day off before their game Saturday in Toronto, so it was a good time to take an early look at a few topics, such as an assessment of goaltender Tristan Jarry, problems on defense, and what changes in the lineup might come when Rust returns, in this version of Penguins one-timers.