Rutger McGroarty’s Busted Skate & Big Moments; The Full Story Shift by Shift (+)

“I love my parents, my sister, and my girlfriend, but no present they’ve ever gotten me can live up to that,” Rugter McGroarty said about his 21st birthday present, which was, in fact, his return to the NHL Sunday. This time, it’s likely permanent, except for the coming AHL playoff run with the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins.

McGroarty was beaming after the game. He also proudly told reporters of his awkward finish to his first NHL game since October. In the final minutes of regulation during the Pittsburgh Penguins’ 1-0 overtime win over the Ottawa Senators, the rookie was wearing two different skates. Erik Karlsson’s shot cracked his boot, and with the adrenaline of the game, he and equipment manager John Taglianetti quickly swapped a busted boot for a new skate that didn’t match the other.

And McGroarty went right back into the fight.

Read More: Jarry’s 31 Saves, Crosby’s OT Goal Carry Penguins Past Ottawa

McGroarty drew praise and visibly improved throughout Sunday’s game against the Ottawa Senators. The Penguins were the only team to score when Sidney Crosby blasted a shot from the right circle over Ottawa goalie Anton Forsberg in overtime.

However, the story of the game was McGroarty and fellow rookie Ville Koivunen, who made his NHL debut.

“I thought he played well. He was in on the puck, in on the forecheck, created turnovers, had a couple of chances around the net,” said new linemate Sidney Crosby. “He competed really hard.”

It’s been a year of growth, growing pains, and improvement for McGroarty, who spent the majority of the campaign with the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins. He was the unquestioned top prospect in the Penguins organization after his acquisition last summer. To the Penguins’ credit, he now shares billing as a top prospect with Koivunen, but that’s more about Koivunen’s rapid progression than anything from McGroarty.

Koivunen was flying Sunday. The more structured NHL game agreed with him, and his speed was quite noticeable, perhaps more so than the average AHL game.

From practice on Saturday, it was obvious the rookies would be given a chance to shine. Coach Mike Sullivan decided not to wait and took off McGroarty’s swimmies, tossing him into the deep end of the pool. In just McGroarty’s fourth career NHL game- the first three were in October- he lined up beside Crosby on the Penguins’ top line.

That’s not an easy assignment for a veteran player, but it was McGroarty’s great opportunity.

The former University of Michigan standout and Winnipeg Jets’ first-round pick (14th overall), flashed a few reasons why Sullivan delivered the prime opportunity.

The first period was a good exposition of McGroarty’s strengths and a couple of things he’ll pick up as he plays more NHL games. As part of our coverage, we chronicled McGroarty’s game, shift by shift. The good, the almost great, the rough patches, and everything in between.

Even coach Mike Sullivan couldn’t hold back a smile when he was asked about the rookies. He grinned like a proud coach.

Remember this? Penguins Prospects: Why Everyone Might be Wrong on Rutger McGroarty (+)

Our detailed report perfectly aligned with our scouting trips and reports from Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, which is an important note. McGoarty didn’t do anything he hasn’t been doing for WBS, but Sunday, he did it against better competition. Fans should also smile because that also means McGroarty’s game was replicable and not an adrenaline-fueled, unrepeatable performance.

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