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Watch: Noesen 1st Pens Goal, ‘That’s a Way to Make Your Mark’

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Stefan Noesen Penguins Locker Room

PITTSBURGH — The Pittsburgh Penguins received goals from three unlikely sources on Wednesday night in their 3-0 shutout win over the St. Louis Blues. First, center Teddy Blueger scored his first goal in six weeks, later Alex Galchenyuk scored just his second goal of the season. Each player vented weeks of frustration when they scored, but none had more reason to yell than new Penguins winger Stefan Noesen.

Noesen was banished to the AHL after playing just 41 games with the New Jersey Devils last season. The Penguins signed Noesen to an AHL deal on Oct. 4 after he failed to get an NHL contract. They signed him to a two-way NHL contract this week after Patric Hornqvist was injured in practice. Wednesday night, he scored his first NHL goal in more than eight months and his first with the Penguins after averaging a point-per-game with the AHL WBS Penguins.

“It felt good. Coming to a new team, that’s a way to make your mark,” he said Wednesday night. “That’s not usually the way I do it. I’m usually more of a checking role.”

Noesen chuckled as he was asked to recount his goal. His memory was a little fuzzy.

Noesen sneaked behind the St. Louis Blues defense and was uncovered at the St. Louis net. After Jordan Binnington stopped Jared McCann’s long wrist shot, Noesen quickly cleaned up the garbage. The net was wide open as he chipped the puck into the twine.

“In the first period, I had a lot of energy and a lot of adrenaline going,” he said. “In between periods, I had to catch my breath and remember we are in a hockey game here. There are three periods.”

Stefan Noesen did make his mark with his new team. He played nearly 13 minutes in the win and his goal which came in the final 40 seconds of the second period seemed to lift the Penguins out of reach.