There were several firsts on Wednesday for the Pittsburgh Penguins when they took on the Buffalo Sabres in an important Thanksgiving Eve matchup.
The most prominent first was, obviously, the first NHL game of Penguins' center Tristan Broz's career, and he put forth a nice effort for Pittsburgh. It was also forward Ville Koivunen's first game back from injury, and he and Broz - frequent linemates in Wilkes-Barre/Scranton (WBS) - had the opportunity to play on the same line for the first time at the NHL level.
But there was another player who was playing his first game after a stint on injured reserve. And he was the most important player on the ice for the Penguins en route to a 4-2 win.
With Buffalo pressing big-time in the second half of the game, Penguins' goaltender Tristan Jarry stood tall, keeping his team in the game and making some huge saves. He stopped 28 of 31 Buffalo shots on goal, and he was the main reason the Penguins got back in the win column Wednesday after dropping two straight games.
"He was outstanding," head coach Dan Muse said. "And I think, especially the second half of the game, he saw a lot more than we'd want him to see. But even in the second period, the first - I don't know exactly what it was, but - the first half of the period, there wasn't much for scoring chances for them. I thought we controlled play, and then, it kind of flipped.
"That's not easy for a goalie. You go a lot of the period there without seeing too much, and then suddenly, you see a lot. I thought that was a huge part of the game there where he was able to help us weather the storm with some big saves - especially that really long, extended shift that we had in the d-zone there in the second period."
'He's A Great Player': Tristan Broz Confirmed To Make NHL Debut Wednesday Against Buffalo SabresPittsburgh Penguins' forward prospect Tristan Broz will make his NHL debut against the Buffalo Sabres On WednesdayThere was no score - and not a whole lot of shots - for most of the first period until Penguins' defenseman Matt Dumba threw a knuckling puck from the right circle through a screen and toward the net and in. The score remained 1-0 in favor of the Penguins through the end of the second period, too, despite Buffalo beginning to push in the latter half of the middle frame.
Then - when the Sabres just kept pressing in the third period - the tying goal felt almost inevitable. And ex-Penguin Jason Zucker did register that tally with 7:20 to go in regulation.
The Penguins have certainly been in that position - the aftermath of a blown lead - plenty of times in the month of November. But, this time, they responded the right way.
Just 31 seconds later, Bryan Rust buried one from the right circle to put Pittsburgh back on top, 2-1, and less than four minutes later, Kevin Hayes added an insurance goal and his first of the season in the form of a net-front redirection off of a gorgeous feed from Erik Karlsson.
Buffalo's Jack Quinn did bring the Sabres within one with just over four minutes to go in regulation, but Connor Dewar responded with a late empty-net goal to seal the 4-2 win.
Here are a few takeaways from this win:
- There were ups and downs for Broz in his debut. He didn't have a great defensive zone showing on Buffalo's tying goal, and there were some jitters and adjustments earlier on in the game.
But, by the end of it, he looked like he belonged. And he looked comfortable with both Koivunen and Tommy Novak.
We'll see how everyone lines up Friday when the Penguins play the Columbus Blue Jackets, as - presumably - rookie Ben Kindel will be back in the lineup after being a healthy scratch Wednesday.
- Speaking of Kindel's scratch, I had no issue with it.
Yes, the Penguins have not played a lot of games lately, and resting him might seem silly to some because the Penguins hadn't played since Saturday.
But, remember this: The Penguins originally had a development plan in place for both Kindel and rookie defenseman Harrison Brunicke, and that kind of went off the tracks for both of them in opposite ways. While Brunicke found himself scratched for seven consecutive games on his way to an AHL conditioning stint that began Wednesday against the Hershey Bears, Kindel found himself as an essential part of the lineup because of the Penguins' injury situation, which means they couldn't really give him any planned breaks.
Penguins Loan Top Defensive Prospect Harrison Brunicke To AHLThe Pittsburgh Penguins are giving teenage top defensive prospect Harrison Brunicke a chance to reset at the AHL level with a conditioning loan. Wednesday was an example of them simply having the ability - for the first time in a while - to actually follow through on their development plan. With Broz able to slot in at third-line center, Kindel could afford to have a night off.
So, I wouldn't read into it too much, and I expect him back Friday. However, one thing I would keep in the back of your mind is that - especially if Broz does end up sticking around and the team continues to get healthier - it's no guarantee that Kindel won't play in the World Junior Championship.
I feel it's probably still unlikely for several reasons, but I wouldn't rule it out entirely.
- Dumba has looked a bit better in the last couple of games, and I think he's at his best when he's getting pucks to the net.
Of course, his goal Wednesday wasn't the hardest shot in the world, but Dumba does have a booming shot that he could sure use a whole lot more than he does. If he continues to activate more in the offensive zone, I think we'll see a better version of him moving forward.
I thought he was good Wednesday.
- Rust really needed a goal. And, man, was that goal huge.
For him personally, it had been going on seven games without a goal and six games without a point. Rust tends to score in bunches, and the Penguins really need him to score goals right now in the absence of Rickard Rakell and Justin Brazeau.
Hopefully, this gets him going.
Team-wise? The Penguins very well could have deflated entirely after surrendering yet another third-period lead. Instead, they responded with a quick goal and added another insurance goal in pretty quick order, almost as if to say, "Not this time."
When a team is mired in a funk, winning games this way can really help to boost morale and propel them forward, especially with a tough, condensed schedule ahead. The Penguins responded, and they hung on.
And it started with Rust's goal.
- Over 77 percent of the time in the NHL, teams in a playoff spot come Thanksgiving do indeed make the playoffs.
With a Utah Mammoth comeback against the Montreal Canadiens Wednesday, the Penguins are officially in a playoff spot come Thanksgiving.
A lot can happen this season, obviously. But remember this.
It's no small thing that the Penguins are tied for third in the NHL in regulation wins, which is the first tiebreaker. It's no small thing that - despite a rough November where their luck has run out - they still hold a winning record and seem to be in almost every hockey game, save for a few. And it's no small thing that they've been able to scratch and claw and still bank points - and hold a playoff position - despite being severely injury-depleted during this tough stretch.
The Penguins will be getting much healthier soon. Brazeau and Noel Acciari skated with the team Wednesday in a non-contact capacity. Koivunen is back. Jarry is back. Rakell is skating on his own. Hallander is skating. Rutger McGroarty is tearing up the AHL with three goals and five points in three games.
If they continue to get the goaltending - and they get healthy - maybe, just maybe, this is actually a good hockey team. There is still a lot to clean up defensively, and they need to start scoring a whole lot more goals again.
But it's possible that we've seen the worst of it. Of course, that might not be the case, and the sport of hockey has an unpredictability that makes it fun and unique.
So, all I will say - for now - is that something does feel different about this team. There is a different air in the locker room. There is a different kind of fight in this group.
We'll just have to see where it takes them.
Penguins' Top Prospect Rutger McGroarty Extends AHL Goal-Scoring Streak<a href="https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/pittsburgh-penguins">Pittsburgh Penguins</a>' top prospect Rutger McGroarty can't stop scoring goals for the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton (WBS) Penguins.
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