Can Younger Prospects Give Penguins Some A lot-Wanted Life?

The Pittsburgh Penguins have discovered themselves in a precarious place up up to now within the season, as there are solely seven groups within the league with much less factors than their 17 proper now.

However, as evidenced of their 4-3 shootout win against the San Jose Sharks on Saturday, maybe a bit little bit of youth can go a good distance in serving to them.

Defenseman Owen Pickering, 20, made his NHL debut and registered a beautiful help on a Jesse Puljujarvi aim, and ahead Vasily Ponomarev, 22, performed a well-rounded recreation in all three zones to assist energize the Penguins on their solution to victory.

Pittsburgh performed with seven gamers aged 26 or youthful of their lineup, and it appeared to raise even the veterans.

“I feel while you put in guys which can be younger and are attempting to ascertain themselves within the league, they bring about a sure degree of enthusiasm,” head coach Mike Sullivan mentioned. “They create a sure degree of urgency to their recreation, and that may be contagious. So, these guys have been put within the lineup, they’re excited to be right here, they love coming to the rink day-after-day, they usually’re keen each time they step on the ice. And I feel there’s lots to that. It is good for our veteran guys. I feel it pushes everyone.”

Pickering had a very spectacular debut, and he even earned the third star of the sport. His help apart, he seemed comfy on the offensive blue line, he had good hole management, his net-front presence was strong, and he additionally had an enormous shot block on a third-period penalty kill.

“I really feel like I performed fairly nicely,” Pickering mentioned following the sport. “Clearly, it is good to assist the crew win, which is massive. I feel proper now, I am kinda in a whirlwind, I do not actually suppose I can consider my play, however I really feel like I did some good issues on the market, and it was a variety of enjoyable.”

The offensive-minded defenseman, who was Pittsburgh’s first-round draft decide in 2022, was referred to as up Friday after Kris Letang went down with an sickness. He had simply scored his first aim in skilled hockey on Wednesday for Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, Pittsburgh’s AHL affiliate, so he got here to Pittsburgh on a excessive notice.

Ponomarev came over from Carolina last spring as part of the Jake Guentzel trade, and in two NHL video games with Carolina, he registered a aim and an help. Though he did not register a degree on Saturday enjoying fourth line duties alongside Noel Acciari and Matt Nieto, his “motor” – as Sullivan likes to say – was on show, and he was efficient on each side of the puck.

Given the present harm scenario, there may be room on the roster for each guys to stay round till, at the very least, somebody is activated from injured reserve. 9 of the Penguins’ subsequent 10 video games are towards groups at present in playoff positions, and eight of these groups made the playoffs final season.

Each gamers are hoping to make an impression, keep in Pittsburgh for the lengthy haul, and – most significantly – assist the Penguins proper the ship and sustain with among the league’a greater groups.

And, for Ponomarev, enjoying NHL hockey in Pittsburgh is a dream realized.

“Simply being right here, I can not clarify it as a result of it is not like even in your goals,” he mentioned. “It is like someplace you’re most likely a few ranges larger than simply having fun with it. You are studying, you are having fun with being right here, and also you’re placing larger than one hundred pc into your work.”

If these guys proceed to offer “larger than one hundred pc,” it is a good guess they’re going to stick round and make selections tough for Penguins’ coaches and administration.