Owen Pickering Scores First NHL Goal

Bryan Rust recorded the overtime winner to lift the Penguins past Florida, the defending Stanley Cup Champions, by a score of 5-4 on Tuesday at PPG Paints Arena (full recap here).

He rounded out the scoring that began with Owen Pickering’s first NHL goal, and couldn’t help but smile when talking about what the rookie has brought to this team.

“He loves being here. It’s cool to watch,” Rust said of Pittsburgh’s 2022 first-round pick. “Him coming through the line with I think one of the biggest smiles I’ve ever seen on anybody is pretty cool. You could tell he was super excited. He’s been really good for us. Hopefully, he can keep helping us win games.”

Pickering is the 11^th-youngest blueliner in Penguins history to score his first NHL goal at 20 years and 311 days. Only 13 defensemen in franchise history have gotten that marker in less games than Pickering, who did so in his sixth career game tonight.

It came at the 9:20 mark of the first period, when Blake Lizotte pushed a puck along the boards to Pickering at the left point. Michael Bunting provided a perfect screen for Pickering’s wrister. Once it crossed the line, “I blacked out,” Pickering said with a laugh.

“It was pretty cool. It was sick. I just kind of put it on net. I thought it might have hit Bunts, but then he kind of pointed at me. You see a lot of good things happen throughout the league when guys put pucks on net. I was lucky enough I got one. Obviously, it's something you dream of from the time you're 3. To be able to have that and to be able to get the win at the end of the night, is pretty cool."

It’s a testament to Pickering that he’s here and contributing this early in his pro career. Penguins President of Hockey Operations and GM Kyle Dubas said in a recent episode of the GM Show that they didn’t intend to call up Pickering from Wilkes-Barre/Scranton when they did.

But with injuries at both the NHL and AHL levels, some ineffective play from the group in Pittsburgh, and Kris Letang recently missing some time due to illness, Dubas said it was ‘unequivocal’ that Pickering should get the call up.

They liked how Pickering dealt with some adversities he went through before turning pro and how he responded after struggling at the Prospects Challenge in Buffalo before training camp.

“I thought we learned a lot about him in that stretch, because he stabilized himself for the third and final game of the tournament. Came in here, and has continued to put in more and more work,” Dubas said. “I think he’s more understanding of what it takes to get the most out of his potential, and has just continued to get better and better every single day as the season has gone on.”

Pickering made his NHL debut on Nov. 16 in a win over San Jose, earning the right to play for four straight games before getting sick and missing two. The 6-foot-5 blueliner didn’t let a situation that was out of his control derail the momentum he’d built.

“Obviously it was unfortunate, but the game's the same. So, I feel like I did a pretty good job just to come back in the lineup, and it was nice to get a win and play well,” Pickering said after Saturday’s win over Calgary.

Head Coach Mike Sullivan has said defense is arguably the most difficult position to play, and it’s a tall task for young players to make that jump. Going up the likes of Sam Reinhart – who ranked second in the NHL with 57 goals last season – and Nikita Kucherov – who led the league with 144 points – is a lot to ask. But Pickering has been handling those challenges well.

"I was crazy nervous my first game. Obviously, you're still nervous every single game, but for me, it's just knowing that I can play my game at this level and gaining more confidence as every game kind of passes by,” Pickering said. “The coaching staff and my teammates have been great to help me with that, as well, just kind of knowing what I need to do to stay comfortable and help the team win."

Pickering is certainly doing everything within his power to make the most of his opportunity, saying that playing hockey for a living is the best job in the world, and something he’s not taking for granted.

“He's a treat to coach,” Sullivan said with a smile. “He's like a sponge. He wants to learn. He's very invested in the learning process. He loves being on the ice. He's just excited to be at the rink every day. That youthful energy that he brings I think is contagious. I think it's great for our whole group.”

He has the stall next to Letang, a Montreal native, who announced that the Penguins had taken Pickering 24^th during his draft at Bell Centre. He has picked Letang’s brain with questions, like talking through the NHL forecheck and how players at this level aren’t thinking hit first, they’re trying to read the defenseman.

“I think that’s great,” Letang said of Pickering’s inquisitiveness. “I think he can become a pretty special player. He's got special abilities. He's got the size, speed, and as he plays more games, he's going to get more comfortable.”