Snap Shots: Penguins Preseason Opener
THOUGHTS, MUSINGS AND OBSERVATIONS
First of all, here's a look at the Penguins' workflow:
Sam Poulin-Evan Rodrigues-Kasperi Kapanen
Danton Heinen-Brian Boyle-Nathan Legare
Dominik Simon-Jonathan Gruden-Sam Lafferty
Justin Almeida-Jordy Bellerive-Jan Drozg
P.O Joseph-John Marino
Juuso Riikola-Mark Friedman
Cam Lee-Chad Ruhwedel
The goalies split the game: Tristan Jarry played the first half, while Filip Lindberg played the second.
"We're trying to give guys an opportunity to show what they can do," Penguins head coach Mike Sullivan said. "We're trying to put guys in positions to play to their strengths. We're trying to throw on our younger guys with some veteran guys to help put them in a position to be successful, and we're trying to put guys in certain situations where we would envision them playing a role on our team."
- When it comes to the veteran guys, Kapanen was someone who stood out as just operating on another level with his dynamic, explosive speed and playmaking ability. He seems completely dialed in right now. I think arriving on time after being delayed last year and just starting off on the right foot has made a world of difference for Kapanen. It's allowing him to build on the foundation he established last year, with his confidence growing with each passing day.
"I've been on the team for a year now, so obviously it feels a lot better and I'm more comfortable," Kapanen said. "So it's an exciting time right now."
It really is, especially after hearing what Sullivan had to say about the 25-year-old winger's potential:
"I told him he has the potential to be an elite player in this league. I really believe that. I've told him that on a number of occasions, and I'm going to do everything within my power to help him get there. Sometimes that means tough love for Kappy, but it's not because we don't think highly of him. It's just the opposite. We think so highly of him. I just think he has an elite game. I think there's so much room for growth in his game. There isn't any aspect of the game that Kappy can't excel in, in my opinion. … My hope is that I can push him to get to another level, and we're going to push him hard. Because we think he's that capable."
- Kapanen was the elder statesman on the top power-play unit, which also included Sam Poulin, Nathan Legare, P.O Joseph and John Marino. Sullivan said they could have used Danton Heinen there as well, but wanted to get a look at the forward in shorthanded situations. "I had a conversation with him on how comfortable he was with playing on the penalty kill, and he did a lot of that in the second half of the season last year," Sullivan said. "I think potentially that's a position where he can really help this team."
The same goes for Brian Boyle, who joined Heinen as one of the first guys over the boards on the penalty kill.
- When it comes to the younger guys, a few of them looked really good. Poulin had some chemistry with Kapanen, who set him up for two Grade-A scoring chances. Though Poulin was penciled in on the wing, he still took a handful of draws, going 6-2 in the faceoff dot. "I think I played well," Poulin said. "We got a good line, and overall I think we all did pretty good. The performance of the team didn't reflect on the score that much, but that's how things went."
During Rookie Camp, Wilkes-Barre/Scranton head coach J.D. Forrest talked about how young prospects like Poulin and Legare, who are more in the power forward mold, have to be able to play with all of the NHLers around him in order to take that next step. And so far, so good in that regard throughout the first few days of Training Camp.
Legare said he lost almost 15 pounds over the summer to get lighter on his feet, and Sullivan said that was evident in his first real game action of the year. "His pace has picked up. He caught a couple guys from behind. I think he's picked up a step or two based on the last time he was here," said Sullivan, who also liked how Legare got involved physically and competed hard in the tough areas in addition to showcasing his incredible shot. If he can continue to put all of that together, Legare will make quite the formidable package.
Sullivan talks a lot about speed in all its forms - not just foot speed, but team speed and the ability to move the puck and change the point of attack quickly. And something that's stood out about Poulin, who has done a good job of keeping up with whoever he plays with. In the first portion of training camp, he had been playing wing with Brian Boyle and Bryan Rust, and was reading and reacting off them well. He did more of the same with Kapanen and Rodrigues tonight.
- Defenseman Cam Lee,
who signed with the Penguins
as a free agent out of Western Michigan and split last season between WBS and HC Slovan Bratislava, was noticeable with how he held onto the puck and made plays. The offensive-minded blueliner finished with a game-high six shots, and certainly wasn't afraid to hold back out there.
'He plays with a lot of energy," Sullivan said. "He's a trier. He's a real competitive kid. I thought he did some really good things out there. He's a good young player, so it's fun for us to get to see these guys in an NHL environment."
- While this wasn't Filip Lindberg's first time
playing in PPG Paints Arena
, it was our first look at the netminder wearing a Penguins uniform in this building, and I thought he looked good in his first preseason action.
"I thought Filip made a couple of good saves," Sullivan said. "He got tested here a few times. I thought he tracked the puck really well."
His athleticism stood out on one particular save, where a 2-on-1 for Columbus turned into a 2-on-0 at the last second. Lindberg started going one way, then quickly had to recover the other way and stretched his pad out for a big save.
"From a goalie perspective, everything happens a little quicker," Lindberg said. "The guys move faster, shoot faster. I felt like it was a good first game for me. I'm excited for the next opportunity, and I'm going to be ready for it."
