Inside a packed UPMC Lemieux Sports Complex, there was a buzz in the air. You could feel the excitement for hockey season to be back, and fans welcomed their Pittsburgh Penguins back to the ice Wednesday (Sept. 18) morning as they began training camp, just days before the start of preseason game on Saturday, Sept. 21. The roster consists of 69 players participating: 38 forwards, 25 defensemen, and six goaltenders, all split between four groups. Four other players were invited which includes Beau Jelsma, Jagger Joshua, Matt Nieto, and Taylor Gauthier, but none participated due to not being medically cleared to return from injuries.
Day one of camp had a very fast tempo to it with lots of smiles from the players. In the crowd, you could feel and see the excitement the players had to get back on the ice with their teammates in preparation for the new season. The fans were ecstatic as they got their first looks at some new prospects, new veteran players, and their returning star players.
Rutger McGroarty First Impression in Pittsburgh
Wow, what can I say? Rutger McGroarty is going to be a star for the Penguins whenever he enters the league. He showed today everything that has been talked about him, from the offensive force he is to his good defensive and physical play. What really caught my eye on the him was the chemistry he had with Drew O’Connor in such a short period of time. The plays between the two were clean and even mesmerizing at points. They looked as if they had been playing together for months, rather than just a few minutes. They were finding each other’s stick seamlessly and knew where the other was going to be to make that perfect play.
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McGroaty was definitely a standout player at day one of camp. One did not have to look hard to find him, regardless of if he had the puck on his stick. He showed solid skating ability, but still has some room to improve in that department (but every NHLer is looking to constantly work on and improve different areas of their game.) He seemed to have a unique way of shooting the puck. It may have just been a couple times, but it looked as though his bottom hand was a bit higher up on the shaft of his stick. Despite that, he still had quite a bit of power behind his shots with a quick release.
Penguins’ Goaltending Depth Looks Solid
Throughout the scrimmage to end the on-ice sessions for team one and team two, the goaltenders had a pretty good showing. Alex Nedeljkovic and Charlie Schenkel were the goalies for team one, while Joel Blomqvist and Filip Larsson were in net for team two. Nedeljkovic saw the puck in his zone for a majority of his time in the net for the first half of the scrimmage. He looked solid and did not look like he missed a beat from the end of last season. Opposing him in the first half was thee Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins goaltender Blomqvist. He continues to impress, though he did give up an unlucky goal that rattled off the post, off his back, and in. His lateral movement was incredible for how big he is. Sometimes, you will see a goalie with height not have fluid lateral movement, but was not the case with Blomqvist.
In the second half, Schenkel and Larsson were in net for their respective teams. Both goalies had solid outings, making incredible stops and showing great athleticism. The 26-year-old Larsson, a 167th-overall pick in the 2016 NHL Entry Draft by the Detroit Red Wings, signed a two-year contract with the Penguins on April 29 and is listed to play this season with the “baby” Penguins. There have been many reports, prior to his being drafted, of his excellent rebound control and calm demeanour. He certainly showed that today, along with a few flashy saves with the glove.
Coming off his third season with the Soo Greyhounds in the Ontario Hockey League, Schenkel, an undrafted 20-year-old, was invited to attend the Penguins’ training camp this season. He let up a couple goals in the half he played, but there is nothing he could have done differently on them. He came up with some big saves at key moments while also showing a ton of composure when he was not too sure where the puck was located.
Day one of camp showed promise to fans in attendance. The prospect pool looks solid, goaltending depth could give them hope for the future, and the team just might be able to claim a wild card spot this season if everything clicks. Obviously it is only day one of training camp with many days to go until the NHL season starts, but it is looking as though the younger players are fighting hard to make a statement on why they should be given an opportunity in the near future.
