Kelsey Surmacz – The Hockey News
– Reading into line combinations on Day 1 of training camp is almost pointless. These teams are going to look very different when camp draws to a close.
However, I found it mildly interesting that Beauvillier was skating alongside Crosby and Rust. Beauvillier has some speed, and he scored 21 goals alongside Mathew Barzal for the New York Islanders in 2017-18. He’s someone who could, potentially, profile well next to Crosby.
We’ll see if it’s something that sticks for a bit.
– Speaking of line combinations, some others of note were Ville Koivunen-Evgeni Malkin-Rickard Rakell and Drew O’Connor-Sam Poulin-Rutger McGroarty.
Sullivan likes his “pairings.” It appears that, in the early going, he is sticking to Crosby and Rust as well as Malkin and Rakell. While O’Connor is still on Team 1 with Crosby, Michael Bunting is not on Team 2 with Malkin. He’s on Team 3.
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Again, not too much to read into here, but it’s something to keep an eye on as rosters shrink and camp progresses.
– Poulin looked really locked in today. He and O’Connor connected for a goal in the scrimmage, his skating looks as if it’s improved, and he made some nice plays in the offensive zone.
It will be a tough road for Poulin to make the NHL roster out of camp, but he’ll definitely be one to watch during camp. I expect he’ll be one of the guys to hang around for, at least, most of camp.
– Even in a short sample size today, both Blomqvist and Murashov look impressive. Blomqvist made a few nice stops during the scrimmage, and Murashov was quick, athletic, and agile during Team 3 practice.
The goaltending situation is, perhaps, one of the most interesting storylines to keep an eye on this season. Right now – presumably – the net is still Jarry’s and Nedeljkovic’s, but these two guys are going to make a big push in the not-too-distant future.
– On the defensive end, I was impressed with some of Pickering’s work today. While, again, it’s only Day 1, he was making good reads in the offensive zone, had some good stick work, and looks a bit better in the defensive zone than he did last season.
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I still think there’s some work to be done in his own zone, but he’s definitely progressing.
– Penguins’ fans are going to like Blake Lizotte. A lot. A member of Team 3, this guy worked harder than anyone else out on the ice today.
The hustle is there. The tenacity is there. Lizotte crashes the net and plays a physical game. I spoke to him briefly today, and he discussed the kinds of things he brings to the table.
He reminds me of Brandon Tanev. I think the Pittsburgh faithful will warm up to him rather quickly.
– It was announced before camp ensued today that Erik Karlsson is day-to-day with an upper-body injury.
And so it begins…
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