There was hockey being played on Sunday at PPG Paints Arena in Pittsburgh, although one might not even know it for how low-event it was.
Nevertheless, Pittsburgh Penguins captain Sidney Crosby found a way to, yet again, come through for his team.
Crosby one-timed the overtime game-winner on a power play, and that lone goal gave the Penguins a tight 1-0 win over the Ottawa Senators. The goal extended Crosby's point streak to nine games, which is the longest active streak in the NHL.
But as big as Crosby was - as well as Tristan Jarry, who earned his first shutout of the season in a 31-save effort - that wasn't the story of the night.
Forward prospects Rutger McGroarty - who turned 21 Sunday - and Ville Koivunen were deployed in the Penguins' top-six against the Senators, and they did not disappoint. It was McGroarty's fourth NHL game and Koivunen's NHL debut, and both rookies made an impression.
"I thought they both had great games," head coach Mike Sullivan said. "I thought they played hard, they brought us some energy, you can see that their hockey-IQ is high, their compete level is high... I'm sure they were playing on adrenaline for obvious reasons. When you get called up and have an opportunity to play in the NHL, it's a dream come true for these guys.
"So, I'm sure they were playing on adrenaline, but I thought they had a huge impact. I thought they played really well, and I thought they fit in on the lines."
The captain agrees. And he had some great things to say about McGroarty, who flanked his left.
"I thought he played well," Crosby said. "He was in on the puck, in on the forecheck, creating turnovers, had a couple chances in and around the net. I thought he competed really hard."
Koivunen also felt really good about his NHL debut,
"Felt very good," Koivunen said. "Of course, it was fun to win. Really exciting game, and I was pretty happy."
Here are some thoughts and observations from Sunday's win:
- Something that stood out right away about Koivunen is his puck pursuit game. During his very first shift with Rickard Rakell and Connor Dewar, he came in hard on the forecheck and won a few puck battles, also forcing a turnover later in the shift. Later, he also performed a nice stick lift on Ottawa forward Drake Batherson to shut down a play.
I also like Koivunen's game at the net front. He has a lot of smarts in the danger areas, and it's easy to see why the 21-year-old has seen so much success at the AHL level this season. He doesn't shy away from contact and he excels in the hard areas of the ice, too.
"I was curious to see how ...
