With forward Evgeni Malkin absent from the Pittsburgh Penguins’ practice session Thursday in Cranberry for what was termed as a “maintenance day,” forward Jesse Puljujarvi filled in on the second power-play unit.
Considering he didn’t formally join the NHL roster until Sunday after signing a two-year contract, Puljujarvi still is getting used to his new surroundings and learning the team’s schematics.
As such, veteran forward Lars Eller, also a member of the second unit, sat next to Puljujarvi on the bench and explained the structure of the power play with a sheet of paper as the first unit drilled during Thursday’s session.
While he still has a ways to go to get acclimated, Puljujarvi made a strong first impression during his Penguins debut Tuesday in a 3-0 home win against the Winnipeg Jets.
He had a slight hand in the opening goal in the first period by defenseman Kris Letang as he dumped the puck into the offensive zone. Jets defenseman Josh Morrissey recovered the puck but turned it over to Letang, who elevated a backhander into the cage.
“Get some plus there,” Puljujarvi said with a smile Thursday in reference to his plus/minus rating.
Puljujarvi, who played 13 games for Wilkes-Barre/Scranton of the American Hockey League on a professional tryout contract in January, logged 9:41 of ice time on 13 shifts and had two shots on three attempts in Tuesday’s contest.
He also drew a strong endorsement from his coach in his first NHL game since undergoing resurfacing surgery on each hip in June.
“Jesse had a good game,” coach Mike Sullivan said. “He’s jumping on a moving train, so to speak, with all the work that he’s put in to get himself to this point. When you get into that first NHL game, I think the pace is a whole other level than what he saw at the (AHL). Though I think those (AHL) games are invaluable for him. That’s a really good league, but the pace at this level is a whole other level. There’s one way you can, I think, acclimate to that is getting into games and competing.
“He did a good job. He’s good on the forecheck. He’s a rangy guy, he takes up a lot of space. He’s got a good stick. He hunted pucks in the offensive zone. He was part of (the opening goal). He had a good game for his first game.”
Puljujarvi, the fourth overall pick in the 2016 NHL Draft, is being deployed on the third line with Eller and Rickard Rakell. In Tuesday’s game, that line was on the ice for nine shot attempts for and only four against according to Natural Stat Trick.
“Good guys,” Puljujarvi said. “They can skate, and they can make plays. It felt good.”
Just being in the NHL is a nice feeling as well.
“It was a solid game,” Puljujarvi said. “We played a good game. It was actually really fun to be back in the ‘big league.’ ”
