BLUE LINE SHUFFLING
First, some lineup notes. The blue line saw some changes, with 19-year-old rookie Harrison Brunicke getting the night off as part of his development plan. Head Coach Dan Muse said there will be times throughout the start of the year that Brunicke and 18-year-old forward Ben Kindel will come out of the lineup.
“We’re looking at what’s best for them now, but also, for them to continue to grow throughout the course of the season,” Muse said. “They’re in a different situation just because of their age. It’s something I strongly agree with, and I’ve learned some lessons myself just with my time working with younger players. And so, there is a reasoning behind this.”
Caleb Jones was also scratched, which meant Matt Dumba and Connor Clifton made their Penguins debuts. They were paired together.
Clifton spoke in the summer about wanting to re-discover his best game in Pittsburgh after going through some struggles in Buffalo. “Which is, he’s a very highly competitive, physical guy that can be very difficult to play against, won’t back down from anybody, and I think brings a lot of fire to the game each night,” Kyle Dubas said.
Dumba was also acquired via trade this offseason. After being drafted seventh overall by Minnesota at the 2012 NHL Draft in Pittsburgh, Dumba remained with the organization through the 2022-23 campaign. The last two seasons were with Arizona, Tampa and Dallas. Now with the Penguins, Dumba said, “I just want to bring a lot of intensity, the passion I have for the game, intangibles, and show that I trust my instincts, my skills, and that I can make plays, too.”
Kris Letang was paired with Ryan Shea, who picked up primary assists on the first two goals. Fantastic to see for a player Dubas called a “a zero-maintenance person I think everyone roots for because of that. He’s very well liked and takes up no time of management, medical, coaching staff… does his work with the development people. Does it with vigor and enthusiasm.”
First Appeared on
Source link
