When the Penguins pulled Tristan Jarry for the extra attacker on Thursday in St. Louis, the coaching staff had rookies Rutger McGroarty and Ville Koivunen out with Sidney Crosby, Bryan Rust, Rickard Rakell and Erik Karlsson during 6-on-5 play.
The young forwards rewarded that trust and took advantage of their opportunity.
McGroarty scored his first NHL goal with 23.5 seconds left in regulation, with Koivunen recording the primary assist for his first NHL point after making his debut on Sunday.
“It was pretty cool, especially at that point in the game, versus a team like that, and how hot they are,” said McGroarty, who leapt into the glass with an emotional celebration after the puck crossed the line. “It was pretty cool for Ville and I to do that on the same goal. We might have to split the puck in half, I’m not sure.”
However, Koivunen was content with McGroarty keeping it.
“I’m really happy for him. It’s a big goal,” Koivunen said.
PIT@STL: McGroarty scores goal against Joel Hofer
The SportsNet Pittsburgh broadcast showed Head Coach Mike Sullivan talking to McGroarty and Koivunen on the bench before overtime, arms around the players, who were sitting side-by-side. They both saw some time in the extra frame before the Blues earned their 11th straight win with a power-play goal.
“If we didn’t think they were deserving, we wouldn’t put them out there,” Sullivan said. “We think they’re making a difference, and so, they’re earning their opportunities. Obviously, Rutger gets a super nice goal. Ville makes a nice play. But there was more to it than that.
“Rutger chased the puck down prior to that, where, if we gave them the separation, they might have hit an empty net. They don’t, because he puts pressure on it. I thought they were terrific in that circumstance.”
That sequence Sullivan described is what McGroarty does. He plays a power game that’s fueled with passion, hunger and competitiveness, and possesses elite hockey IQ that has allowed McGroarty to do well on a line with Sidney Crosby and Bryan Rust. Sullivan has compared McGroarty to Nick Bonino in the sense that he doesn’t have blazing speed, but the way Rutger thinks the game allows him to play it at a certain pace.
He logged 18:28 minutes, including 46 seconds of shorthanded time.
“The only reason I haven’t used him more (on the penalty kill) is because I’m trying to manage his minutes,” Sullivan said. “He’s playing with Sid on Sid’s line. That, in and of itself, is a challenge, because the way Sid plays the game and the way his line plays the game, they don’t play easy minutes, they play hard minutes. Then on the perimeter, he’s also on one of the power plays.”
McGroarty speaks to the media
McGroarty picked up his first NHL point when Rust scored 3:32 into play, setting up the star winger’s tally. The game opened up in the second period, and St. Louis had a 3-2 lead entering the second intermission.
After the Blues went up 4-2 in the final frame, Koivunen was on the ice when Rickard Rakell got the Penguins back within one, before playing a big role in helping Pittsburgh tie it late.
“It’s huge. I think with the opportunity that they have to play some more minutes and play in those key moments of the game, I think that’s big,” goaltender Tristan Jarry said. “It’ll be a big learning experience for them. And it’s awesome to see Rutger get his first goal there. That’s a once-in-a-lifetime thing, and he’s going to cherish that forever.”
