Scott Wilson hopes progress earns him an NHL job
The knock on the Penguins in recent years has been the lack of forward depth in the organization. That thinking was proved wrong last season when Bryan Rust, Conor Sheary and Tom Kuhnhackl made significant contributions en route to the franchise蘑菇视频 fourth Stanley Cup Championship.
All three seem poised to start the season in the NHL, but another homegrown talent could knock one of them down the depth chart 鈥� Scott Wilson.
The 24-year-old was leading the American Hockey League in goals with 22 when he was recalled last season but he was cast in more of a checking role to start his NHL career. He was elevated when injuries struck the team and immediately paid dividends by scoring goals in three consecutive games, four total in five games.
He managed to score one more goal over his next seven games, but was ruled out for the season on March 11 when he required surgery after sustaining a lower-body injury.
The good news for the Penguins and Wilson is that he蘑菇视频 back and fully healthy and working to earn a spot on what is a very deep NHL roster. He蘑菇视频 been opening eyes throughout training camp as one of the standout forwards and he stood out agian on Friday night when he scored his first preseason goal.
Wilson made a power move to the net and received a pass from Sheary that he stopped with his skate. He kicked the puck to his stick and quickly fired a shot that beat Chicago goaltender Lars Johansson to the far post.
That goal and plays like it over the past week have some, including head coach Mike Sullivan, comparing him to a veteran forward on the Penguins roster.
鈥淚 think he蘑菇视频 a strong kid who蘑菇视频 brave and goes to the net,鈥� Sullivan said. 鈥滻t蘑菇视频 still early to make any sort of assessments on where he蘑菇视频 at as far as that specific part of his game is concerned. But what I really like about Scott蘑菇视频 game is his overall game. He蘑菇视频 kind of like a young Chris Kunitz.鈥�
Wilson hasn鈥檛 been shy about going to the front of the net, which is where the Kunitz comparisons start, and he蘑菇视频 showing the type of hands that could make him very successful in close quarters.
It isn鈥檛 easy to make the play that he did on Friday. That involves speed, skill and quick hand-eye coordination to pull off. He has done that on most of his five NHL goals and it is something that he is trying to get better at by mirroring guys like Kunitz and forward Patric Hornqvist.
鈥淚 don鈥檛 mind that,鈥� Wilson said. 鈥淚 like being in front. 鈥� Most goals are scored around there, so I don鈥檛 hate being there in situations like that. [Hornqvist] and [Kunitz] are guys that I can follow and, hopefully, learn as much as I can in those areas of the ice.鈥�
Wilson is still adjusting to the speed of the NHL 鈥� not so much in terms of his own skating and keeping up with the play, but with making reads and decisions with the puck.
He蘑菇视频 used his speed to beat defenders in front, as he did on his goal, but he was also victimized by Blackhawks鈥� forward Tyler Motte. Wilson tried to force a cross-rink pass on Friday night that was picked off and taken the other way on what eventually became a two-on-none break that forced Marc-Andre Fleury to make a tough save.
That mistake aside, he is giving the coaching staff something to think about, especially while Rust is still recovering from a broken finger sustained during the Stanley Cup Final.
He isn鈥檛 getting ahead of himself though and knows that he just needs to go out and perform as he has and the rest will fall into place.
鈥淚鈥檓 just trying to get back to where I was before my injury last year. That was the best hockey I鈥檝e been playing so I am just trying to get back to that.鈥�
nnnn
Matt Murray might be injured, but there is no question that the Penguins have a very capable understudy to backup Marc-Andre Fleury. Tristan Jarry posted his second consecutive shutout on Sunday at Nationwide Arena in Columbus during the Penguins 2-0 victory over the Blue Jackets.
He previously shut out the Chicago Blackhawks on Wednesday and is now carrying a shutout sequence that蘑菇视频 spanned 119:49 minutes and 55 saves.
Jarry蘑菇视频 back-to-back shutouts book-ended Fleury蘑菇视频 1-0 victory over the Blackhawks on Friday night and the team has now held teams scoreless in three straight.