WILKES-BARRE, Pa. — For Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins forward Thomas Di Pauli, there were plenty of ups and downs during his recovery from back surgery in early December.
So many, in fact, that the rehabilitation process grew more and more “irritating” as the weeks passed by. All the while, he refused to mope about his circumstances or think about the opportunities he had already missed.
“If you dwell on it, just … nothing good happens,” Di Pauli told DKPittsburghSports.com. “Put it past you and work every day to get back as soon as possible.”
The 22-year-old’s long wait finally came to an end on March 4, when he was in the lineup against the rival Hershey Bears. It was Di Pauli’s first game since Nov. 26 and the start of a new chapter in what has been a trying first professional season.
After suffering an injury at training camp, the Caldaro, Italy, native returned for eight games in November. He showed promise and scored his first professional goal despite playing at what he estimated to be 70-percent efficiency.
But his back had become a lingering issue and needed to be addressed. Di Pauli was shut down again.
“The hardest part was just staying positive on those bad days when you wake up, (your back) doesn’t feel quite right and I gotta do the treatment,” said Di Pauli, a former Notre Dame Fighting Irish standout.
“A lot of these guys have been playing hockey, pro hockey, for a lot of years,” he added, “and it’s my first year, so I feel like I have to prove something to them.”
So, Di Pauli worked hard to get back on the ice. He had film sessions with Penguins assistant coach Chris Taylor while he was out, and he worked with the training staff to change his eating habits, namely preparing smaller portions while he wasn’t skating.
Now, he’s finally getting the chance to play at 100 percent at a crucial time for the Penguins. Oskar Sundqvist was recalled to Pittsburgh on Friday, and the team is still trying to develop consistency on offense after a long-term injury to forward Garrett Wilson.
The hope is Di Pauli, who scored 14 goals as a collegiate senior last season, can rebound quickly and help fill the void.
Coach Clark Donatelli raves about Di Pauli’s speed, and he believes the young forward can find another gear compared to his short stint earlier this season.
“He’s an energy guy,” Donatelli said, adding that Di Pauli can also kill penalties. “He’s really hard on pucks, so we’re just expecting him to go out there and play with some energy, get in on the offense, create the forecheck and just play fast.”
Di Pauli said he has received a couple good hits during practice and felt fine, so he isn’t worried about any health issues moving forward. Wilkes-Barre/Scranton recalled Christian Hilbrich from Wheeling last week for insurance, but the team reassigned the forward on Saturday.
Di Pauli hasn’t recorded any points in the four games since his return, but he has skated on the top line with captain Tom Kostopoulos and Kevin Porter. So, those opportunities will likely come.
Either way, the young forward is now playing with good health and added confidence.
“I know my back feels good, my knee feels good now,” he said, “and mentally I’m good, so I’m excited.”
MORE FROM WILKES-BARRE
March 8: vs. Lehigh Valley, 3-0 loss
March 10: vs. Hartford, 8-1 win
March 11: vs. Providence, 3-2 win
Wilkes-Barre/Scranton put an emphatic end to its recent rough patch with Friday’s 8-1 rout of the Wolf Pack. Seven different players scored in the game, highlighted by two goals from depth defenseman Barry Goers. With two more assists on Saturday, the 30-year old has seven points over his last six games.
Jarrett Burton had the game-winning tally in both victories.
Goaltender Tristan Jarry picked up his 24th win of the season on Saturday, putting him in a tie for second in the AHL.
Through Saturday, the Penguins were atop the Atlantic Division by four points and have a 10-point cushion over fourth-place Bridgeport.
The Penguins recalled forward Adam Krause from Wheeling on Friday with Sundqvist’s promotion. The team also released defenseman Brett Stern from his professional tryout contract on Saturday, and he was reassigned to Wheeling.
Up next: Wilkes-Barre/Scranton returns to the ice Friday for a pivotal home-and-home with second-place Lehigh Valley.
Goals of the week: Defenseman Barry Goers' second goal in Friday's win was his third of the season, a career high.
BEYOND THE AHL
Defenseman Jeff Taylor had an assist on a game-tying goal with 21 seconds remaining on Saturday and was plus-2 over a pair of victories, helping Union College beat Princeton to advance to the ECAC semifinals.
Anthony Angello had two game-winning goals for Cornell this weekend. They advanced to the ECAC semis to play (appropriately enough) Jeff Taylor and Union.
TOP PICK TRACKER
Goaltender Filip Gustavsson played one period for Lulea HF of the Swedish Hockey League on Saturday, allowing one goal on 11 shots. The 18-year-old hasn’t won a game since mid-January.
Forward Kasper Bjorkqvist had no points in two games for Providence College, which was eliminated from the Hockey East playoffs with back-to-back losses against Notre Dame.
Forward Daniel Sprong continued to raise the bar for excellence in the QMJHL, scoring four goals and adding three assists for the Charlottetown Islanders on Wednesday. Charlottetown has won nine of its last 10 games and clinched a playoff berth.
WHEELING REPORT
The Nailers won the second game of the week against the Quad City Mallards thanks to Johnny Daniels, who recorded a natural hat trick on Saturday in a span of 57 seconds (yes, you’re reading that correctly) during the second period. He spoke after the game:
3 goals. 57 seconds. All scored by @WheelingNailers Johnny Daniels. pic.twitter.com/rmen6rAvMg
— ECHL (@ECHL) March 12, 2017
