WASHINGTON -- Zach Aston-Reese said he got the word Tuesday that he was being recalled from Wilkes-Barre.
Really, it was only a matter of when -- not if -- he would be back in the NHL.
His recall has less to do with the Penguins' current four-game slide and more to do with the 24-year-old forward's development. That was the plan all along.
"Zach's a good player for us, he played significant games last year and we know he's a guy that can help us win," Mike Sullivan said after Wednesday's morning skate. "We think he brings a dimension to our team with his tenacity, his physical play. He's strong on the boards, good in front of the net. He's a guy that we can utilize in a lot of situations. He kills penalties, we can use him on the power play, if need be. He's a good player for us.
"Our intent was to get him some games (in the AHL). Give him some opportunity to capture his game again, build some confidence, and he's certainly done that in Wilkes-Barre."
Zach Aston-Reese takes morning skate in DC. #dkps #penguins pic.twitter.com/vntVIv77a8
— Chris Bradford (@PghBradford) November 7, 2018
I asked Aston-Reese what part of his game he felt he need to improve upon in the minors:
Indeed, Aston-Reese has excelled in the AHL this season, recording six goals and three assists for nine points in 11 games, along with 18 penalty minutes. Don't underestimate that latter statistic. Sullivan said that the Penguins are looking for some energy from the fourth line, which is where Aston-Reese figures to be slotted tonight, possibly alongside fellow call-up Garrett Wilson.
"I'd like to see them help us build momentum, establish an offensive zone forecheck, establish some offensive zone time," Sullivan said. "I think that line has the potential to do that. They're a line that, defensively, is very sound. We could use them in different situations if need be."
It doesn't hurt that the Penguins have scored just one goal over their last two games while Aston-Reese is coming off the first hat trick of his pro career in Wilkes-Barre's loss Sunday to Bridgeport.
"I've had a lot of shots down in Wilkes, was happy that some went in on Sunday," said Aston-Reese, who had a 14.6 shooting percentage this season. "I felt pretty good about it."
Aston-Reese's last NHL game came in Game 3 of the Penguins' second-round playoff series against the Capitals when he suffered a broken jaw and concussion courtesy of an illegal hit to the head from Tom Wilson.
The Capitals forward was suspended three games for that hit and then returned as Washington went on to win its first Stanley Cup. Wilson was subsequently suspended 20 games last month for a hit to the head of the Blues' Oskar Sundqvist. That suspension is currently under appeal.
In 16 NHL regular-season games last season, Aston-Reese registered six points (four goals and two assists) and two penalty minutes.
Aston-Reese said he needed about 6-7 weeks to recover from his injury but needed some time in the minors to rediscover his game.
"Every day was just a day of growth," he said. "The guys down there were so hungry come practice and game time. So, I definitely found a little edginess in my game."
Garrett Wilson also plays with an edge. He has 34 games of NHL experience, the last of which came in 2015-16 with the Panthers. This is his third season in the Penguins' organization. He had been serving as the captain in Wilke-Barre.
"My game is a physical game," he said. "Like to get in on the forecheck and get to the front of the net.
"It’s tough when you come into a team, but they're a great team. They're not going to be losing for too long. Hopefully, I can help get a win here and do my thing out there."
THE ESSENTIALS
THE INJURIES
• Penguins: Derick Brassard, forward, will miss his sixth straight game with a lower-body injury. He is day-to-day. Justin Schultz, defenseman, is expected to miss four months after fracturing his leg Oct. 13 in Montreal.
• Capitals: Brooks Oprik, defenseman, will miss his fourth straight game with a lower body injury.
THE OTHER SIDE
• The Capitals held their skate Wednesday at their practice facility in Arlington, Va.
• Braden Holtby is expected in net for the Capitals after Pheonix Copley started Monday agains the Canucks.
• Nicklas Backstrom will be honored before the game for recording his 600th career assist. The Capitals center reached the milestone with a three-assist game Monday in Vancouver. He is the franchise's all-time leader in assists and is third in points (815), ten behind Peter Bondra.
• The Capitals will donate their half of the 50/50 raffle from tonight's game to the Jewish Federation of Greater Pittsburgh. The funds will benefit victims and families of the Tree of Life Synagogue in Squirrel Hill.
THE SKATE
• Casey DeSmith has seen plenty of action of late. He's appeared in three of the last four games for various reasons. But tonight he'll make his first start since Oct. 27 at Vancouver, when he stopped 29 shots for his second career shutout. Sullivan, who has shaken up the lines, pairs and power play units, confirmed that the backup will be in goal.
"He's played extremely well for us to this point," the coach said. "He's given us a chance to win on most nights. Matt just played four games in a row. I think there's been some inconsistency in our overall team game. That's part of the decision making, but Casey's game's been very strong in this early part of the season and he's given us a chance to win."
DeSmith is riding a career-best four-game regulation unbeaten streak at 2-0-2, to go along with a 2.20 goals-against average.
• Sidney Crosby hadn't taken the ice on the day of a game all season. With his team losing four in a row, the captain changed that up Wednesday morning.
• Newly-minted third liner Phil Kessel did not take the morning skate, along with Brian Dumoulin and Kris Letang.
• The Penguins and Capitals enter tonight with identical 6-4-3 records. While Washington might be suffering a bit of a Cup hangover, the Penguins are struggling to put the puck in the net. Sullivan thinks a game against the Capitals, who the Penguins have faced each of the last three playoffs, might be the tonic his team needs.
"We're trying to find ourselves a little bit here and that's part of the process," Sullivan said. "Anytime the Capitals and Penguins play, there's a heightened level of emotion associated with those games and the rivalry that's developed over the years, for obvious reasons. We know it's going to be a tough game tonight. I think our guys are looking forward to trying to move our team in the right direction."
THE COMBINATIONS
• Here's an educated guess on the lines and combinations, based on what the Penguins used Tuesday in practice and what was seen and heard Wednesday:
Simon—Crosby—Rust
Hagelin—Malkin—Hornqvist
Guentzel—Sheahan—Kessel
Aston-Reese—Cullen—Wilson
Johnson—Letang
Maatta—Oleksiak
Dumoulin—Riikola
• The Capitals used the following lines, per The Washington Post:
Ovechkin—Kuznetsov—Jaskin
Stephenson—Backstrom—Oshie
Burakovsky—Eller—Connolly
Vrana—Boyd—Smith-Pelly
Orlov—Niskanen
Kempny—Carlson
Djoos—Bowey
THE SCHEDULE
Faceoff tonight is at 7:38 p.m. at Capital One Arena. The Penguins are scheduled to practice Thursday and Friday afternoon in Cranberry. They will host Arizona on Saturday night at PPG Paints Arena.
THE COVERAGE
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