Valtteri Puustinen played his first game in three weeks on Friday, and he returned to HPK's lineup in a big way.
Puustinen, the Penguins' seventh-round pick in 2019, was one of the HPK players who have been under quarantine due to exposure to someone with coronavirus. He had played in just one game prior to the quarantine, recording two assists in a 4-2 loss to Karpat in the season opener.
Puustinen was back in the lineup on the right wing of HPK's top line on Friday for the first of a two-game series between HPK and the Pelicans, and Puustinen scored two goals in a 7-2 win. His first goal came 8:34 into the second period to give HPK a 3-2 lead, the team's first lead of the game. He knocked in a loose rebound in the crease:
His second goal was this one-timer later in the second period to increase the lead to 6-2:
Puustinen, 21, set career highs last season, scoring 17 goals and 23 assists in 54 games to finish No. 2 on HPK in points and lead the team in goals.
MORE FROM THE GAME
• Penguins goaltending prospect Emil Larmi was loaned to HPK on Thursday. Liiga rules require a five-day quarantine before a player joins a new team, so Larmi will join HPK next week.
• Penguins defense prospect Niclas Almari is on loan to the Pelicans, but was not in the lineup. It was announced on Monday that Almari will be sidelined for six to eight weeks with an injury.