Teddy Blueger scored a goal while the Penguins were shorthanded by two men during their 5-4 overtime victory against Washington Tuesday night.
It was just the third 3-on-5 goal the Penguins have scored since entering the NHL in 1967, so yeah, it was the most unusual occurrence of the evening.
But Blueger winning six of his eight faceoffs might not be too far behind.
It was his first winning night on draws this season; he had controlled just three of 12 in the previous three games.
His success Tuesday bumped his winning percentage for this season up to 45.0, which is about where he ended up in the previous two. He won 44.57 percent (41-51) in 2018-29 and 45.17 (402-488) in 2019-20..
But Matt Cullen, the Penguins' player development coach who knows a bit about handling faceoffs after taking them in the NHL for more than two decades, is confident Blueger will become a good man on draws as his career progresses.
After all, he's seen it happen before.
With a guy who stares back at him from the mirror.
"I was terrible on faceoffs for quite some time," Cullen said. "I've been there. When you're playing on the bottom six, you know how important faceoffs are for you, so you're squeezing (the stick) a little bit and you're not necessarily going in as confident as you might."
That wasn't false modesty on Cullen's part; he really wasn't very good on draws when he broke into the NHL in 1997.
In fact, it wasn't until his fifth year in the league that he won more than he lost. He controlled 45.55 percent of his draws as rookie, followed by seasons of 47.66, 44.59 and 48.04.
But once he got the hang of it, Cullen only had two more seasons during his 21-year career during which he had a losing record.
"Eventually, as you grow and get along in the game, you find ways to beat different types of faceoff guys, whether it's with quickness or tying them up and kicking (the puck) back," Cullen said, adding that Blueger has the physical tools and commitment needed to improve.
"I think he has the potential to become really good in the faceoff circle," Cullen said. "Faceoffs are like anything else in the game, and anything else in sports -- it sounds funny, but confidence is a big part of it, and getting into a rhythm is a big part of it. Right now, I think Teddy is putting a lot of pressure on himself to win every faceoff, and when he doesn't ...
"I just think he needs to (develop) a couple of maybe 1A, 1B options going into faceoffs that he can change it up and maybe be a little bit more diverse in his approach to each faceoff. ... I do think Teddy will become good at faceoffs. I think he knows how important it is. It's just a matter of getting into a rhythm and getting some confidence with different approaches. That happens."
But it doesn't always happen quickly. Witness Evgeni Malkin, who broke into the NHL in 2006-07 but never had a winning record on faceoffs until last season, when he went 441-435.
That upgrade, Cullen suggested, might have been because of the emphasis Malkin placed on faceoffs while the Penguins were playing without Sidney Crosby as he recovered from surgery to repair a sports hernia
"The size that (Malkin) has and the strength he has and the hand-eye (coordination) he has, he has all the tools to be a good faceoff guy," Cullen said. "I always felt like it was just a matter of him really diving into it and really working at it and deciding he wanted to be good at it. As the game has evolved, I think (Malkin) sees the importance of having the puck on your stick. He's one of those guys who, it seems whenever he makes up his mind to be good at something, he can do it, because he has all the God-given skills that you would want for just about anything in the game of hockey."
Malkin is 24-22 on faceoffs in 2020-21.
MORE PENGUINS
• Malkin got a sputtering start to the season after having a strong showing during training camp, failing to register a point until he scored a power-play goal in the fourth game, and only occasionally flashing the form that has made him one of the league's most productive players throughout his career. Even so, his teammates recognize Malkin is capable of playing the game at a level most players can't hope to reach -- and that there are dangers inherent in his linemates attempting to replicate some of the things he can do. "A lot of (the key to jelling with him) is keeping it simple," left winger Jason Zucker said. "Because he has so much creativity, you have to make sure you're not doing too much all the time. That's a huge aspect that is hard sometimes to stick with. Sometimes, you see the plays he's making, the things he's doing, and it makes you want to really get after it and do what he's doing, and make the same type of plays. But you have to realize that he's a world-class talent and not everyone can make plays all the time like he can." -- Molinari
• The Penguins have been home since early last Saturday morning after wrapping up a two-game set in Philadelphia. That means the players have had a lot more freedom during the past six days than they did in the previous three-plus, when they were compelled to operate under the NHL's COVID-19 regulations for teams playing on the road. Basically, members of the traveling party are barred from going anywhere except the team hotel, arena or practice facility. No restaurants. No stores. No bars. The objective, of course, is to minimize possible exposure to coronavirus, but it does give players few options when they aren't working. As one player put it in casual conversation, "If you go for a walk, it's just outside. We're not going into any other buildings, and things like that. You're trying to keep pretty low-key." They'll get a chance to work on their low-key skills early next week, when they go on a four-game trip to Boston and Manhattan. -- Molinari.
• Cullen has been attending NHL training camps since turning pro in 1997, so it's no surprise he was on hand for the Penguins' abbreviated preseason at PPG Paints Arena. This camp was unlike any that preceded it for him, however, because he spent it in a luxury box with other scouting and player-development staff members due to coronavirus-related restrictions. In a normal camp, he would have spent much of the time on the ice, working with players on faceoffs and other details of their games. Still, Cullen said the camp, while different, was a positive experience for him. "It was interesting, actually," he said. "I enjoyed it, as far as the idea it was a cool opportunity for me to sit up with management and the player-development guys and the pro scouts ... just to have conversations and see how things operate from up top. The whole feel of camp, of course, was odd. Everything was a little different, with the state of affairs in the world right now." -- Molinari
STEELERS
• One -- or actually two -- of the big decisions the Steelers will have to make this offseason will be how to handle the fifth-year options of safeties Minkah Fitzpatrick and Terrell Edmunds. Both were first-round draft picks in 2018, meaning the Steelers will have until May 3 to decide whether they want to exercise their rights on the two for the 2022 season. For Fitzpatrick, that's a no-brainer. A two-time All-Pro since joining the Steelers via a trade last season, he's one of the best young safeties in the NFL. But his fifth-year option will be whatever the transition tag number comes in at for the safety position this year. That's expected to be around $11 million. And that will be fully guaranteed the minute it is offered this year under the rules of the new CBA. So, essentially, the Steelers would be guaranteeing the final two years of Fitzpatrick's contract. For Edmunds, who was the 28th player taken in the first round that season -- Fitzpatrick was 11th -- if the Steelers pick up his option, it would cost them the average of the third to 20th highest salaries for his position. As of now, that number would be $9.49 million. Now, everyone who is a regular reader of this site knows what I think of Pro Football Focus' grading system. But that site had Edmunds with the 20th-highest grade among NFL safeties last season. Fitzpatrick was 10th. Given that the Steelers will have an estimated $170 million or more in available cap space in 2022, they will likely pick up the options on both and keep that young safety duo together. -- Dale Lolley on the South Side
• On the subject of that 2022 cap space, too many people are focusing on what Ben Roethlisberger's cap hit in 2021 will be and not enough on the cap space the team has available the following season. The Steelers can easily push some of Roethlisberger's cap hit into 2022 and beyond without upsetting the apple cart. In fact, it would actually be the smart move to make given the fact the Steelers need cap space in 2021. And it's not like they're going to suddenly step out of character and spend $50 million on the free agent market in 2022. They have cap space available. Pushing $5 million or more of Roethlisberger's deal into 2022 as dead cap space won't keep them from making the moves they desire in 2022. But it could help them in 2021. -- Lolley
• The interview of Hue Jackson for the offensive coordinator job riled up some Steelers fans who only recall Jackson as a failed head coach with the Browns. That is certainly true. But he was also a hot coordinator at one point in his career, particularly after helping the 2015 Bengals to a 12-4 record and a No. 7 ranking in offense, despite the team losing Andy Dalton that season to injury in a game against the Steelers. But also know this, at this time, Matt Canada remains in the mix for the offensive coordinator job. The Steelers also put in a request with the Chargers to interview their quarterbacks coach, Pep Hamilton. The Steelers did have to interview a minority candidate for the job, per the Rooney Rule, and Jackson and Hamilton both check that box. Both also are legitimate candidates, as well, not a token interviews. Who knows? Perhaps Jackson also might be interested in being the quarterbacks coach with a senior offensive assistant title, as well. Hamilton, however, would have to be elevated to offensive coordinator for the Steelers to hire him. He can't become their quarterbacks coach in what would be a lateral move. -- Lolley
• The Steelers' signing of Dwayne Haskins to a futures contract Thursday is a no-lose proposition. If he works out, great. They got him for nothing. If he doesn't, they can easily cut him. It's interesting, though, since the Steelers didn't have a great grade on Haskins going into the 2019 draft because of his overall lack of mobility. Oh, there were things they liked about him. But they wouldn't have taken him 15th, as Washington did. Haskins has made 13 career starts, while Mason Rudolph has made nine. But make no mistake, Haskins is only competition for Rudolph if he shows he can toe the line, follow the rules and do what's necessary to be an NFL quarterback. And even then, he might only be their No. 3 quarterback. If he can't do that, the Steelers will cut bait. But the Steelers don't currently have a quarterback under contract after the 2021 season. They parted ways with Devlin Hodges earlier this week and last season's No. 3 QB, Josh Dobbs, is an unrestricted free agent. It's much more likely that Haskins replaces Dobbs on the roster than anything else. The Steelers believe in keeping three quarterbacks on their 53-man roster. -- Lolley
PIRATES
• Following the Joe Musgrove trade, and with all potential arbitration cases settled, the Pirates’ opening day payroll is estimated to be about $41 million, assuming the rest of the roster is filled with pre-arbitration players. That could still fluctuate, either by trading Adam Frazier and his $4.3 million salary or adding veterans, either as Major League free agents or players who earn roster spots after receiving non-roster invitations to spring training. A list of the club's non-roster invitees is expected any day. If the payroll doesn’t go up, however, it will be the Pirates’ lowest since it bottomed out at $35 million in 2010 (excluding 2020’s prorated salaries). Ben Cherington said Tuesday he wasn’t given instructions to cut payroll, and they could have kept the same roster for 2021. These were moves to add more young players into the system and build towards the future, which is in line with what Cherington has done since taking over as general manager 14 months ago. Team president Travis Williams told me in November the challenges of COVID-19 had a “significant” financial effect on the club, but wouldn't reveal if the Pirates lost money in 2020. -- Alex Stumpf
• There’s very little information on right-hander Drake Fellows in pro ball since he has yet to pitch in a professional game, so the Pirates went to his alma mater, Vanderbilt, for extra scouting. “We have good relationships with the Vanderbilt program, and so we’re able to get some additional insight on him from them,” Cherington said. The Pirates have two Vanderbilt players on the roster, Bryan Reynolds and Carson Fulmer. The odds are very high that they’ll be taking a Vanderbilt pitcher with the first pick in the draft, too, as right-handers Kumar Rocker and Jack Leiter are considered to be the top two prospects. They’ll lean on those relationships again when they have to pick between the two. -- Stumpf
• Last month, former scouting Larry Broadway found a new job within the organization as a pro evaluation team leader, where he have some oversight of a small group of pro scouts and will focus on evaluating professional players. That later part includes strategizing how players are covered, improving inputs, intelligence gathering on player targets and keeping up on organizational rankings. He won’t be the only one in this role, as Sean McNally and Rodney Henderson have also been given the same title. Both have experience in pro scouting. Henderson was previously a regional scouting supervisor and pro scout for the club, and McNally went from being a pro scout to assistant general manager to special assistant to the general manager under Neal Huntington. Barring another hiring or reassignment, pro scouting is going to be headed by front office members Cherington inherited from the last regime. -- Stumpf