Tristan Broz takes to the ice for the traditional solo lap before his NHL debut Wednesday night at PPG Paints Arena.
Tristan Broz became the Penguins' ninth rookie to play this season and the fourth to make his NHL debut, this in the 4-2 victory over the Sabres tonight at PPG Paints Arena.
It's safe to say it's one he'll remember for an array of reasons.
Centering the third line between Tommy Novak and Ville Koivunen, he logged a team-low 11:30 ice time, registered two shots on goal, went 3-for-6 on faceoffs, was on the ice for seven Pittsburgh shot attempts to Buffalo's 15 for the lowest such ratio on the team, and, maybe most prominent, gained a valuable learning experience from the first of the Sabres' goals.
After the third line was stuck on the ice following an extended shift followed by icing, Broz lost the ensuing faceoff to Ryan McLeod and, a few seconds later, Jason Zucker tipped a Jack Quinn wrist shot past Tristan Jarry for the tying goal 7:20 into the third period.
"I probably just gotta go off the glass, as I tried to rim it to Koppanen. There wasn’t much he could have done," Broz said, referring to Joona Koppanen. "I probably need to get it off the glass and find a way to get it out when I have a little bit of time. It is something to learn from, for sure. But I’m just happy the boys responded on the next shift."
"Obviously, you don’t want to get scored on to tie the game in the third," Broz said. "But I was pretty happy Rust scored on the next shift and Kevin Hayes scored a couple shifts later and the boys found a way to get the win, so that made it a lot easier."
Dan Muse, who offered general praise for Broz afterward, was managing Broz's shifts. For example, he'd follow Evgeni Malkin's line in the standard rotation, but he'd also be replaced by Blake Lizotte for a defensive-zone draw against Tage Thompson.
“He was a little bit more limited in terms of his time and what he came out with in the first period,” Muse said. “Then, I thought, in the second period, he really started to get going. He got a shot off there shortly after a faceoff. He had some other good moments there with the puck. It kept getting better as the game went on. ... A really special day for him, his family.”
About 20 in all, it turned out.
“A bunch of family,” Broz said. “My parents. My two sisters. All four of my grandparents. My mom’s sister and her family. Five buddies in, too.”
THE ASYLUM
Broz learns lesson in debut
JOE SARGENT / GETTY
Tristan Broz takes to the ice for the traditional solo lap before his NHL debut Wednesday night at PPG Paints Arena.
Tristan Broz became the Penguins' ninth rookie to play this season and the fourth to make his NHL debut, this in the 4-2 victory over the Sabres tonight at PPG Paints Arena.
It's safe to say it's one he'll remember for an array of reasons.
Centering the third line between Tommy Novak and Ville Koivunen, he logged a team-low 11:30 ice time, registered two shots on goal, went 3-for-6 on faceoffs, was on the ice for seven Pittsburgh shot attempts to Buffalo's 15 for the lowest such ratio on the team, and, maybe most prominent, gained a valuable learning experience from the first of the Sabres' goals.
After the third line was stuck on the ice following an extended shift followed by icing, Broz lost the ensuing faceoff to Ryan McLeod and, a few seconds later, Jason Zucker tipped a Jack Quinn wrist shot past Tristan Jarry for the tying goal 7:20 into the third period.
"I probably just gotta go off the glass, as I tried to rim it to Koppanen. There wasn’t much he could have done," Broz said, referring to Joona Koppanen. "I probably need to get it off the glass and find a way to get it out when I have a little bit of time. It is something to learn from, for sure. But I’m just happy the boys responded on the next shift."
Indeed, 31 seconds later, Bryan Rust's low turnaround shot slid between Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen's pads.
"Obviously, you don’t want to get scored on to tie the game in the third," Broz said. "But I was pretty happy Rust scored on the next shift and Kevin Hayes scored a couple shifts later and the boys found a way to get the win, so that made it a lot easier."
Dan Muse, who offered general praise for Broz afterward, was managing Broz's shifts. For example, he'd follow Evgeni Malkin's line in the standard rotation, but he'd also be replaced by Blake Lizotte for a defensive-zone draw against Tage Thompson.
“He was a little bit more limited in terms of his time and what he came out with in the first period,” Muse said. “Then, I thought, in the second period, he really started to get going. He got a shot off there shortly after a faceoff. He had some other good moments there with the puck. It kept getting better as the game went on. ... A really special day for him, his family.”
About 20 in all, it turned out.
“A bunch of family,” Broz said. “My parents. My two sisters. All four of my grandparents. My mom’s sister and her family. Five buddies in, too.”
His media session afterward:
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