When Joel Blomqvist was brought back up to the NHL at the beginning of this seven-game trip in Buffalo but Alex Nedeljković still got the starting nod that night, I'd asked Mike Sullivan beforehand to explain. Which he did by elaborating on how Blomqvist hadn't had much practice since his recall, then by punctuating with both eyebrows up, "He's going to get games for us."
And I'll bet he will. But it sure doesn't sound -- or look -- like they'll be soon.
Nedeljković made his second straight start, this after a strong showing in San Jose two nights earlier, and stopped 27 of 29 shots, with one of those two goals conceded on the rebound of a breakaway. He was, by any fair accounting, the best player on either side.
"He made some timely saves," Sullivan would say after this, "and that's what's required to win in this league."
Earlier in the day, Sullivan acknowledged -- strikingly so, I thought -- that he'd go right back to Nedeljković because "he brings us that fight that we need right now, with the situation we're in." That might be interpreted by some as meaning he'd lack such conviction in Blomqvist, and it shouldn't be. As was clarified for me later, it was referencing how Nedeljković seized the starting job from Tristan Jarry late last season and helped the Penguins make an unlikely push toward a playoff spot.
Is that happening again? Is Nedeljković, Sullivan was asked after this game, seizing No. 1?
"Yeah, I think he has," came the candid reply. "I think he's played extremely well. He's made saves at key times that give us a chance to win. You can look at some of the games that were played here most recently and, when you evaluate it, you can say that coming out of most of the games. That's what we're asking of our goaltenders. He just battles. He competes. I think to a certain extent sometimes, his personality, I think it's contagious with our guys."
• One other potential element in this equation: Blomqvist's a rookie. Putting him into a position to save the season, when he only just got back here, could be unfair to all concerned.
• Not going to lie: I wasn't wild about Nedeljkovic's early movement, especially when he'd over-commit laterally, which he's prone to doing. But he'd get it together enough.
"Yeah, I think, for some reason, I wasn't really settling down in the first period there," he'd say. "And I think after that, I kind of settled in."
• I mentioned to Nedeljkovic what Sullivan had spoken about him at the morning skate. He simply shrugged and responded, "That's my job."
• A kind way to describe life with Erik Karlsson is "high-event hockey," a term Sullivan's playfully applied on occasion. Another way is to show each team's second goal on this night:
Michael Carcone finishes after an insane pass by John Marino 🤝
— Hockey Daily 365 l NHL Highlights & News (@HockeyDaily365) January 30, 2025
Good Lord.
But hey, that last one tied the score at 6:17 of the third period and set the stage for Sid.
• Phil Tomasino, who's scored twice in his past 19 games, was a healthy scratch for the first time since being acquired by the Penguins. His metrics were solid in San Jose, as he was on the ice for a 22-8 team edge in shot attempts, but he also was on for one of the Sharks' two goals. I totally forgot to ask Sullivan about this after the game.
• Fun trivia: The only period in which the Penguins have outscored their opponents this season is ... overtime, by a 6-4 count. Go figure.
• The team's flying home Thursday, then practices Friday in Cranberry, then plays the following night against the Predators at PPG Paints Arena.
THE ASYLUM
Loose pucks: Ned's now No. 1?
When Joel Blomqvist was brought back up to the NHL at the beginning of this seven-game trip in Buffalo but Alex Nedeljković still got the starting nod that night, I'd asked Mike Sullivan beforehand to explain. Which he did by elaborating on how Blomqvist hadn't had much practice since his recall, then by punctuating with both eyebrows up, "He's going to get games for us."
And I'll bet he will. But it sure doesn't sound -- or look -- like they'll be soon.
Nedeljković made his second straight start, this after a strong showing in San Jose two nights earlier, and stopped 27 of 29 shots, with one of those two goals conceded on the rebound of a breakaway. He was, by any fair accounting, the best player on either side.
"He made some timely saves," Sullivan would say after this, "and that's what's required to win in this league."
Earlier in the day, Sullivan acknowledged -- strikingly so, I thought -- that he'd go right back to Nedeljković because "he brings us that fight that we need right now, with the situation we're in." That might be interpreted by some as meaning he'd lack such conviction in Blomqvist, and it shouldn't be. As was clarified for me later, it was referencing how Nedeljković seized the starting job from Tristan Jarry late last season and helped the Penguins make an unlikely push toward a playoff spot.
Is that happening again? Is Nedeljković, Sullivan was asked after this game, seizing No. 1?
"Yeah, I think he has," came the candid reply. "I think he's played extremely well. He's made saves at key times that give us a chance to win. You can look at some of the games that were played here most recently and, when you evaluate it, you can say that coming out of most of the games. That's what we're asking of our goaltenders. He just battles. He competes. I think to a certain extent sometimes, his personality, I think it's contagious with our guys."
• One other potential element in this equation: Blomqvist's a rookie. Putting him into a position to save the season, when he only just got back here, could be unfair to all concerned.
• Not going to lie: I wasn't wild about Nedeljkovic's early movement, especially when he'd over-commit laterally, which he's prone to doing. But he'd get it together enough.
"Yeah, I think, for some reason, I wasn't really settling down in the first period there," he'd say. "And I think after that, I kind of settled in."
• I mentioned to Nedeljkovic what Sullivan had spoken about him at the morning skate. He simply shrugged and responded, "That's my job."
• A kind way to describe life with Erik Karlsson is "high-event hockey," a term Sullivan's playfully applied on occasion. Another way is to show each team's second goal on this night:
Good Lord.
But hey, that last one tied the score at 6:17 of the third period and set the stage for Sid.
• Phil Tomasino, who's scored twice in his past 19 games, was a healthy scratch for the first time since being acquired by the Penguins. His metrics were solid in San Jose, as he was on the ice for a 22-8 team edge in shot attempts, but he also was on for one of the Sharks' two goals. I totally forgot to ask Sullivan about this after the game.
• Fun trivia: The only period in which the Penguins have outscored their opponents this season is ... overtime, by a 6-4 count. Go figure.
• The team's flying home Thursday, then practices Friday in Cranberry, then plays the following night against the Predators at PPG Paints Arena.
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