Filip Hallander's first three NHL games, spread out over the 2021-22 and 2022-23 seasons, were forgettable ... to say the least.
He just wasn't able to make an impact in a bottom-six role back then. He wasn't a liability or anything, but he didn't ever show anything to set him apart back then.
"Last time it was more about like, survive a little bit, and that kind of mindset," Hallander told me after the Penguins' 4-3 win over the Islanders on Thursday. "I think I couldn't enjoy it that much either, because I didn't know if I was good enough to stay."
The 25-year-old Hallander here in Pittsburgh now is miles apart from the 22-year-old, baby-faced prospect who showed up to his first training camp who confidently declared he was ready to "take a spot." Two years in Sweden allowed Hallander to "find some peace" off the ice, get stronger, faster, and grow all-around as a player, in particular with his ability to contribute offensively after lighting up the Swedish league.
Hallander cracked the season-opening roster in his return, but not the opening lineup. And despite the win in the opener, Dan Muse made the decision to sit Phil Tomasino and put Hallander into the lineup on the third line alongside Tommy Novak and Ben Kindel.
It wasn't unlike the role Hallander found himself in his first games those years ago. But this time, he wasn't just trying to survive. He made an impact. And he doesn't have to wonder if he played well enough to "stay" for now -- his elevation to Sidney Crosby's line as the game went is as good a proof as any.
"I feel like a different player," Hallander said, his smile evidence that he's clearly enjoying himself this time around. "I'm coming in with a different mindset and feel like I belong here, and with that, I can play with more confidence on the ice. And I think today was some good things, some bad things. But it was a good day."
Any day you get your first NHL point is a good day.
Novak dove for a loose puck and poked it ahead to Hallander, who was able to carry the puck into the New York end and protect it long enough for Harrison Brunicke to join the play. Hallander dropped it back to Brunicke, and Brunicke fired it home:
"It was a good play by by Tommy, get the puck out there," Hallander said. "Then I didn't have the legs really to go on the breakaway, and just pulled up. And I thought it was (Kindel) but Bruno, comes there, and it was a good shot."
When the game was tied in the third period, Muse elevated Hallander up to the top line with Crosby and Rickard Rakell, and then kept him there after Justin Brazeau scored the go-ahead goal.
"He looked like he was going there," Muse said of the call to move Hallander up. "I thought that 5-on-5, I felt like we could generate a little bit more, so we looked to make a switch. I thought the third period, it was a little bit better there in terms of some of the stuff we were looking to generate at the 5-on-5 standpoint. So, that’s what we went with.
Hallander said at the start of camp that he was given no assurances that he would get handed NHL time despite getting out of his Swedish contract and uprooting his wife and two young sons to return to Pittsburgh. Not getting into the season-opening lineup only reinforced that.
"It's been competitive, and that's how you want it," he said. "I don't have that much experience. The first game here of the season, maybe they wanted a bit more experience, I don't know. But you've just got to stay ready. And now I got to play the second game, and I'm just trying to take that opportunity and run with it."
Hallander has certainly earned himself the right to be in the lineup for the foreseeable future. It took awhile to get to this point, but he belongs at this level.
THE ASYLUM
Hallander: 'I feel like I belong'
Filip Hallander's first three NHL games, spread out over the 2021-22 and 2022-23 seasons, were forgettable ... to say the least.
He just wasn't able to make an impact in a bottom-six role back then. He wasn't a liability or anything, but he didn't ever show anything to set him apart back then.
"Last time it was more about like, survive a little bit, and that kind of mindset," Hallander told me after the Penguins' 4-3 win over the Islanders on Thursday. "I think I couldn't enjoy it that much either, because I didn't know if I was good enough to stay."
The 25-year-old Hallander here in Pittsburgh now is miles apart from the 22-year-old, baby-faced prospect who showed up to his first training camp who confidently declared he was ready to "take a spot." Two years in Sweden allowed Hallander to "find some peace" off the ice, get stronger, faster, and grow all-around as a player, in particular with his ability to contribute offensively after lighting up the Swedish league.
Hallander cracked the season-opening roster in his return, but not the opening lineup. And despite the win in the opener, Dan Muse made the decision to sit Phil Tomasino and put Hallander into the lineup on the third line alongside Tommy Novak and Ben Kindel.
It wasn't unlike the role Hallander found himself in his first games those years ago. But this time, he wasn't just trying to survive. He made an impact. And he doesn't have to wonder if he played well enough to "stay" for now -- his elevation to Sidney Crosby's line as the game went is as good a proof as any.
"I feel like a different player," Hallander said, his smile evidence that he's clearly enjoying himself this time around. "I'm coming in with a different mindset and feel like I belong here, and with that, I can play with more confidence on the ice. And I think today was some good things, some bad things. But it was a good day."
Any day you get your first NHL point is a good day.
Novak dove for a loose puck and poked it ahead to Hallander, who was able to carry the puck into the New York end and protect it long enough for Harrison Brunicke to join the play. Hallander dropped it back to Brunicke, and Brunicke fired it home:
"It was a good play by by Tommy, get the puck out there," Hallander said. "Then I didn't have the legs really to go on the breakaway, and just pulled up. And I thought it was (Kindel) but Bruno, comes there, and it was a good shot."
When the game was tied in the third period, Muse elevated Hallander up to the top line with Crosby and Rickard Rakell, and then kept him there after Justin Brazeau scored the go-ahead goal.
"He looked like he was going there," Muse said of the call to move Hallander up. "I thought that 5-on-5, I felt like we could generate a little bit more, so we looked to make a switch. I thought the third period, it was a little bit better there in terms of some of the stuff we were looking to generate at the 5-on-5 standpoint. So, that’s what we went with.
Hallander said at the start of camp that he was given no assurances that he would get handed NHL time despite getting out of his Swedish contract and uprooting his wife and two young sons to return to Pittsburgh. Not getting into the season-opening lineup only reinforced that.
"It's been competitive, and that's how you want it," he said. "I don't have that much experience. The first game here of the season, maybe they wanted a bit more experience, I don't know. But you've just got to stay ready. And now I got to play the second game, and I'm just trying to take that opportunity and run with it."
Hallander has certainly earned himself the right to be in the lineup for the foreseeable future. It took awhile to get to this point, but he belongs at this level.
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