McGroarty, Imama, Muse Media Availability (12.1.25) | Pittsburgh Penguins

Well, how excited are you to be back? Very, very excited. I’m just honestly I’m just grateful to be playing hockey again. I mean, it’s a sport that we all know and love and um at the end of the day, I’m just super happy to be back playing hockey. I know it’s only been a sample size, but in a short time with Wils, you’ve put up some impressive numbers. What’s behind the success you’ve had to start? Honestly, I have to credit a lot of it to uh the uh the medical team here. I think we put together a plan um and the plan was executed. Um, and I went into the game not having to think about my body or have to think about anything um, besides playing hockey. So, uh, a lot of credit goes to them. And then obviously my my trainers back home at GVN and then uh surrounding myself with good people during the injury cuz I feel like it’s very easy to get a negative mindset when you’re hurt. But um I surrounded myself with good people and um I uh I feel like my friends, my loved ones uh were were there for me the whole time and I I just went in and tried playing my game. How did things click so quickly? I mean not mentally knowing that you were 100% then to go out and execute on the ice is something else. Yeah, I think overall um I don’t know the exact answer to that question. I think I the first period of my first game was definitely kind of a feeling out almost. Um and then after that I just felt like I got my game back. I felt like um a lot of things I worked on from summer translated to uh the games. Um and so I feel like overall I was just prepared. Um and also just being in the moment being there in Wilks. I mean, they have we have such a good team in Wilks. Um, great group of guys. Kirk does a phenomenal job. Um, and so, uh, it’s it’s pretty easy playing with that fun group of guys. Brooker, when when Kyle assigned you to to Wilks, he said he wanted you to earn your way to the NHL this season, just what’s the mindset after that conversation and going down there to start your season? I think overall, just kind of like what I was saying, just you got to grow where you planted. I feel like um wherever you are, you just you have to find a way to grow. Um and it’s super easy there. I mean, the development team that they have, um the players there, the coaches there, everybody is so dialed in uh and wants to get better. So, I feel like it’s it’s such a great group and uh some of my best friends are there. So, I loved every second of it going there, hanging out with them, uh getting to share the sheet with them again. Um, and for me, I just I was just so juiced to play hockey again, and I could have gone and played in beer league back in Nebraska and I would have loved it. Um, but I overall I just I was grateful to play hockey again. What are you looking forward to adding to this team? I would just say my overall game, I think, um, I play a full 200 foot game. Um, and I, uh, I like to be hungry around the net. So, I think overall just kind of not be anybody that I’m not. Uh, don’t try to be anybody that I’m not. Just playing my game, do what I can do. Um, and just try and help the team win. What you were able to do last year, you know, at the NHL level, what did that kind of do for your conference, your belief in in the ability to play at this level at the end of the year? Yeah. Yeah. I think it was a lot. I think it just shows kind of um it’s motivating cuz I feel like at the end of the year, I did well. Um, but obviously there’s still so much I had to work on and still have to work on, but um, it was really exciting for me getting those games at the end of the year because to see how much better I got them the start of the year. Um, and then going into summer knowing what I had to work on, continuing to work on my foot speed, continuing to work on my strength. Um, and then my overall just scoring touch too. I feel like um, I got some good looks at the end of the year, but I maybe didn’t bury a lot of them. Um, and so I think a lot of different things uh helped me with that with that time there. I think fans are already kind of excited seeing three kids on a line after you play with Vle and Ben’s obviously having a phenomenal start to his career. Just what do you think it’ll be like playing with those two if that is is the case? Yeah, I’m really excited. I mean, I’m really familiar with VA’s game just playing with him last year and then uh KI um watching him through camp, watching him through games. Um he’s an he’s a phenomenal player and I’m super excited. Um Kenny’s got a lot of speed, can think the game incredibly well. Some of the passes that I’ve seen him make is ridiculous. Um and V is the same way. Uh so it’ll be a lot of fun. Uh youthful line. Um and we’ll just go out there and try to do our best and try making uh make an impact on tonight’s game. Just how’s it feel to get the call and and join the team here in Pittsburgh? Yeah, I know. Obviously it feels uh it feels great for sure. Yeah. coming up with Rut. I mean, just what has he sort of brought to to the group and and Wolves since coming back? No, he’s been very special since he got back. Uh, I think the whole group felt it. His energy, his game, I’ve been teasing him. I feel like he got a lot faster this year. So, no, he’s been very good for us. And just Penguins Flyers, one of the big rivalries in all sports. Just uh how much are you sort of looking forward to to being in in the middle of it? Oh, obviously looking forward to it. Uh looking forward to any battles to be honest with you. But uh yeah, whatever tonight has to bring uh I’ll be ready for sure. Go ahead. Sorry. What’s been going so right for the team in Wilps? Not only yourself, but Ruter and a few other guys. Seems like a really good culture down there right now. Yeah, I just feel like everybody is buying into the game plan. Uh practices, you know, the intensity is just uh through the roof. We have uh there’s a lot of intern competition and we’re able to just regroup as a as a group and just uh you know go out there and uh battle hard against other team. Coco, your penalty shot goal was uh made the rounds just what was that moment like for you being able to get that opportunity then to to score? I mean I don’t get too many of those and uh you know I was like I might as well just uh try something you know and uh I did. It worked and uh yeah it was great. you you mentioned the the the battles uh that you take part. Um no secret that you have a physical element to your game. How important is it to bring that but also an offensive element uh whichever line that you end up being on? Yeah, absolutely. Uh obviously, you know, like you said, physically it just comes natural for me, but there there’s so many uh areas in the game where you have to contribute and that’s what I’m also planning on doing, being solid in my defensive zone and obviously try to chip in uh offensively offensively as well. Mo, seeing how the the first meeting between these two teams went, I mean, it was pretty chippy. Yeah. Were you kind of hoping get an opportunity to show yourself tonight, I know you’re not going to like circle one specific game. Yeah. I mean, I’m ready every night, you know, like I I I just stay ready all the time. And one thing for sure, I’m going to be playing my game. Uh I’ll be physical out there. I’ll do whatever I have to do to help the team. And uh sometime it leads to more, but whatever it leads to, I’ll be ready. That’s all I can say. Just confirm Tristan Engel. Tristan. Yep. Uh Dan, what does calling up a couple of new players, especially a player like Ruter, you know, a young guy, maybe mean for the the team after a bit of a rough weekend? Yeah, I mean, I think he’s, you know, Rucker earned the opportunity. Um, you know, obviously he’s up here at the end of last year. um you know starts the year up here and then you know has uh you know builds his game there in Wilks and um you know finished the year and was playing playing really well you know going back and watching some of those games and then yeah unfortunately misses training camp uh but he really put in the work there you know just a you know in time as he was coming back for his return to play um he did a great job there in terms of you know just preparing himself for those games in Wilks he’s played really well so um yeah earned an opportunity back did you guys feel like you needed to be prepared maybe for some of the Flyers chippiness after the last game here. Well, um I mean I I think it’s this is another game where it’s two points on the line. Um I think we’re the focus for us here is is playing our game. Um you know, especially coming off a game we really didn’t like and so just getting back to the things that we want to see on a consistent basis. Um that’s the focus here right now. I know it can change, but what do you like about him with Kendall and Quin? Yeah, I mean I think it’s uh we’ll see how it looks. You know, it’s you got a pregame skate, so there wasn’t too much you’re going to be able to take out of that, but uh you know, I think we like the idea of the way those guys can play off of each other, the way they can read off of each other. Um you know, just their ability, you know, to be able to find space, find each other, and then um you know, I think all three of those guys, too. They’re guys that we’re expecting to go out there and work on both sides of the puck. Dan, do you think there’s a potential an Amama Lazad doer line could replicate kind of what you had earlier this year with a Chari Lazot and doer and what they gave you as far as depth in your lineup? We’ll find out tonight. Yeah. What can Boo bring? He’s playing, you know, I think with Boo, you know, he’s, you know, he earned this opportunity. Um, you know, I think he uh had a solid camp, but then, you know, especially as of late, you know, and then there’s constant communication there with, you know, um, between the feedback I’m getting, you know, from Kyle and Jason and um, but also just talking with Kirk and, you know, he’s been playing well and he’s been, uh, so, you know, I think based off of, you know, how he’s been playing down there. Um, you got a guy who, you know, I think he can he can, you know, be protecting pucks down low. Um, the defensive game has been really good there with him. um you know getting in on the for check. Obviously there’s a there’s a element of physicality that he brings as well. Um that’s a part of his game and so um you know he’s been he’s been impacting the game at a a really high level down there. He’s playing really well and so we earned this opportunity. Crosby is getting up near a pretty significant milestone. He’s nine points away from passing Mario. Just from being around him the last few months, what have you learned about him or is what surprised you that maybe you didn’t know about him just from seeing him on a day-to-day basis now? Well, I think when you see the day-to-day, you understand why he’s doing what he’s doing at such a high level right now and how he’s been doing it for so long. I mean, the day-to-day is incredible. Um, you know, his the preparation, um, you know, just the way he doesn’t take a second off of anything that he does. Um, you know, and I think it’s so you you see, you know, even from afar, um, you know, what he does on the ice, what he does, um, you know, on game nights, uh, the competitor that he is. Um, but then you understand it a lot more I think when you get an opportunity to see it every single day. There are certain franchise when you become the leading scorer it’s it’s a big deal. It’s always a big deal. But for the Pittsburgh Penguins for Mar to pass Mario like what has that been to sort of watch him kind of climb closer and closer to this mark? I mean again goes back just what I see every day. I think for him it’s just he he brings it all the time. He wants to win. Um you know everything something in practice in games everything. he’s just uh the preparation um you know and the just the competitiveness like it’s yeah it’s incredible and so I think for him and I said this before like it feels like you know every every week or so somebody’s reaching another you know milestone or another checkpoint you know especially with him it’s um yeah no it’s it’s obviously uh yeah it’s pretty special to

Rutger McGroarty, Boko Imama, and Dan Muse following morning skate ahead of the game in Philadelphia on Monday, December 1.

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