WILKES-BARRE, Pa. — There was a new storyline for the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins Saturday, and good news for the Pittsburgh Penguins organization. Winger Rutger McGroarty and goaltender Joel Blomqvist were finally activated from the NHL’s injured reserve and assigned to the WBS Penguins before the game.

The paired indeed proved to be focal points, both primary contributors to a 3–1 WBS win over the Springfield Falcons. McGroarty, 21, and Blomqvist, 23, marked their returns from long injury-rehab stretches with solid performances.

McGoarty scored, and Blomqvist made 23 saves.

McGroarty scored his first goal of the season in the second period after leaving for the locker room earlier in the first period when a teammate’s stick hit him under the chin. After receiving stitches, the Penguins’ top prospect swooped from the left wing, deked around the defense, and slipped the puck between Springfield goaltender Georgii Romanov’s pads for WBS’s third goal of the game.

He showed a burst of speed after receiving the pass.

“Playing hockey … you know what it is that could happen during the game,” McGroarty said of the goal. “Especially coming in with that much speed. Honestly, it’s 50/50 if a goalie’s going to open up, so I feel like that’s reps and being put in that position multiple times in practice.”

This was McGroarty’s first game at any level this season after sustaining an upper-body injury during the offseason. He missed all of the Pittsburgh Penguins’ training camp.

When asked which area of his game he wants to improve, now that he is finally back on the ice, he pointed back to his summer work.

“I would say the one thing from last year I was disappointed in with myself was how many shots I got off,” McGroarty said. “I think coming in on one-on-ones, stuff like that, I really worked on that a lot with Pittsburgh during my injury.”

When asked how he overcame the injury, McGroarty credited the people around him who guided him through rehab after he missed training camp and the preseason.

“I think my family, my agents, even management here, coaches here, the boys — everybody had my back,” McGroarty said. “Everybody was checking on me. I think the group we have, and the people I’ve surrounded myself with … honestly, I feel like with this injury I’ve learned so much about myself. It’s pretty cool.”

In net, Blomqvist posted a .958 save percentage, making 23 saves and allowing just one goal: a second-period Springfield power-play tally. After the win, he admitted it felt good to be back.

“It was really fun to play again, to be here a long way after rehab,” Blomqvist said. “I feel really strong now, and it was amazing to get back to playing with the boys. It was just like home. It was good to be there.”

Blomqvist was injured early in the Penguins’ preseason and missed his chance to compete for a spot on the NHL roster.

Beyond the two returning Penguins, Boko Imama dropped the gloves early in the game and later scored the Penguins’ second goal in the first period. After the game, he was asked about his impactful start.

“Our past few games, we weren’t sharp enough,” Imama said. “We’re just making sure that we bring that element to our game, and then we can just keep on rolling.”

On the return of his teammates, the alternate captain said the locker room was thrilled to have them back — on and off the ice.

“It’s a big boost,” Imama said. “We missed Rutger on the ice, and I’m sure you guys saw it. With the energy he brings — he’s such a great player. Just having him in the locker room, in the soccer game pregame, it’s just a big boost of energy.”

When asked what prompted his first-period fight, Imama simply said, “It’s just been a lot of games, no fights, for myself.”

Tags: Joel Blomqvist Penguins Prospects Pittsburgh Penguins rutger mcgroarty wbs penguins

Categorized: Penguins Prospects