BUFFALO, N.Y. — Kyle Dubas’ candidacy for NHL general manager of the year added a couple of notches to the belt on Thursday.
Avery Hayes, one of the first players signed by Dubas in 2023 after taking over as the Pittsburgh Penguins’ president of hockey operations and general manager, scored twice in his NHL debut. Arturs Silovs, the goaltender Dubas traded for last summer, played one of his strongest games of the season in a victory. Ben Kindel, the player Dubas surprisingly picked at No. 11 in the first round of the 2025 NHL Draft, scored two goals for good measure. Even Tommy Novak, who Dubas traded for last season, lit the lamp.
The Penguins kept on rolling with a decisive 5-2 victory against the red-hot Buffalo Sabres to hit the Olympic break with a 29-15-12 record, good for second place in the Metropolitan Division.
Dubas’ fingerprints are all over this team, and this is a team that might be going places.
“That’s a good team we beat,” Rutger McGroarty said. “This one feels good.”
The Penguins beat the Sabres pretty convincingly despite playing without a number of regulars. Rickard Rakell was injured during the morning skate and was immediately ruled out for the game. Dan Muse labeled him as “day-to-day” with a lower-body injury. Noel Acciari was so ill that he was unable to play. Another key fourth-liner, Blake Lizotte, returned to Pittsburgh for the birth of his first child.
As a result, McGroarty and Kevin Hayes entered the lineup.
So, too, did Avery Hayes, who had no idea he was playing in his first NHL game when he woke up Thursday. However, given the rash of health issues and Lizotte having headed back to Pittsburgh, the Penguins told Hayes to make his way from Wilkes-Barre to Buffalo at noon. While on the road at 3 p.m., he received word that he would be making his NHL debut.
“I am so happy for him,” Kindel said. “He works so hard, and he was so good tonight. He deserves all of it.”
With Wilkes-Barre manager of team operations Derek Avery behind the wheel for the four-plus-hour drive, Hayes made his way to Buffalo, already partially dressed in the car when he arrived.
“It was fine,” Hayes said with a grin. “I was able to sleep for a little bit. I didn’t have much time to think about the game, which was honestly pretty nice.”
Hayes arrived at KeyBank Center precisely two hours before the opening faceoff.
“It was a quick turnaround, but I had enough time to get ready,” he said. “So it was fine. I was in time for (pregame) meetings. That’s all that matters.”
McGroarty, a good friend of his, sent him a text. It read, “Hey, we might be playing together. Let’s go out there and dominate.”
Hayes and McGroarty have enjoyed much success as linemates in Wilkes-Barre. McGroarty loves to talk and loves telling anyone who will listen about how good of a hockey player Hayes is.
“I’ve been saying it for a long time,” McGroarty said. “I’m super happy he got the opportunity. He ran with it tonight. He’s been a dog since I met him. I know what he’s capable of. He’ll keep building on it.”
Hayes’ blinding speed and tenacity were on display all evening. McGroarty noticed. So did everyone else.
“I’m telling you, he’s a dog,” McGroarty said. “He can fly. He can absolutely fly. The speed. Bumping guys, get that space. He can snap the pill, too. You guys saw it tonight, but I’ve been watching it for a while.”
Muse was very impressed with what he witnessed from Hayes.
“It was unbelievable,” Muse said. “The day he’s had … he woke up this morning, not a thought of playing a game in the NHL. Throughout the whole game, he was awesome. It’s a special day for him and his family.”
Hayes is headed back to Wilkes-Barre, and the Penguins are headed for the Olympic break. It seems only a matter of time, however, before Hayes makes an impact with the Penguins again.
“It was a ton of fun,” he said. “It’s a moment I’ll never forget.”
10 postgame observations
• This may have been the win of the season for the Penguins.
They were coming off two difficult losses, playing without two-thirds of their very important fourth line, found out only hours before the game that Rakell wasn’t playing, and were playing on the road against one of the NHL’s hottest teams. It had all the makings of being a long night.
Instead, the Penguins produced some kind of performance. They aren’t perfect by any stretch, but there is something special about this team.
• Hayes is a player that the Penguins organization really, really likes. I believe he’s going to be a regular in Pittsburgh by next season at the latest. Everyone saw the speed all game. He may be undersized, but there is a tenaciousness about him that can go a long way at the NHL level.
People have told me he has some Max Talbot in his game. We’ll see about that. But this is a player with an NHL future, and one who made a spectacular debut.
Ben Kindel scored twice against the Sabres, putting him at 14 goals for the season. (Timothy T. Ludwig / Imagn Images)
• Kindel has been the Penguins’ best player during the past two weeks. He scored twice more in this game and was dominant in all phases. He’s up to 14 goals on the season. His poise is something to see every night, and lately his speed has been, too.
I’ll remind you that he’s only 18.
I asked him if scoring two goals in his hometown triggered a dose of confidence.
“I don’t know about that,” he said. “I try and not change the way I play, try to have a lot of consistency. Sometimes the puck is going to go in, sometimes it’s not. It all evens out at the end of the year.”
That’s not something teenagers say very often. This is a different kind of guy, and I mean that as a compliment. His maturity is frightening.
• Silovs was very good in this game, stopping 26 of 28 shots. Jason Zucker beat him on the game’s first shot, and Tage Thompson later sniped a bad-angle shot past the goaltender. Otherwise, he was flawless and looked composed throughout, especially in the second and third periods. The Penguins are really excited about the progress he is making.
• Sidney Crosby didn’t have a point, something that has been a theme lately. He did, however, put six shots on goal and looked much more like himself.
He’ll be fine. Just a rough patch. That the Penguins are winning without him scoring is actually a very encouraging thing.
• Something is going on with the Penguins and the officials. I’ll be writing about this over the Olympic break. The Sabres had five power plays to the Penguins’ three. This is an undeniable trend.
• I think the Penguins need another defenseman. Kris Letang and Jack St. Ivany are out. Ryan Shea is gamely playing on his off-side, but he’s not nearly as effective there. Ilya Solovyov is not operating at 100 percent health.
Connor Clifton has elevated his game significantly, which is helping. But I think it would behoove Dubas to locate blue-line help before the March 6 trade deadline.
• I spoke with Bryan Rust about his recent three-game suspension on Thursday morning. He remains unhappy about the ruling, especially considering the many controversial hits going unpunished around the NHL and the fact that he has never been in trouble with the league during his career.
“It was unfortunate, the entire thing,” he said. “Do I think I got what I deserved? No. I thought it was a little harsh. I haven’t done anything in 12 years. At the end of the day, the league made a decision, and I have to deal with it.”
• Craig Patrick, the former Penguins general manager, sustained a stroke and has been in the hospital for more than a month. I wrote about it here.
Patrick is a thoroughly good man and a giant in Penguins history. Here’s hoping for a full recovery.
• What a story the Penguins are. They are currently on pace for 103 points. Despite the break, much coverage is on the way for what might be hockey’s most interesting team.