DETROIT — A loss in the Penguins’ preseason opener nearly took on additional meaning just a few minutes after puck drop.
Matthew Lorito of the Red Wings drove the net, toward Marc-Andre Fleury, and barreled into him, Lorito's skates kicking up in the air. One of them grazed Fleury, who was sporting a small cut on the left side of his neck after the game.
“Got a little piece there,” Fleury said. “The guy drove the net. Fell down. I caught a little something there. I was lucky it wasn’t anything too serious.”
The Penguins dropped a 4-2 decision. The outcome and the score are meaningless anyway, but they're especially meaningless when you consider what could have happened.
Fleury said there was “a little bit of blood” on his neck. The Penguins’ athletic trainers examined him and Fleury chatted some with the on-ice officials, but he never left the ice.
“I felt fortunate it wasn’t deeper,” Fleury said.
Two concussions were scary enough for Fleury last season, and they meant he's played in three games, two starts, since March 31. Furthermore, as far as the Penguins are concerned, they’re already without Matt Murray for 3-6 weeks with a broken hand.
“Obviously we want him to stay healthy and give him a chance to stay in the lineup and get some games under his belt,” coach Mike Sullivan said. “I thought his overall game, for the most part, was pretty solid.”
In two periods Tuesday, Fleury allowed three goals on 19 shots. He said “it’s not the best I’ve felt in a game” but wasn’t overly concerned about the result.
"That’s why we play these, to get back into rhythm,” Fleury said. “Looking forward to playing again and getting some more games.”
Garrett Wilson plays ‘spirited’ game
A puffy knuckle and some scraped skin provided an apt description of Garrett Wilson’s night. He fought early in the second period, then punched in a couple of goals from in close.
Wilson, signed as a free agent on July 7, skated with Kevin Porter and Tom Kostopoulos, a blue-collar group of players.
“I think I played a decent game with my linemates,” Wilson said. “We had some chemistry out there. We were finding each other and feeding off of each other. They helped me out a lot.”
Though he’s a physical player who’s more likely to fight and check than shoot and score, Wilson believes he can keep up with these speedy Penguins.
“My legs felt pretty good today,” Wilson said. “You try to find your legs as fast as you can. I thought it took me awhile. My first period I was a little slow. As I started getting going, they felt a lot better. It felt good to get a couple out of the way.”
Sullivan seemed particularly impressed with Wilson’s game.
“I thought he had a spirited game,” Sullivan said. “He had some strong moves to the net. You could see his size and his strength down low underneath the hashmarks. He protects the puck well.”
Ups and downs
• The Penguins’ best line was likely Scott Wilson-Carter Rowney-Conor Sheary. Sheary led the Penguins in shot attempts (nine) and shots on goal (five).
Wilson was coming off foot/ankle surgery and didn't look a step slow at all. The hands and speed were there. He and Sheary nearly executed a beautiful two-on-one but couldn’t convert.
“I thought our line was pretty good,” Wilson said. “We had our chances. Sometimes it just doesn’t go in. I thought we played pretty good hockey tonight.”
• Playing against NHL players for the first time, Jake Guentzel appeared unfazed. He, too, made a sweet dish on a two-on-one, this time with Tom Kuhnhackl, and used his speed and smarts to make plays.
From the time the Penguins started working with Guentzel, they’ve been impressed with how quickly he’s able to learn concepts and systems. It’s one of the reasons why he may be a dark-horse candidate to have a cup of coffee or two with the NHL club this season.
“He’s a smart player,” Sullivan said. “He’s a competitive kid. He really plays with a lot of fire. That’s usually a pretty good combination.”
• The Penguins' special teams lacked Tuesday. They ceded a pair of power play goals, but there’s a reason for the lackluster performance: They only started working on special teams earlier in the day.
They’re also missing special teams players Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, Olli Maatta Patric Hornqvist and Carl Hagelin.
• Derrick Pouliot wasn’t terribly noticeable, either. He put four shots on goal, but Sullivan said he wants to see Pouliot be more assertive in his decision-making and said he played “OK.”
“Moving forward we’d like to see him with a little bit more conviction in his decision-making,” Sullivan said.
Jason Mackey: jmackey@post-gazette.com and Twitter @JMackeyPG.
First Published: September 28, 2016, 2:17 a.m.
