Zach Aston-Reese realized what was about to happen and braced for impact.
When the hit from Capitals forward Tom Wilson occurred, however, it didn’t go as Aston-Reese expected.
“I thought it was a bit high,” Aston-Reese said of the shot he absorbed from Wilson in Game 3 of the Eastern Conference semifinals, one that gave Aston-Reese a broken jaw and a concussion and netted Wilson a three-game suspension.
It was too bad for Aston-Reese, who went from promising rookie to the unfortunate soul on the other end of Wilson’s latest shot to an opponent’s head.
Speaking at locker cleanout Wednesday at the UPMC Lemieux Sports Complex, Aston-Reese had the look of someone who had gotten run over by a truck — which, in the way, he did.
“I feel kind of like a chipmunk,” Aston-Reese said, his cheeks puffy after surgery last week to repair his jaw.
Aston-Reese’s diet right now consists of soup, smoothies and ice cream — “Lots of ice cream,” he joked — and his concussion is either healed or most of the way there. Doctors had to put his jaw back together with a few plates and screws.
Wilson did not reach out, Aston-Reese answered when asked, and the 23-year-old former Hobey Baker Award finalist from Northeastern should resume training in about three weeks.
“That’s kind of everything in life,” Aston-Reese said. “With the good, there’s the bad. The NHL stepped in and handed out a suspension. It’s something — high hits — that they’re trying to get rid of.
“I think moving forward guys just need to be a little bit more aware — and have more control of their body -— when going in to throw big hits like that.”
After a mid-season promotion that at one point had Aston-Reese playing on Sidney Crosby’s left wing, the season as a whole offered a glimpse at what Aston-Reese might become. It also was enough to think he’ll at least be in the mix when the Penguins reconvene for training camp in September.
Aston-Reese can be a physical player and has a certain toughness to his game that makes him unique among Penguins forwards, the majority of which play with more speed and skill. Coaches and management most frequently compare Aston-Reese to Patric Hornqvist, but Hornqvist has better net-front touch, and Aston-Reese is more willing to fight and play on the edge.
That, of course, didn’t happen consistently enough in his rookie year, and that’s something Aston-Reese will try to change in 2018-19. Also on the list will be improved skating and handling the puck for longer stretches, something that often comes with confidence and experience.
“I think my first year was a great learning experience,” Aston-Reese said. “I’ve been reflecting a lot about it the past couple of days. Definitely exposed a lot of my weaknesses. I think that’s something that’s really good for me. This summer I can kind of work on those.”
Aston-Reese did offer a little bit of insight into the Wilson hit, which stirred up plenty of controversy.
First off, Aston-Reese didn’t care that Wilson was caught laughing on the bench.
“I didn’t really think anything of it,” Aston-Reese said. “It could’ve been a million different things and not my injury.”
And as far as Aston-Reese chucking his glove at the Washington bench … yes, somebody did say something. But Aston-Reese doesn’t remember exactly what that was or who said it.
“It was all kind heat of the moment,” Aston-Reese said. “I thought they were saying stuff. I don’t remember what it was.”
Coming on the heels of a postseason where the Penguins got a woeful amount of secondary scoring, Aston-Reese knows it’s important to move past the Wilson hit, get healthy and do his best to earn a job come training camp.
“But I’m moving past all that and those emotions,” Aston-Reese said. “I’m focusing on recovering, having a good summer and contributing next season.”
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Jason Mackey: jmackey@post-gazette.com and Twitter @JMackeyPG.
First Published: May 10, 2018, 2:55 p.m.