One month into Kasperi Kapanen’s Penguins tenure, it was time for a talk.
The speedy 24-year-old winger began the Feb. 20 game against the Islanders on Sidney Crosby’s right wing, which was exactly where the Penguins envisioned he’d be when they gave up a first-round pick to acquire him. But during that game he slid from the top line, to the fourth line… to the bench. He hopped over the boards for just one shift in the third period, a clear message from the coach that Kapanen wasn’t playing the game the way the club expected.
The next day, coach Mike Sullivan and the most-significant offseason acquisition had a discussion.
“Obviously, it was a nice little sit down with Mike, kind of to just talk about little areas I need to be better in,” Kapanen said on Sunday night. “To help the team, it’s not always about offense. It’s about taking care of business down low and in our own zone. That translates to the rest of my game.”
In Kapanen’s young Penguins tenure, what could have been seen as the low point instead became a turning point. While the fall from Sid's wing to the bench was precipitous, the response was equally abrupt.
Just one game later, Kapanen netted the overtime game winner in Washington, setting off a hot streak in which the Finnish forward has racked up nine points over the last eight games.
That continued into Sunday. One of the Penguins’ more-complete games of the season was also one of Kapanen’s most-complete. He recorded his first three-point game as a Penguin with a goal and two assists to propel Pittsburgh to a 5-1 win over the Rangers.
After an up-and-down start, Kapanen is turning into an ever-present quick strike threat, a fiery competitor with some edge to his game and a complement that might help ignite the slow-starting Evgeni Malkin.
“I give [Kapanen] a lot of credit, because he’s responded the right way,” Sullivan said. “He’s really making a concerted effort to play the game a certain way. When he does, in our estimation, he can be an impact player for us.”
Throughout this hot streak, Kapanen has produced a number of offensive-zone highlights, including that OT winner in Washington, the cheeky fake slapper during his breakaway goal over the Flyer a few nights back and backdoor power play dagger.
We’ll get to some of that. But even on his three-point night, it’s another play that stands out.
As the Rangers charged hard through the neutral zone for a possible odd-man rush, Kapanen raced back, turning a threatening Rangers’ 3-on-2 into a 3-on-3. His hustle eliminated a seam pass, snuffing out a scoring opportunity even before the Rangers could fire a puck on net.
Yeah, putting the puck in the back of the net is going to be key for Kapanen to continue to stick in a top-six role – and he’s done that. But plays like this one will be just as important.
“It’s about the details and the process,” Sullivan said. “That’s what we’ve really liked about [Kapanen’s] game over the last stretch of games. He’s a real good kid. He’s a terrific player. We’re really excited about what he can bring to the team. That’s what I told him when we had a discussion a few weeks ago.”
Kapanen’s improved play has coincided recently with an upswing from Malkin. Maybe that’s not a coincidence.
That tandem skated together in stretches earlier this year and has been reunited the last three games. During that span, Malkin has five points in three games, while Kapanen has four points.
On Sunday, speed was at the center of both goals that line scored. Kapanen somehow got behind the defense yet again for a breakaway goal.
Later, he and Malkin raced ahead in stride on a 2-on-1. Kapanen feathered the pass through a defenseman for Malkin to finish. With Malkin’s creativity and Kapanen’s speed, more quick-strike goals could be on the horizon.
“He’s established some chemistry with Geno, which is a positive thing from our standpoint,” Sullivan said. “I think it’s both good for him and it’s good for Geno. We’re really encouraged by that aspect of his game.
“Most importantly, we’re really encouraged by the response [after the discussion],” Sullivan continued. “That’s an important aspect. It’s not an easy game. Every player goes through ups and downs. But we’re real excited about the progress that he’s made.”
Roster moves
The Penguins on Monday placed defenseman Mark Friedman (upper-body injury) on injured reserve, retroactive to March 4.
The club initially acquired the right-shot defenseman when the Philadelphia Flyers tried to pass him through waivers. He appeared in parts of two games, before leaving the March 4 contest following a collision with Philadelphia’s Nolan Patrick.
In other roster news, the Penguins again reshuffled their taxi squad. Forward Anthony Angello, who skated last game on the fourth line, was reassigned to the taxi squad. Forward Frederick Gaudreau and goalie Maxime Lagace were promoted from the AHL affiliate in Wilkes-Barre/Scranton to the taxi squad.
Meanwhile, forward Josh Currie, defenseman Josh Maniscalco and goalie Emil Larmi were reassigned from the taxi squad to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton.
Some of these rosters moves are to ensure that no player sits idly on the taxi squad for too long without playing a game at either the NHL or AHL level.
Mike DeFabo: mdefabo@post-gazette.com and Twitter @MikeDeFabo.
First Published: March 8, 2021, 6:19 p.m.