MONTREAL — It was inevitable Valtteri Puustinen’s string of success, at least on the scoresheet, would eventually come to an end.
In Tuesday night’s win against the Arizona Coyotes, Puustinen, 24, became the 13th player in Penguins history and first since Evgeni Malkin to register at least one point in each of his first three NHL games.
Puustinen was held scoreless during Wednesday’s comeback win against the Montreal Canadiens, but he stood out with career highs in ice time and shots on net. He also was a part of a successful top power play unit that netted two goals against the Habs, giving the Penguins four tallies with an extra attacker in the last two days.
Even in less than a handful of games, Puustinen has stood out to coach Mike Sullivan not only when operating to the right of Malkin and opposite Reilly Smith, but in general.
“I think [Puustinen’s] been pretty good,” Sullivan said earlier in the week. “When you play on a line with Geno and Reilly, or when you play in the top six like that, there’s pressure to perform, and I think he handles it extremely well. He has a quiet confidence about him.
“I think he knows he’s a good player. So I think he’s fit right in with those guys. He certainly doesn’t look out of place.”
Teammates who are more familiar with his game from their shared time on the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins like Jonathan Gruden have similarly picked up on Puustinen’s swagger.
The Finnish-born forward admittedly struggles with English, though both he and Gruden think his command of the language is improving with each year. So, too, is Puustinen’s confidence.
“He looks better every year,” Gruden said. “He's just such a good kid, great player and it's been really cool to grow with him the last few years.”
Puustinen, whose offensive abilities have long been his calling card, is getting an extended shot with the Penguins in part because of injuries to top-six forwards like Rickard Rakell and Bryan Rust. Rakell could soon retake his spot at right wing on Malkin’s line, considering he’s eligible to activated from long-term injured reserve for Saturday’s game against the Toronto Maple Leafs.
But Puustinen isn’t just in this spot because of attrition. There’s also an increased level of trust in his two-way game, which had to be earned as Puustinen racked up a combined minus-24 plus/minus rating his last two AHL seasons.
Less than a year ago, Wilkes-Barre/Scranton head coach J.D. Forrest and team captain Taylor Fedun each noted how Puustinen needed to become a more consistent player. Time will tell if Puustinen has made the necessary defensive advancements to stick in the NHL, but so far, the 5-foot-9, 183-pound forward hasn’t been a liability.
Per Natural Stat Trick, the Puustinen-Malkin-Smith line has produced a stellar expected-goals rate of over 62%. That line’s also yet to yield a 5-on-5 goal in just over 30 minutes.
Not to mention, the power play has been an overwhelming success with Puustinen, going 4 for 8 since Sullivan inserted him alongside Malkin, Erik Karlsson, Sidney Crosby and Jake Guentzel. For Puustinen, simply getting the chance to play with established former All-Stars and future Hall of Famers is precisely what he was looking for in his second NHL call-up.
“This is really good for me, playing with the best players in this league,” Puustinen said. “I can try doing my best, helping in all kinds.”
Even so, Sullivan recognizes there’s likely to be some growing pains with Puustinen as he racks up more time in the league. In Wilkes-Barre last season, Forrest pointed out that Puustinen has the ability to play with an edge, but it often takes an opponent getting his “feathers ruffled” to bring it out.
What’s of greater importance to the Penguins currently, so long as Puustinen’s defense isn’t a detriment, is continuing to get solid offensive play and let the rest of his game come along.
“I think the learning curve for him will be steep,” Sullivan said. “We’re hopeful that with every game that he plays that he’s going to get that much better for us.”
Conversely, should the issues that plagued Puustinen on the Baby Pens like struggling to keep up with the pace of play arise, he could find himself headed back to the AHL. After all, it took Puustinen nearly two years to get back to the NHL after making his debut.
In what’s his third year in the Penguins’ organization, the undersized but speedy winger is in a position to prove his worth, that he’s more than just a depth forward with scoring touch. It’s on Puustinen to sway the coaching staff, president of hockey operations Kyle Dubas and others in the immediate future.
For the time being, though, Puustinen is grateful for the opportunity at hand, his most substantial to date in Pittsburgh.
“It’s a really good feeling,” Puustinen said. “I am so excited to be here now and I enjoy all the practice. Whatever we do in here, this is new for me.
“My dream is to play here and I can try helping this team in doing my best.”
Andrew Destin: adestin@post-gazette.com and Twitter @AndrewDestin1
First Published: December 14, 2023, 5:59 p.m.
Updated: December 14, 2023, 6:10 p.m.
