On A Night Of Firsts, Penguins Defeat Islanders, 4-3
It was a night of firsts for several Pittsburgh Penguins' players in Thursday's home opener against the New York Islanders.
And it was also quite the night for some Penguins' legends.
With Mario Lemieux in the house, the Penguins took down the Islanders, 4-3, on a third-period game-winning goal by Justin Brazeau, who now has three goals in two games. Rickard Rakell and Sidney Crosby also tallied goals, and Evgeni Malkin finished the evening with three points, giving him five points in two games on the season.
And, as far as "firsts," rookie defenseman Harrison Brunicke scored his first NHL goal, becoming the first South African-born player in NHL history to do so. Filip Hallander registered his first NHL point with the primary assist on the goal, and Tommy Novak recorded his first point as a Penguin with the secondary helper.
The 19-year-old blueliner admitted he doesn't remember much in the immediate aftermath of the goal.
"I don't really know, to be honest," Brunicke said. "You talk about that blacking-out feeling? That's kind of what I felt. Just a lot of excitement and happiness, for sure. It felt good."
In what was a bit of a back-and-forth game, the Penguins opened up the scoring first. Evgeni Malkin took the puck down low and fed Rakell, who missed the first opportunity. Crosby and Rakell poked away at it in a net-front scramble, and Malkin pounced on the rebound and threw it toward the empty net. The goal was originally credited to Malkin, but Rakell had tipped it on the way in.
Then, the Islanders responded. Jonathan Drouin halfway-whiffed on a shot from the high slot, and the puck softly knuckled in and dropped, fooling Penguins' goaltender Tristan Jarry and tying the game headed into first intermission. The goal also gave Isles' 2025 first overall draft pick Matthew Schaefer his first NHL point. Kyle Palmieri also scored blocker-side on a lazer from the right circle a little more than four minutes into the second period to put the Isles up, 2-1.
Then, about a minute and a half later, Brunicke pushed a puck up to Novak in the defensive zone, who dove to push it ahead to a breaking Hallander. Hallander pulled up just inside of the offensive blue line, dishing a soft backhand touch pass to Brunicke, who was coming into the slot with speed. Using Islanders' defenseman Scott Mayfield as a screen, Brunicke snapped the puck past Ilya Sorokin for his first in the NHL to put the game back into a tie.
"A big piece of the coaching staff is d-men join the rush," Brunicke said. "We talked about that [Thursday] morning, me and [defensive coach Mike Stothers] there. So, I found some ice. Lucky enough, the puck found me. And I put it in."
A few minutes later, Crosby parked at the net front on one knee, refused to budge, and redirected home a Malkin pass on the power play to put the Penguins ahead, 3-2. However, in the final minute of the period, Islanders' forward Maxim Shabanov - making his NHL debut - tied the game again for New York.
The score remained tied until late in the third, when Malkin worked some magic yet again. From his own zone, he fed Brazeau a stretch pass by banking it off the left wall and leaving Brazeau all alone. The 6-foot-6 forward deked forehand-to-backhand, putting it past Sorokin and calling game for the Penguins.
Things got a bit dicey toward the end, but Jarry stood tall to the task. He stopped 34 of 37 Islanders' shots, several of which came near the end of the game.
"He was awesome, especially early," Brazeau said. "I thought we maybe didn't have our best stuff, and I thought he did a really good job of keeping us in it and allowing us to kind of find our game and get going there. He did a great job keeping us in it tonight."
And on this night of firsts, the Penguins also opened the game with a celebration of 20 years of the Big Three - Crosby, Malkin, and Kris Letang - in Pittsburgh. With another three-point individual effort in the books, Malkin is aware that it may have been his final home opener.
But he is enjoying every moment, and he is proud of the two decades of hockey that the three have put together.
“It’s very special. Time is flying," Malkin said. "I feel like 20 years ago, it’s one day. It’s amazing. Love to play with Sid and (Letang). Same team together 20 years. It’s special. People talk a lot about that. I try to do my best.
"Who knows? Maybe last year. I do my best and try to help the team to win. Sid, a special kid. (Letang), too. Lots of (memories), lots of wins together. Keep going.”
49ers QB Mac Jones Opens Up on Injury Heading Into Buccaneers Game
The San Francisco 49ers won’t have starting quarterback Brock Purdy available for Sunday, and their backup’s status is suddenly in doubt as well.
Yet, Mac Jones detailed what he is going through to get ready to play and what the Niners’ plan is to get him ready for their showdown against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Florida.
Brock Purdy has not practiced this week yet is on the injury report as questionable. It’s likely Jones will be the starter for the second straight week — and fourth time this season.
Mac Jones Is Working Hard To Play In Tampa
The 49ers (4-1) are 3-0 with Jones as their starter this season, and it’s no stretch to say he has kept them afloat over their first five weeks. Jones has a 66.7 completion percentage, a 99.1 quarterback rating and 6-to-1 touchdown-to-interception ratio in his outings.
Yet, even despite the mini-bye after the Niners’ 26-21 overtime road win over the Los Angeles Rams on Thursday Night Football, Jones is being listed as questionable with an oblique injury after his limited practice Wednesday.
“I’ve been getting treatment every day,” Jones said Wednesday. “Trying to do everything I can — sleep, eat, do the little things — and everyone else is doing the same thing so that’s NFL football.”
Jones confirmed he was injured on the Niners’ final offensive play — when he was hit by Byron Young on a third-down incompletion. Eddy Pineiro kicked the go-ahead, 41-yard field goal, and the Niners stopped the Rams to end the game.
“That was the last snap, so I guess I didn’t have to find out [if he could play through the pain],” Jones said. “We’ve got a plan in place and just gotta work through it and make sure you can protect yourself.”
When pressed to offer more specifics, Jones said he was trying to spare his aching body during practice so he could air it out Sunday.
“I was trying to save some throws,” Jones said. “At the end of the day, I’ve got to be ready for Sunday, and we’ve got a plan. So I’m taking it day by day.”
Adrian Martinez Would Start If Mac Jones Can’t Play
Fans of the 49ers know they have been ravaged by injuries this season. They likely don’t want to even think of a world where San Francisco has to go into Tampa — against the 4-1, NFC South-leading Bucs — without at least Jones playing.
But rookie quarterback Adrian Martinez is in line to make his NFL debut if both Purdy and Jones can’t play Sunday — or if Jones sustains an injury against the Bucs.
But Jones feels he has the perfect skillset and demeanor to step right in and play.
“I think he’s really cool,” Jones said. “Just a laid-back dude. Doesn’t let a lot get to him.”
Though Martinez has never taken the field in the NFL, he will turn 26 in January and is no stranger to pressure. He played his first four seasons at Nebraska — while feeling the weight of trying to guide that program back to prominence — before playing his COVID year at Kansas State.
“I feel like he’s had an interesting journey,” Jones said. “He’s the same guy every day, and those are the guys you want in your quarterback room.”
