The Pittsburgh Penguins have called up goaltender Joel Blomqvist from the American Hockey League, a move announced prior to their game against the New Jersey Devils. This decision appears to be a precautionary measure following an earlier goalie situation for the Penguins.
In their recent game against the New York Rangers, Alex Nedeljkovic received his fifth consecutive start in goal, filling in for Tristan Jarry, who was originally slated to start but was scratched at the last moment. Jarry, along with several other Penguins players, was sidelined due to illness, potentially explaining Blomqvist’s call-up as Jarry may still be recovering.
The Penguins have recalled goaltender Joel Blomqvist from the @WBSPenguins.
Forward Sam Poulin has been re-assigned to WBS. pic.twitter.com/EwruzdWJaZ
— Pittsburgh Penguins (@penguins) April 2, 2024
Head coach Mike Sullivan has confirmed that Nedeljkovic will start his sixth consecutive game, with Blomqvist serving as backup while Jarry continues to recuperate.
During the New York game, the Penguins had an emergency backup goalie on standby in case Nedeljkovic was unable to complete the game. However, Nedeljkovic finished the game and helped secure a crucial two points for the team.
This marks Blomqvist’s second recall of the 2023-24 season, having previously served as a backup earlier in the year.
In addition to Blomqvist’s recall, the Penguins have reassigned forward prospect Sam Poulin, who played three games without registering any points and averaged 7:47 of ice time.
Penguins GM Responds to Twitter Banter About Sidney Crosby’s Milestone.
The Pittsburgh Penguins are currently making an impressive push for the postseason, but amidst their on-ice success, there’s also a bit of off-ice banter. Following their significant win over the New York Rangers, team captain Sidney Crosby achieved his 19th career point-per-game season, a feat only matched by Wayne Gretzky in NHL history.
This milestone was briefly questioned on Twitter by the account @EvolvingWild, which mistakenly suggested Crosby needed more points to achieve the milestone. However, it was quickly clarified that Crosby had already reached the 82-point mark, securing his point-per-game season.
Not to be pedantic, ok fine to be pedantic. Points-per-game is a rate stat. Are the Penguins just going to sit him the rest of the year lol https://t.co/lzAuNIaFUm
— EvolvingWild (@EvolvingWild) April 2, 2024
Penguins general manager Kyle Dubas playfully responded to the tweet with an image from the show I Think You Should Leave, poking fun at the initial misunderstanding. Dubas’ response humorously indicated that there was no question about Crosby’s achievement and hinted at the player’s enduring importance to the team.
Despite speculation from some pundits, particularly in Canada, about Crosby and other veteran players leaving the Penguins for other teams, Dubas’ response seems to suggest that Crosby’s future remains with Pittsburgh. Crosby is eligible for a contract extension this summer, and early reports suggest that discussions may already be underway.
