Barely a week into his tenure with the Pittsburgh Penguins, forward Philip Tomasino has already made history.
By getting game-winning goals in a 2-1 road victory against the Boston Bruins on Friday and a 6-2 triumph at home against the Calgary Flames on Saturday, he became the second player in franchise history to record winning scores in two of his first three games with the club.
Also, the team is 3-0-0 since he arrived via a trade with the Nashville Predators on Nov. 25.
“Can’t complain about that!” Tomasino quipped following practice in Cranberry on Monday.
Another aspect of Tomasino that isn’t drawing any negative feedback is his shooting. Specifically, the abundance of it.
In the span of the three games he has played for the club, primarily on the right wing of the second line with center Evgeni Malkin, he leads the team with 12 shots.
Top-line right winger Bryan Rust is second with 11.
In the 11 games he played for the Predators this season, Tomasino only registered 17 shots.
“I feel like I’ve been getting some pretty good chances here,” Tomasino said. “Especially playing with a guy like (Malkin), he draws so much attention. You can get a little bit more open. He’s found me, I don’t know how many times. It’s been good. Hopefully, I can continue to put the puck into the net even a little bit more. If you’re shooting the puck, it means you’re getting some pretty good looks here. That’s kind of my mindset as of right now, for sure.”
In the nearly 20 years Malkin and the franchise’s other All-Star center, Sidney Crosby, have been with the Penguins, there have been countless newcomers who have been placed on the team’s top two lines only to defer to the two luminary pivots (i.e. pass them the puck too much) instead of taking shots themselves.
That doesn’t appear to be an issue for Tomasino in his partnership with Malkin thus far.
“When you give that guy the puck, I think good things are always going to happen,” Tomasino said. “Anyone would say the same thing: Give him the puck and get open. … I don’t think it’s a matter of giving him the puck as much as possible. Most of the time, he’s pretty open and he makes plays all the time. It’s a win-win situation.”
In addition to skating with Malkin, Tomasino is skating on the Penguins’ second power-play unit. (He scored on Saturday from that station.)
Power play goal for Pittsburgh!
Scored by Philip Tomasino with 10:58 remaining in the 2nd period.
Assisted by Kris Letang and Michael Bunting.
Pittsburgh: 3
Calgary: 0#CGYvsPIT#LetsGoPens#Flamespic.twitter.com/zLD0mvjVu6— NHL Goals (@nhl_goal_bot) December 1, 2024
With the Penguins, he has averaged 2:23 of power-play ice time per contest. As a member of the Predators, he was limited to 1:12 per game on the man advantage.
“It’s all just about opportunity,” Tomasino said. “That’s the main thing. I don’t think I really had a chance to get to my game there, especially the last couple of years. I’m just really grateful for the change here. Everyone has been so awesome to me here. Honestly, it just comes down to opportunity.
”Really grateful and really happy with how things have gone here so far.”
Prospects selected for junior camp
A pair of Penguins prospects, defenseman Harrison Brunicke and forward Tanner Howe, were selected for Canada’s National Junior Team’s preliminary roster in advance of the upcoming International Ice Hockey Federation’s World Junior Championship tournament which begins later this month.
Hockey Canada announced the roster via a press release Monday.
A total of 32 players were named to the preliminary roster. That figure will be trimmed to 25 for the tournament which will be staged in Ottawa between Dec. 26 and Jan. 5.
Both players were second-round draft picks during the NHL Draft in June.
Brunicke was selected No. 44 overall. The right-hander is currently playing for the Kamloops Blazers of the Western Hockey League. An undisclosed injury has limited Brunicke (6-foot-3, 191 pounds) to 15 games and 12 points (three goals, nine assists).
Howe was drafted two selections after Brunicke. A left-handed shot, Howe (5-foot-11, 182 pounds) is currently skating for the Calgary Hitmen of the WHL. In 14 games, Howe, also hobbled by an undisclosed ailment in October, has posted 15 points (nine goals, six assists).
Elsewhere, San Jose Sharks forward prospect Brandon Svoboda, a native of Level Green, was selected for the U.S. National Junior Team’s preliminary roster.
A total of 28 players were named to that roster.
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Svoboda, 19, is in the middle of his freshman year at Boston University. Appearing in nine games this season, the right-hander has scored three goals.
The Sharks selected Svoboda (6-foot-3, 210 pounds) in the third round (No. 71 overall) in the 2023 NHL Draft. He was a member of the two teams to win the United States Hockey League’s Clark Cup each of the past two seasons, the Youngstown Phantoms (2023) and the Fargo Force (2024).
Notes: Penguins forward Cody Glass remains day to day in his recovery from a concussion. He practiced Monday in a full-contact capacity. Sidelined for the past 11 games, Glass is designated to injured reserve. … Assistant coach Mike Vellucci also participated in the practice session on the ice for the first time since a minor and unspecified medical procedure that sidelined him in late November.