Pittsburgh Penguins defenseman Sam Girard appears to be a likely candidate to rejoin his team’s lineup for Saturday’s home game against the Winnipeg Jets after being scratched for the previous five contests due to an undisclosed injury.
During a practice session in Cranberry on Friday, Girard was a full participant and inhabited the left side of the second pairing with Kris Letang as a partner.
The team has labeled his status as day to day. Girard strongly suggested Saturday will be the day he will get back in a game of consequence.
“I felt great,” Girard said. “That was my third practice since I got hurt. Felt great today. Feel ready for tomorrow (Saturday).”
The Penguins acquired the left-handed Girard in a trade with the Colorado Avalanche on Feb. 24. Before he was sidelined, he skated in seven games for the Penguins with no points while averaging 18:25 of ice time per contest.
Girard offered a self-audit of his play with his new team.
“Not too bad,” Girardi said. “It’s an adjustment. Play a different way than what I was used to. I just have to get used to a new system and everything. I felt like (before being injured), I was starting to get pretty comfortable there and to find my game.”
A member of the Avalanche for parts of nine seasons, Girard explained the primary differences in the schemes employed by his former team and the Penguins.
“In Colorado, we were like man-to-man (defensive scheme). Here’s it’s more like a zone. Obviously, that’s a big change. I just have to get used to it. I played in Denver for like nine years and that’s how we play. That was an adjustment for sure. Obviously, I’ve just got to use my instinct and how I can read the play on the ice.”
Graves returns
The Penguins recalled defenseman Ryan Graves from a conditioning assignment with Wilkes-Barre/Scranton of the American Hockey League (AHL) on Thursday. During that stint in Northeast Pennsylvania, he skated in two games and scored one goal.
Having not played in an NHL contest since Jan. 21, Graves was simply grateful to get any playing time for the sake of staying sharp.
“It was nice to be able to play a couple of games,” Graves said. “It’s been a while. It was good.”
While he has bounced between the NHL and AHL rosters throughout the season, Graves has been a healthy scratch for 20 games this season.
During Friday’s practice session, he operated as a reserve, skating on an auxiliary pairing with fellow left-handed defenseman Ilya Solovyov.
“You’re just working at it,” Graves said with regard to trying to stay in game shape. “You’re staying in shape. You’re trying to get back to play. Whenever your number is called, you want to be ready.”
During his conditioning assignment, Graves was designated to injured reserve. It is believed that the transaction was merely procedural as part of the assignment. Graves and coach Dan Muse largely declined to comment on that designation.
St. Ivany ready
Another recent returnee from a conditioning assignment is defenseman Jack St. Ivany, who rejoined the active roster Monday.
A left-hand injury that required surgery to correct has kept him out of the NHL lineup since Jan. 25. It marks the second long-term ailment that has hobbled him this season.
A broken right foot suffered during a preseason game in October prevented him from playing in an NHL contest until Dec. 16.
“It’s just kind of unlucky,” said the 26-year-old. “I don’t think I ever got a broken bone in the first 25 years I played hockey. Then the last year, a couple. Just the way it happens. But ready to go.”
At the moment, the Penguins are burdened with an outbreak of good health, particularly on their blue line. That would suggest St. Ivany isn’t on the verge of rejoining the lineup anytime soon.
Regardless, He vows to remain prepared to play again.
“Do whatever I can to stay ready,” St. Ivany said. “When I get that call, be ready to go. … It’s tough. But you deal with what life throws at you.”
Lined up
• The Penguins’ lines and pairings during Friday’s practice session were:
67 Rickard Rakell – 87 Sidney Crosby – 17 Bryan Rust
59 Egor Chinahkov – 18 Tommy Novak – 71 Evgeni Malkin
39 Anthony Mantha – 81 Ben Kindel – 16 Justin Brazeau
25 Elmer Soderblom – 19 Connor Dewar – 55 Noel Acciari
28 Parker Wotherspoon – 65 Erik Karlsson
49 Sam Girard – 58 Kris Letang
5 Ryan Shea – 75 Connor Clifton
27 Ryan Graves – 7 Ilya Solovyov
• The top power-play unit included Crosby, Karlsson, Malkin, Rakell and Rust. The second power-play unit involved Chinakhov, Kindel, Letang, Mantha and Novak.
• Forwards Ville Koivunen and Kevin Hayes, as well as St. Ivany, largely operated as reserves.