Rookie Wilson celebrates healthy finish in Game 3
Forward Scott Wilson made it through an entire NHL game Monday night. For that, he was relieved.
Wilson’s original NHL debut came Dec. 2 against the New Jersey Devils, but it didn’t last long. He was injured in the first period after 4:21 of ice time.
Monday, he considered his playoff debut in Game 3 of the Eastern Conference quarterfinal his true NHL debut.
“I told my parents after the game I’m just glad I got one completed for 60 minutes,” Wilson said. “Just kind of razzed myself about it. ... It’s definitely a little nerve-wracking. I think after the first few shifts, though, I started to get my legs under me. Its comes down to playing hockey in the end.”
Wilson injured his knee that night in December and spent six weeks recovering off the ice before rejoining the Penguins’ American Hockey League affiliate, Wilkes-Barre/ Scranton.
Wilson scored 19 goals, 22 assists in 55 games for Wilkes-Barre.
At just 5 feet 11, 183 pounds, what he lacks in size, he makes up for in competitiveness, Penguins coach Mike Johnston said.
“He’s a very competitive player. He’s not a big guy but he’s really competitive,” Johnston said. “As you saw the other night, when he got the puck in the offensive zone he has some poise with the puck. He can score. He gets in shooting areas, scoring areas.
”[He needs to] play a really disciplined, hard game and [take] advantage of things in the offensive zone.”
Dangerous conditions
Getting cut by a skate blade — which is a lot like being sliced by a katana — is a constant danger for every player. And, while such incidents are surprisingly rare, they tend to be gory when they happen.
That was proven again in the first period of Game 4 Tuesday night in the Washington-New York Islanders series, when Capitals defenseman Brooks Orpik, a longtime Penguins player, was gashed from near the right corner of his mouth to his chin by the right skate of teammate John Carlson. Orpik bled heavily and immediately adjourned to the locker room, where his wound was stitched.
He returned for the start of the second period and was on the ice for Washington center Nicklas Backstrom’s winning goal. Moments later, Orpik was struck in the face by a cup of beer thrown by a patron at Nassau Coliseum. Orpik said his injury likely looked worse than it was.
Game time announced
The NHL announced Game 5 will be played at 7 p.m. Friday in New York.