PITTSBURGH (93.7 The Fan) – It’s already the third preseason game for the Pens, this one though is a little different. Not just because it’s the second one at home, but you’ll see a number of the stars Thursday night.
Among those in the lineup against Buffalo
There are others you would recognize, or who are new, that will play Thursday.
Karlsson said his time with the Pens so far has been good. They are starting to figure each other out and says it will take a little time to get acclimated to each other.
One of the big changes is also something people are most excited about, getting Karlsson on the power play. On Wednesday they had their first extensive, on-ice work with an extra man with Karlsson taking over for Letang on the point.
“I played most positions on the power play, maybe not so much net-front, so I think I’m off-duty there,” Karlsson said with a smile. “It’s going to take a little time before we find our identity and what we are trying to accomplish out there. We will have to talk about at the beginning and find a way to execute it.”
“You don’t touch the puck as much and you have to be ready to make a play instead of being ready to distribute,” Letang said. “I will get used to it.”
“It’s nice having a righty on that side for a one-time threat,” said Pens head coach Mike Sullivan. “I also think with the way our power play operates there’s a lot of motion in the positions. As these guys get comfortable with one another, I would imagine you’ll see a lot of movement. I think Erik up top is really good with his instincts and what he sees. He likes to move south.”
Sullivan said as the power play evolves and they get to know each other they will have a better idea of what fits. He expects the players to be fluid, shifting around the positions and the Pens head coach believes there will be times where Letang is setting up Karlsson on the flank.
“It’s something I’m not too worried about with the clientele that we have here and the hockey IQ,” Karlssons aid. “We kinda have to get on the same page as soon as we can. There are going to be some bumps in the road and some learning lessons even though we are seasoned veterans. I think that’s part of the journey. It’s going to be fun to see what we can accomplish out there and how much it’s going to help out our hockey club.”
Karlsson said it’s unique to have a fellow Swede as his defensive partner, saying it’s been odd hearing Swedish on the ice. He said Marcus Pettersson has good control of the puck and knows how to play the game. Karlsson has also enjoyed picking Letang’s brain and said he looks forward to getting to know him better once the season begins.
“It’s always special to have a player of this caliber,” Letang said. “We all know the success he had last year, but he’s had it in the past.”
“When you add someone like Karlsson on the blue line it puts you on a different level.”