PITTSBURGH (93.7 The Fan) – Placed on waivers for a second time on Saturday, forward Colton Sceviour returned to the lineup to score a pair of goals in a 5-2 win in New Jersey Sunday night.
"We've been winning hockey games," Sceviour said. "I feel like I've been contributing and helping the team do so. That's really all I've focused on, so it's been good."
Sceviour said based on the low number of teams claiming waived players, he said he was pretty sure he would be back and focused on Sunday's game.
"Colton is playing hard," said head coach Mike Sullivan. "He has some offensive instincts. He's going to the net, he gets a great deflection goal from a point shot.
"He's playing hard for us on both ends. He's a good penalty killer. He's a good defender. That's what he brings to our team. I'm happy for him that he's getting rewarded with a couple of goals tonight."
"It's huge," Guentzel said of Sceviour's contributions. "Just a guy that comes to the rink every day with a smile and works hard. It's always nice to see a guy like that get rewarded. Really happy for him. Just this last two game stretch to score three goals. It's been big goals for us and we are definitely lucky to have him."
Guentzel also scored two
Guentzel again with a great screen, just like on Friday night as Bryan Rust floated one in on a slapper. The goal came with 39 seconds left in the second to make it 3-1. The Devils challenged for goalie interference on Sidney Crosby bumping a player from the other side.
That goal counted and for missing the challenge, the Devils were assessed a two-minute minor penalty. At the very end of the penalty, now early in the third period, Rust works hard and hooks a pass over to Guentzel and he directs it home for a 4-1 lead.
Guentzel would add a late empty net goal, his 19th of the season.
Another injury
Center Frederick Gaudreau left the game late in the second period as Sullivan announced he has a lower body injury and will be evaluated when the team returns to Pittsburgh Monday. Gaudreau played in a dozen games with a goal and three assists.
"He's been great," Blueger said of Gaudreau. "He's a really good player. I think the thing that jumps out is how smart he is. Great awareness, great hockey sense, that's his biggest strength. He can play up and down the lineup."
Blueger returns
Out since the Ides of March, Teddy Blueger returned after over a week of full practices on Sunday. Blueger didn't wait long to get his first point, assisting on the Sceviour goal in the first period. It's Blueger's first point since March 13, the bottom 6 center had points in four of his last five before the injury.
"It was good," Blueger said. "It was a little weird not playing for four weeks. It felt like four months. At first, a little nervous. The first period the pace felt really fast, but after that it settled down."
"I thought Teddy was solid," Sullivan said. "He's just a good 200-foot player on both sides of the puck. He defended hard for us. He's got good puck poise, he doesn't throw pucks away. For missing the amount of time that he missed, I thought he stepped in and had a strong game for us."
Jankowski sits
Blueger is the first injured forward to return and it was Mark Jankowski who got benched. There is more to hockey than points because Jankowski had si points in his last four games with a pair of goals and four assists.
Jankowski signed to a one-year, $700,000 contract in the off-season by previous general manager Jim Rutherford.
Up Next
Following six straight games on the road, the Pens return home on Thursday against the Flyers at 7p.
Monday afternoon is really the next, 'up next', as it marks the NHL Trade Deadline and then the Pens will practice Tuesday and Wednesday.
"We have players here," Guentzel said. "We know we are capable of doing anything we want. Never know what will happen with the business side of things, but we are happy with where we are at."
