By Kevin Gorman
https://triblive.com/sports/penguins/14147623-74/kevin-gorman-derick-brassards-goal-changed-momentum-for-penguins
October 5, 2018
Derick Brassard #19 of the Pittsburgh Penguins celebrates his second period goal against the Washington Capitals at PPG Paints Arena on October 4, 2018 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Joe Sargent/NHLI via Getty Images)
The goal was downright dirty, a play that started with a battle on the boards and ended with a backhand by Derick Brassard.
The celebration was cathartic, as Brassard swung him arms upward and pumped them down while letting out a primal scream that suggested that his past with the Pittsburgh Penguins was behind him for good.
Brassard scored in the second period of the 7-6 overtime victory over the Washington Capitals in the season opener Thursday night at PPG Paints Arena. It would have been the winner had the reigning Stanley Cup champions not rallied to tie it in the third period, but its importance was not only in the way it shifted momentum but also the storyline.
It’s time to stop talking about Brassard as a disappointment.
“The first game is always special for the players, especially against those guys,” said Brassard, who had a game-high six shots in 14 minutes, 28 seconds of ice time. “I think it’s a privilege to play in this league and a privilege to score some goals, so there’s going to be some emotion involved.”
Brassard has scored his share of goals — he has 163 career goals and eight seasons with 14 or more — but this was one of his biggest with the Penguins. Their top trade-deadline acquisition last spring, Brassard had three goals and eight points in 14 regular-season games but battled a groin injury and struggled in the Stanley Cup playoffs.
This one was different. This was one special.
“Home openers are always special for players,” Brassard said. “Last year was last year. This year, I know what I can do. I know I can be an effective player in this league. I have to adjust to be on this team. It’s not easy when you come to a team that won two Stanley Cups in a row.
“You have to make your spot on the team and try to earn your ice time. I think we can do something special with this group, and I’m all in for that. When you have a chance to win, as a player that’s the only thing you ask for. I think that’s what we can do here.”
If the Penguins are going to unseat the Capitals as Stanley Cup champions, they will need improved play from their bottom-six forwards. That’s what makes Brassard so valuable as the third-line center that was missed last season.
The Penguins’ championsship teams were defined by their strength up the middle and third lines that proved the difference makers, whether they were centered by Jordan Staal in 2009 or Nick Bonino in ’16 and ’17. But the Penguins never found the right fit to replace Bonino when he left for Nashville in free agency, so they brought Brassard aboard.
But he had only one goal and four points in the playoffs and was so ineffective Penguins coach Mike Sullivan used Riley Sheahan to center the third line in the Capitals series. The demotion was humbling for Brassard, who had been a second-line center with Ottawa.
So it was a promising sign to see Brassard help the Penguins tie the score, not once but twice. He was on the ice with the second power-play unit when Jake Guentzel tied the score 2-2 at 7:27 of the second period.
The third-line pairing of Brassard with wingers Bryan Rust and Dominik Simon helped jump-start the Penguins in the second period. Brassard did the dirty work, going into the corner to start a puck battle with Capitals right wing Brett Connolly. Brassard pushed the puck along the boards to Rust, who fed it to Brian Dumoulin, who set up Simon for a shot.
Brassard, meantime, drifted toward the net. He redirected Simon’s shot off goalie Braden Holtby and rebounded it for the backhand finish.
“I just think he’s playing his game,” Sullivan said. “We knew he was a good player when we acquired him. He’s a real good player. He’s a playmaker. He can score. He plays at both ends of the rink. He’s a top-two center on most teams in the league.”
The Penguins, however, have Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin. That has forced Brassard to make adjustments. He even played on the penalty kill — a first for him — and welcomed the chance to do it again.
“I’m playing behind probably the two best players at my position in my generation,” Brassard said with a laugh. “I don’t know what you guys expect, but I’m going to try to do my best here. I know I’m not going to have the minutes I’ve had in the past, but I’m OK with it. I have a chance to win the Stanley Cup, and that’s the only thing that matters.”
This was only one game toward that goal, but Brassard getting a goal in the first game was something special, something worth screaming about.
Kevin Gorman is a Tribune-Review staff writer. You can contact Kevin at kgorman@tribweb.com or via Twitter @KGorman_Trib.
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