The kids are officially here, and they will play a large role in Sunday's lineup for the Pittsburgh Penguins.
Forwards Rutger McGroarty and Ville Koivunen - recalled from Wilkes-Barre/Scranton (WBS) on Friday - will both figure into the starting lineup when the Penguins take on the Ottawa Senators Sunday in Pittsburgh. And not only will they crack the lineup sheet, they will also occupy the two left wing slots in the top-six.
It will be McGroarty's fourth NHL game - he made the team out of training camp and was optioned back to WBS after three games - as well as his 21st birthday.
As for Koivunen? The 21-year-old Finnish winger - acquired in the Jake Guentzel trade last spring - will make his NHL debut, which is something he's been anticipating for quite some time.
"I've got to play with my strengths and make an impact right away on this team," Koivunen said.
Koivunen will play on Rickard Rakell's left wing on the second line, while McGroarty will flank Sidney Crosby and Bryan Rust on the top line. The decision to slot both wingers in the top-six was evident at Saturday's practice, and head coach Mike Sullivan wanted to put them in positions to succeed.
'Sid and the Kids': McGroarty, Koivunen Skate With Crosby, Top-Six In PracticeSid the Kid may have broken a major Wayne Gretzky record in the Pittsburgh Penguins' 7-3 loss to the Buffalo Sabres on Thursday.
“When you have players of this caliber, you're trying to set them up for success," Sullivan said. "And we're also trying to put them in roles where they have an opportunity to play to their strengths. Both of these guys have high hockey-IQs, they're both real competitive guys, they both have an offensive dimension to their game... they're different in how they play, but we think that with the combinations we had out there today, potentially, they could be complementary on the lines that they're on."
Goaltender Tristan Jarry will get the start for the Penguins. Here is the rest of the starting lineup:
Welcome to the @NHL, Ville Koivunen! pic.twitter.com/l5mVgxcR79
— Pittsburgh Penguins (@penguins) March 30, 2025
Ottawa currently occupies the first wild card spot in the East and is 7-3-0 in its last 10, including two straight wins. Center Tim Stutzle is pacing the club with 21 goals and 71 points in 72 games.
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