Nathan Legare thought he scored his first pro goal on Friday.
In Wilkes-Barre/Scranton's game in Hartford, Legare forced a turnover and took a shot from the right circle that was stopped. Jordy Bellerive took a whack at the rebound, and the rebound from that shot bounced over to Legare to the left of the net. Legare took a shot from the goal line that found a hole and opened the scoring:
It was determined by the league officials that the puck went in off of forward Sam Houde in the crease on the way in. Rather than being the first pro goal for Legare, it ended up being the first pro goal for Houde, an AHL-contracted forward who is also in his first professional season and a product of the QMJHL.
Legare didn't have to wait much longer for his actual first pro goal. And there's no mistaking that this shot was his.
Legare scored the overtime-winner in Saturday's 4-3 win over the Thunderbirds, with his rocket-like shot that he's been known for since the Penguins drafted him in the third round in 2019.
With the assist on Houde's goal Friday and another assist on Filip Hallander's first AHL goal the week before, Legare now has a goal and two assists through his first seven professional games.
Even before Legare found the scoresheet on his own, Wilkes-Barre head coach J.D. Forrest spoke about being impressed with Legare's shot, speed, and physicality.
"He's a real dangerous shooter," Forrest said of Legare's play last week. "He's not shy as far as being physical. He's best when he moves his feet. When he's turning it over out there, and he's getting himself open in spots, and then also being tough to play against down low, that's when he's had the most success. It's just about finding some consistency with those habits."
MORE FROM THE GAME
• Wilkes-Barre is now 5-1-0-1.
• It's not clear how any injuries may have happened in Friday's game game given that both players finished it, but forwards Jamie Devane and Michael Chaput both missed Saturday's game and were listed as being day-to-day with lower-body injuries. Felix Robert and Jan Drozg got back into the lineup to replace them, with this game being Drozg's first since the season opener. I found it interesting that Drozg was put right on the top line, bumping leading scorer Valtteri Puustinen down to the second line.
• With Chaput out, P.O Joseph was an alternate captain.
• Defenseman Will Reilly made his season debut after being a healthy scratch for six games. He bumped Niclas Almari out of the lineup. Reily was scoreless with an even plus-minus in this game.
• Radim Zohorna was injured from this open-ice hit in the first period and did not return to the game. There was no media availability after the game, so there isn't an update yet on his status:
• Goaltender Filip Lindberg improves to 4-0 to start the season. He made 34 saves on 37 shots, bringing his season goals-against average to 1.71 and his save percentage to .942.
• Wilkes-Barre's first two goals came from Robert, Robert's second and third goals of the season. He went top-shelf for his first goal in the first period:
Early in the second period, Robert batted down a puck out of the air and tucked it between the goaltender's pads and the post:
• Puustinen increased his hold on the team's scoring lead with his fourth goal and seventh point of the season:
• Bellerive led the team with four shots on goal.
• The power play went 1-for-5.
• The penalty kill went 4-for-4, including a huge kill on a 5-on-3 followed by a double minor late in the second.
THE ESSENTIALS
• Boxscore
• Scoreboard
• Standings
• Statistics
THE THREE STARS
As selected at MassMutual Center:
1. Nathan Legare, Penguins
2. Felix Robert, Penguins
3. Keean Washkurak, Thunderbirds
THE HIGHLIGHTS
THE INJURIES
• Forward Anthony Angello is day-to-day with a lower-body injury.
• Forward Michael Chaput is day-to-day with a lower-body injury.
• Forward Jamie Devane is day-to-day with a lower-body injury.
• Forward Radim Zohorna left Saturday's game with an injury.
THE LINEUPS
Forrest's lines and pairings:
Sam Poulin - Radim Zohorna - Jan Drozg
Kasper Bjorkqvist - Jordy Bellerive - Valtteri Puustinen
Filip Hallander - Sam Houde - Nathan Legare
Felix Robert - Jonathan Gruden - Kyle Olson
P.O Joseph - Taylor Fedun
Matt Bartkowski - Cam Lee
Chris Bigras - Will Reilly
And for Drew Bannister's Thunderbirds
Nathan Walker - Logan Brown - Sam Anas
Nolan Stevens - Matthew Peca - Hugh McGing
Alexey Toropchenko - Tanner Kaspick - Nathan Todd
Keean Washkurak - Nikita Alexandrov - Mathias Laferriere
Tommy Cross - Steven Santini
Tyler Tucker - Calle Rosen
Griffin Luce - Josh Wesley
THE SCHEDULE
The Penguins will be back on the road again on Wednesday, playing the Lehigh Valley Phantoms for the fourth time already this season.
THE CONTENT
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