Karlsson's mates laud 'dynamic' offense, energy ahead of 1,000th game

CRANBERRY, Pa. -- Erik Karlsson had what he called an "eye-opening" moment in his first-ever NHL game.

It was Oct. 3, 2009 at Madison Square Garden, when the Senators' 15th overall pick in the 2008 NHL Draft made his debut in their season opener against the Rangers. The Senators lost, 5-2, that night, and Karlsson still remembers getting beat midway through the second period at the Rangers' blue line in a play that led directly to a Brandon Dubinsky goal against.

"Marian Gaborik came down the flank," Karlsson recalled after the Penguins' practice at the UPMC Lemieux Sports Complex on Friday. "It was not the speed that I thought I was used to in the preseason."

Karlsson had a rocky first few games in the league. A couple of games later he was on the ice for three goals against in a 4-1 loss to the Penguins, including the go-ahead goal from Tyler Kennedy that went off Karlsson's skate and in. 

"He's been a little bit inconsistent maybe," then-Senators coach Cory Clouston said of Karlsson after that game against the Penguins. "The bounces right now are almost going against him. This is going to help him down the road. It's how you react to bad games and how you react to struggling. We've got to give him support."

Because it was Karlsson's first year in North America, he could play nine games before his entry-level contract kicked in. And there was real speculation as to whether the 19-year-old rookie was ready for that level, or if he might be returned to Sweden for another year of development after those first few games.

"Erik's a young guy who's going to be an NHL player for a long time," the Senators' general manager Bryan Murray said. "Whether he's here for every game or whatever this year, I don't know that, but 10 games won't be the trigger point."

Karlsson wasn't ultimately shipped back to Sweden, and Murray's prediction proved right. After 999 games in the NHL, Karlsson will hit the 1,000 game milestone when the Penguins play the Bruins at 8:08 p.m. at PPG Paints Arena on Saturday.

"It's a great feeling to be able to have lasted that long," Karlsson said. "I've been very fortunate to play with a lot of guys that have reached that milestone, and I know what a grind it is."

Karlsson has accomplished a lot over those 999 games. He's a three-time Norris Trophy winner as the league's top defensemen, including just last year with the Sharks before his trade to the Penguins. He's a seven-time All Star. He's a three-time winner of Sweden's Viking Award, awarded annually to the best Swedish player playing in North America.

Karlsson has been a mainstay on the Penguins' second defense pairing this season, and has appeared in all 79 games. He has 10 goals and 42 assists, and no goal was bigger than the one he scored in his 999th NHL game -- the overtime winner over the Red Wings to secure the extra point in the standings to put the Penguins back in playoff position:

"For him to play at this level that he has, it's pretty remarkable," fellow Swede Rickard Rakell told me Friday of the 33-year-old Karlsson. "I'm not saying he's old but he's definitely getting up there. Winning the Norris Trophy last year and being good for us this year, I think this last stretch of games here when we won a lot, he's been a massive part of it."

"He's going to go down as one of the best offensive defensemen that has played this game," Rakell added.

Marcus Pettersson, Karlsson's defense partner, remembers watching Karlsson play when he was still growing up himself. But after becoming teammates with Karlsson and seeing the level at which he's still playing, he considers him a "young guy."

"He played very young in the league, and it was a very different league back then," Pettersson added. "He wasn't the biggest. But the way that he's been able to adapt to different eras of this league is pretty impressive."

Drew O'Connor called Karlsson a "special player."

"He's one of the most dynamic players I've ever seen," O'Connor said. "His offensive abilities, the way he sees the the ice, the way he's able to make the plays that he sees and executes, it's pretty special. He's been playing really well for us."

Other than that play on the ice, one thing Karlsson has definitely brought to this team is energy. His loud, high-pitched yells and distinctive cackle of a laugh are a familiar soundtrack to the Penguins' practices and skates. As early as those informal summer skates for players well before training camp, the boost Karlsson was bringing to the Penguins on and off the ice was evident. That hasn't changed over the ebbs and flows of this rollercoaster of a Penguins season.

"It doesn't matter what's going on, he tries to bring a positive energy to the rink," Pettersson said. "It's such a grind of the season, every season is a grind. And if you're going to have a guy that brings that energy, it means a lot for everybody."

"Yeah, he's loud," O'Connor said with a laugh. "He never really stops talking, so you definitely can hear him wherever you are in the building. You hear him coming. So it's good to have that kind of energy. Especially on practice days, guys are tired sometimes. It's nice to have that kind of positive energy.:

Mike Sullivan called that energy that Karlsson has "contagious."

"He's a busy guy, let's just say that," Sullivan said with a grin. "I think he loves people. He loves conversation. He loves hockey. And so he brings a ton of energy every day. It's good to have those types around your dressing room, on the bench, in between periods. It's important energy to have as a group. He's certainly a guy that brings a lot of it."

The Penguins' defense corps has been pretty young this year, with three defensemen -- Jack St. Ivany, Ryan Shea, John Ludvig -- making their NHL debuts and sticking around, and 24-year-old P.O Joseph working to solidify himself as a regular in the top four. To have someone like Karlsson around -- with his experience and his enthusiasm -- is helpful for the Penguins' young blueliners.

"I think I've learned a lot from him this year, actually, by looking at him and talking to him a lot," Joseph said. "Just how you come to the rink every day and have fun as much as possible, and still have the passion as we all aspire to have. And his skills and his abilities to move the puck on the ice and the way he's so calm with it and just trusts in other people around him."

JOE SARGENT / GETTY

Erik Karlsson after his overtime goal Thursday.

The Penguins will honor Karlsson with a pregame ceremony Saturday, with additional tributes throughout the night celebrating the milestone. Going back to Sidney Crosby's 1,000th game in 2021, it's also become a tradition organized by the players to copy a warmup routine of the player being celebrated -- they did it with Kris Letang and Evgeni Malkin last season, and Lars Eller earlier this season.

I asked a couple of players what the plan was for warmups Saturday, and nobody was quite sure yet. Rakell admitted not even knowing what Karlsson does in warmups other than the fact that he typically gets off the ice pretty early. "I wouldn't mind doing that," Rakell quipped.

It'll be a special night honoring a player like Karlsson. He's certainly looking forward to it -- but more so for the game itself. This is still do-or-die time for the Penguins as they fight for a playoff spot, and Karlsson is hoping for more big moments like he had Thursday.

"It's going to be a fun game tomorrow," Karlsson said. "Not only for (the ceremony), but that it's a meaningful game for us. I'm happy that we're in the situation we're in. To play that 1,000th game under the circumstances that it will be tomorrow is the most important thing."