PITTSBURGH - Despite both Ty Smith and Drake Caggiula being called up by the Pittsburgh Penguins before the second half of a back-to-back, both will be a healthy scratch.
Defenseman Mark Friedman will, however, make his season debut with the Penguins as Chad Ruhwedel is still being evaluated for an upper-body injury injury.
Prior to the game, head coach Mike Sullivan spoke highly of Smith, Friedman, and Caggiula, but it was only Friedman given the push to the lineup.
The decision is a bit of a surprise considering the how highly the team speaks about Smith, but Friedman isn’t a bad option for the short term.
Friedman has played 31 career games with the Penguins and recorded eight points (3G-5A) from the blue line.
Despite being called up on multiple occasions this season, this will be Friedman’s season debut with the Penguins.
“He’s a good pro, he’s handled it extremely well,” Sullivan said. “He’s controlling what he can, and that’s the best thing he can do as a player.”
Despite not seeing NHL ice often with the Penguins, Friedman is still expected to bring his game when he is in the lineup.
“What we do know is that he is a very capable NHL defenseman,” Sullivan said. “He’s played extremely well in Wilkes-Barre. He’s been their best defenseman down there.”
Friedman has played in 19 games in the AHL this season with five points (1G-4A).
It may not be the popular option, but the Penguins have a lot on the line against the Red Wings as they hope to bounce back from a brutal loss on Long Island.
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