Penguins notebook: Conor Sheary makes return to Buffalo

BUFFALO, N.Y. — Conor Sheary snapped out an ugly skid during Tuesday’s 7-3 win against the Ottawa Senators at PPG Paints Arena.

He scored his first goal for the Pittsburgh Penguins in a staggering 698 days.

Granted, he spent most of that time as a member of the Buffalo Sabres. But the veteran forward was grateful to score on behalf of the Penguins for the first time in nearly two years.

“It was awesome,” said Sheary, whom the Penguins reacquired in a trade with the Buffalo Sabres last month. “I got a warm welcome, and I was so grateful for that. It makes you feel appreciated. That was a good thing. And, obviously, with the performance we put on, it was a fun night overall.”

In his first four games since returning with the Penguins, Sheary has been arc-welded to his former/current center Sidney Crosby’s right wing, and Jason Zucker has manned the left wing.

During Sheary’s previous stint with the Penguins, he and Crosby typically worked with Chris Kunitz or Jake Guentzel on the left wing.

After being blanked in road games against the Los Angeles Kings, Anaheim Ducks and San Jose Sharks last week, the Zucker-Crosby-Sheary line scored three goals against the Senators.

“We were a little bit snake-bitten on the California trip,” Sheary said. “We were actually playing pretty well and couldn’t finish on any of our chances. (Tuesday), we were obviously scoring in bunches. We’ve just been creating chemistry since we’ve been together, and hopefully, that will grow moving forward.”

Sheary’s time in Buffalo never was as appetizing as what he experienced with the Penguins as a member of two Stanley Cup winners. Traded to the Sabres during the 2018 offseason, Sheary missed the playoffs in 2018-19 and likely was bound for another early offseason this spring before being sent back to Pittsburgh.

“Throughout the two years I was here, the team struggled a little bit to score offensively and to put together good seasons,” said Sheary, who was a healthy scratch for three games this season with the Sabres. “For whatever reason, we were stuck in a rut. I take a little bit of responsibility in that because I came in to be an offensive guy and help the scoring. But for whatever reason, it didn’t work. I don’t know what it is. You didn’t create chemistry maybe, I don’t know. It’s unfortunate that’s didn’t work out but that’s the way it went.”

He’s far more upbeat about his second run with the Penguins.

“I saw the speculation the day of the trade deadline,” Sheary said. “So I knew it was a possibility. I was, obviously, sad to leave Buffalo, but to go back to a familiar spot and back to where it all started for myself and my career I think it was pretty exciting for me.”

Rodrigues returns

The Penguins also acquired versatile forward Evan Rodrigues in the deal involving Sheary. After becoming a regular healthy scratch under first-year coach Ralph Krueger, Rodrigues requested a trade.

Despite such an acrimonious end to his five seasons with the organization, he remains thankful to the Sabres for signing him as an undrafted player out of Boston University in April 2015.

“It’s the organization that gave me a chance and let me become an NHL player,” Rodrigues said. “I’ll always be grateful for that. The city was nothing but nice to me. I had my first child here. There’s a lot of lifelong memories that I’ll carry with me for the rest of my life.”

Bjugstad, Tanev return

Forwards Nick Bjugstad and Brandon Tanev returned to the lineup.

Bjugstad had not played since Nov. 15 because of a core muscle injury. He opened the game centering a line with Jared McCann at left wing and Patric Hornqvist on right wing.

Tanev missed Tuesday’s game and Wednesday’s practice in Cranberry due to illness.

Defensemen Juuso Riikola, Chad Ruhwedel and forward Sam Lafferty were healthy scratches.