After playoffs debut, Penguins' Jared McCann ready for more
UNIONDALE, N.Y. — After getting his first taste of the Stanley Cup playoffs in Game 1 against the New York Islanders, Jared McCann is ready for more.
The 22-year-old forward was the only Pittsburgh Penguins player in the Game 1 lineup who hadn’t participated in the postseason, so the 4-3 overtime loss to the Islanders on Wednesday at Nassau Coliseum was an eye-opening experience.
“It was just a half-step faster, for sure,” McCann said. “Looking at the way we played, personally I thought the plays happened quicker. I’ve got to be ready for it.”
He will have to wait. McCann missed Game 2 due to an upper-body injury.
He registered three shots and one hit in 17 minutes, 5 seconds of ice time in Game 1. He took a shot from behind by Cal Clutterbuck in the second period that sent him to the ice, but McCann didn’t think that would affect him for Game 2.
“I feel good,” McCann said. “It’s playoff hockey, right? So, I’m ready.”
Johnson sat out Game 1 as a healthy scratch after playing all 82 games in the regular season. Maatta was a minus-2 in the opener, which the Penguins lost 4-3 in overtime.
Kevin Gorman is a TribLive reporter covering the Pirates. A Baldwin native and Penn State graduate, he joined the Trib in 1999 and has covered high school sports, Pitt football and basketball and was a sports columnist for 10 years. He can be reached at kgorman@triblive.com.
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