Penguins’ Jared McCann jittery before 1st career playoff game
UNIONDALE, N.Y. — Jared McCann was so excited about making his Stanley Cup playoffs debut that he found it “tough to sleep.”
The Pittsburgh Penguins forward kept the same pre-game rituals Wednesday at the morning skate but didn’t quite know what differences to expect between the regular season and Game 1 of the first-round series against the New York Islanders.
“Personally, I haven’t been there yet so I can’t answer that one,” McCann said. “I’ve got some jitters, obviously, and I’m just trying to work past them.”
Not only has McCann never played in the postseason, but this also will be his first game at Nassau Coliseum. He’s expecting a raucous atmosphere, given that the Islanders haven’t started the playoffs with home-ice advantage in three decades and had 14 sellouts in 21 regular-season games on Long Island.
“It’s going to be loud,” McCann said. “I’ve never played here before, but I’ve heard stories about it, and I’m looking forward to it.”
This will be the first postseason for both McCann and Teddy Blueger. But it’s been a longer wait for McCann, 22, who is in his fourth NHL season. He played 244 regular-season games before getting to his first playoff game.
McCann made an immediate impact on the Penguins after being acquired from the Florida Panthers, scoring 11 goals and 17 points in 32 games. The Penguins want McCann to enjoy the experience — and to make the most of it.
“We don’t really say anything special to him,” Penguins coach Mike Sullivan said. “We just want him to have fun and play his game. It’s the most exciting time of year to play. It’s such a great experience to have the opportunity to compete for a Stanley Cup in the playoffs. It’s the best hockey of the season. He’s going to find out fast how much fun it is and how competitive it is at the same time.”
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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