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WILKES-BARRE — Tom Sestito has made a career out of battling opponents on the ice.
The veteran Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins forward is still among the most physical players in the game, but this postseason, in addition to the Providence Bruins, Sestito is battling another foe: Father Time.
That’s why the 29-year-old Sestito wasn’t bothered when Pittsburgh sent him, along with forward Josh Archibald and defenseman Cameron Gaunce, to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton just in time for last Friday’s Game 1 of the first-round playoff series against the Bruins.
In Pittsburgh, Sestito was a healthy scratch. With Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, he skates on the top line.
“It’s great being in the NHL, but you’re bag skating every day and you don’t get game action,” he said after Tuesday’s practice. “It’s good to come down and play and contribute to the team you’ve been with all year.”
Sestito appeared in 33 regular-season games with Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, and only 13 with Pittsburgh.
Last year, Sestito was called up to Pittsburgh after Wilkes-Barre/Scranton swept Providence in three games, and came back down for the final four games in the seven-game series loss to Hershey. Sestito registered a goal, two points and 52 penalty minutes in four games against the Bears, proving himself to be a playoff performer.
Sestito plays every postseason game like it’s his last, and that’s because it could be.
“You see that your season can end in a week. As an older guy you don’t know how many more years you have left,” Sestito said. “You just want to keep it going as long as you can.”
Another reason why Sestito values the playoffs is that he hasn’t been to the postseason that often in his 10-year pro career. Prior to appearing in seven playoff games with Wilkes-Barre/Scranton last year, Sestito’s last postseason appearance was one game with Vancouver in 2013.
Before that, his last playoff games came when he was with the Syracuse Crunch in 2008.
“You don’t get on teams that often that are special and can go deep in the playoffs. You kind of take it for granted,” Sestito said. “There’s been teams I’ve been on that slip into the playoffs but you know you can’t really do damage. This team has a lot of firepower and we’re excited to keep it going.”
Need for speed
Archibald said the Penguins need to do a better job of utilizing their speed on the forecheck as the series shifts to Wilkes-Barre.
“We have to use our speed, get behind their defensemen and wear them out,” he said. “We did a good job of that in the second game.”
Welcome additions
Head coach Clark Donatelli was happy to receive reinforcements in the form of Sestito, Archibald and Gaunce just before Game 1 on Friday.
“They’re a big part of our team,” Donatelli said. “They bring elements that we don’t have here.”
Injury update
D Frank Corrado didn’t play in Sunday’s Game 2 win and wasn’t on the ice for Tuesday’s practice. Donatelli said he’s day-to-day.
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