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WILKES-BARRE — Just 20-years old, Reid Gardiner is the youngest player on the Penguins roster.
And he’s in no hurry to grow up.
“I want to stay young as long as possible. Being 20 is pretty fun,” Gardiner said.
But while Gardiner may not want his age to advance, his game has been progressing at a rapid rate.
After being held without a goal in his first six pro games, Gardiner fired off three in his last four contests. Considering he tallied 43 in 71 games in juniors last year, the goal scoring is something Gardiner expects of himself.
“Scoring is a part of my game and it’s coming along,” he said after Tuesday’s practice at the Toyota Sportsplex. “The last week or so I started to get used to the pace of play. It’s nice to be able to contribute again.”
Despite his offensive success in juniors, Gardiner wasn’t drafted. After making Wilkes-Barre/Scranton’s roster out of training camp, he knows he still needs to improve in order to have a shot at the NHL one day.
And he has to do more than put up points.
Gardiner said he can play all three froward positions and he hopes that versatility makes him even more valuable. He wants to improve his own pace of play by making sure he’s moving his feet at all times.
Standing around without the puck isn’t an option in the AHL, he said.
“It’s too fast. The key for me when I’m not scoring is to be productive in other ways – making good passes and good plays in the D zone,” Gardiner said.
Head coach Clark Donatelli is impressed with Gardiner’s recent production and said his best game was during Sunday’s 4-1 win over Hartford. Gardiner scored in the contest, but that’s not necessarily what impressed Donatelli.
“It’s the way he’s playing with pace and getting used to being a pro,” Donatelli said. “He’s improved weekly.”
Di Pauli happy to hit the ice
After suffering a lower body injury during Pittsburgh’s training camp, Thomas Di Pauli returned last weekend to play two of three games. The rookie forward out of Notre Dame said he didn’t rush back from the injury because the team has been playing well, and Tuesday’s practice marked the best he’s felt since his return.
“The most important thing to getting to where I want to be is to practice at full speed. That will help me transition to playing at full speed during the game,” Di Pauli said. “I’m excited for what’s ahead of me now.”
Defenseman Lukas Bengtsson also made his return from injury last weekend, and Donatelli is excited at what he and Di Pauli will bring to the team.
“Bengtsson is a solid defenseman and puck mover. Good on retrievals and a really good shot,” Donatelli said. “Di Pauli brings energy, can play a top six role and be a penalty killer. He’s going to get a handful of goals.”
WBS first to 10 wins, tops in AHL
Donatelli attributed the team’s hot start to a few elements, starting with the players.
“It’s a tribute to the players. They come in and they’re ready to go. The system too, it works,” he said. “And it’s our practice habits. That separates us from other teams and correlates into the games.”
Injury updates
F Teddy Blueger has resumed skating on his own, but is still a few weeks away from returning to the lineup, Donatelli said. F Jarrett Burton missed Tuesday’s practice due to illness. D Tim Erixon sat out with a lower body injury and is day-to-day.
