Ty Smith Ready To Make Penguins Debut Against Former Team
It's been a much anticipated debut for Ty Smith and the Pittsburgh Penguins, and it'll happen against his former team.
PITTSBURGH - With a pile of injuries to the defensive core, the Pittsburgh Penguins are forced to reach deep into their arsenal of depth.
Thanks to the numerous injuries, all eyes are turning to Ty Smith who is set to make his debut with the Penguins.
Not only is Smith playing his first game in black and gold, it’s coming against the team that drafted him and where he played the first 114 games of his NHL career.
With the New Jersey Devils in town, Smith says there are no hard feelings between him and his former team, saying it’s “part of the business.”
Smith started his Penguins tenure with the AHL’s Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins, playing in 26 games for 14 points (4G-10A).
The Penguins may be depleted defensively, but they are looking for a strong victory against a Metropolitan Division rival.
The Devils had an outstanding start to the season, and Smith is well aware of the talent they possess.
“That big win streak shows they have a really good team,” Smith said. “A lot of young skill. They’re probably one of the fastest teams out there. They can obviously bring a lot of offense.”
Shutting down said offense will be important for the Penguins, too, even without core defensemen.
Kris Letang is out day-to-day and Jeff Petry is still riding long term injured reserve.
One of the main reasons Smith started his season in the minors, however, was to grow his defensive game.
Smith says he feels good with how much his game has grown with his time in the AHL.
“There’s always an opportunity when you go down there,” Smith said. “A pretty good team down there. Lots of good players, guys I can still learn from and work on my game.”
With Petry already down and Letang and Chad Ruhwedel ruled out, it’s Smith’s turn to get another crack at the NHL.
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