It certainly hasn't taken long for Pittsburgh Penguins' top forward prospect Tanner Howe to adjust to professional hockey.
In fact, two games into his professional career, he doesn't look like he's missed a step.
After registering his first career AHL point in his professional debut on Sunday, Howe followed that up by scoring his first AHL goal in Wilkes-Barre/Scranton's (WBS) 4-1 win over the Hershey Bears on Wednesday. His first professional tally came late in the third period, when defenseman Chase Pietila fired a shot from the top of the left circle off a faceoff win, and Howe tipped it at the net front.
Howe, 20, tore his ACL near the end of his WHL regular season last year, which required reconstructive surgery. Sunday marked his first game action since his injury in late April, and he has two points in his first two AHL games. He also saw time on the penalty kill against Hershey.
The 5-foot-11, 187-pound left wing is known for his chippiness, two-way prowess, and offensive instincts. He figures to spend the rest of the season in the AHL with WBS, barring performance.
WBS is currently second in the AHL's Atlantic Division with 64 points, and they have an 11-point lead on the third-place Charlotte Checkers. They trail the Providence Bruins by just three points for the division lead, but the Bruins have four games in hand.
Aaron Huglen, Avery Hayes, and Aidan McDonough also registered goals for the WBS Penguins on Wednesday, and goaltender Sergei Murashov improved to 17-5-0-2 in a 30-save effort. His season save percentage improved to .926 with the win.
For the second straight game, Howe played on the second line with Huglen and Hayes.
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