Penguins defenseman Chad Ruhwedel’s goals are rare but provide a different boost
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Chad Ruhwedel didn’t have much to say about the first time he put a puck in the net this season.
Especially because it was wiped out on a coach’s challenge.
During the first period of a 4-3 home loss to the Washington Capitals at PPG Paints Arena on Jan. 2, the right-handed defenseman took a pass at the left point of the offensive zone and pumped a one-timer that glanced off the stick of Capitals forward Nicolas Aube-Kubel and hopped off the ice and past goaltender Darcy Kuemper’s left skate on the far side.
A few moments later, the Capitals issued a coach’s challenge claiming the sequence to be offside. Following a review by officials, that accusation was judged to be valid and Ruhwedel’s first goal of the season became a part of a deleted timeline.
The next day in Cranberry, Ruhwedel was brief in assessing the would-be goal.
“It (stunk),” Ruhwedel said, using a verb traditionally affixed to a vacuum cleaner or pool filter. “Nothing you can do.”
Six days later, Ruhwedel scored his first goal in a legal fashion.
In the second period of a 4-1 road win against the Philadelphia Flyers on Monday at the Wells Fargo Center, Ruhwedel gave his team a two-goal lead.
After Penguins defenseman Ryan Graves lost the puck off the left wall of the offensive zone, Penguins forward Bryan Rust jabbed it away from Flyers defenseman Egor Zamula from between the hashmarks. That allowed Ruhwedel to corral the puck at the high slot.
With Flyers forward Scott Laughton applying pressure, Ruhwedel juked the typically stout defensive forward out of position a bit then fired a wrister. Flyers forward Owen Tippett supplied an inadvertent screen, and the puck skidded through goaltender Carter Hart’s legs.
“We talked about them being a good shot-blocking team,” Ruhwedel said Wednesday following practice in Cranberry. “He was in the lane. Just tried to make a little move before shooting it to change the angle a little bit. And got some help on the way to the net.”
Any offensive help by Ruhwedel is usually rare. Before Monday, his most recent score came during a 4-3 home win against the Capitals on March 25, 2023.
Obviously, any goal by anyone on the roster is positive. But getting a score from an infrequent offensive contributor such as Ruhwedel — one of the most tenured and respected members of the team — offers a different type of enthusiasm.
“It’s fun to see,” Penguins defenseman Kris Letang said. “When you see (star forwards Sidney Crosby or Evgeni Malkin) getting a big hit, you’re getting pumped because it’s not something you see often. And you’re happy for the guy. … For Chad to get rewarded with a big goal — he’s been playing well for us, he’s been steady — it gives a boost to our whole team.”
As of late, Ruhwedel had been charged with trying to boost the game of current defensive partner Ryan Graves. For parts of the past four games, Graves has been skating with Ruhwedel on the team’s third defensive pairing. Having opened the season on the top pairing with Letang then being moved to the second pairing with another All-Star in Karlsson, Graves’ struggles landed him with Ruhwedel.
Since that arranged marriage was formed during the loss to the Capitals on Jan. 2, the pairing has been in the black, slightly, with regards to puck possession. Per Natural Stat Trick, they have been on the ice for 39 shot attempts for and 36 against in five-on-five scenarios.
“When you look at us as a pair, you think simple,” Graves said. “We’ve been good defensively. Obviously, Chad brings a different dynamic than playing with a guy like Kris or (Karlsson). We’re both kind of thinking similar on the ice. We’re thinking defense first, we want to be hard to play against, we want to be hard on pucks. It’s been good. It’s been simple, and we’ve been effective throughout.”
Ruhwedel has been pleased with the union as well, even if he is curt in outlining that satisfaction.
“It’s been good,” Ruhwedel said. “Solid player. Easy to play with. The past (few) games have been good for us.”
Tuesday’s might have been the best of the bunch, if only because Ruhwedel finally scored a goal.
“It’s good to see it go in,” Ruhwedel said. “After getting one called back, it’s good for it to not be too long in between getting one that counts. So that was nice.”
Note: Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins goaltender Joel Blomqvist was selected for the American Hockey League’s All-Star Classic, which will be held Feb. 4 and 5.