• Theodore Bluger had not left the field since January 23, when Winnipeg “Jets” suffered from the opponent’s force and broke his jaw.
• Last night, the Latvian returned to the ranks of the Penguins and played 13:45 against the Florida Panthers. Bluger played in the minority for 1:41 minutes. In the time allotted, Blugers scored twice, performed three strengths, won 55% of the throw-in and finished the game with a neutral +/- score.
• In total, this season the Latvian has scored 17 (8 + 9) points during 41 games, which is the best indicator among all Latvians playing in the NHL. The player’s career record is 23 points per season. He did it in 2019/20. during the season.
• In the first period, the Panthers scored two unanswered goals. Sam Reinhart revealed the result of the game with a great solo move, but Aaron Ekblads scored 2: 0 from the blue line.
• At the start of the second period, the Penguins quickly leveled the bar, scoring a goal for Brian Rast, who played the 400th game in the NHL, and Jake Gencel. Before the final third, the result was 3: 2 in Florida’s favor, as Anthony Duckler put the guests back in the eighth minute of the period.
• In the final 20 minutes, the teams exchanged goals. In the 18th minute, Penguins captain Sydney Crosby reached 3: 4, but the playoffs ended – the Penguins lost for the second time in a row, while the Panthers won their third game in a row.
• Bluger and the Penguins will try to return to the trail of victory on March 12 when they host the Golden Knights of Las Vegas on their field. With 77 points, the Penguins currently rank third in their division.
In his 400th NHL game, it’s @rustyyy_92 that gets the Penguins on the board! pic.twitter.com/QZQFqk0euJ
— Pittsburgh Penguins (@penguins) March 9, 2022
Latvians in the NHL
| Attacker | Club | S | V+P | Pti | Metieni | +/- | SM | In the majority |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Theodore Bluger | Penguins | 40 | 8+9 | 17 | 65 (12.7%) | +7 | 6 | 0+0 |
| Rūdolfs Balcers | Sharks | 35 | 6+9 | 15 | 59 (10.2%) | -6 | 14 | 0+0 |
| Zemgus Girgensons | Sabres | 34 | 7+5 | 12 | 61 (11.5%) | -6 | 25 | 3+1 |
| Guard | Club | S | V+P | Pti | Metieni | +/- | SM | In the majority |
| Christian Rubin | Maple Leafs | 3 | 0+0 | 0 | 5 (0.0%) | -2 | 4 | 0+0 |
| Goalkeeper | Club | S | U-Z | % | Metieni | Ripas | Min | In the dry |
| Elvis Merzļikins | Blue Jackets | 37 | 19-15-3 | 90.2% | 1082/1200 | 3.47 | 2043 | 2 |
