Penguins Coach Mike Sullivan Impressed with Physicality from Marcus Pettersson

The Pittsburgh Penguins have had a lot to be happy about through their first two games of the 2022-23 season.

For starters, they’ve scored 12 goals and put up nearly 100 shots; but head coach Mike Sullivan is also happy with what he’s son on the Penguins back end.

Sullivan focused in on how each player brings their own source of toughness and a little extra physicality makes them a hard team to play against.

“All of our players can bring a certain physicality to their respective games, regardless of what your game is,” Sullivan said. “The nature of our sport at the end of the is confrontational in nature.”

Defenseman Marcus Pettersson isn’t known for his physicality, but he managed to pick up 10 hits in the Penguins second game of the year against the Tampa Bay Lightning.

10 hits stand as a career high for Pettersson, doubling what he has capped out at before with five.

Sullivan says that defenders are usually expected to have a little extra edge in their game.

“Part of being a good defender is getting into people,” Sullivan said. “Trying to create separation from the puck. Players do it different ways.”

2022-23 seems to be a swing year for Pettersson, as for the first time in a long time he is not on the Penguins trade block and is being thrust into new roles with the team.

Sullivan has deployed him on the penalty kill and backed Pettersson by saying his has the proper skillsets to be an effective killer.

The physicality is a new aspect to Pettersson’s game, however, but it should only make him tougher to play against.

Pettersson stands at 6’3” and it’s good to see him utilizing his body in a new way to be disruptive on the blue line.

“Physicality is an important aspect of being a team that is hard to play against,” Sullivan said. “And being a team that is strong defensively. I think Marcus is trying to do that for us”

While no longer on the trade block and finding new roles with the Penguins, Pettersson is going to be a player to watch all year as he steps into the prime of his career.