Russian goalie Alexander Pechurski of the Pittsburgh Penguins played his first NHL match against the Vancouver Canucks at General Motors Place on January 16th. The young goalie played a WHL regular season clash on friday night and then he has been signed by the Pens to a one-game amateur try out after their starting goalie Marc-Andre Fleury suffered from a broken finger and was forced out of the game.
Pechursky had to play in Fleury's pads as the ones he wears in Tri-City don't meet NHL regulations. But even if he didn't use his own equipment, had to travel a lot and played in back-to-back games he showed that he is a NHL-bound player as he stopped 12 shots and has been named the match's third star even if the Penguins lost to the Vancouver Canucks 6-2.
The Magnitogorsk, Russia, native has been iced in the second period with the Pens down 1-5. He allowed only one goal in the thirtheen shots he faced.
Kuznetsov: "If we had won, it would have been unfair"