PITTSBURGH (AP) — Nick Bjugstad and Jared

McCann will always remember their first game with the Pittsburgh Penguins and the whirlwind day surrounding their debuts.The newly-acquired Bjugstad and McCann made it to the arena minutes before puck drop Nazem Kadri Jersey , and new teammates Bryan Rust and Jake Guentzel each scored twice to help the Penguins beat the Ottawa Senators 5-3 on Friday night.“Showing up at game time was interesting and might have been better for us because there wasn’t much thinking,” Bjugstad said. “It was pretty surreal. We showed up to the rink and just played. I have dreams every once in awhile where I’m late to a game and that’s kind of what it felt like, but luckily it ended up well, so it was good.”Teddy Blueger got his first NHL goal and Casey DeSmith stopped 37 shots as the Penguins won their second straight after losing four of their previous five.Bjugstad contributed in his first game with the Penguins hours after he was acquired from Florida, getting an assist on Rust’s first goal. He also won the offensive zone faceoff and provided a screen in front on Rust’s second goal.“They told us to keep it simple and that’s kind of what we did,” Bjugstad said.Bobby Ryan and Mikkel Boedker both scored power-play goals, and Matt Duchene scored on a breakaway for the Senators, who rallied to make it a one-goal game after falling behind, 4-1. Anders Nilsson stopped 35 shots as Ottawa, playing for the first time since Jan. 22, lost its third straight.“I think we knew they were going to press because they knew we were coming off eight days,” Ryan said. “They got the lead and kind of just stuck to their guns, putting pucks to the net and doing things to wear guys out.”Earlier in the day, the Penguins acquired forwards Bjugstad and Jared McCann from the Panthers for forwards Derick Brassard, Riley Sheahan and three 2019 draft picks. The deal gives the Penguins an influx of youth in the 26-year-old Bjugstad and the 22-year-old McCann as they make another playoff push.Bjugstad scored five goals and 12 points in 32 games with the Panthers Danton Heinen Jersey Kids , while McCann had eight goals and 18 points in 46 games with Florida. Both are signed through the 2020 season, with Bjugstad’s deal expiring the following year.“We felt like they could fit into our lineup and play certain roles that could help us become a better team,” Penguins coach Mike Sullivan said. “I thought they had strong games under difficult circumstances.”Bjugstad and McCann both took the morning skate with the Panthers, and boarded a plane to Pittsburgh when they learned of the trade.“We’ll always remember sitting on the plane, wondering if we were going to make it,” Bjugstad said. “We got to a point where we were like “alright, we better start doing something,” so we did a few groin stretches in the plane. There wasn’t much room, but that was about all we could do.”Bjugstad and McCann received a police escort and arrived at the arena minutes before faceoff, still with their Florida Panther equipment bags as they hurried to join their teammates on the ice. They first appeared on the bench prior to the start of the national anthem.“Usually I have my coffee and do some stretches, but I didn’t have any of that,” Bjugstad said. “We got here, threw our gear on and ran out for the anthem.”With Evgeni Malkin out of the lineup, Bjugstad centered the second line, while McCann was the third-line center. Malkin Authentic Mitchell Marner Jersey , who recorded his 600th NHL assist on Wednesday, will also miss Saturday’s game at Toronto with an upper-body injury.Bjugstad played a role on two of the first four goals as Pittsburgh held a three-goal lead in the third period. Both Bjugstad and McCann will be happy to have additional time to prepare Saturday against Toronto.“You can’t make this up,” Bjugstad said. “It was good to get the win most importantly, but I think I’ll remember this one for the rest of my life.”NOTES: Ottawa’s Colin White returned after missing five games with a shoulder injury. … Sidney Crosby is three games from tying Hall of Fame owner Mario Lemieux’s franchise record of 915 games played. … Guentzel has seven goals in his last eight games. … Phil Kessel is two points from becoming the 17th American-born player to reach 800 points. … Ottawa’s Mark Stone recorded his 300th NHL point.UP NEXTSenators: Host Detroit on Saturday.Penguins: Visit Toronto on Saturday. BUFFALO, N.Y. (AP) Still stung by the Blues missing the playoffs for the first time in six seasons, general manager Doug Armstrong capped a major roster overhaul on the first day of the NHL’s free-agency period by acquiring center Ryan O’Reilly in a multiplayer trade with the Buffalo Sabres.Aside from landing a nine-year veteran in O’Reilly on Sunday, St. Louis committed $31 million in salary to sign forwards David Perron and center Tyler Bozak to multiyear contracts.”Once you miss the playoffs, change has to happen,” Armstrong said. ”We’re a non-playoff team for the first time in a number of years and it doesn’t sit well with the St. Louis Blues organization, and certainly the fan base.”Making drastic changes was also the theme in Buffalo, where general manager Jason Botterill continued shuffling the under-performing roster of a team that finished last in the standings for the third time in five years.”We had to change the dynamic,” Botterill said. ”The bottom line was there’s a lot of great people in that locker room, but when you finish 31st, you have to look to make changes.”The Sabres added experience to a young roster by acquiring veterans forwards Vladimir Sobotka and Patrik Berglund. They also acquired forward Tage Thompson, a 2016 first-round draft pick http://www.officialmapleleafsproshop.com/authentic-adidas-morgan-rielly-jersey , who had three goals and six assists in 41 games as an NHL rookie this season last year. Buffalo rounded out its haul by adding a conditional first-round draft pick next year and a second-rounder in 2021.The Blues also agreed to pay O’Reilly the $7.5 million contract bonus he was due by the end of the day. Botterill said the price for O’Reilly would have gone up once the Sabres were put in a position to pay the bonus.Berglund, a former first-round draft pick, has 168 goals and 322 points in 694 games over a 10-year career in St. Louis. Sobotka is a defensive forward, who has 47 goals and 155 points in 463 career games over nine seasons.The trade continues a busy stretch in Botterill’s rebuilding plans.Aside from selecting 18-year-old Swedish defenseman Rasmus Dahlin with the No. 1 pick in the draft last month, he also acquired play-making forward Conor Sheary in a trade with Pittsburgh last week. The Sabres addressed their goaltending needs by signing former Blues backup Carter Hutton to a three-year, $8.25 million deal Sunday.Hutton will share the starting duties with Linus Ullmark, who is pegged to make the jump to Buffalo after three seasons in the minors.O’Reilly was expendable because he was one of the few assets the Sabres could trade. And he also caused a stir during an end-of-season availability by suggesting there were times he had lost the passion for hockey and that a losing culture had crept into the locker room.Armstrong is confident a change of scenery will help O’Reilly.”I’ve certainly been guilty of saying things I was thinking and wishing I didn’t say them. He probably would add that to the list of things he wishes he could’ve kept internal,” said Armstrong, who is familiar with O’Reilly during the time they’ve spent together as part of Canada’s national team at international tournaments.”He’s got great passion for the sport. He’s got great passion to compete and win,” he added. ”And hopefully, this gives him the boost that he feels is necessary that he can come in here. And quite honestly, we need that boost.”O’Reilly completed his third season in Buffalo since being acquired in a trade with Colorado, after which the Sabres signed him to a seven-year, $52.5 million contract. He’s one of the league’s most dependable two-way forwards, and set the NHL record by winning 1 Nikita Zaitsev Jersey Kids ,273 faceoffs last year.Perron returns to St. Louis for the third time in his NHL career after signing for $16 million over four years. He spent last season in Las Vegas, where he set career highs with 50 assists and 66 points. Bozak, who signed a three-year, $15 million deal with St. Louis, spent his first nine seasons in Toronto, where he scored 136 goals and 365 points in 594 games.”You bring in Ryan O’Reilly, and you bring in Perron and Bozak, experience players, I think it just makes you better,” Armstrong said.Notes: Buffalo signed goalie Scott Wedgewood, who is expected to take over the starting duties in the minors. … Forward Scott Wilson returned to Buffalo by signing a two-year, $2.1 million contract. … The Sabres also signed defenseman Brandon Hickey to a two-year entry-level contract. Hickey completed his senior season at Boston University, and was acquired by Buffalo in trade with Arizona last month.—