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Penguins forward Kasperi Kapanen finds a 'home' | TribLIVE.com
Penguins/NHL

Penguins forward Kasperi Kapanen finds a 'home'

Seth Rorabaugh
3902189_web1_ptr-Kapanen03-051321
Chaz Palla | Tribune-Review
In 40 games this past season, Penguins forward Kasperi Kapanen had 30 points (11 goals, 19 assists).
3902189_web1_ptr-PensBruins11-042821
Chaz Palla | Tribune-Review
Penguins forward Kasperi Kapanen scored 30 points in 40 games this season.

Kasperi Kapanen’s first campaign as a member of the Pittsburgh Penguins didn’t go smoothly.

When your individual season is delayed because you’re stuck on another continent because of a bureaucratic snafu related to a global pandemic, nothing is smooth.

But when the talented winger was on the ice, he more often than not showed the talent and skill that prompted the Penguins to make him their first-round pick in 2014 and to swing a blockbuster trade to bring him back this past August.

In 40 games, he produced a steady 30 points (11 goals, 19 assists) while appearing to establish chemistry on the second line with franchise center Evgeni Malkin.

Like a lot of his teammates, the postseason wasn’t his finest moment as he was limited to three points (one goal, two assists) in six games.

Regardless, Kapanen seemed to find a fit in Pittsburgh after spending the first five seasons of his NHL career as a member of the Toronto Maple Leafs.

More than that, he appeared to find — to use a phrase he used repeatedly during a video conference Friday — a “home.”

“Just a great group of guys kind of welcoming me in,” said Kapanen, who got emotional at times Friday. “Made me feel at home in a way, for sure. I’m grateful for that. The way that it ended obviously was short. It (stinks) right now. But I’m very grateful for the way the guys made me feel at home and feel a part of this team. I appreciate that.”

Things weren’t perfect for Kapanen in his new home. The native of Finland missed all of training camp and the first three games of the regular season after an unexplained delay for a work visa he applied for in October. It was not processed until January.

Then there was the benching he received from coach Mike Sullivan during a 3-2 home win against the New York Islanders at PPG Paints Arena that prompted a heart-to-heart between player and coach to hash things out.

Additionally, Kapanen missed 13 games throughout March and April because of a left foot injury he suffered after being struck by a puck during a 5-2 home win against the Buffalo Sabres.

Despite quite a few impediments to his season, Kapanen expressed a profound appreciation for his surroundings the past five months.

“I was in Toronto before this,” said the 24-year-old Kapanen. “A great place to be, but I never really felt this comfortable, ever, with a certain group of guys. I’m just very lucky to be here and enjoy it with these guys right now.”

Kapanen, who never has played more than seven games in a postseason during his career, appeared to take his team’s loss to the Islanders in the first round of the postseason — which included two overtime defeats — particularly hard.

“A couple of overtimes, it can go either way,” Kapanen said. “They won both of those overtimes. But they’re a good team. So hats off to them. They’re a good team. We just couldn’t get it done.”

Just about anyone who participated in the loss for the Penguins would appear to be a candidate to be moved off the payroll by management, including Kapanen and Sullivan.

Kapanen doesn’t appear to be interested in either party leaving town.

“He’s a great coach,” Kapanen said. “He’s done a tremendous job with everybody here. This is an unbelievable organization. I’m just lucky to be here. This is a very good team. The future for us is very bright.”

Seth Rorabaugh is a TribLive reporter covering the Pittsburgh Penguins. A North Huntingdon native, he joined the Trib in 2019 and has covered the Penguins since 2007. He can be reached at srorabaugh@triblive.com.

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Categories: Penguins/NHL | Sports
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