Unless I'm thrown off here, there have been since the outset of training camp

14 players vying for five spots, bottom six forwards, around Lars Eller, the one, lockdown certainty.

And out of that group, out of those 14, the guy who's been the best of them, and I mean the

best by a mile was someone that a lot of us weren't even thinking about. Good morning to you. Good.

Friday morning. I'm Dan Kovachievich of D.K. Pittsburgh Sports. This is Daily Shot of Penguins.

It comes your way bright and early every weekday. If you're into football and or baseball, I also

offer daily shots of Steelers and Pirates in the same place that you found this. Penguins 3, Blue Jackets won last night in Columbus.

There will be one more preseason game tonight at PPG Paints Arena against that same

opponent.

Goals came from Yassi Puli Uyarvi, Valtari Pustinen, and then an empty netter from Kevin Hayes.

34 saves and 35 shots by Tristan Jari.

And yet again, the best player on the rink.

This has become a common theme was Pooly U.R.

And not just because of terrific risks or a goal, assist on the empty netter.

It's just the same stuff we've been talking about since quite literally the first drills of camp up in cranberry. I mentioned it to you

immediately that Puli R.V. stood out. And I meant it in exactly that way.

Big dude really mobile on his skates, winning physical battles along the boards, and then from

there, using all of that natural skill that had made him a number four overall pick in the draft all those

years ago to make a quality, in some cases a high quality, next play. These are Mike Sullivan

like traits all over the place. So do not be surprised by Sullivan's assessment after the game

last night when asked by Taylor Haas of D.K. Pittsburgh Sports to discuss really his skating.

Night and day. I think it's night and day. I think he's so much stronger. I think his skating

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