There’s a give and take involved when a player comes in fresh off his college season and lines with a pair of veterans 50-60 games into the AHL season.
Fans saw it last weekend with Brown University product Matt Lorito centering Tim Sestito and Mike Sislo, and they’ll see it again with that same line this weekend in Norfolk.
The new guy — Lorito signed an amateur tryout contract (ATO) on March 13 and has an AHL contract in place with Albany for next season — gets to line with veteran players who are easy to play with and can help him adjust to the pro game and the Devils’ systems. The older guys get a dose of youthful enthusiasm.
“I definitely fed off his energy and enthusiasm for being here,” Sestito said. “I think there’s just little tweaks from a college or junior game to pro hockey. We talk quite a bit on the bench about getting to know where each other is going to be, getting pucks behind the net, or when somebody’s in trouble, where to go.”
The Devils play at Norfolk tonight at 7:30 and Saturday night at 7:15. Albany is six points out of the eighth and final playoff spot with 11 games left and one game in hand on eighth-place Springfield.
Lorito’s first professional goal came in his first pro game, and it happened to be the game-winning goal on a power play in Saturday’s 4-3 win over Norfolk.
“I was just happy to be able to contribute and help the team,” he said. “Anytime you score, it’s a good feeling, but to do it in my first game was pretty special.”
Skating with Sestito and Sislo helped him “a ton,” he said.
“They’re both older guys, veteran guys, who have played a lot of games in this league,” Lorito said. “Tito’s played games in the NHL, too. They’re both big helps. They’re so easy to play with. We’re all pretty smart players, so we know where we need to be, and stuff like that, but they helped me out with system stuff. They made it real easy on me.”
They’ve both played in the NHL, actually, and both this season. Between their games in the AHL and NHL, both Sestito and Sislo have played 64 games this season. Lorito came into Saturday’s game having played 29 with Brown, so his fresher legs brought the energy Sestito spoke of.
“He’s obviously very skilled, very fast,” Sestito said. “I think he’s got a good offensive awareness, and I think we played pretty good in the D-zone, too. We didn’t spend a ton of time. He’s a guy who can skate with Sis, who’s probably one of the faster guys on the team, too.
“I love playing with the [ATO] guys because they come in with so much energy. Especially for guys who have been around, at this time of year, you kind of get zapped a little bit, so when he comes in and infuses us with some more energy as a line.”
With forwards Reid Boucher and Stefan Matteau called up to New Jersey last week under emergency conditions, Albany coach Rick Kowalsky said Lorito was expected to step in and play well with Sestito and Sislo.
“Obviously, Sislo and Sestito are both good two-way guys and easy to play with,” Kowalsky said. “There’s no question, that was by design, and I thought, in both games, they were one of our best lines.”
The adjustment to the pro game came pretty easily to Lorito, who said the biggest gap he saw between the college and pro games was the strength of the players.
“You’re playing against bigger guys and stronger guys, and older guys, too,” said Lorito, who is listed as 5-foot-9, 180 pounds. “That’s a bit of an adjustment from college. But I think the speed’s been fine. I’m just kind of getting used to getting in battles. You’ve really got to engage yourself with everyone you go to battle with, because there’s no easy ones. Making sure I’m strong on the puck, strong on my skates, will be the biggest thing for me, going forward.”
Kowalsky said there were a couple times he thought Lorito could have shot the puck when he didn’t, but that goes for the whole team right now. Otherwise, he was pleased with the kid’s game.
“He’s got quick hands, quick feet,” Kowalsky said. “You never know how it translates, because you get out there, and you’re playing for keeps, and sometimes these kids get nervous. But he’s able to make plays in tight areas, in small areas. He’s good around the net.”
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