PITTSBURGH — On Tuesday, after finishing practice with his Providence teammates, Matt Grzelcyk left the ice to receive news from coach Kevin Dean. It was not something Grzelcyk expected.
Dean informed the first-year pro that he was being promoted to the NHL for the first time in his career.
“Pleasant surprise getting the call,” Grzelcyk said. “Just really excited for the opportunity.”
Grzelcyk didn’t have much time to process the information. He hustled home after practice, packed his bag, and headed to Boston for a flight to Pittsburgh on Tuesday night. One night later, Grzelcyk was wearing No. 48 and making his NHL debut against the Penguins at PPG Paints Arena, recording three shots and 14:34 of ice time in the 4-3 overtime loss.
“As advertised, I guess,” coach Claude Julien said of the puck-moving defenseman’s first game. “He skated well. He moved the puck well. It’s his first real game. It’s an eye-opener for anybody who plays in his first real game, especially when you play the defending Stanley Cup champions and you see what they bring. I thought he handled himself well. I liked his game. He’s a smart player. He sees the ice well. He moves well. I thought he was a good help for us tonight.”
Grzelcyk is a Charlestown native and lifelong Bruins fan. He is the son of John Grzelcyk, a longtime member of the Garden’s Bull Gang. Not many players with Matt Grzelcyk’s pedigree get to pull on Black and Gold.
“Playing against Pittsburgh in general, they have some of the best players in the world,” said Grzelcyk, who was on the ice for Bryan Rust’s OT winner. “Being out there, I don’t know if I can really pinpoint it. I tried not to focus too much on that it was my first game. But it was a cool experience for sure.”
The Bruins were carrying an extra defenseman. But they believed Grzelcyk was worthy of a recall, putting Joe Morrow and Colin Miller in suit and tie against Pittsburgh, because of his skating and puck-moving touch. In 25 games in Providence, the rookie recorded one goal and 11 assists. Grzelcyk expressed his offensive abilities more than he did in training camp, which he considered disappointing.
“Just playing to my strengths,” Grzelcyk said. “Coming into camp, I was little bit too nervous coming into games, not willing to make plays. That’s really not my game. While I was down there, I just really concentrated on skating the puck out of trouble and using my legs to my advantage.”
The Bruins picked Grzelcyk in the third round of the 2012 draft because of his offensive skill set. The left-shot defenseman had concluded his career with the National Team Development Program and was en route to Boston University, where he’d score three goals and 20 assists in 38 games as a freshman.
Grzelcyk shares some qualities with Torey Krug. The 5-foot-10-inch, 175-pound Grzelcyk likes to push the pace and make plays. Defensively, Grzelcyk does not have the frame to muscle opponents off pucks or shove them out of dangerous areas. So the Providence coaching staff has been working with the ex-Terrier to use his skating to turn defense into offense.
“We all know he can skate well. He’s a good puck-mover,” said Julien. “He actually does a pretty good job at defending by using his speed. He gets to pucks quickly and all that stuff.”
Crosby fan club
The last time Brad Marchand and Sidney Crosby shared the ice, they were together as linemates during the World Cup of Hockey with Patrice Bergeron on the right side. Marchand knows it’s more fun playing with Crosby than against him. Crosby has 21 goals in 24 games.
“He’s on another level,” Marchand said before the game. “Almost a goal a game. He’s just such a dominant player. He’s shown that again this year. It’s great to see for him personally. Obviously we hope it’s not the way tonight goes. He’s the best player in the world, no question.”
Marchand has been especially impressed by the nature of some of Crosby’s goals. When he’s on, the Pittsburgh center can score in multiple manners. But what’s elevated Crosby to out-of-body experience is how he’s batting in mid-air pucks and scoring from behind the goal line.
“I think he surprises people every year, especially with the talent that he has,” Marchand said. “You think you’ve seen it all until he pulls another trick out of his bag.”
Beleskey to IR
To open a roster spot for Grzelcyk, the Bruins placed Matt Beleskey (right knee) on injured reserve. Beleskey, injured on Dec. 3, isn’t expected back until the middle of January . . . The third line was quiet for 40 minutes. Austin Czarnik had two shots, while Ryan Spooner and Jimmy Hayes had none. They took just two third-period shifts together before Julien went to a shorter rotation. Noel Acciari (7:26), Hayes (8:35), and Czarnik (9:58) were the only players to play less than 10 minutes . . . Pittsburgh went 2 for 4 on the power play. The Bruins had been perfect on the penalty kill during the six previous games (17 for 17).
Fluto Shinzawa can be reached at fshinzawa@globe.com.