After getting blown out 5-1 in game five, the Penguins returned home looking to stay alive for another day. It was clear after game five that the Penguins legs had finally dried up, after storming to win two on the road. Needing a fresh start, the boys came out ready to go.
An early penalty kill put the momentum in the Pens favor, followed by a Marc Johnstone roughing minor, putting them up a man. The Penguins capitalized on the powerplay off the stick of Aidan McDonough following a beautiful pass off the stick of Avery Hayes.
Easton Cowan would strike the game tying goal just nine minutes into the second following a tough back check from the Penguins. Since his brutal turnover in game four, Cowan notched three points, including two goals. It was clear this game was headed for a dogfight, and the Penguins weren't going to go down easy.
Following a scoreless third despite an intense, physical period, the teams prepared for overtime. Though even in shots, former Penguins Alex Nylander tucked home the game winner, pushing his Marlies to the Calder Cup Final, where they await the winner of Colorado and Chicago.
Despite the short finish, the Penguins have a lot to be proud of from this run, along with some key takeaways organization wide, preparing for next season in Pittsburgh. Here are some of my takeaways from the overal season for Wilkes-Barre Scranton:
The young bucks: Collectively, this young group had a strong showing this postseason. Rutger McGroarty notched nine points in fifteen playoff games, but was extremely effectively on the forecheck, pressuring the opposition. It is clear he may need a year or two of development in the NHL to make his impact, but he showed strides in Scranton this season. Avery Hayes was a bit of a disappointment on the stat sheet, registering just six points this playoffs, but was noticeable off the stat sheet, making smart, physical plays to push the team forward. He may only be a bottom six player, but he could fill a Blake Lizotte type role, or even close to a young Bryan Rust.
Two noticeable improvements came from the true young guns, Bill Zonnon and Harrison Brunicke. Many fans doubted Kyle Dubas pick of Brunicke after his early performance in Pittsburgh, but after being sent back to Kamloops, then being brought to the AHL for the playoffs, it was clear he was a different, more rounded player. During the playoffs he was strong physically, even adding seven points in fifteen games. His passing was strong, a key piece of the powerplay, and a strong net front presence for Sergei Murashov.
As for Zonnon, his impact was immediate upon joining Wilkes-Barre Scranton, scoring in all of his first three games. His speed was notable, and though his game clearly wasn't polished, he was an immediate fit for this lineup. Zonnon is clearly still a ways out from his time in the NHL, but depending on the state of the roster next season, he has a chance to make some appearances and knock the rookie nerves off come October.
Not much needs to be said on this end, but Sergei Murashov is phenomenal and should absolutely be on the opening night roster for Pittsburgh next season. The goalie finished the playoffs with a 2.11 Goals Against Average, and a .931 save%. He single-handedly kept the Pens in a few playoff games, and despite some rebound control troubles, he should be a staple of the big club moving forward.
Organization Wide Regroup: It has been clear for years that the Penguins were trending downward, and that followed throughout the minor league teams in Wilkes-Barre Scranton and Wheeling. This past season, all three teams in the organization made the playoffs, a feat not accomplished in four seasons. With a new group of young talent brought in by GM Kyle Dubas, the youth is better, improving more by the day, playing meaningful hockey even in the minor leagues.
Winning Matters: Looking back to the back to back cup runs in '16 and '17, a solid amount of the roster had played under Mike Sullivan in Scranton, just a few short weeks before his promotion to Pittsburgh. As players came up, they immediately blossomed into key team players, Brian Dumolin, Connor Sheary, Bryan Rust, Jake Guentzel, and Matt Murray.
All of these players had played in a playoff run in Scranton in the years prior to promotion to Pittsburgh. Though not at the same level, they had faced playoff pressure and intensity before, and proved it when time to play on a legendary back-to-back championship run. Players like Bryan Rust, who wasn't a widely known prospect at the time, completely elevated his game during those runs, forming himself into a key piece for the Penguins future.
My point? Winning matters! Despite coming up short in a seemingly meaningless minor league playoff run, this experience becomes vital to young players as their careers go on. As the Penguins enter a likely rebuild, playoff experience becomes few and far in between, likely not for a few years, and gaining this experience now allows for the future stars to be ready to perform when Pittsburgh is ready to compete.
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