“I thought we defended well, stuck to our game plan, and did a good job of being hard on pucks,” Kirk MacDonald
In a 1-0 defensive game where both teams were battling and searching for that knockout punch, an unexpected source delivered it. Tanner Howe forced a turnover in his zone to set up a breakaway the other way, and he fired the puck to the back of the net to give the Wilkes-Barre Scranton Penguins a dagger goal in a 2-0 win over the Springfield Thunderbirds.
That shift in many ways embodies what the Penguins have tried doing all season, where they turn defense into offense. They love gashing teams on the rush, and in the playoffs, they are leaning into a 200-foot game. It’s what allowed them to control Game One of the Atlantic Division Final and put them in the driver’s seat for the Eastern Conference Final.
Penguins Two-Way Hockey Standing Out
American Hockey League teams don’t advance to this round without a complete buy-in to the coach's system. It applies to all eight teams left in the Calder Cup Playoffs, all of whom are well-coached and playing the way their coach envisions hockey should be played.
For the Penguins, this means a two-way game that head coach Kirk MacDonald has preached all season. This team is known for skill and making highlight plays, especially because of the prospect pool the Pittsburgh Penguins have in place. However, when it matters most, and they must defend, they do so, and it’s what happened in the 2-0 Game One victory.
What stands out is the ability of every type of skater to play that two-way game regardless of their skill sets. Rutger McGroarty, Ville Koivunen, and Mikhail Ilyin are great skaters who use their speed to backcheck and close in on loose pucks. Tanner Howe, Gabe Klassen, and Atley Calvert are power forwards who play a physical style of defense. “Howe is fearless, has a great stick there, and creates a breakaway,” MacDonald added after the game.
On top of that, the entire team uses possession to wear teams down, which is what happened in Game One. “We were playing on the front foot and playing offense a lot,” Penguins goaltender Sergei Murashov noted after the game, and it’s why the Thunderbirds never built up much momentum.
Howe, in particular, has made his mark as a versatile forward. He joined the team as a fourth liner and will eventually make his mark in the NHL as a checking bottom-six player. He was on the top line in Game One with Rafael Harvey-Pinard out with an injury, and he didn’t miss a beat. “I like to call myself a Swiss Army knife out there. I try to do my best out there in whatever situation the coach puts me in,” Howe mentioned after Game One in a conversation with The Hockey News. That versatile play was on display on his goal and throughout the game, which is why he’s become a prospect to watch in the Penguins' system.
Welcome to the AHL, Bill Zonnon!
Bill Zonnon’s first AHL game came in the Calder Cup Playoffs, a time when the games are intense, and the transition from junior hockey to the pro game is the toughest. The intensity was felt in the arena, and tension hung in the air as both teams battled through 30 minutes. Zonnon didn’t let the pressure of playoff hockey get to him. “I probably should have given him more ice time, to be honest. He did a great job,” MacDonald noted after his debut.
He scored the opening goal of the game and put a stamp on his AHL debut. “I honestly don’t remember the last time I had this much fun,” Zonnon stated afterwards, and along with having fun, that goal allowed him and the fans to take a deep breath. That’s certainly how it felt as he dangled the puck past Springfield goaltender Georgi Romanov. It’s goal that gave the Penguins the lead and momentum, two things they wouldn’t give up in Game One’s win.
Zonnon is only getting started as a depth center in the Penguins' system. He’s ready for the next level and already fighting for a role on the bottom six. “I think the biggest thing is my complete game, whether it’s offensively or defensively, I can do a lot of good stuff, and ultimately, my work ethic, where every time I’m out there, I compete,” Zonnon added after the game.
The Defense is Helping Out Murashov
Murashov was the best player on the Penguins all season and has been in the playoffs as well. Game One of the Atlantic Division Final was no exception, as he shut down the Thunderbirds with a 24-save shutout.
That said, in the latest game, he got a boost from the defense. “I thought we defended well, stuck to our game plan, and did a good job of being hard on pucks,” MacDonald stated afterward, and it was reflected in how the Penguins limited the shot volume and cleaned up the interior of the defensive zone. The Penguins won with defense, and it set up the big goals to put the game away. “A lot of plays start in the defensive zone, so if you’re connected and work up the ice, you can get opportunities,” Howe added.
The Thunderbirds weren’t firing a lot of shots and were patient with the puck. It’s why the number of shots the Penguins allowed is misleading since they applied plenty of pressure. That said, they protected Murashov and didn’t let the Thunderbird establish much of an offensive zone presence. They were tight at the blue line to force turnovers and set up the offense, which is how Howe put the game away. Additionally, the Penguins cleaned up the net front with the help of the surplus of stay-at-home defensemen who are on their roster.
Wilkes-Barre is in Control, But Know This Series is a Fight
The Thunderbrids have had their backs to the wall before. This is the same team that had to fight to make the playoffs and battle back after losing their first playoff game 8-1 to the Charlotte Checkers. They know what it takes to battle back in the playoffs, and this series is far from over.
“You can tell they were well prepared with the adjustments they made,” MacDonald noted after the game, and the message for the Penguins is to keep the foot on the gas. They know they can’t take their opponent lightly and that this series is far from over.
The Penguins once again showed why they can go on a Calder Cup run with their win on Tuesday. They’ll look to prove it all again with Game Two on Thursday night against a Thunderbird team that will play with more desperation.