“Good teams find a way to win, and that was a big goal late,” Rutger McGroarty
The Wilkes-Barre Scranton Penguins' game-winning goal in overtime can be viewed as a lucky bounce. The puck was deflected from the point, bounced into the goal without hitting the netting, and bounced out. The goal to tie the game with three minutes left in the third period can be viewed as a lucky bounce as well, with an Avery Hayes shot hitting a Hershey Bears’ skater and ending up in the back of the net.
But that’s how teams score in the playoffs. Yes, it’s luck but they put themselves in spots to earn those lucky bounces. “Good teams find a way to win, and that was a big goal,” Rutger McGroarty noted after scoring the Game Three overtime winner. Sometimes, the key is putting the puck on the net for the deflections and loose pucks. It’s not pretty, and it doesn’t have to be in the playoffs.
The Penguins were outplayed for most of Game Three, and it looked like they would lose 3-2. They scored two quick goals in the first but three unanswered by the Bears had them controlling play and the momentum of the game heading into the final minutes of the third period. Yet, like most teams that succeed in the playoffs, the Penguins found a way to win when it mattered most.
Penguins Adjusted to Win in the Playoffs
The Bears are a heavy team, and it’s part of their identity down the stretch. The Penguins are a smaller and more skilled team that doesn’t have the same physicality. It showed throughout Game Two, a game the Bears controlled and won 2-1, and most of Game Three. The Penguins couldn’t win puck battles, and in the offensive zone, weren’t getting to the net front and finding those dirty-area goals.
The Penguins adjusted and found ways to get into the shooting lanes, notably with their speed and ability to create space to open things up. “There’s not a lot of time and space, so if you can beat the guy to the net and get an opportunity like that, you have to take advantage,” McGroarty mentioned in a conversation with The Hockey News. The Penguins were the faster team and won loose pucks by outskating the Bears. It’s how Hayes tied up the game and how they found an edge in overtime.
This team had a distinct identity all season. It was winning games with goaltending and using their aggressive defense to set up rush chances for the offense. In the playoffs, those rush chances aren’t available, and the Penguins had to pivot by creating opportunities in the offensive zone. “You gotta get goals that way, that’s playoff hockey sometimes. It doesn’t matter how you score,” Tristan Broz added after a three-assist game to fuel the 4-3 victory.
Line Shuffling Was What They Needed
The Penguins had line combinations that worked for them all season and were particularly tough to stop down the stretch. However, the Bears matched up well with their lines, and it showed after Game Two, a game where the top six were nonexistent, and the team only scored one goal.
An adjustment was needed, and Penguins’ head coach Kirk MacDonald moved Rutger McGroarty to the Gabe Klassen and Hayes line. It gave the Penguins enough skill and stability to score two of their four goals in the victory.
Broz, who typically centered a line with McGroarty on it, had Ville Koivunen and Mikhail Ilyin on his wings instead. It allowed Broz to find three assists in the game, including a centering pass to Ilyin for his first goal at the American Hockey League level. The Penguins just needed to change things up, and with the season on the line, they had the right combinations to generate offense. Now, they have the Bears with their backs to the wall and a group that is confident they can find offense regardless of how the lines look.
Murashov Gives The Penguins a Chance Every Night
The advantage the Penguins have in this series is in the net. Sergei Murashov is one of the best goaltenders in the AHL and arguably the best goaltending prospect in the league. Whether it’s putting together a lights-out performance or keeping the team in the game, his play always gives the Penguins a chance to win. “He just shut it down, which he had to do,” Broz stated after the win.
This series has seen him put together some of his best performances yet. His 31-save performance in Game One fueled the 4-2 victory while his 26 saves on 28 shots kept the Penguins in a 2-1 loss. Then, in Game Three, he shut down the Bears in the third period to keep the game 3-2 and allow the team to complete the comeback.
Murashov has been great all season, and on the biggest stage, when the pressure is highest, he elevates his play. “He’s one of those guys who’s elevated his game and will elevate his game; he’s done that most of his life,” Broz added after the win, and it gives the Penguins an edge, not just in this series but any series in the Calder Cup Playoffs.
Why This Penguins Team is Set up for a Run
The Penguins continue to find ways to win, even when they are outplayed. In the playoffs, it’s about making the adjustments to win in multiple ways, and a skill-based team is still in control of a physical series.
They are only one win away from the Atlantic Division Final. With a 2-1 series lead and the way they’ve overcome battles in this series, it’s hard to see them losing. The Bears are a good team with arguably the best top line in the playoffs. Yet, the Penguins have the edge and are proving why they can make a deep playoff run.