Great defense, better goaltending, and scoring throughout the lineup have been staples for the Penguins' success all season. They were on display in the 2-1 Game 3 win over the Springfield Thunderbirds and put them one win away from the Eastern Conference Final.
How did the Wilkes-Barre Scranton Penguins win that game? The answer to that question is probably the same whether it was asked about the first game of the regular season or Game Three's 2-1 win over the Springfield Thunderbirds.
The formula for their success hasn't changed, and it's made them a great team in the Atlantic Division. It has them one win away from advancing to the Eastern Conference Final. In the American Hockey League, change is commonplace. Yet, the Penguins are still playing the same way since day one, and that identity has them inching closer to a Calder Cup title.
"We kind of got away from playing our game but we can get back to that on Tuesday," Avery Hayes stated after the Penguins blew a 3-0 lead in Game Two and lost 4-3 in overtime. On Tuesday night, the Penguins played their game, and the Thunderbirds had no response.
Great Goaltending By Murashov Sets The Tone
Sergei Murashov was dominant all season and is playing at another gear in the playoffs. While he had a rough Game Two, specifically, a rough finish to the game, he has been incredible in the net otherwise.
For most goaltenders, a 28-save performance with only one goal allowed is impressive. For Murashov, it's normal. After all, he saved 37 of 38 shots in the series-clinching Game Four against the Hershey Bears and put together a 24-save shutout in Game One against the Thunderbirds. The Penguins needed him to be their best player on Tuesday night, and he got the job done, blanking the opposition until a goal late in the third period.
The way Murashov is playing puts the Penguins in the driver's seat for the Calder Cup. Simply, when he's playing great, there isn't a team that can beat him. In the big picture, his play with the AHL team means it's a matter of when, not if, he'll be part of the NHL roster in Pittsburgh.
The big plus from the Penguins' perspective is that the defense clamped down and helped him out. In the previous game, they allowed 45 shots, and the Thunderbirds managed to find pucks in the interior of the offensive zone. In Game Three, they shut the door, and it's that combination of great defense and better goaltending that has the Penguins in the right position in the playoffs.
Penguins Timely Goals
The Penguins have a good offense, not a great one that overwhelms teams. Their specialty, however, is taking advantage of the other team's mistakes, turning defense into offense.
It's how they scored the first goal of the game. On the penalty kill, Hayes sent the puck up the ice to a speeding Rutger McGroarty for the breakaway goal. McGroarty has had a rocky playoff run and hasn't looked like the impressive prospect the Penguins hoped he would be. Yet, when it matters most, he delivers the knockout punch. He scored the overtime winner in Game Three of the previous series against the Bears and got the Penguins on the board in the latest game.
The goal was a knockout punch, something the Penguins have delivered throughout the season. The offense finds timely goals that take the momentum away from the other team and give them the edge. It's what the second goal did as they capitalized on the rush to take a 2-0 lead over a Thunderbirds team that needed to keep the game within striking distance. And the goal came from a prospect who only joined the team recently but is playing like he's been around all season.
Bill Zonnon & The Additions Providing An Extra Spark
Usually, it takes time for players to acclimate to the AHL. That's not the case for Bill Zonnon. He made his debut in Game One of the Atlantic Division Final and scored the first goal of the game. He did the same thing in the next game.
Game Three saw him score on the rush with a cross-ice pass, finding him with an open look on the net, and he buried the scoring chance. Zonnon has three goals in three games and is providing this offense as a fourth-line center.
Zonnon is what NHL teams are looking for in a fourth-line skater. Yes, the third and fourth-liners must forecheck, defend, and play a physical game. That said, they must have that scoring touch as well. Zonnon has it, and it's why the Penguins are excited about what he can do someday in the NHL.
He's not the only new face late in the season, either. The Penguins brought in Mikhail Ilyin for the playoff run, a Russian winger who is known for his speed and skill. Likewise, Harrison Brunicke was on the NHL team to start the season, but with his junior hockey season ending early, he's on the AHL team's defense and playing a key role on both ends.
The Penguins have had the same identity all season. It's why players like Zonnon, Ilyin, Brunicke, or any newcomer can fit right in and make an immediate impact. These players fit right in and have given the Penguins a spark to give them control of this series and have their eyes set on the Calder Cup.