This is familiar territory for the Wilkes-Barre Scranton Penguins. They’ve battled back all season and are down in the Eastern Conference Final 3-2. They’ve won two games in a row plenty of times and must do the same to advance to the Final. Winning Game 6 and then potentially Game 7 shouldn’t be any different. 

Yet, this time, it feels different. The Penguins have their backs against a wall against a Toronto Marlies team that’s figured them out. One more loss ends their season. They must come back with the odds stacked against them, and for the first time this season, the odds are stacked against them.

A series comeback won’t be easy. Yet, if there’s a team that can do it, it’s the Penguins. The Pittsburgh Penguins American Hockey League team has talent throughout the lineup and can beat anyone on any night. 

It’s a given that the best player must be the goaltender. In a series where both goaltenders have been excellent, Sergei Murashov must put together two of his best starts of the playoffs. He’s single-handedly won the Penguins' games in this run. Now, the 22-year-old prospect must win them two. 

The problem is that the Marlies have gotten to Murashov and beaten him a few times in this series. The Toronto Maple Leafs' affiliate set the tone in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Final with three goals against him in a 5-2 win (two came with the net empty). Then, they scored four goals on him in Game 5. 

The Marlies are getting to the net front and making Murashov uncomfortable. They are making the most of second chances. It forces Murashov to make one more adjustment. He must eliminate those extra chances and find that level of play to give the Penguins the edge. 

Tristan Broz has been the best Penguin throughout the playoffs, certainly the best skater. Some have had their flashes and showed off their NHL upside like Rutger McGroarty or Ville Koivunen. However, Broz is the steady presence centering a top-six line. 

Broz is notably the playmaking center who drives the play from his line. It’s why he’s led the team with eight assists and 11 points in this run. The offense and any scoring in the next two games start with him. 

Harrison Brunicke is the defenseman making a difference at the point. The Penguins have minimal weaknesses but one thing they’ve lacked is a playmaker on defense. Brunicke opens things up and adds a lot with his skill at the position. 

Without question, Brunicke has a future in Pittsburgh. For now, it’s about winning in Wilkes-Barre in the Calder Cup Playoffs. Adding that spark for the offense with a big play or two at the point will do that. 

The story of the series on the defensive end is the inability to protect Murashov. The Marlies are getting to the net and the interior to find loose pucks and easy scoring chances. The Penguins must force the Marlies to take shots from the outside and difficult angles, which is easier said than done, considering the opposition's forwards. 

On the flip side, the Marlies are protecting the net front and daring the Penguins to take shots from the outside of the offensive zone. The Penguins must get to the dirty areas, which is a two-fold challenge.

One, they lack a power forward presence outside of McGroarty. Two, the ice is terrible, and the hot and humid weather for the next week won’t help them. The slower ice is something head coach Kirk MacDonald noted after Game 2 and restated after Game 5, making it a difficult task for the team that plays fast. 

It’s worth adding that the Marlies have struggled to close out and clinch a series, even on this playoff run. They were one win away from advancing in the series against the Rochester Americans and the Laval Rocket, yet lost the game to spare and had to win the winner-takes-all game. So, this is something the Penguins can lean into as they can catch an overconfident Marlies team in Game 6.