The Wilkes-Barre Penguins looked like a team running on fumes. They were battling and hoping to extend the season for just one more game. Game 6 was tied at one as it went to overtime, both goaltenders were excellent, and the Penguins were hoping one of the many talented prospects would step up and find the big goal, as they have all season. The defense was injured, with Owen Pickering, Phil Kemp, and Finn Harding all out of the lineup. Things only got worse when Harrison Brunicke, the top defense prospect in the Pittsburgh Penguins system, took a hard hit along the boards and wasn’t the same after that. A battered team was finally beaten when Alex Nylander, a former Penguin, scored the overtime winner for the Toronto Marlies to end the game and the series. The Penguins stood on the ice with a look of defeat, wondering what more they could have done. Was there anything they could do to beat the Marlies and win this series? PENGUINS PUT IT ALL OUT THERE Aidan McDonough scored the power play goal in the first period to get the crowd into the game early on. He had a great game and was one of the best players on the team during the playoffs, scoring four goals and four assists while moving up and down in the lineup. When he was asked if there was anything more the Penguins could have done, he paused and looked reflective on how they performed, not just in the game or the series but all season. “I think we all left it out there,” McDonough responded after Game 6. The Penguins might look at a shift or a missed assignment and want it back. The Marlies game-tying goal came on a rush chance where Easton Cowan had space to operate and find the back of the net. Yet, this team wouldn’t take anything back. “The main thing is there are no regrets. We all played for each other,” Sergei Murashov noted after the game. Ahktyamov Vs Murashov: The Goaltending Duel That’s Only Beginning [https://deweb-519a7.b-cdn.net/post-images/74b850b5-c1ac-4d3f-97a5-bbaf44c0053a.jpeg] Ahktyamov Vs Murashov: The Goaltending Duel That’s Only Beginning The line that best explains the Eastern Conference Final is, “It’s two great teams and two great goaltenders,” Kirk MacDonald. [https://thehockeynews.com/ahl/latest-news/ahktyamov-vs-murashov-the-goaltending-duel-that-s-only-beginning] The shots didn’t go in, and sometimes that’s the only explanation. The Penguins had their looks and plenty of scoring opportunities in the series. Yet, they never found the knockout punch, something the Marlies always seemed to find. Sometimes, that’s hockey. The puck bounces the wrong way, or the game comes down to one shift. “Every game was down to the wire,” Penguins head coach Kirk MacDonald noted after the series, one where three games were decided by one goal and most were tied late in the third. Sometimes, a great team runs into a team that has their number, and the Marlies had the goaltending and star power to respond to the Penguins. WHAT THE PENGUINS COULD HAVE DONE The Penguins will watch the film and look back at this series and wonder where the offense went. It fell flat, especially late in the series. The Penguins only scored 14 goals in six games, with only two goals in the last two games. “We could have buried our chances but that’s hockey sometimes,” McDonough mentioned after Game 6. The Penguins had plenty of chances and moved the puck well in the series, even as the ice slowed the games down. However, they lacked the finishing presence to make a difference in the series. Toronto Marlies Journey To The Calder Cup Finals [https://deweb-519a7.b-cdn.net/post-images/948dff32-eaea-45b8-8534-86a404c9f7f5.jpeg] Toronto Marlies Journey To The Calder Cup Finals “Everyone's done what they've had to do to put us here,” Logan Shaw [https://thehockeynews.com/ahl/latest-news/toronto-marlies-journey-to-the-calder-cup-finals] That was an underlying issue all season. The Penguins, for all of their skill, lacked the skaters who could get to the net and bury scoring chances. It didn’t cost them in the previous rounds but when the Marlies forced them to take tough-angle shots, they couldn’t generate offense. It’s the one thing that will sting for this team and stick with them all summer, especially since the offense was great all season. IN THE END, THE PENGUINS GAVE THEIR FANS A GOOD SENDOFF FOR THE SUMMER When the Penguins reflect on this season, will they look at it as a failure? They had championship aspirations and looked at this team as a Calder Cup-caliber group. However, they can’t look back at this season as a disappointment. Far from it. Akhtyamov's 39-Save Game Sends Marlies Into Calder Cup Finals [https://deweb-519a7.b-cdn.net/post-images/fbc53995-ed4b-4334-9cd0-fdf20ad2dc2d.jpeg] Akhtyamov's 39-Save Game Sends Marlies Into Calder Cup Finals The Toronto Marlies beat the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins 2-1 after overtime to be crowned Eastern Conference Champions and advance to the 2026 Calder Cup Finals. [https://thehockeynews.com/ahl/latest-news/akhtyamovs-39-save-game-in-ot-sends-marlies-into-calder-cup-finals] The Penguins matured into a well-rounded team by the end of the season. A handful of prospects developed into NHLers, proving hope for Pittsburgh's future. This team was one of the final four standing in the AHL. “I’m really proud of the group,” MacDonald added after the game. The fans in North East Pennsylvania packed Mohegan Arena for the Sunday night game. The team has struggled with attendance, yet made a push to fill the Wilkes-Barre arena for the weekend game. The fans came for entertainment and were treated to a show. The 2-1 game was a tight and intense one that reminds hockey fans why the Calder Cup Playoffs are special. The Penguins gave their fans a good final sendoff before the summer.
