Penguins Prospects Impress Despite Playoff Loss
The Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins were eliminated from the AHL playoffs, but had impressive showings from several prospects.
PITTSBURGH -- In a stunning turn of events, the Pittsburgh Penguins AHL affiliate was eliminated in the first round of the AHL's Calder Cup Playoffs. The Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins had a 3-1 lead in the third period, but it wasn't enough to secure a victory.
Emulating the NHL club and some questionable officiating led to the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins falling to the Lehigh Valley Phantoms by a final score of 5-4 in overtime. The Phantoms captured the best of three series win with the over time goal.
It was a disappointing finish for the Baby Pens, who were hoping for a long run in the postseason. The roster had been loaded up with some of the organization's top prospects, like Tristan Broz, Owen Pickering, and Ville Koivunen. Also adding to the firepower were players with NHL games played, like Valtteri Puustinen, Jack St. Ivany, and Ryan Shea. Some of the Penguins's top prospects made it into game action, and were impressive in both appearances.
Koivunen made it clear why Kyle Dubas was so excited to acquire him in the Jake Guentzel trade. He put up a goal and an assist in his two games played, and brought the chance of scoring every time he stepped on the ice. With Brayden Yager still playing in juniors, Koivunen has to take the spot for top offensive prospect in the system. Between his keen offensive awareness, silky smooth hands, and a habit of finding his teammates in open positions, Koivunen not only impressed, he made a case for getting a shot with the NHL team next season.
The other impressive rookie was goaltender Joel Blomqvist. Goaltending was not the issue in the team's series loss, as Blomqvist continued his fantastic season in his two postseason starts.
While he did give up five goals in their Game 2 elimination, they were far from his fault. The Penguins were penalized quite a bit in the third period, surrendering two power play goals as a result. One of the goals was a seemingly obvious high-sticking goal, but the officials missed it, and the other was during a 5-on-3.
Despite this, Blomqvist stood tall. He gave up just two goals in their Game 1 loss and still stopped 29 shots in game two. The Penguins may understandably want Blomqvist to continue developing in the AHL, but his performance this season has earned him a shot at NHL time.
Other standouts in the game were forwards Jonathan Gruden and Tristan Broz. Gruden was aggressive on every loose puck and rebound, laid plenty of physical body checks, and displayed a grinder mindset that could earn him a fourth line role in the NHL.
Broz looked unfazed by the rapid transition from college to professional hockey. He couldn't crack the scoresheet in his two appearances, but he fit in nicely. His skating kept pace, he was strong on the puck, and created several scoring opportunities. He even played on the second line alongside Sam Poulin and Valtteri Puustinen during Game 2. With a full season awaiting Broz in the AHL, he can adapt to the offensive style of the professional game playing top line minutes.
After the offseason, it will be interesting to see if any of these players force their way into NHL roles. Their performances in the postseason showed strong ends to their respective seasons. Dubas is looking for young guys to fight for roles, but was it enough to earn the opportunities they are looking for?
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