Pittsburgh Penguins prospect Ville Koivunen played an impressive first game with their AHL team.

PITTSBURGH — The Pittsburgh Penguins’ AHL affiliate, the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins, dropped their playoff opener 2-1 to the Lehigh Valley Phantoms. The contest was a defensive affair, with both starting goaltenders showing out to begin the series. 

Now facing elimination in the best-of-three series, the Penguins are backed against a wall. The series shifts back to Lehigh Valley, and the team will need to put in a much more potent offensive effort to get back in it.

If only the rest of Wilkes-Barre’s lineup played like newcomer Ville Koivunen. Making his organizational debut, the Pens wasted no time allowing him to showcase his skill. He slotted in alongside Sam Poulin and Valtteri Puustinen in an attempt to put together a high-powered line.

The trio showed chemistry immediately, and Koivunen was leading the charge. The high level of offensive awareness on that line was evident from their first shift. Connecting for what should have been a goal, they settled for generating several high-danger chances in the first period. 

Koivunen added to his impressive debut at the end of the second period. After Sam Poulin jumped on an errant pass, he sent the puck to the net, where Koivunen redirected the puck past the Phantom’s goaltender.

It was a heads-up play by the youngster, as he smartly found open ice near the crease and displayed excellent hand-eye coordination on the redirect. 

His game wasn’t perfect, as his line was on the ice for a goal against. It wasn’t his fault, but he did struggle with some plays along the boards and clearing the pucks. These are all expected from players coming over from Europe and are used to playing on a wider rink. 

All that aside, Koivunen impressed in his Penguins’ debut. His awareness, playmaking, and scoring touch were on display immediately. At 20 years old, it’s clear the organization has a gem of a prospect. 

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