BUFFALO, N.Y. -- Sergei Murashov, unsurprisingly, has been one of the Penguins' standouts through two games of the Prospects Challenge.
The Penguins split the goaltending duties in the tournament opener on Friday, a 6-3 win over the Bruins' prospects -- Taylor Gauthier played the first half and stopped seven of 10 shots faced, then Murashov came in midway through and stopped all seven shots he faced.
Murashov got the full 60-minute game here on Saturday for the second game of the tournament, and stopped 16 of 18 shots faced to help carry the Penguins to a 4-2 win over the Senators and remain undefeated.
The two goals Murashov allowed weren't exactly soft -- the first came after he lost his stick following an athletic sprawling save, and then the puck went in off of one of his own defenders. The second was just a well-placed shot that beat him glove-side.
Otherwise, Murashov was the Penguins' best player in what was a tight game, in particular on the penalty-kill. The Penguins were a perfect three-for-three when shorthanded, though Murashov was tested with a few shots in quick succession a couple times.
"I just feel good, really good," Murashov said of his play after Saturday's win. "I don't think much about results. I'm happy we got two wins, but I think it's teamwork. As one great person said to me, teamwork makes the dream work. ... I really admire how our guys helped me. They really did a great job, and that's why I think today was a team win, really, a team win."
Murashov's ability to play the puck was on display often on Saturday. On a couple of occasions he helped start a breakout by faking a pass to one skater, then passing to a different teammate after drawing a Senators defenseman away from his actual target. He credited the KHL Lokomotiv's goaltending coach Rashit Davydov and the Lokomotiv's junior team goaltending coach Igor Yakubovsky with instilling the ability to play the puck in him, and his new coach in bringing it out more.
"They gave me a system of being active," Murashov explained. "Then, (goaltending development coach) Kain Tisi said that you have to have a driver's seat mentality. I really like it, I think it's more natural for me and something I would like to play."
Wilkes-Barre/Scranton coach Kirk MacDonald, who is leading the Penguins' prospects in this tournament, said he's "no goalie expert." But it doesn't take an expert to like what Murashov is showing so far.
"When they stop the puck, I know that part," MacDonald said. "And (Murashov) was great in the second. I think we weren't great in the second. We competed really hard, but it's early in the year. It's kind of whack-a-mole, pucks are bouncing everywhere. Both of their goals, we just weren't connected. Pucks were turned over. He made some huge saves to keep us in it and allow us to hold on to the lead going into the third period. He played the puck really well. He was great."
The Penguins have a problem -- but a great problem to have -- over the next few weeks when figuring out where exactly all these goalies will play. Between Tristan Jarry, Alex Nedeljkovic, Joel Blomqvist, recently-signed Filip Larsson, the ECHL Goaltender of the Year Gauthier and now Murashov, the Penguins have six goaltenders under contract -- including four prospects fighting for two AHL spots. It will be a challenge to get everyone the playing time they need to develop, regardless of if it's in the AHL or ECHL.
"Again, I'm not a goalie guy," MacDonald said. "But there will be discussions on where they'll be. I think for someone who's 20 years old, the most important thing is to get starts and play and continue to get better, right? That's the point of emphasis, for sure. We'll make sure that happens."
Michelle Crechiolo / Penguins
Sergei Murashov in Saturday's win over the Senators in the Prospects Challenge in Buffalo, N.Y.
MORE FROM THE PROSPECTS CHALLENGE
• The Penguins used these lines and pairings:
Rutger McGroarty - Vasily Ponomarev - Avery Hayes
Beau Jelsma - Tristan Broz - Ville Koivunen
Cooper Foster - Gabe Klassen - Justin Cloutier
Atley Calvert - Logan Pietila - Jack Beck
Owen Pickering - Donovan McCoy
Isaac Belliveau - Finn Harding
Emil Pieniniemi - Harrison Brunicke
The only changes between Friday's game and this game were Justin Cloutier replacing Mathieu De St. Phalle on the third line, Donovan McCoy in for Scooter Brickey on the top pairing, and Emil Pieniniemi replacing Caeden Carlisle on the third pairing.
• First power-play unit: Owen Pickering, Ville Koivunen, Tristan Broz, Avery Hayes, Rutger McGroarty
• The Penguins opened the scoring in the second period when forward Jack Beck scored as he was being shoved to the ice by a Senators' player. Vasily Ponomarev jumped in and tried to fight to defend Beck but the altercation was quickly broken up by officials. Ponomarev had some thoughts on some of the targeting by the Senators in this one, saying that "probably a Hall of Famer, Jason Spezza, said you have to show your best abilities on the ice. Ottawa tried to show their best abilities, and it wasn't a game -- it was a fight. That's what they tried to show. We played the game how it should look like."
• The Senators tied the game off the goal that came off a Penguins player after Murashov lost his stick, but regained the lead when defenseman Isaac Belliveau buried a shot from the blue line that was set up by McGroarty after Belliveau's partner Finn Harding carried the puck into the Ottawa end. Belliveau's been one of the Penguins' better defensemen here so far, I'll have more on him for a story tomorrow. Fun player.
• The Senators again quickly tied the game back up, but three minutes later Ponomarev's wrister made it 3-2 on the power play after Koivunen drew an interference penalty. Hayes made it a 4-2 game in the final minute with an empty-net goal off a partial breakaway.
• MacDonald said that one can tell that Ponomarev is already a pro in watching these games: "He gets into 50-50 pockets, and it's not really a 50-50 puck battle -- he's winning. He's coming out with that puck. He's good on both sides of the ice, kills penalties as well. Great goal on the power play. He found that space for the little pop play for the bumper. He's been great."
• Forward Beau Jelsma was injured at some point, I didn't see how but I did see him with his arm in a sling after the game. MacDonald didn't have an update afterward on his status. Beck got promoted to the second line in Jelsma's absence.
• Beck is a 21-year-old left-winger on an AHL contract with Wilkes-Barre. He played five years in the OHL -- four with the Ottawa 67's and overage year with the Soo Greyhounds. On Beck, MacDonald said "he's been really, really good and it was a great goal he scored today, but he's made some plays. He's been great at hunting pucks, he's been on the right side of pucks most of the night and done a great job. He earned a little opportunity to play up the lineup today.
• I asked MacDonald about Nick Luukko, who was his assistant coach in the ECHL with the Reading Royals and was hired this summer as Wilkes-Barre's assistant coach: "He's a really good guy, somebody that's really good with the players, can relate to the guys," MacDonald said. "Obviously, he's still relatively young (32), but he works really hard, is very detailed in the way he breaks the game down and wants to teach it. And again, just somebody that's relatable. At the end of the day, you want to work with good people. He's a good person."
