The Penguins’ preseason group took a 4-0 loss to the Blue Jackets, and the numbers painted a mixed picture underneath the shutout.
By the raw result, it was a rough night. But there were a few pockets where Pittsburgh’s younger forwards held their own.
Connor Dewar, Filip Hållander and Elmer Söderblom put together the best forward-line performance of the bunch, posting a 66.67 Corsi and a 70.96 expected goals for percentage. They also avoided giving up a goal, which matters because that line could very well open the season as the fourth unit.
The trio of Avery Hayes, David Gustafsson and Atley Calvert also came out looking solid. That group didn’t get scored on either and finished with a 63.64 Corsi and a 66.42 xGF%.
The top line of Tristan Broz between Rutger McGroarty and Ville Koivunen had more ordinary numbers and was on the ice for two goals against, including one with Sergei Murashov pulled for an extra attacker.
At the other end of the spectrum, the Bill Zonnon-Tanner Howe-Mikhail Ilyin combination had the roughest night among the forwards. That unit was out there for two goals against and posted a 30.77 Corsi along with a 3.99 xGFA%.
On defense, Jake Livanavage and Illya Solovyov were a strange case: strong in possession, but on the ice for three goals against. Owen Pickering and Harrison Brunicke - the “Picknicke” pairing - showed the opposite profile, with weaker underlying numbers but no goals allowed.
Caleb Jones and Ryan Graves were about even in possession, though they gave up a key goal late in the second period. Graves also led the team with four hits.
It’s worth noting that every Penguins defenseman except Brunicke shot left, so several players were working on their off side.
Murashov stopped 13 of 16 shots for an .813 save percentage. The stat line wasn’t pretty, but the performance looked better than that number suggests.
The broader trend isn’t encouraging, either. Last preseason, Pittsburgh won its final five games and carried that momentum into the regular season. This time around, the club looks like it’s going the other way.
The team also made a round of roster moves. Forwards Brayden Edwards, Max Graham, Jack Horbach, Hugh McGing, Mark Senden, Tiernan Shoudy and David Russell, along with defensemen Finn Harding and Daniel Laatsch, were assigned to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton. Goalie Taylor Gauthier was assigned as well.
Forward Melvin Fernstrom and goalie Gabriel D’Aigle were designated as injured, non-roster players and were also assigned to the Baby Pens.
Defenseman Phil Kemp was placed on waivers and, if he clears, will join them too.
In Other News...
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For a team that values stability on defense, even a short-term setback can ripple through the rest of the roster picture. The Penguins are still in the early part of sorting out health and availability, and Graves status is now one of the cleaner examples of how quickly that process can change in the final stretch before the opener. [Read more 🡒]
Penguins Camp Cuts Just Hit A Familiar Group Of Players
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In Pittsburgh, the roster picture also tightened as the Penguins assigned five players to the AHL during camp cuts ahead of the opener. It is the familiar part of this time of year, when hopefuls are pushed back to Wilkes-Barre and the organization starts trimming toward its opening night group, even as fans who had planned on the canceled game wait for ticket details from the team. [Read more 🡒]
Penguins Final Preseason Lineup Hints At A Bigger Opening Night Shift
The Penguins preseason roster for their game against Buffalo offered a useful glimpse at where things stand with opening night drawing closer. The club listed its forwards, defensemen and goalies, but also made clear that one forward and one defenseman will be scratched before puck drop, the kind of late adjustment that often reveals how the staff is sorting out the last few decisions.
Ryan Graves and Justin Brazeau were both noted as injured, adding another wrinkle to a roster picture that already feels unsettled in a few spots. Graves, in particular, is viewed as unlikely to make the NHL roster this season, leaving Pittsburgh with one more question to sort through as the final preseason games narrow the field. [Read more 🡒]