Prospects Of The Week
Ville Koivunen Caps Dominant Week With OT Winner
Ville Koivunen made the most of a short stint in the AHL, posting seven points in only three games last week and 11 points in six games since joining Wilkes-Barre/Scranton–second in the league and first with a 1.83 point per game average. Koivunen scored on a penalty shot and added a primary assist in a 4-1 win over Lehigh Valley on Wednesday, scored and added two secondary assists in a 4-0 win over Charlotte on Friday, and scored the overtime winner after setting up the tying goal in a 3-2 overtime win over Charlotte on Saturday. Pittsburgh recalled Koivunen with Rickard Rakell expected to miss 6-8 weeks. The 2021 second round pick acquired as part of the Jake Guentzel trade looks to keep the momentum with Pittsburgh.
Sergei Murashov Continues Hot Start With First Shutout Of The Season
Sergei Murashov continues to live up to expectations, improving to 5-0-0 with two wins for Wilkes-Barre/Scranton last week, including a shutout, last. Murashov turned away 26 of 27 shots in a 4-1 win over Lehigh Valley on Wednesday and stopped all 25 shots against in a 4-0 win over Charlotte on Friday. The 2022 fourth round pick leads the league with five wins and ranks among AHL leaders with a .949 save percentage and 1.40 goals against average.
Kettles Re-Enters Swift Current Lineup With A Bang
Peyton Kettles returned to the Swift Current Broncos lineup and scored a goal and a added helper in a 4-3 overtime loss to the Red Deer Rebels on Wednesday. The 2025 second round pick left the next game early after being assessed a game misconduct for a hit to the head penalty and served the automatic one-game suspension on Sunday. Kettles finished last WHL season with five goals and 14 points in 53 games, but the 6’6″, 194 lbs. blueliner projects as more of a shutdown defenseman.
Down On The Farm
Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Stays Undefeated, Improves To 7-0-0
Wilkes-Barre/Scranton kept winning with 4-1 triumph over the Lehigh Valley Phantoms on Wednesday. Sergei Murashov continued a strong start to the season with 26 saves on 27 shots. Ville Koivunen and Atley Calvert scored and recorded assists. Danton Heinen and Avery Hayes added goals. Valtteri Puustinen, Chase Pietila, Tristan Broz, and Rafael Harvey-Pinard all finished with assists.
Sergei Murashov sparkled again with a 25-save shutout in a 4-0 win over the Charlotte Checkers on Friday night. Heinen and Koivunen scored and recorded two helpers. Alex Alexeyev and Joona Koppanen added goals. Puustinen, Finn Harding, and Sam Poulin recorded assists.
Wilkes-Barre/Scranton never held a lead the next night but managed a 3-2 win in overtime in Charlotte and improve to 7-0-0. Broz tied the game in the first period, Heinen evened things up in the second, and Koivunen scored in the extra frame. Koivunen added a helper, and Hayes, Ryan Graves, and Owen Pickering picked up assists. Filip Larsson stopped 32 of 34 shots in the win.
Wheeling Nailers Split Weekend In Maine With OT Win On Sunday
The Wheeling Nailers jumped out to a 2-1 lead late in the first period but fell 7-3 to the Maine Mariners on Saturday night. Matthew Quercia scored and added a helper. Zach Gallant finished with two assists. Aidan Sutter and Nolan Renwick added goals. Bogdans Hodass, Brent Johnson, and Maxim Pavlenko recorded assists. Pavlenko surrendered seven goals on 35 shots.
Wheeling turned the tables the next afternoon with a 5-4 overtime win. Logan Pietila scored the overtime winner. Renwick scored and added two assists. Gallant scored and added a helper, and Tommy Budnick and Max Grahamscired the other goals. Daniel Laatsch and David Breazeale both recorded assists, and Quercia added a helper. Jaxon Castor stopped 24 shots in the win.