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Penguins Extend Preseason Streak as Young Players Spark Reaction From Dan Muse
Photo credit: Edit from PensBurgh
The Penguins have now won four games in a row, and head coach Dan Muse has been very impressed with how the young players on the team have performed.
The youth push of the Pittsburgh Penguins shone again on Wednesday in Buffalo. Following the game, head coach Dan Muse expressed that young guys were making roster spots tough, and they showed him why in a 5-3 victory over the Sabres.
The back of the net was found by Tristan Broz, Avery Hayes, and Ville Koivunen, all 22 years old. First-rounder Ben Kindel (11th overall in 2025) assisted Matt Dumba's marker, and an empty-netter sealed the victory by Filip Hallander.
Jack St. Ivany Left the Game With an Injury in the First Period
Goaltender Arturs Silovs played a complete game, making 27 stops, two big shorthanded stops on Tage Thompson being two of them. The Penguins had to play a majority of the evening with five 'D men as Jack St. Ivany was hurt in the first period.
Hayes pushes for a roster spot based on his big Prospects Challenge showing.
Having inked his first NHL contract, he's played with a scorer's sensibility and has actually skated on Sidney Crosby's side in Marc-Andre Fleury's farewell game, recording an assist.
Muse praised Hayes' consistent contributions with his teammates, noting just how popular he's made himself in the room.
"Going back there to just the rookie tournament, he was finding a ton of different ways to impact the game there, when the team really needed momentum swings... scoring big goals, big plays," Muse said. "As the games continue on, they continue to elevate deeper into camp. So, I still think he's been able to find different ways."
Hallander also had a big game with a goal and an assist. After spending a stint back home in Sweden, where he had career-high percentages in the SHL, the 24-year-old apparently is in for a repeat stint in Pittsburgh.
Broz, meanwhile, now has two power-play goals this preseason and is on the verge of demonstrating maturity with scoring, a factor Muse noted was on the rise.
"He's been out there in a lot of different situations, and game to game, it's kind of changed a little bit," Muse said. "That has been a little bit by design. I think there's been some games where he's (gotten) more D zone starts. There's been some games where it's maybe a little bit more on the penalty kill time. But I think it's been good. I think he's been in the right spots, and the detail's been pretty solid."
As a number of prospects make their cases, roster spots are coming into focus. The Penguins will get some difficult but welcome choices on their hands soon enough.
| POLL | ||
OCTOBRE 2 | 49 ANSWERS Penguins Extend Preseason Streak as Young Players Spark Reaction From Dan Muse Are you pleasantly surprised with how the young Penguins have performed during this four game win streak? | ||
| Yes | 45 | 91.8 % |
| No | 4 | 8.2 % |
| List of polls | ||