Murashov Stopping AHL Offenses

One of the best stories in the American Hockey League (AHL) this season is the play of goaltender Sergei Murashov. The Wilkes-Barre Scranton Penguins’ goaltender is dominant, and when he starts, the team looks like the best in the AHL. Murashov has allowed only three goals in his last three starts and has only twice allowed three goals in a game. 

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It’s a matter of when, not if, he’ll be in the NHL and part of the Pittsburgh Penguins unit. It’s why the team has a positive outlook for the future knowing the goaltending has youth on the way. Murashov has struggled at the next level in his handful of starts but he’s adjusting to the NHL and, at 21 years old, still has time to acclimate. 

Until then, Murashov is dominant in the AHL. The rest of the league knows it and has no answer. The Hartford Wolf Pack were shut out by Murashov on Dec. 10 and looked like a team that was stunned when they couldn’t get the puck past him. The Hershey Bears had the same frustration on Dec. 21 when they only scored one goal in a 3-1 loss to the Penguins. 

Teams Are Trying to Create Chaos in Front of Murashov

After the shutout on Dec. 10, Wolf Pack captain Casey Fitzgerland noted that they adjusted their approach after the first period, one where they generated 20 shots but couldn’t get one into the goal. “We were trying to get to his crease and get to his eye. He can’t stop what he can’t see,” Fitzgerald noted after the game. 

The same thing happened with the Bears. They fired plenty of shots early on but eventually started to pivot to try to beat Murashov. “To beat good goalies like that, you need bodies in front,” head coach Derek King noted after the game. Hockey is a game of luck and lucky bounces but teams can create their own good luck, and for the Bears, they were hoping a few bounces would go their way to beat Murashov. 

The problem is that this style is a frustrating one to play. It shows that the confidence of the players is dwindling as the game goes on. The way to beat a good goaltender in the AHL is to try to generate shots through traffic and create chaos in front of them. This doesn’t work against Murashov. 

Why This Style Fails Against Murashov?

One of the ways Murashov stands out in the AHL is with his understanding of the game and the play developing in front of him. He’s built to stop the shots through traffic, and his positioning allows him to do so. Yes, a bounce here or there will end up in the back of the net but in the long run, the opponent is generating a difficult shot and often losing the puck because of it. 

It’s also worth noting that the defense plays to Murashov’s strengths. The Penguins know the other team is trying to cause chaos and get the lucky bounces, and they are prepared to defend them. A good goaltender instills confidence in the defense but also a goaltender who has a specific style is easier to build around, which is what the Penguins have done.

Penguins head coach Kirk MacDonald talked about the low-to-high plays the other teams are trying to generate. “We’re going to get the net front and let Sergei see it,” he noted after the 3-1 win over the Bears. The Penguins defend the crease and the dirty area and otherwise allow their forward to play aggressively, knowing they can allow a shot from point-blank where Murashov can stop it. 

How AHL Teams Must Approach Him

The template to beat Murashov isn’t in the AHL, it’s in the NHL. There’s a noticeable difference in how the players at the next level approach him and pick him apart with their shots and puck movement. The AHL is a league built on chaos, or plays that develop out of nowhere. In the NHL, teams can move the puck around and set up effective shots.

The skill is obviously better in the NHL, and sharpshooters like Auston Matthews or Kyle Connor have years of experience. Murashov talked about how the plays are that half second faster, and they come off of structure, not chaos. The one-timers and the quick wristers are mapped out, and the opponents pick their targets. 

The AHL teams must score that way, which, understandably, is easier said than done. The skill isn’t there to get those shots off but the way the play is developed can change. Teams can create scoring chances with the quick passes and by getting into the dirty areas. In the few games that Murashov has struggled in the AHL, it’s because of those types of goals where teams found that finishing presence and scored on the loose pucks and rebounds.