For the final preseason game, the Pittsburgh Penguins iced their full NHL lineup, but made a few young additions that added jalapeño-level spice to an otherwise bland dish.

When all was settled Friday, the Penguins’ NHL lineup and the Buffalo Sabres’ NHL lineup went to overtime as the Penguins scored a pair of third period goals (Rickard Rakell, Sidney Crosby) to tie the game. Crosby completed a hat trick for the Penguins’ 5-4 OT win at PPG Paints Arena.

But who cares about a Crosby preseason hat trick when the future of the organization is unfolding? The night was all about the three kids in the Penguins’ lineup, Harrison Brunicke, Ben Kindel, and Sergei Murashov. In a camp full of tough decisions and close competitions, only one of the three firmly staked a claim to playing in the NHL, but none are out of it, either.

Penguins Ups and Downs

Everything crystallized in the second period. The potential, the challenges, and the arduous process of becoming an NHL player were on full display in a few-minute stretch.

In the middle of the period, with the Penguins leading Buffalo 1-0, the Penguins’ first-round pick Kindel responsibly skated the puck out of the defensive zone, then saw his chance. Kindel got on his toes and bolted forward for a speed rush as opportunity awaited.

However, Kindel tried to stickhandle around a Buffalo defender, who quickly stole the puck at the red line.

Buffalo quickly counterattacked, and prospective rookie defenseman Harrison Brunicke was caught flatfooted and out of position as Tage Thompson raced past to redirect a pass behind goalie Tristan Jarry to tie the game, 1-1.

Whoopsie.

However, the second period was tough for Kindel. That turnover earned him a front row seat from the Penguins bench; he got just three shifts over the final 13 minutes of the second period before getting back in the full rotation in the third.

Coach Dan Muse showed his rookie some tough love, but love nonetheless.

“The message is: don’t stop making plays. Honestly, you don’t want to see a goal in the back of the net. He’s a young player. He needs to be in situations. It’s honestly a good thing to (give up) goals right now,” Muse said. “It’s a game of mistakes. Every single player on the ice tonight probably made a mistake at some point. Some of them are louder than others, and that was a loud one. You haven’t seen that–he’s played a lot of exhibition games. I haven’t seen a lot of that in practice, and so it’s good for him.

“It’s a good thing to happen. What I’m looking for is a response, and I thought his response was good. He just went out there, and he continued to play.”

As part of our analysis, we should note that Kindel played with Tommy Novak and Philip Tomasino. While Tomasino earned a goal by bowling Buffalo netminder Alex Lyon, the pair aren’t physical and were perimeter players Friday–to Kindel’s detriment.

Kindel and Brunicke are 18 and 19, respectively. The pair of Penguins youngsters are obviously talented and green.

However, each also showed throughout the game that they belonged. Brunicke scored at 13:53 of the second period when he started stationary from the offensive blue line, quickly zipping past a pair of Buffalo defenders and laterally cutting along the goal line before roofing a shot over Buffalo goalie Alex Lyon.

Oh, it was pretty.

“I didn’t really expect to have that much time, but lucky enough, I got some time there and put it in,” Brunicke said.

Brunicke’s ability to accelerate rivals the best skaters in the game. It’s a smooth and rapid acceleration with all of the noise of a Tesla.

After the first period, the pair looked to be absolute locks to begin the season with the Penguins, rookie mistakes, nerves, timidity, and talent all included. The second period presented adversity, and they overcame it.

That’s the important part. Neither unraveled.

Player Development

Overall, Brunicke looks like an inspired choice with the 44th overall pick in the 2024 NHL Draft. The selection of Kindel at No. 11 drew a lot of groans and criticism when Penguins general manager Kyle Dubas and vice president of player personnel Wes Clark reached for a player generally ranked about 10 spots lower.

Now, Dubas and Clark look like geniuses.

Only five players from the 2024 draft have made their NHL debuts, and one of those is Macklin Celebrini of the San Jose Sharks. The other four have combined to play 24 games.

There were 31 players selected between Jett Luchanko at No. 13, who played four games for the Philadelphia Flyers last season, and Brunicke. Still, it surely appears Brunicke can and must be in the Penguins’ lineup when they visit the New York Rangers on Oct. 7.

Brunicke’s mistakes are greenhorn errors that can only be overcome by graduating from rookie to veteran and learning a few hard lessons.

Junior hockey would only further solidify the thinking that leads to those mistakes.

The Verdicts

If the Penguins are serious about youth and getting prospects into the lineup, Brunicke is a no-brainer.

However, Kindel and Murashov are unfortunately, different scenarios.

Following his benching, Kindel turned the puck over at the defensive blue line just 70 seconds into the third period. But then, he rebounded. He charged again in the third period.

It was the first time in a few games that Kindel wasn’t the best player on the ice, and it looked like he lost a bit of confidence for a spell. Later in that early third period shift, he played the puck like a hot potato in the right-wing corner.

Of course, Kindel rebounded several minutes later when he read the Sabres’ breakout and intercepted the puck at the blue line, creating a change of possession that eventually resulted in him being uncovered toward the net.

From a tight angle, Kindel hit the post. And he was back on track.

There should be some concern that the 18-year-old Kindel isn’t physically ready for the NHL slot. At 5-foot-10, 182 pounds, he’s far from imposing, and he has more filling out to do.

But he’s also really good. Or, at very least, he’ll be really good sooner than later.

At the end of the fight, Penguins management could very well decide to judge the trio on the totality of their camp. Muse surely espoused that philosophy before Preseason Game 6.

“All of the games are equally important,” Muse said.

Especially for Kindel, that might hold merit as he played with Tomasino and Novak–softer players and not the physical and talented concoction of Ville Koivunen and Avery Hayes with whom Kindel played so well in the previous games.

Muse put Kindel with Sidney Crosby later in the third period, and Kindel sprang to life with a backcheck, counterattack, and scoring chance.

It’s a 50/50 call to keep him.

Murashov didn’t seize the job, though he didn’t punt it away, either.

Against the NHL shooters dialing into regular-season mode, Murashov was not great. He allowed a leaky goal when he didn’t squeeze Alex Tuch’s long wrister, and Jiri Kulich was the first to the crease to tap it in.

Murashov’s rebounds became booming bounces back toward the slot. The athletic performance from Game 1, the calm confidence of Game 4, became a shaky performance against the Buffalo NHL roster.

There’s no shame or disappointment in a 21-year-old goalie with only one year of North American professional experience, split between the ECHL and AHL, not being ready.

Murashov looks like he’ll need a bit more work in the AHL. Then again, so did starter Tristan Jarry.

If the Penguins return Kindel to juniors to continue to grow both his game and physically, fellow prospect Tristan Broz is waiting in the wings. Broz had a more than deserving camp following a full year with the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins.

But Brunicke? That’s an easy call. Dubas could pick up the phone at any time between now and Monday and simply say, Welcome to the show, kid.

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