The Penguins took to the ice for practice on Thursday at the UPMC Lemieux Sports Complex in Cranberry, Pa.
But, no, it was not the Pittsburgh Penguins.
The Wilkes-Barre/Scranton (WBS) Penguins - Pittsburgh's AHL affiliate - held a practice at the NHL club's regular facility on Thursday, giving fans and media the chance to see some of the organization's best prospects in action.
This was the first time they've been in Pittsburgh since training camp, and a lot has happened since then. WBS is in the midst of a great AHL season, as they clinched a playoff berth against Hartford on Mar. 27 and are looking to make a deep playoff run.
“There’s not many teams that can match our skill level," forward Avery Hayes - who recently signed a two-year entry-level contract - said. "We can all skate, and personally, I feel like we can play any style of game. We’re learning to play a gritty game right now, but I’m confident that we can come playoff time.
"I’m just super excited. We have a close team, which helps... so I’m excited.”
And the Calder Cup run - as well as a chance at a bye - is something that isn't all that surprising when you sense the energy around the group. Many of the players - as well as management and coaches - talked about the close-knit culture in the locker room, which they believe has very much contributed to their success as a group.
WBS Penguins Clinch Playoff Berth With Thrilling 4-3 Overtime Win Over HartfordHeading into a massively important game against the Hartford Wolf Pack, the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins had led the season series 5-0 and had outscored Hartford, 24-5.
There is a good mix between veteran leadership and youth, and those relationships have benefitted the group as a whole.
"We have a good group of older players, and they know how to handle the younger players and to be close to us," defenseman Filip Kral said. "So I think that's the main thing. We support each other every day, and that's the biggest thing."
Head coach Kirk MacDonald also pointed to the veteran support being a crucial aspect of the team's chemistry and success this season.
"I think our leadership group has done an outstanding job showing the young guys what it means to be professionals and how they need to show up every day and work," MacDonald said. "To me, they have a lot of fun together, so it’s a lot easier to show up every day and work hard and compete. Watching practice today was a great example with the energy level. We worked really hard, but they were having a good time. That’s part of it.”
