Some Pittsburgh Penguins fans had hoped goaltender Sergei Murashov would be called up from Wilkes-Barre/Scranton for the Stanley Cup Playoffs, but the team chose to keep him in the American Hockey League.
Murashov got a brief NHL taste in November and one game in December, earning his first win with a shutout against Nashville in Sweden while also facing some growing pains. As the regular season ended, the Penguins’ goaltending inconsistency led fans to believe Murashov might be the best playoff option. However, Pittsburgh opted to leave him in the AHL for the Calder Cup Playoffs, where he finished the regular season with a 24-9-4 record, a 2.20 goals-against average, and a .919 save percentage.
With Joel Blomqvist as his backup, Murashov earned the starting role in the Atlantic Division Semifinals against the Hershey Bears. He won three of four games, posting a 1.99 goals-against average and a .937 save percentage. In Game 4, he made 37 saves on 38 shots, stepping up when it mattered most.
As the series progressed, Murashov improved. One standout moment came in Game 2, when WBS trailed 2-1 in the third period. Despite a 3-on-1 rush, Murashov stayed composed and made a sprawling save after appearing to lose the net. Though WBS lost that game, his timely saves kept them in contention.
Pittsburgh Penguins goaltender Sergei Murashov (1) warms up before playing against the Nashville Predators in a Global Series ice hockey game at Avicii Arena. Mandatory Credit: Per Haljestam-Imagn Images
In Game 4, Murashov delivered another clutch performance, especially when Hershey fired everything at him in the third period. He remained calm, collected, and confident in the crease, showing excellent rebound control and growing poise.
Murashov will need to bring these traits to the Atlantic Division Final against Springfield, starting Tuesday in WBS. This marks WBS’s first trip to the division final since 2016. A series win would send them to the Eastern Conference Final, where they would face the winner of the Cleveland-Toronto series.
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If Murashov maintains this level of play, Penguins general manager Kyle Dubas may have no choice but to put him on the NHL roster for the 2026-27 season. With Stuart Skinner unlikely to return as a goaltender, Murashov is in a strong position, barring a poor training camp or preseason.
Game 1 between WBS and Springfield is Tuesday at 7 p.m. ET, followed by Game 2 on Thursday at the same time. The series moves to Springfield for Games 3 and 4 on May 19 and May 21, also at 7 p.m. ET. A potential Game 5 would be back in WBS on May 23 at 6 p.m. ET.