The Pittsburgh Penguins’ prospects fell just short in their bid to win this year’s Prospect Tournament on Tuesday.
They played the Dallas Stars’ prospects with everything on the line, but lost 3-1. Liam Ruck scored the Penguins’ lone goal in the first period off a great feed from his twin brother, Markus Ruck.
Despite the loss, there were plenty of positives to take from this game, especially since the Penguins had several quality chances from numerous players.
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However, there were a few players who stood out above the rest. Here are three standouts from Game 3:
The Ruck Twins
Liam and Markus Ruck were everywhere in this game and generated scoring chances each time they were on the ice. The first goal was a thing of beauty: Mikhail Ilyin won a battle behind the net, got the puck to Markus, who knew exactly where Liam would be. Liam immediately fired the puck home to break the ice.
It was almost telepathic, but that shouldn’t surprise anyone since the two brothers have played together their entire lives.
There was a play later in the game when Markus found Liam wide open at the side of the net, but the latter couldn’t finish the chance. He shot the puck through the goalmouth, and it went wide.
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It was a nice end to the tournament for the twin brothers, who will now come to training camp at least for a little bit before they go back to the WHL’s Medicine Hat Tigers.
Jordan Charron
Charron was credited with the game-winning goal against the Detroit Red Wings’ prospects on Sunday (even though it was an own goal), and almost scored again on Tuesday.
He had some great chances from the slot, but the Stars’ goaltender saved them, and he played a fantastic game. There was another sequence where Charron beat the goalie, but the shot rang off the post.
He improved as the tournament went on, so we’ll see whether he can carry that momentum into the 2026-27 season with the OHL’s Soo Greyhounds.
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Matvei Nikonovich
We got our first glimpse of the Penguins’ 2026 fifth-round pick on Tuesday, and he didn’t disappoint. The 18-year-old goaltender kept the Penguins in the game with several key saves.
One save that really stood out was when he faced a third-period breakaway and calmly stayed with the shooter to deny him.
His agility was good, as was his ability to come out and challenge shooters. He also played the puck well behind the net when he had to.
Nikonovich is set to play for the OHL’s Barrie Colts this season after they selected him in the CHL Import Draft. It’s a solid place for him to continue developing.
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Penguins’ training camp officially opens at 8:45 a.m. ET on Thursday. All practices inside the UPMC Lemieux Sports Complex are free and open to the public.
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