Tuesday, June 3, 2014

NEWS and NOTES - June 3

A few nuggets for you to digest as we head into Game Six of the Eastern Conference Final tonight against the St. John's IceCaps.

 The Penguins have an all-time record of 10-6 in Game Six of the playoffs, and are 4-3 on the road.

The Penguins are 1-0 in Game Sixes against the IceCaps, having won in St. John's, 4-2, on May 11, 2012.

Tonight will be the 13th postseason game between the Pens and IceCaps all-time.  The only teams the Pens have faced more in the playoffs are the Hershey Bears (30), Philadelphia Phantoms (22), Binghamton Senators (19) and Providence Bruins (14).

This will be the Penguins' 90th all-time road playoff contest.  They have a record of 40-49 away from home.

The Penguins have a record of 23-12 in games when they can be eliminated from the playoffs, including a 2-0 record this postseason.

John Hynes has coached the Penguins in 10 different playoff series (55 games total).  He has won more series (6) and games (29) than any other coach in Penguins history.

Peter Mannino has nine playoff wins with the Penguins, good for fifth on the team's all-time list.  John Curry and Brad Thiessen have 18 apiece, Andy Chiodo is third with 14 and Rich Parent fourth with 13.

Anton Zlobin has three game-winning goals this postaseason, good for first in the AHL and tied for third on the Penguins all-time list one behind both Toby Petersen and Chris Minard)

June 3rd is the latest in a season the Penguins have played a game since they advanced to the Calder Cup Final against the Chicago Wolves in 2008.  That year the team played until June 10.  This is the fourth postseason that the Penguins have played into June (2014, 2013, 2008, 2004).
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Monday, June 2, 2014

GAME SIX TO BE BROADCAST IN WILKES-BARRE

Fans in Northeast Pennsylvania will be able to see the Penguins in action live when they take on the St. John's IceCaps in Game Six of the Eastern Conference Final on Tuesday evening.

 The game, which takes place at the Mile One Centre at 6:00pm Eastern Time, will be carried live locally on The CW, WSWB, channel 38.

Penguins broadcaster Mike O'Brien will call the action, as the Penguins look to force a decisive Game Seven against the IceCaps, who currently lead the best-of-seven series, three games to two.

This is the second straight season the Penguins have advanced to the Eastern Conference Final.  The winner of the series will play either the Toronto Marlies or the Texas Stars in the Calder Cup Final.

Fans who can't be in front of a television set can watch the game onlie via AHLLive.com, or can tune in on the radio on WILK News Radio 103.1.  Fans can also listen online through wbspenguins.com, or via our iPhone and Android apps.

 #DigDeep
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Saturday, May 31, 2014

SILL STUNS ST. JOHN'S


Zach Sill’s goal with 15.8 seconds left in regulation will allow the Penguins to fight for at least one more game, as Wilkes-Barre/Scranton posted a 4-2 win over the St. John’s IceCaps in Game Five of the Eastern Conference Final on Saturday night in Wilkes-Barre.  The victory forces a Game Six on Tuesday night in St. John’s, with the IceCaps holding a 3-2 series lead.

With time winding down and the game knotted at 2-2, Tom Kostopoulos threw a shot on net from the near boards, and the rebound found Harry Zolnierczyk’s stick.  Zolnierczyk then hit a sprinting Sill with a backhand feed, and the Penguins assistant captain wristed his first of the playoffs past a sprawling Michael Hutchinson to give Wilkes-Barre its first lead of the series on home ice.

Chuck Kobasew returned to the lineup after missing the previous three games due to injury, and left his mark on the contest as well.

The Penguins got an offensive zone faceoff and kept the puck moving around the St. John’s defense for approximately one minute and twenty seconds before Kobasew and Andrew Ebbett played a little give-and-go, moving Hutchinson to the far post and leaving the right side of the goal empty for Kobasew.

Kobasew also picked up an empty net goal nine seconds after Sill’s game-winner was put away, giving the veteran forward a team-high eight goals in 13 playoff games.

The IceCaps opened the evening’s scoring 12:27 into the game when Will O’Neill wristed a shot home from the point during a five-on-three power play.  That was the lone goal of the first frame.

Former IceCap Spencer Machacek evened the score at 1-1 early in the second, waiting out Hutchinson picking the upper right hand corner during a three-on-one break for the Penguins.

Patrice Cormier put St. John’s back in front with a deflection in front of the net with Scott Harrington in the penalty box at 14:05 of the second period.

Peter Mannino made 19 saves for the Penguins, while Hutchinson turned aside 30 of 33 shots he faced in defeat.

The teams will now travel back to St. John’s where they will face off in Game Six this Tuesday night at 7:30pm Newfoundland Time (6:00pm Eastern Time).  Game Seven, if necessary, will take place on Wednesday night at the Mile One Centre.

NOTES:  Andrew Ebbett returned to the Penguins lineup after missing the previous 11 playoff games, and picked up two assists on the night…With the win, the Penguins are now 23-12 all-time in games when they can be eliminated from the playoffs.
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Wednesday, May 28, 2014

ICECAPS SHUT OUT PENGUINS IN GAME THREE

ECF Game Three FinalMichael Hutchinson made 30 saves and saw five different teammates score goals, as the St. John’s IceCaps defeated the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins, 5-0, in Game Three of the Eastern Conference Final on Wednesday night in Wilkes-Barre.  With the win the IceCaps took a 2-1 lead in the best-of-seven series, with Game Four scheduled for Thursday night at the Mohegan Sun Arena. 

Patrice Cormier opened his account for the postseason by tipping home a shot from Josh Morrissey at the Penguins crease during the IceCaps’ first power play of the night at 11:24 of the first period.

Jason Jaffray, who played five games with Wilkes-Barre/Scranton during the 2003-04 season, made it a 2-0 lead less than two minutes later.  Jaffray’s puck pursuit forced a Pens player to rim the puck behind the Wilkes-Barre net where Andrew Gordon intercepted the pass.  The former Hershey Bear wheeled around the cage and found Jaffray in the slot for his third goal of the playoffs.

Another failed clear behind the Penguins net allowed Eric O’Dell to find the back of the net just 1:35 into the second period to make it a 3-0 game.

St. John’s took advantage of two minutes of five-on-three time to make it a 4-0 contest when Kael Mouillierat waited for Peter Mannino to go to the ice, then whipped a wrister into the upper reaches of the goal for his third of the campaign.

A late faceoff in the Penguins zone allowed Zach Redmond to get a shot off from the slot that Mannino couldn’t handle, and the puck trickled over the goal line with 0.1 seconds left in the frame to finish off the scoring.

Rookie Matt Murray relieved Mannino to start the third period, and made eight saves in his Calder Cup playoff debut.

Tickets for Game Four (Thursday) and Game Five (Saturday) at the Mohegan Sun Arena are on sale now and available at the arena box office or by calling the Penguins at 570-208-7637.  Once again, the first 500 kids ages 14 and under can get into either game for free with a paid adult admission to that same game.

NOTES:  Pierre-Luc Letourneau-Leblond and Tom Kuhnhackl made their 2014 Calder Cup debuts in the game….the Penguins have now lost back-to-back games in the postseason for the first time this playoff year.
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Tuesday, May 27, 2014

TUESDAY TWITTER ROUNDUP

A quick look at photos, well wishes and other assorted musings from the Twitterverse on an off day. #DigDeep






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Sunday, May 25, 2014

ICECAPS SQUEAK BY PENS IN GAME TWO, 2-1


Anton Zlobin's sixth goal of the playoffs was all the offense the Penguins could muster, as the St. John's IceCaps squeaked to a 2-1 win over Wilkes-Barre/Scranton in Game Two of the AHL's Eastern Conference Final on Sunday night in St. John's.

The best-of-seven series heads to Wilkes-Barre all knotted at one game apiece, with games three, four and five scheduled for Wednesday, Thursday and Saturday night.

Zlobin's goal came with just 64 seconds left in the game, and with netminder Peter Mannino pulled for the extra attacker.  The Penguins threatened to tie the game in the waining seconds with the IceCaps' Josh Morrissey in the box for kneeing, but were unable to bat a second puck past Michael Hutchnson, who made 34 saves for the win.

St. John's took a 1-0 lead about 14 minutes into the game.  Kyle MacKinnon took a cross ice feed from Blair Riley during an odd man rush, and snapped a shot past Mannino for his second goal of the postseason.

Carl Klingberg made it a 2-0 game 6:24 into the second period with a tip home goal off of a Will O'Neill point shot.

Tickets for Wednesday, Thursday and Saturday night are on sale now, and the Pens have two fantastic deals for the third round. Once again, the first 500 kids ages 14 and under can get into any home game for FREE with a paid adult ticket to the same game.  Plus, the Pens have a three-game center ice package, which features tickets to the club seat section for just $75.  These are the best seats in the house, and YOU could be sitting in them.

Penguins ticket reps will be in the office on Monday starting at 9am.  Give them a call at 570-208-7367 to get your seats and join the Gold Rush!

#DigDeep
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A QUICK TRIP AROUND DOWNTOWN ST. JOHN'S

Our current trip to St. John's isn't a vacation by any means (the Penguins mean business!).  However, we did take a quick trip around downtown St. John's this morning to get a little more of the flavor of the area (and to find a Tim Horton's).

St. John's is the largest city in the province of Newfoundland and Labrador, and the 20th largest city in Canada.  It's also considered to be one of the oldest cities in North America, with permanent residents inhabiting the town since the 1630s.

Aside from being old, it's also the most easterly city in North America, sitting right on the Atlantic Ocean.  


Right outside of the Mile One Centre is a marker noting 'Mile Zero' - the start of the Trans-Canada Highway.  The route spans all of Canada, starting in St. John's (or ending, depending on your vantage point) and ending in Victoria, British Columbia.


St. John's has a distinctive Celtic flair to it, with numerous pubs that would fit in downtown Dublin dotting the bustling George and Water Streets and the surrounding roads and alleys.  You can hear the Irish influence in speech when talking to St. John's residents, who have a dialect you won't hear anywhere else.


The Mile One Centre sits just a few blocks St. John's Harbour, which is packed with cargo and fishing ships.  


You can also hop a boat for an iceberg cruise, and appaarently this spring is bringing a big influx of floating ice to the area.


The Atlantic Puffin is the official bird of the province, and can be seen in artwork and community projects around the city (as well as in the stands at IceCaps home games).  We have yet to see a live one in person though.


The island of Newfoundland is sometimes called 'The Rock,' and it's easy to see why when you step outside the Mile One Centre.


There's much more to see in the area, including Signal Hill.  Home to Cabot Tower, the hill was a key fortification and the site of the final battle of the Seven Years' War.  Today it is a national historic site and offers a breathtaking view of the Atlantic Ocean and coastline.  Signal Hill was also the spot where Guglielmo Marconi received the first trans-Atlantic wireless transmission in 1901.

We're hoping to be able to take a trip up to the hill sometime in the future, possibly next week before Game Six.  However we'd delay that trip until next season in favor of a quick series victory against the IceCaps!
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Saturday, May 24, 2014

PENS TAKE GAME ONE vs. ICECAPS, 3-2


Chuck Kobasew, Conor Sheary and Tom Kostopoulos tallied for the visitors, while Peter Mannino made 31 saves, as the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins posted a 3-2 win over the St. John's IceCaps in Game One of the Eastern Conference Final on Saturday night at the Mile One Centre.  Game Two of the best-of-seven series takes place Sunday night at 6:00pm.

The teams traded first period goals, with Kobasew opening the scoring at 7:02.  Brian Gibbons carried the puck up the left side and fed the veteran forward at the goal crease, where he put home his sixth goal of the postseason for the early lead.

Andrew Gordon cancelled that tally out six and a half minutes later, picking up a puck that jumped off the back boards and swatting home a shot at Mannino's right side for his first goal of the evening.
The Pens pulled in front for good with a pair of second period scores.

An amateur tryout from the University of Massachusetts, Sheary grabbed a puck on the near boards, then flung a shot that fluttered off of goaltender Michael Hutchinson's glove.  The puck fell behind the netminder, and Sheary tapped it home at 2:32 of the second frame  The goal gave the rookie 10 points in 10 games, good for third on the team.

Kostopoulos netted his fourth of the playoffs 12 minutes later, taking a cross ice pass during a three-on-two break and beating Hutchinson over his left shoulder for his fourth goal of the postseason.
Gordon picked up his second goal of the evening 5:31 into the third period, sniping a shot off of an offensive zone faceoff just one second after Zach Sill and Eric O'Dell were whistled for coincidental minors.

The Penguins penalty kill came up big on the night, snuffing St. John's on five different occasions.

The two teams will meet again tomorrow night in St. John's, before the series heads to Wilkes-Barre for games on Wednesday, Thursday and Saturday (if necessary).  Tickets for all three games are on sale now, and kids ages 14 and under get in for free with a paid adult ticket to the same game.  Get your seats for Calder Cup playoff action by calling the Penguins at 570-208-7367.
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Thursday, May 22, 2014

SHAMELESS PLUG AND GIBBONS GOAL REVERSE ANGLE



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HOW TWEET IT IS

A little off day fun for our Gold Rush blog followers.  Enjoy this selection of Tweets from Pens players, fans and media reports:








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Wednesday, May 21, 2014

PENS HOLD ON TO OUST BRUINS IN GAME SEVEN



The Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins posted five goals in a span of 5:59, then hung on to post a 5-4 win over the Providence Bruins in Game Seven of the AHL’s Eastern Conference Semifinal round on Wednesday night in Wilkes-Barre.  The Penguins eliminated the Bruins from the postseason for the second consecutive season, and will now face the St. John’s IceCaps in the Eastern Conference Final.  Game One takes place this Saturday night in Newfoundland.

The Penguins dominated the first period of play, but had nothing to show for a solid 20 minutes of hockey, despite outshooting the Bruins 10-3 in the opening frame.

They made up for lost time in the second period.

Anton Zlobin attempted a cross ice feed to Conor Sheary after a steal in the neutral zone, but his pass knocked off the skate of Chris Casto in the slot, and bounced past NiklasSvedberg at 1:17 of the second to give the Pens the 1-0 lead.

Sheary made it a 2-0 game 2:07 later.  Nick Drazenovic took a feed from Chuck Kobasew, drawing Svedberg out of his net.  That left Sheary all alone on the right post, and he easily swatted home his fifth goal of the playoffs.

Jayson Megna took a drop pass from Harry Zolnierczyk just inside the blue line and lazered home his first of the playoffs into the far corner at 5:22.

Brian Gibbons scored what could arguably be the goal of the year off the ensuing face-off when he dangled around five Bruins skaters and slipped a shot through Svedberg’s five hole for his first of the AHL postseason at 5:35 to make it a 4-0 game.

Brendan Mikkelson notched the Pens’ second power play marker of the period at 7:16 with a shot through traffic, giving the home club what seemed to be a comfortable lead.

But the Bruins weren’t about to go down without a fight.

David Warsofsky beat a screened Peter Mannino with a point shot that found the far corner during a late penalty kill to make it a 5-1 game after 40 minutes, and Ryan Spooner cut the lead to three 23 seconds into the third frame with a long wrist shot.

Alexander Khokhlachev netted the next two goals, picking up the rebound off of a Spooner shot for his eighth of the playoffs at 6:43, then redirecting a Tommy Cross centering feed past Mannino’s left skate at 9:55 of the third.

The Penguins were able to shut down the Providence attack the rest of the way though, defeating the their Atlantic Division foes in seven games for the second straight year.

Megna (1+1) was the only Penguins player to record multiple points on the night, while nine other Wilkes-Barre skaters notched one apiece.

The Penguins remained undefeated in home Game Sevens, upping their record to 3-0.  They also improved their overall record in winner-take-all contests to 8-2 all-time, and 2-0 against the Bruins.

Tickets for Penguins home playoff games G, H and J (if necessary) - scheduled for Wednesday, May 28; Thursday, May 29; and Saturday, May 31 - are on sale now and available by calling the Penguins at 570-208-7367, or by visiting the Mohegan Sun Arena box office.
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PENS TO FACE ICECAPS IN EASTERN CONFERENCE FINAL

The Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins will face off with the St. John's IceCaps in the best-of-seven Eastern Conference Final, it was announced on Wednesday night.

This marks the second straight year and fifth time overall that the Penguins have reached the Conference Final.   Wilkes-Barre/Scranton defeated the Providence Bruins, 5-4, in Game Seven of the Eastern Conference Semifinal on Wednesday night to advance.

The schedule for the Eastern Conference Final is as follows: 

Game 1

Sat., May 24

 

W-B/Scranton at St. John’s

 

6:00 PM EDT

Game 2

Sun., May 25

 

W-B/Scranton at St. John’s

 

6:00 PM EDT

Game 3

Wed., May 28

 

St. John’s vs. W-B/SCRANTON

 

7:05 PM EDT

Game 4

Thu., May 29

 

St. John’s vs. W-B/SCRANTON

 

7:05 PM EDT

*Game 5

Sat., May 31

 

St. John’s vs. W-B/SCRANTON

 

7:05 PM EDT

*Game 6

Tue., June 3

 

W-B/Scranton at St. John’s

 

6:00 PM EDT

*Game 7

Wed., June 4

 

W-B/Scranton at St. John’s

 

6:00 PM EDT

* - if necessary

 

 

 

 

 

Games 3,  4 and 5 (tickets marked F, G, and H for playoff ticket package holders) of the Eastern Conference Final are on sale now online at Ticketmaster.com, the Mohegan Sun Arena Box Office or by calling the Penguins offices at (570) 208-7367.  Children 14 and under can receive one (1) free ticket with each purchase of an adult ticket for the same game.

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Tuesday, May 20, 2014

GOING THE DISTANCE

By Brian Coe

Is there a team historically better than the Penguins when it comes to dealing with high pressure situations in the playoffs?

Doubtful.

Wednesday night’s Game Seven will be the 10th time the Penguins have gone the distance in a playoff series.  Wilkes-Barre/Scranton holds a 7-2 mark in the first nine decisive games.

Here’s a quick look back at the full list of series finishers as you get ready to see the Pens and Bruins face off one more time on Wednesday.

2001 DIVISION SEMIFINAL vs. SYRACUSE (6-2 WIN, April 18):  The Penguins jumped out to a 3-0 lead after the first period and never looked back en route to a win in the best-of-five series.  Milan Kraft recorded two goals and picked up an assist for the Penguins, while Michal Rozsival, Trent Cull, Toby Petersen and Eric Meloche also chipped in with goals.  Rich Parent turned aside 21 shots in the win.  

2004 DIVISION SEMIFINAL at BRIDGEPORT (3-2 OT WIN, April 25):  Konstantin Koltsov’s goal at 11:44 of overtime capped the series comeback for the Penguins.  Koltsov and Tom Kostopoulos gave the Pens a 2-1 lead after two periods before Rob Collins tied the game early in the third period.  Koltsov then took a Matt Hussey feed and beat net minder Dieter Kocahn for the win.  The Penguins actually trailed the best-of-seven series, 3-1, before posting wins in Game Five (2-1 in Wilkes-Barre) and Game Six (5-0 in Bridgeport) to force Game Seven.

2004 CONFERENCE FINAL at HARTFORD (2-1 OT WIN, May 29):  Another Game Seven on the road, another OT win.  Matt Murley slid a shot low past Jason LaBarbera at 13:21 of the extra frame to send the Penguins to their second Calder Cup Final appearance.

2006 DIVISION SEMIFINAL vs. BRIDGEPORT (5-4 WIN, April 29):  Five different Penguins tallied goals as the Pens defeated the Sound Tigers in the best-of-seven series.  Jonathan Filewich got the eventual game-winner with an empty netter at 18:52 of the third to put the Pens up 5-3, but Rob Collins scored with 45 seconds left in regulation to make it a 5-4 game. Ryan Whitney, Dan Carcillo, Erik Christensen and Ryan Stone also scored for the Penguins.

2008 CONFERENCE FINAL vs. PORTLAND (3-2 WIN, May 24):  Tim Brent’s goal with 31 seconds left in the third gave the Penguins another series comeback, and sent Wilkes-Barre/Scranton to its third Calder Cup Finals appearance.  Brent dangled around former Penguins net minder Jean-Sebastien Aubin for his 11th goal of the playoffs to beat his former club.  The Penguins got to Game Seven after Connor James tallied 20 seconds into overtime the previous night to give WBS a 4-3 win (the Pens trailed that game 3-0 at one point, thanks to a pair of goals by Andrew Ebbett).

2009 EAST DIVISION FINAL at HERSHEY (3-0 LOSS, May 12):  Michal Neuvirth made 24 saves en route to a 3-0 win in Game Seven at the Gian Center.  Wilkes-Barre led the series, 3-2, before Neuvirth posted back-to-back 3-0 wins on home ice to eliminate the Pens from the postseason.

2012 CONFERENCE QUARTERFINAL vs. HERSHEY (2-1 WIN, April 28):  The Pens captured the best-of-five series thanks to goals from Cal O’Reilly and Zach Stone, which came just seven seconds spar later in the second period. Brad Thiessen made 18 saves for the win.

2012 CONFERENCE SEMIFINAL at ST. JOHN’S (3-2 LOSS, May 12):  After posting a 3-2 double OT win in Game five, the Pens traveled to Newfoundland and downed the IceCaps, 4-2, in Game Six to force the decisive tilt.  The Pens got goals fry Ryan Craig and Colin McDonald, but Aaron Gagnon’s two tallies gave the home team the trip to the Conference Final.

2013 CONFERENCE SEMIFINAL at PROVIDENCE (5-0 WIN, May 22):  The Pens capped perhaps the biggest comeback in AHL history with a decisive victory in Providence.  After trailing the series, 3-0, Wilkes-Barre/Scranton fought back with 3-1, 4-0 and 2-1 OT wins to force Game Seven.  That momentum carried over as Chad Kolarik, Warren Peters, Adam Payerl, Zach Sill and Trevor Smith scored to send the Pens to the Conference Final.  Brad Thiessen made 34 saves, helping the Penguins to become the first team in league history to win a Game Seven on the road after trailing a series 3-0.

Now, 364 days after that historic win, the Pens will look to send the Bruins home for a second straight season.  Tickets for Wednesday night’s Game Seven are on sale now at the Mohegan Sun Arena box office, or by calling the Penguins at 570-208-7367.  Kids 14 and under get into the game FREE with a paid adult ticket.

It’s time to #DigDeep again!  Let’s Go PENS!
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Monday, May 19, 2014

BRUINS FORCE GAME SEVEN WITH 4-1 WIN

Game SixAlexander Khokhlachev provided the offense with two goals and an assist, while Niklas Svedberg handled the defense by making 36 saves as the Providence Bruins posted a 4-1 win over the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins in Game Six of the Eastern Conference Semifinals on Monday night in Wilkes-Barre.  The win forces a decisive Game Seven between the clubs this Wednesday night at the Mohegan Sun Arena.
Svedberg, who served as the Bruins backup for Games Four and Five of the series after allowing five goals in Games Two and Three, was stellar between the pipes, stopping 27 shots over the first 40 minutes of play for his fourth win of the postseason.
The Penguins controlled the opening frame, outshooting the Bruins 14-5 and controlling play in the Providence zone for long stretches of time.  Wilkes-Barre also had the advantage of the only power play of the first period, but couldn’t capitalize on a hooking call to Khokhlachev at 16:11.
Wilkes-Barre appeared to grab a gritty goal by Bobby Farnham about six minutes into the second period, but the referees ruled that the Pens forward pushed the puck AND Svedberg into the goal, negating the opening tally.
Two minutes later, the Bruins took the lead.  
Khokhlachev grabbed a loose puck on the near wall starting a two-on-one break for the Bruins, and took the shot himself, beating Peter Mannino short side for the Russian center’s sixth goal of the playoffs.
Khokhlachev figured in the second Bruins goal five minutes later, stealing a puck off of Jayson Megna, then helping out with some tic-tac-toe passing with Jared Knight and Bobby Robins.  Returning to the lineup after a three game suspension, Robins pushed home his first of the playoffs past Mannino’s glove hand at 12:56.
The Bruins started the third period on the power play after Philip Samuelsson was whistled for slashing with just three seconds remaining in the second, and didn’t let the opportunity go to waste.  Once again, it was Khokhlachev banging home his second of the night down low after a feed from Ryan Spooner to make the score 3-0.
Conor Sheary extended his point streak to five games with his fourth goal of the series at 17:03, but Spooner put the game out of reach with an empty net goal at 18:11.
This is the second consecutive season the Penguins and Bruins have met in a Game Seven in the second round of the playoffs, with Wilkes-Barre/Scranton taking a 5-0 win in Providence on May 22 of last year.
Good seats for Wednesday night’s game are available at the Mohegan Sun Arena box office, online at TicketMaster.com, or by calling the Penguins at 570-208-7367.  Kids 14 and under get into the game for free with a paid adult ticket – that offer good only at the arena box office or through the Penguins front office.
NOTES: Philip Samuelsson returned to action for the first time since suffering a lower body injury against the Bruins on March 26…The Penguins are 5-2 all-time in Game Sevens.
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GAME SIX PRE-GAME INFO

A couple of quick notes to get you ready for tonight's game against the Providence Bruins:  
  1. Three Penguins forwards carry four-game point streaks into tonight's contest.  Conor Sheary (3+3), Anton Zlobin (3+3) and Harry Zolnierczyk (1+4) will all be looking to build on that number.
  2. Defenseman Brian Dumoulin leads all Penguins skaters, as well as all AHL defensemen, with 11 points thus far.
  3. Dumoulin also ranks first in the league with nine assists in nine games.
  4. Zlobin is tied for first overall with three game-winning goals.
  5. The Penguins are 3-2 in OT games during this postseason (2-1 vs. Binghamton, 1-1 vs. Providence)
  6. The Penguins are 10-5 all-time in Game Six of a series, and 6-2 on home ice.
  7. The Penguins are 19-11 in games where they can clinch a series and 14-2 on home ice.
  8. The Penguins have an all-time playoff record of 89-82, including a 50-34 mark on home ice.
#DigDeep
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Sunday, May 18, 2014

ZLOBIN NETS 3RD GWG IN GAME FIVE

Anton Zlobin continued his playoff heroics on Saturday night, netting his fourth goal of the postseason - and his third game-winning goal - as the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins posted a 3-2 win over the Providence Bruins in Game Five of the Eastern Conference Semifinals at the Dunkin' Donuts Center.  The victory gave the Penguins a 3-2 advantage in the best-of-seven series, with Game Six set for Monday night in Wilkes-Barre.

Zlobin banged home a feed from Jayson Megna with 5:40 left in the third period giving the Pens the one-goal lead.  The goal extended Zlobin's point streak to four games and gives the rookie winger six points in the series against the Bruins.

The first goal of Saturday night was a near carbon copy of the overtime winner from Friday, as Ryan Spooner unleashed a slapshot from the right point during a first period power play which evaded Peter Mannino and found the back of the net.  Craig Cunningham was credited with tipping home the shot at 12:47 of the opening frame.

The Pens evened the score less than four minutes later when Harry Zolnierczyk, who played his college hockey nearby at Brown, took a goal line feed from Spencer Machacek and poked the puck behind Malcolm Subban at 16:29 to even the score.

After failing to convert on their first two power play chances, the Pens made their third one count.  Josh Archibald, who was making his Calder Cup playoffs debut, tallid just five seconds into a Seth Griffith interference penalty giving Wilkes-Barre the 2-1 advantage after 20 minutes.

The Bruins came out on fire in the seond period, peppering Mannino with 14 shots.  The Pens netminder turned aside 13 of those, but couldn't gobble up a rebound that found it's way to Tyler Randell, who skated around the prone Penguin and tucked home his first pro playoff goal at 15:44 of the second.

Mannino was exceptional the rest of the way, stopping 10 shots in the third period, and the Pens defense stood tall in the face of a six-on-five attack with Subban pulled to finish off the game.

The Penguins will now look to eliminate the Bruins from the playoffs on Monday night at the Mohegan Sun Arena.  Good seats for Game Six are on sale now at the arena bo office or by calling the Penguins at 570-208-7367.

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Thursday, May 15, 2014

GIBBONS JOINS WBS

Brian GibbonsThe Pittsburgh Penguins have re-assigned forward Brian Gibbons to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton of the American Hockey League (AHL), it was announced today by executive vice president and general manager Ray Shero.
Gibbons, 26, has split this season between Pittsburgh and WBS, tallying 17 points (5G-12A) in 41 regular season games with Pittsburgh and three points (2G-1A) in eight NHL postseason contests.
Gibbons also appeared in 28 AHL regular-season games with WBS, averaging better than a point per game with 30 points (11G-19A). Gibbons also represented Team AHL at the 2014 All-Star Classic against Farjestad of the Swedish Elite League, where he collected two assists.
 
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DESPRES WITH THE DOUBLE DOUBLE

The Penguins have played five multiple overtime games in their 15 years of existence.
Four of those have ended in victory.

Two of those have seen Simon Despres tally the decisive goals.
 
Despres tallied at 6:32 of the second overtime in Wednesday night’s epic 5-4 come-from-behind victory over the Providence Bruins at the Dunkin Donuts Center in Providence.  The Pens now lead the best-of-seven series 2-1, with Games Three and Four scheduled for Friday and Saturday night in Rhode Island.

“I like playing in overtime.  It’s big time hockey.  That’s why you play hockey,” said the third-year pro after the win. “It just happens that I scored a couple of overtime goals.”
 
The most recent extra time heroics came two years and six days after Despres put the third longest game in team history to bed.  His goal at 12:08 of OT number two on May 8, 2012 against the St. John’s Ice Caps gave the Pens a 3-2 win and extended the series to a sixth game.
 
And while Wednesday night’s game didn’t have the extra pressure of a potential season coming to an end, it had more than enough excitement for any Penguins fan.
 
The Pens entered the third period of last night’s contest trailing 2-1.  But the Bruins extended their lead to three with scores from Blake Parlett and Alexander Khokhlachev coming in the first 66 seconds of the frame.
 
A tripping call on Chris Casto gave the Pens their fourth power play of the night, and Tom Kostopoulos – master of the quick score this season – cut the lead to two games with his third goal of the playoffs.
 
Despres then notched his first of the playoffs at 12:10, using Zach Sill as a screen and beating Niklas Svedberg from long range.
 
Rookie Conor Sheary, who picked up his first career goal in the Penguins’ 6-1 win in Wilkes-Barre on Saturday, scored from close range less than two minutes later to force extra time.
 
“Nothing to lose, we were down three goals.  We just went to the nets, put the pucks on the nets,” Despres said.
 
“We didn’t have the best game tonight, but we stayed with it.  We scored three big goals in the third and we definitely had a lot of momentum.”
 
The twists and turns continued in overtime, as Kostopoulos was whistled for slashing late in the first bonus round, a penalty that carried over to the second.  Adam Payerl was snuffed on breakaway that could have ended the game shortly after that infraction expired, and the teams combined for 34 shots during the two OTs.
 
Despres ended the game by picking up a rebound at the right point and wristing a shot past Svedberg, who was slow to get across his crease, capping a night of ups and downs for the Pens.
 
“[The puck] was rolling.  I didn’t even look at the net,” Despres said.  “I just whipped it at the net, hoping it would bounce.”
 
“[Despres] wants to be a difference maker in these for sure,” head coach John Hynes said.  “He wants to come up with a big play.  Sometimes that’s a real strength of his in these overtime games…but it’s also something that you got to control with him a little bit. 
 
“But on a night like tonight, when he comes up with a play like that, it’s great.”
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Tuesday, May 13, 2014

ON THE ROAD AGAIN

The team bus pulled out just after noon on Tuesday with the Dunkin' Donuts Center set as the destination on its GPS. But before the Pens roll into Rhode Island, head coach John Hynes took a few minutes to fill the media in on a few items.

 1) A sort of homecoming:

2) Pens power play, Brian Dumoulin's point production, and the possible addition of Derrick Pouliot

3) Zlobin stepping up in big situations
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Saturday, May 10, 2014

PENS POUND PROVIDENCE, EVEN SERIES AT 1-1

Game Two KostopoulosAnton Zlobin (2+1) and Brian Dumoulin (1+2) each picked up three points, as the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins rattled off five consecutive goals en route to a 6-1 win over the Providence Bruins in Game Two of the Calder Cup Eastern Conference Semifinals on Saturday night in Wilkes-Barre.  The win evened the series at 1-1, with Games Three, Four and Five slated for Providence this coming Wednesday, Friday and Saturday nights.

The six goal outburst came just 24 hours after the Penguins were shutout by the Bruins, 4-0, in Game One.

A scoreless first period led to an offensive onslaught by the Penguins, who put up their highest playoff goal total since a 7-2 win over the Hershey Bears in Game Two of the 2012 Eastern Conference Quarterfinals.

Wilkes-Barre got its first goal of the series 5:41 into the second when Spencer Machacek’s shot bounced off of Niklas Svedberg’s pads and found rookie Conor Sheary in the slot.  The recent ATO signee had a virtually empty net to shoot at for his first professional goal.

Providence tied the game up five and a half minutes later in similar fashion, as Justin Florek went to one knee to swat home a rebound off of Peter Mannino’s pads during a Bruins power play.  The goal was the first of the postseason for Florek.



 

 It was all Penguins from there on out though.  Zlobin netted a pair of goals just 46 seconds apart from virtually the same spot on the ice.  His first came off an offensive zone faceoff win from the left circle, (beating Svedberg short side), and his second came 24 seconds into a David Warsofsky holding call just inside the left goal post.

Chuck Kobasew extended the lead to 4-1 with 53 seconds left in the period, deflecting a Simon Despres point shot during the Penguins’ fifth power play of the evening.

Kostopoulos made it a 5-1 game with a shot along the goal line eight seconds into a Chris Casto roughing call.  That goal ended Svedberg’s night, with the goaltender exiting after stopping 19 shots in 44:26 of work.

Things got chippy from there on out, with the teams combining for 116 penalty minutes over the final 14 minutes of play.  Included in that total were nine misconduct penalties for continuing altercations (five for Providence, four for Wilkes-Barre).

Dumoulin completed the night’s scoring with his second goal of the postseason – a great individual effort that eluded backup Malcolm Subban’s glove hand on the far post at 10:29.  That was the only shot Subban faced in relief of Svedberg.

Kobasew (1+1), Kostopoulos (1+1), Despres (0+2) and Brendan Mikkelson (0+2) also put up multiple point games for the Penguins.  Mannino turned aside 23 shots to record his fourth win of the postseason.

NOTES:  Tom Kostopoulos appeared in his 57th career playoff game with Wilkes-Barre/Scranton on Saturday, tying former Pens defenseman and current assistant coach Alain Nasreddine for first place on the club’s all-time list…Kostopoulos assisted on Kobasew’s second period goal, giving him 30 career postseason assists with the Penguins, first on the team’s all-time list.
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THE MAYOR CHECKS IN

We are lucky to have a great following from our alumni.  One of those Pens of the past is former defenseman and all around good guy, Ryan Lannon.

 Lanno checked in before the second round series with the Bruins started on Twitter, and we wanted to share his update with all of you.
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Friday, May 9, 2014

FOUR GOAL FIRST GIVES BRUINS GAME ONE WIN

050914Four goals in the first eight minutes of play were more than enough for the Providence Bruins, who skated to a 4-0 win over the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins in Game One of the Eastern Conference Semifinals on Friday night at the Mohegan Sun Arena.

Game Two of the best-of-seven series between the clubs is Saturday night in Wilkes-Barre at 7:05pm.

It took just 1:33 for the Bruins to jump on the board.  Matt Lindblad intercepted a clearing attempt from Scott Harrington and picked out Alexander Khokhlachev streaking to the far side of the Penguins net.  Khokhlachev’s redirect beat Peter Mannino for the Moscow native’s third goal of the postseason.

That was just the start of the night for Khokhlachev though, who set up Craig Cunningham’s power play tally with a cross-crease feed on the goal line at 7:03, and netted his second of the night exactly one minute later with a pretty short-side shot during a two-on-one break.  Those two goals bookended Andrew Cherniwchan’s easy tap in from the top of the blue paint at 7:48 of the opening frame.

Niklas Svedberg stopped all 20 shots he faced for his first career playoff shutout.

Mannino was solid after the rough start, stopping the final 21 shots he faced (24 saves on the night) in the losing effort.

Good seats for Saturday night’s game are available at the Mohegan Sun Arena box office or by calling the Penguins ticket offices at 570-208-7367.  The first 500 fans ages 14 and under can get into Saturday night’s game for free with a paid adult ticket.
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Thursday, May 8, 2014

TEN YEARS AGO TODAY

Ross Lupaschuk fed Boyd Kane a hamburger, and Andy Chiodo became a cult hero:

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HARRY Z HITS THE AIR

Thanks to our friends Rocky and Lissa for having forward Harry Zolnierczyk on the air this morning on 98.5 KRZ.

 Did you know that Harry has been in the pros for four years, but the Binghamton series was his first taste of playoff hockey?  He didn't do too bad against the Sens either, popping in two goals and adding an assist in four games.

 Harry and the rest of the Pens are back in action this Friday and Saturday night when they host the Providence Bruins at 7:05pm.  Once again, kids ages 14 and under can get into the games for FREE with a paid adult ticket to the same game (offer limited to the first 500 kids).

 Get your tickets for Games One and Two at the Mohegan Sun Arena box office or by calling the Penguins directly at 570-208-7367.

 #DigDeep
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Tuesday, May 6, 2014

PENS NOT DWELLING ON PAST VERSUS PROVIDENCE

Brian Dumoulin was one of the key ingredients of last year’s history-making comeback against the Providence Bruins.  A rookie blueliner during the 2012-13 season, Dumoulin picked up three points, including the game-winning goal, in Game Five against the Bruins; netted a power play goal to send Game Six to overtime; and assisted on Chad Kolarik’s decisive tally in Game Seven to help turn a three-games-to-none deficit into a series victory for Wilkes-Barre/Scranton.

But Dumoulin isn’t dwelling on the past as the Pens get ready to face Providence once again this year.

“That was part of last year.  And even though we had success against them last year…this is a whole different team,” Dumoulin said of the Penguins, who have just eight players left on the roster that competed in last year’s series.  “That’s one good thing about having the long week before we play, is being able to look at them and see their tendencies.  We’ve been really working hard this week to get to know them better.”

Head coach John Hynes agreed that the extended layoff between games (a full seven days for the Penguins) was a bigger benefit to Wilkes-Barre than last year’s results.

“The more you play a team, the more you understand where they’re at.  We haven’t played them a lot,” said Hynes, whose team went 1-2-0-1 against the Bruins this year.  “Going into the series you really have to understand what the strengths of that particular team are.  

“Last year we had a lot of respect for Providence, but early in that series they took it to us on the power play, they took it to us on the forecheck.”

Another lesson learned from last year is to have a short memory when it comes to the first round.

“Maybe we didn’t do a good enough job last year of ending [the Binghamton] series and then really understanding the differences in Providence,” Hynes stated. “It’s putting the Binghamton series to bed quickly, taking the lessons from that.  But also now really trying to reinvest mentally into Providence’s strengths and the things we need to do against those guys.”
 
A DEPTH OF KNOWLEDGE
In last year’s postseason, Hynes used several players who were relative newcomers to the team.

•    Reid McNeill appeared in just three regular season games with the Penguins before making the jump to playoff hockey.
•    Christiian Minella suited up for just eight regular season contests, then made his AHL playoff debut during the Providence series.
•    Dominik Uher appeared in just two of the Pens first nine playoff games last year before pulling on his sweater for Game Seven in Providence.
•    And Peter Merth didn’t dress for a single regular season contest with Wilkes-Barre/Scranton during the 2012-13 campaign, but jumped right into Game Four of the Bruins series.

This year, Hynes has used three players on tryout contracts during the playoffs – goaltender Matt Murray and forwards Conor Sheary and Bryan Rust.

He thinks the availability of these newcomers can be a great benefit as the playoffs stretch on.

“As this continues to move forward and series continue to go on and games get a lot tighter and harder, eventually you want to be able to make decisions that you think give yourself the best chance to win,” he said. “We like some of the younger guys we have in on ATOs and have really helped us, and we still have a veteran scratch every night that clearly can be in the lineup.”
 
SEEDS OF DOUBT
The Manchester Monarchs finished the regular season with a stellar 105 points, while the Springfield Falcons hit the century mark as well.

Neither team made it out of the first round of the playoffs.

Add the Penguins semi-upset of the Senators in the opening round (Binghamton had just four more points than Wilkes-Barre/Scranton), and the top three seeds in the Eastern Conference find themselves enjoying early summer breaks.

“I think it’s odd a little bit that all three of the top seeds have been knocked out,” said Hynes, whose team now holds home ice advantage despite being the sixth seed in the Eastern Conference.  “But I think it also…shows you the depth of the conference.  It didn’t matter who got in, it was the fact that if you could get in it was an extremely competitive field.”
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LIQUID HOT MEGNA IS BACK

The Pittsburgh Penguins have re-assigned forward Jayson Megna to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton of the American Hockey League (AHL), it was announced Tuesday by executive vice president and general manager Ray Shero.

Megna made his NHL playoff debut in the opening round against Columbus, appearing in two games. He played in 36 regular-season games with Pittsburgh, tallying nine points (5G-4A).

The 24-year old from Northbrook, Illinois, has also picked up 15 points (9+6) in 25 games with Wilkes-Barre/Scranton this season.

Wilkes-Barre/Scranton will host the Providence Bruins in Games One and Two of the Eastern Conference Semifinals this Friday and Saturday nights at 7:05pm.  Tickets for both games are available at the Mohegan Sun Arena box office, online at TicketMaster.com or by calling 800-745-3000.

The Penguins are also offering free kids tickets for fans ages 14 and under with a paid adult ticket to the same game.  This offer is limted to just 500 tickets, and is available only through the Mohegan Sun Arena box office or the Penguins ticket offices at 570-208-7367.
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CALDER DIGS THE PLAYOFFS

\
We know you missed him, but now he's BAAAAACCCCCCCCKKKKKKKKKKKKK!!!!!!!! 

Calder T. Penguin flew into town late last week to help the Pens dispatch the Sens, and now he's ready to sink his beak into the Bruins.  To get ready for this weekend's games (Friday and Saturday, tickets available by calling 570-208-7367), the statuesque Sphenisciformes
Spheniscidae (if you want to get scientific) visited some of his favorite Wilkes-Barre haunts yesterday.

Have you seen Calder out and about?  Keep your eyes peeled - you never know where he'll turn up.
I'm All In.  I mean...
Dig Deep

Say good morning to Winston

A little workout and protein shake before I get going.
Nothing wrong with a slice or two here.

Pitt Stop - HOLLER
The Big Cow is my spirit animal
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Saturday, May 3, 2014

PENS & BRUINS, PART TWO

 

It's a rematch of last year's historic second round series, as the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins and the Providence Bruins will meet in the Eastern Conference Semifinals.

 The seventh seeded Bruins defeated the second seeded Springfield Falcons, 6-3, in Springfield on Saturday night to complete the upset.

 The Penguins, who entered the playoffs as the sixth seed in the Eastern Conference, will now have home ice advantage against the Bruins, with the series getting underway Friday and Saturday in Wilkes-Barre.

 The full schedule for the Eastern Conference Semifinals is:

 GAME ONE - Friday, May 9 - Providence @ PENGUINS - 7:05pm

GAME TWO - Saturday, May 10 - Providence @ PENGUINS - 7:05pm

GAME THREE - Wednesday, May 14 - PENGUINS @ Providence - 7:05pm

GAME FOUR - Friday, May 16 - PENGUINS @ Providence - 7:05pm

GAME FIVE - Saturday, May 17 - PENGUINS @ Providence - 7:05pm*

GAME SIX - Monday, May 19 - Providence @ PENGUINS - 7:05pm*

GAME SEVEN - Wednesday, May 21 - Providence @ PENGUINS - 7:05pm*
* = if necessary


Last year, the Bruins jumped out to a 3-0 series lead before the Penguins rallied for four straight wins, including victories in Game Six (overtime) and Game Seven.  The Pens became just the third team in AHL history to overcome the 3-0 deficit, and the first to win Game Seven on the road.

 Fans in Wilkes-Barre might remember Game Five the best, a 4-0 win that featured several all out brawls:


Tickets for home games C and D are on sale now, and available at the Mohegan Sun Arena box office, online at TicketMaster.com, or by calling the Penguins at 570-208-7367.  Penguins ticket reps will be in the office on Sunday starting at 9am to take ticket orders.

 #DigDeep
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GOLD CRUSHED!

No overtime, no one goal game, and no more Senators. 

The Penguins turned in a dominating performance on Friday night, riding Andrew Ebbett's three-point performance to a 5-1 win over the Binghamton Senators. With the win, the Penguins earned a berth in the Eastern Conference Semifinals against an opponent that will be determined on Saturday night. 

 

Ebbett assisted on goals from Chuck Kobasew and Brian Dumoulin, which gave the home club a 2-0 lead after 22 minutes of play, then tallied on a breakaway when he was sprung by a diving Kobasew late in the second period to make the score 4-0. 

Dominik Uher and Harry Zolnierczyk also picked up goals for the Penguins, while Peter Mannino stopped 26 of 27 shots, and saw his playoff goals against average drop to 2.02. 

ANDREW EBBETT SPEAKS
 
QUICK NOTES: 

1) The Penguins are now 3-0 all time in playoff series against the Sens (2005, 2013, 2014) 

2) The 5-1 win marked the first time since April 27, 2005 that a playoff game between the teams was decided by more than one goal. The last eight meetings between the clubs had ended in one goal wins - seven of those by the Penguins. 

 3) The Penguins have an all-time playoff record of 10-3 against the Senators, and have outscored Binghamton 36-28. 

4) Tom Kostopoulos moved into sole possession of second place on the Penguins all-time playoff games list with 55, breaking a tie with Tim Wallace for second. Kostopoulos is two games behind Alain Nasreddine for first place. 

5) This is the fourth consecutive season that the Penguins have advanced to the second round of the Calder Cup Playoffs, and the 11th time in the past 12 years they have made it out of the first round.

PHOTO GALLERY:








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