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5                                           2

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For all the hype that the Wilkes-Barre / Scranton Penguins had on getting a cavalry back from Pittsburgh between games two and three, it was a player on an AHL contract that made the difference tonight.

Conor Sheary’s two goals and an assist were the difference in Game 3 as the Penguins are onto the next round after a 5-2 win in Syracuse which completes the sweep of the Crunch. Wilkes-Barre has won a playoff series for at least 12 of the last 13 Calder Cup post seasons.

The Penguins struck for three power play goals, which won them the game and probably the series. The Pens were 6/14 in this series and this is what carried them in Game 2 and again in Game 3. Syracuse’s penalty kill was the bottom 25 in the 30 team AHL this regular season. It’s not the best gauge to see how the Penguins stack up special teams wise going forward, but you take them how they come.

The Penguins will not know their opponent in the second round until at least Friday. More on that later.

Matt Murray vs. Kristers Gudlevskis.

With all of the reinforcements arriving from Pittsburgh Sunday, this was the look at the lines in Game 3.

Conor Sheary – Andrew Ebbett – Tom Kostopoulos
Scott Wilson – Jayson Megna – Kasperi Kapanen
Tom Kuhnhackl – Carter Rowney – Dominik Uher
Pierre Leblond – J-S Dea – Bobby Farnham

Brian Dumoulin – Taylor Chorney
Scott Harrington – Barry Goers
Reid McNeill – Derrick Pouliot

Matt Murray – Jeff Zatkoff

Josh Archibald took warmups but was scratched. Scott Wilson took Archibald’s spot on the second line. On defense, Dumoulin, Chroney and Pouliot were in for Nick D’Agostino, Ryan Parent and Danny Syvret.

First Period: Syracuse believed at the end of Game 2 that they were the better team at five-on-five and it showed in this first period of Game 3. Penguins strike first on the power play on this busted play…

[tweet https://twitter.com/nafsnep/status/593555314626138112]

Sheary had it in the high slot, saw a shot blocker in front, dished to Wilson who one timed it in.

Game settled down a bit then Yanni Gourde scored on a similar play to the Wilson power play goal. He was in front and chipped in a puck over Murray for the tie game. That goal ended 102:53 of shutout playoff hockey by Matt Murray.

Bobby Farnham was under the skin of the Crunch all period. He and David Broll tangle after a save by Murray in close. Broll knocks him over but the referee takes both of them. Then, late in the period with seconds remaining, Farnham loses out on an icing race with Luke Witkowski. Witkowski chases him to the neutral zone and tackles him, refs take both. I felt that if it was any one other than Farnham in that situation, the Penguins would have been awarded a power play.

Second Period: Conor Sheary had all day and did not miss…..

[tweet https://twitter.com/nafsnep/status/593568732481466368]

I mean it was the parting of the Red Sea there.

Pens continued to apply forechecking which led to sustained offensive zone pressure. Penguins outshot the Crunch 9-6 and took command heading into the….

Third Period: Power play came to life.

J-P Cote boards Farnham. Conor Sheary again…

[tweet https://twitter.com/nafsnep/status/593582266137321472]

The exact copy of the Wilson goal from the first. Blocked lane in front of the shooter in the high slot, dish off to far man, in this case Sheary, for a one time and in.

Crunch took another penalty, this time a too many men on the ice infraction, and the Penguins cashed again. Derrick Pouliot….

[tweet https://twitter.com/nafsnep/status/593583280412299264]

The Penguins were perfect on the power play tonight.

But, there was way too much time on the clock. Syracuse made a game of it as a puck deflected off of Sheary and through the pads of Matt Murray and in for a 4-2 Penguin lead. Time slowed to a crawl. John Hynes called his time out to stop whatever possible run that Syracuse thought that they had. It worked.

Game hit a lull. Matt Murray, though. Chest save on a shot after a serious offensive presence from the Crunch out of the time out. Felt like the Pens were clinging to a two goal lead.

More saves from Murray. Stops a fluttering shot from a Slater Koekkoek shot from the blue line. Glove save through a screen. Desperation set in for the Crunch and they pulled Gudlevskis and Andrew Ebbett hit an empty net to ice it away.

Three Stars: 3) Derrick Pouliot (goal, assist, +1) 2) Yanni Gourde (goal, assist, +1) and 1) Conor Sheary (two goals, assist, -1)

Elsewhere in the Eastern Conference: Most of the games tonight were Western Conference match ups. Only the Hershey Bears, with a chance to close out their series with the Worcester Sharks, lost 4-1 tonight. That series will see a Game 4, on Friday. Manchester and Portland have a Game 4 Thursday in Portland. Providence and Hartford play a decisive Game 5 Friday.

It’s too much to keep up with. We’ll know when we know.

Wheeling Update: Nailers lose in overtime in Game 7 against the Toledo Walleye on a shorthanded goal by a score of 2-1. Heartbreaking loss for the Nailers who game the ECHL’s regular season champion Walleye a run to the seventh game in overtime.

Postseason Chart big board is updated here.

Next blog will be when the next opponent is known or if not an update on what is going on no later than Saturday.

Let’s Go Pens!!!

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0                                             4

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The Penguins are one win away from the second round after a 4-0 whitewash of the Syracuse Crunch. Matt Murray picked up a shutout with a 27 save performance, the Penguins struck for three times on the power play and the Syracuse Crunch have scored just one goal in the series as it shifts back to Syracuse for what can be a decisive Game 3 for the Penguins if they continue doing what they have been doing.

Penguins made one lineup change from the night before, swapping J-S Dea in for Matia Marcantuoni at fourth line center. Everything else was status quo. Matt Murray opposed Kristers Gudlevskis.

First Period: Penguins got to the power play quickly on a Carter Ashton slash. Yanni Gourde broke in unabated and Murray made a huge pad stop. Back the other way. Jayson Megna cashed for a rebound goal off of a Conor Sheary shot off of the back board which Andrew Ebbett corralled and chipped over to Megna for the power play tally.

Penguins would take two penalties after that but would kill them fairly easily. The period was dominated by power plays to either side. To this point, passes were being made and connecting but the finish wasn’t there. The Penguins finally would win the special teams battle with…

… A Carter Rowney redirect of a Josh Archibald offering that made it 2-0 on a power play and again with…

… A goal credited to Tom Kostopoulos as time expired that went in off of Luke Witkowski and in as the clock hit zero for a 3-0 Penguin lead.

Second Period: Syracuse outshot the Penguins 11-6 in the period and at times had Wilkes-Barre running around a bit. Crunch had the benefit of two power plays in the period but the Penguins were able to kill them.

Third Period: Penguins sat on the lead a bit, had better looks offensively compared to the second. Jayson Megna and Bobby Farnham had some great chances with Farnham’s coming on a breakaway. Wilkes-Barre adds another goal on a Kasperi Kapanen shot that banked in off of Crunch defenseman Joey Mormina’s stick and in. Mormina was back as Kapanen was sprung, Kasperi made a move and the momentum of that coupled with the poke check by Mormina pulled Gudlevskis out of position enough for the puck to trickle over the line and in.

Three Stars: 3) Carter Rowney (goal, even) 2) Jayson Megna (goal, even) and 1) Matt Murray (27 save shutout)

Elsewhere in the Eastern Conference: Manchester and Hershey tale 2-0 series leads against Portland and Worcester with 6-2 and 3-1 wins, respectively. Providence beats Hartford 2-1 in Game 2 which knots that series at 1-1.

Wheeling Update: Nailers lose 2-1 and need to win in Game 6 Tuesday in Toledo else their season is over.

Penguins may get the services of Taylor Chorney, Brian Dumoulin, Derrick Pouliot and Scott Wilson in time for Game 3. Watch Twitter and/or Facebook for that.

I’ll have the update of the postseason chart big board sometime Sunday afternoon / evening. I’ll tweet a link when I do.

Let’s Go Pens!!!

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1                                             5

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Maybe I should shut up and just buy into the hype. Maybe it’s just one game in fourteen more that the Wilkes-Barre / Scranton Penguins have to win, but Kasperi Kapanen’s two goals out of the three scored by the Penguins in 1:40 in the second period is enough to propel the Penguins to a 5-1 win and a 1-0 series lead. Game 2 tomorrow night in Wilkes-Barre.

I say that, because after his dazzling debut against Lehigh Valley a few weeks ago, one where he scored on his first shot on his second shift, Kapanen hasn’t done many things memorable since. He was scratched last weekend due to injury but maybe that was a godsend to step back and regroup and take things in on video and learn. Tonight he was spectacular.

The rest of the Penguins team wasn’t to shabby. Matt Murray made 22 saves on 23 shots to pick up his first postseason win. The Penguins played a disciplined game and beat a good Syracuse side that has not lost 10 of their last 11 games.

The aforementioned Matt Murray vs. Kristers Gudlevskis. Here’s a look at the lines….

Conor Sheary – Andrew Ebbett – Tom Kostopoulos
Josh Archibald – Jayson Megna – Kasperi Kapanen
Tom Kuhnhackl – Carter Rowney – Dominik Uher
Pierre Leblond – Matia Marcantuoni – Bobby Farnham

Scott Harrington – Barry Goers
Reid McNeill – Nick D’Agostino
Ryan Parent – Danny Syvret

Matt Murray – Jeff Zatkoff

Notes: Scott Harrington was re-assigned by Pittsburgh yesterday. Ryan Parent made his Penguins debut. Sean Escobedo took warmups but was scratched. Reid McNeill was back too.

First Period: I said in the Gameday setup that the first period was going to be crucial. You can’t if you are the Penguins give an opponent with a negative goal differential who lost 9 of their last 10 games any breathing room or life in Game 1 of a best of five series.

Well, halfway though, a feeling out process. Scoreless and each side had six shots. Crunch had a power play come and go.

Then the Penguins got what they were looking for. The goal to put them ahead.

Tom Kuhnhackl set up Dominik Uher from smack dab behind the net and Uher smashed it in to give the Penguins a 1-0 lead. Penguins I noticed, really ran at the Syracuse defensemen on the breakouts. Went right at them and caught them flat foot. Evidenced by a Conor Sheary two on one late. Sheary was waiting for a trailing Kostopoulous but took it himself and shot it right into the belly of Gudlevskis.

Second Period: Boom.

Kasperi Kapanen scored to make it 2-0 off of a Jayson Megna offensive face-off win. Kapanen corralled a puck around bodies and roofed it past Gudlevskis for a 2-0 Penguin lead.

Barry Goers cross ice to Carter Rowney perched on the far side low dot for a one timer and in for a 3-0 Penguins lead.

Penguins could smell the blood in the water. Rob Zettler used his time out to try and calm his Syracuse team down.

It didn’t work.

Barry Goers with a pass off the pads to the wrong man at the time, Kapanen, for a 4-0 Wilkes-Barre lead. Floodgates open. Rout on. That would end Gulevskis night and enter Adam Wilcox, all of two games prior of professional hockey experience.

It actually worked, because the Crunch finally settled, the Penguins fell into a lull that always happens at the euphoria of a multi-goal outburst at a given moment and the Crunch got on the board at fourteen minutes on the dot with a Matthew Peca crash of the net goal that slipped under the pads of Murray to make it 4-1.

Third Period: Syracuse controlled the opening eight minutes until a Slater Koekkoek hold that put the Penguins on a power play. The Crunch would kill it but Danny Syvret would score to make it a 5-1 game which basically iced it away. The Crunch would muck it up after every whistle, but the Penguins held on.

Three Stars: 3) Carter Rowney (goal, two assists, +3) 2) Dominik Uher (goal, assist, +2) and 1) Kasperi Kapenen (two goals, +1)

Elsewhere in the Eastern Conference: Hershey gets three goals on a 5:00 major power play late to ice the Worcester Sharks in Game 1 of that series by a score of 4-1. Game 2 goes tomorrow from Massachusetts. Hartford is up 1-0 in their series with Providence and Manchester is up 1-0 in theirs with Portland. Game 2’s all tomorrow there.

Wheeling Update: The Nailers lost 4-1 to the Toledo Walleye in Game 4 which ties that series at two games a piece. Eric Hartzell made 25 saves on 29 shots. Game 5 of that series is Saturday at 7:35.

By now you have heard that the Pittsburgh Penguins lost in overtime to the New York Rangers 2-1 in Game 5, essentially ending their season. I would expect that Taylor Chorney, Brian Dumoulin, Scott Wilson and Derrick Pouliot be reassigned to Coal Street most likely Sunday. Pouliot may take longer because he is recovering from injury. I wouldn’t rule out the Penguins just sending him home and him not coming here, to be honest. I’d be shocked if Chorney, Dumoulin and Wilson are re-assigned and in town for Saturday’s Game 2 vs. Syracuse. You have to give them time to get back to Pittsburgh with the rest of the team, decompress and go through the exit interview process. I would say that if Wilkes-Barre is going to get any help from Pittsburgh in the form of reinforcements, that it comes in time for Game 3 in Syracuse next Wednesday. Who knows.

Gameday for Game 2 vs. Syracuse hits the blog at 3 p.m. as the Pens look for the commanding 2-0 series lead.

Let’s Go Pens!