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Goals :31 apart in the first and :20 in the second are enough to propel the Wilkes-Barre / Scranton Penguins past the Charlotte Checkers for the first time this season. Pens win 5-3 and reduce their magic number to 21. They also use one of their five games in hand to eat into Lehigh Valley’s lead on the Atlantic Division. It’s now nine points.

Teddy Blueger had himself a game. Two goals, one being an empty netter. Blueger also swept away a would be Checkers goal late in the third period.

Checkers have been riding high as of late. They scored first but the Penguins answered quickly with two quick hitters in the first period that set up the second period.

Anthony Peters was good in net, picking up his tenth win of the season. Tristan Jarry and Casey DeSmith set up the Penguins in the first half of the season and Anthony Peters has done a fine job guiding the ship the rest of the way.

These two teams rematch Wednesday.

Anthony Peters opposed Alex Nedeljkovic.

Lines were…

Adam Johnson – J-S Dea – Christian Thomas
Garrett Wilson – Gage Quinney – Tom Kostopoulos
Tom Sestito – Sam Lafferty – Joseph Cramarossa
Thomas Di Pauli – Teddy Blueger – Daniel Sprong

Chris Summers – Ethan Prow
Kevin Schulze – Kevin Czuczman
Jarred Tinordi – Zach Trotman

Anthony Peters – Etienne Marcoux

Lineup Notes: Zach Trotman was back in the lineup for the first time in seventeen games….Dylan Zink was returned to Wheeling Monday.

First Period: Valentin Zykov scored his league leading 31st goal of the season when Anthony Peters stopped a Dennis Robertson shot but spilled the rebound back to the Checkers defenseman who dished over to Zykov for the goal…

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Checkers are 21-3-0-1 when scoring first.

But the Penguins answered rapidly, :31 apart, when Daniel Sprong put a shot high over the cage of Nedeljkovic that rimmed around to Trotman, who gathered the puck and fired at goal that tied it at one.

Next, Garrett Wilson used his body to create a turnover and the puck went over to Gage Quinney who found Tom Kostopoulos for the goal that made it 2-1 Penguins…

Kostopoulos has two goals and four assists in his eight games since his return from injury.

Second Period: Penguins scored a pair of goals :31 apart in the first, so they wanted to beat that record set in the first frame and scored two within :20 in the second.

Tom Sestito forced a turnover, Sam Lafferty continued to forecheck and passed off to a streaking Joseph Cramarossa for the goal that made it 3-1 Penguins…

That was Sam Lafferty’s first professional point.

Off the face-off at center ice, Gage Quinney was high sticked, setting up another Penguins power play. Their first was a train wreck, but this second coming was much more successful.

Give and go with Garrett Wilson who found Teddy Blueger for the power play goal. Coming into tonight’s contest, the Penguins had the leaves worst power play.

Penguins gave away a power play and the Checkers third best overall power play improved on their 27% conversion rate on home ice when Andrew Poturalski was left alone in the slot for this goal that cut the Penguins lead back to 4-2…

Third Period: Penguins nearly score but are denied here when Nedeljkovic went post to post to deny Teddy Blueger.

Teddy Blueger then saved a goal late as a puck got past Peters but Blueger swept it away.

With just under five minutes to play, Nedeljkovic vacated his cage for an extra attacker, never found the equalizer and Teddy Blueger nailed the empty net to make it 5-2.

Three Stars: 3) Lucas Wallmark (two assists, even) 2) Anthony Peters (29 saves on 31 shots) and 1) Joseph Cramarossa (goal, even)

No idea what they were thinking with the three stars. Teddy Blueger had two goals, Garrett Wilson assisted twice and Tom Kostopoulos had a goal and an assist. Who knows.

Around the Division: They all watched us.

Standings: Lehigh Valley (.690 percentage points) — Penguins (.661) — Providence (.631) — Charlotte (.579) — Bridgeport (.557) — Springfield (.492) — Hartford (.476) — Hershey (.468)

Wheeling Update: Nailers were off. They are moving to the ECHL’s Central Division of the Western Conference next season.

Charlotte may put up video highlights. If they do they will run in this spot in a later edit.

These two teams are back at it again Wednesday at 7. Gameday setup comes at you Wednesday at 3.

Let’s Go Pens!

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Wilkes-Barre showed a lot of resolve tonight against a rested Grand Rapids Griffins team. Penguins last night struggled at times last night against a Binghamton Devils team that isn’t going to make the Calder Cup Playoffs, most likely.

Bend but don’t break play and maintaining a perfect penalty kill which included a full two man disadvantage see the Penguins edge the Grand Rapids Griffins 2-1 tonight in Wilkes-Barre.

Grand Rapids came in with the third best overall power play in the American Hockey League. Penguins found themselves on the wrong end of the referees whistles a total of five times tonight and you could say that this is what won them the game tonight in this close affair.

Anthony Peters opposed Tom McCollum.

Lines were…

That is Sam Lafferty on the third line tonight. Lafferty carried himself well tonight and showed a lot of flash as well. He had this sequence here that really impressed and shows that he belonged in the game…

Etienne Marcoux backed up tonight. The plan going into to the weekend was to have Leighton start Friday and Peters to start Saturday with each player getting the night off entirely when they weren’t starting. Look for Marcoux to get released this weekend and Leighton to split a start this week in Charlotte with Peters.

First Period: Griffins found a lot of power plays in the first, three total, but Anthony Peters quickly established himself in net and let nothing by.

Adam Johnson scored shorthanded. He corralled a loose puck, fought it all the way down the ice really and fired one past McCollum to put the Pens on the board first.

Second Period: No scoring in this period but the story in the frame was the Griffins power play again and the lack of success. Penguins did no favors in a sequence that saw seven Penguins on the ice, then on the ensuing face-off they took a faceoff violation gift wrapping the visitors a full two minute 5-on-3 power play.

Through a time out called by Griffins head coach Todd Nelson, Grand Rapids were unable to solve Anthony Peters to this point.

Felt more like a battle against a rival like Hershey than it was against a team making its first visit to Mohegan Sun Arena at Casey Plaza in nine years.

Third Period: You know if you watched the game tonight that the Griffins would not go away quietly. A shot bounced off of bodies at the net towards Peters where Street crashed the net and the ex-Penguin tied the game for his team.

Undeterred, Kevin Czuczman cashed with a shot from the point that went through bodies and got past McCollum to push the Penguins back ahead 2-1 a couple minutes later.

Penguins would get a power play with under five minutes to play and then time became the enemy for Grand Rapids. With McCollum pulled, the Griffins were never able to find the equalizer.

Three Stars: 3) Adam Johnson (goal, even) 2) Anthony Peters (32 saves on 33 shots) and  1) Kevin Czuczman (game winning goal, +1)

Around the Division: Toronto beats Providence 4-3 and are the first team in the AHL to punch a postseason ticket….Charlotte beats Hartford 7-3 where Checkers goaltender Alex Nedeljkovic scored a goal…Hershey is shutout 3-0 in Binghamton Springfield is back to .500 after shutting out Utica 4-0 and Lehigh Valley beats Bridgeport 4-1.

Standings: Lehigh Valley (.685 percentage points) — Penguins (.655) — Providence (.631) — Charlotte (.589) — Bridgeport (.550) — Springfield (.500) — Hartford (.476) — Hershey (.476)

Wheeling Update: The Nailers will split their series with the Reading Royals. Reading wins 6-3. Cody Wydo and Troy Josephs score for the Nailers in the loss.

Video Highlights: 

Power Rankings at 4 Monday. Check us out then.

Let’s Go Pens!

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Wilkes-Barre / Scranton found themselves in a dogfight Friday night on the Southern Tier of New York.

After going up 2-0 in the first period, a Binghamton Devils team that has lost way more than they have won this season could have packed it in and accepted the loss to their I-81 rivals.

But that didn’t happen. The Devils battled back level with their visitors tonight and forced overtime.

That’s where Teddy Blueger, time and time again in these situations, stepped in.

Blueger’s fourth overtime game winning goal this season give the Penguins the win to start the weekend off the right win as the Wilkes-Barre / Scranton Penguins defeat the Binghamton Devils 3-2 in overtime.

I am not saying games are scripted, but this tweet from Nick Hart 45 minutes before puck drop tonight makes you wonder….

Michael Leighton opposed Eddie Lack.

Lines were…

Adam Johnson – J-S Dea – Christian Thomas
Garrett Wilson – Gage Quinney – Tom Kostopoulos
Tom Sestito – Jarrett Burton – Joseph Cramarossa
Thomas Di Pauli – Teddy Blueger – Daniel Sprong

Chris Summers – Ethan Prow
Kevin Schulze – Kevin Czuczman
Jeff Taylor – Jarred Tinordi

Michael Leighton – Etienne Marcoux

Lineup Notes: The Pittsburgh Penguins signed Sam Lafferty to an NHL contract that kicks in next season so in the meantime Lafferty reported to Wilkes-Barre on an amateur tryout contract….Kevin Spinozzi was assigned to Wheeling…Josh Jooris was recalled to Pittsburgh because Bryan Rust was diagnosed with a concussion, Dominik Simon is week to week with an upper body injury while Zach Aston-Reese and Matt Murray are progressing but not close to returning to the NHL Penguins. On the ice in Binghamton, Tom Sestito jumped in the third line after having Sunday afternoon in Milwaukee off. Marcoux was a surprise backup to Leighton tonight and not Peters, they didn’t say anything on radio eluding to a Peters injury, so it will be interesting to see the goaltender combos Saturday night back at home against Grand Rapids.

Also, Seth Rorabaugh from The Athletic wrote today that Frank Corrado is done for the year after season ending knee surgery.

A lot to digest there. I didn’t link in anything on the recalls / signings, assuming that if you read this blog you also read the official guys.

First Period: Penguins were off to a good start. In a low shot period, they led 2-1 after twenty minutes.

J-S Dea scored on a two on one shorthanded that broke open the scoring…

Then Gage Quinney scored a few minutes later from an odd angle to make it 2-0.

Michael Leighton was passing his tests, stopping a two on one for the Devils and a shot through traffic that led to an offensive zone face-off with under three seconds to play in the period.

This was important, because a face-off win by Michael Latta back to the best offensive defenseman in the AHL Jacob McDonald resulted in a goal that took all of one second that put the Devils on the board with literally 1.2 seconds to play in the period. McDonald paces all defensemen in the AHL in goals. This was his sixteenth of the season.

Second Period: Penguins couldn’t get anything past Lack off of a nice passing play then when the Devils were short some players during a busted line change. A two-on-one and a follow up rebound attempt weren’t enough for Wilkes-Barre to extend their lead to 3-1.

Instead, Josh Jacobs feathers a pass down low to Michael Latta who spins and puts a backhand shot on that Leighton can’t make a save on. Changeup setup, fastball finish.

Third Period: Lack continued to close the door on the Penguins. More two-on-one saves. Denies Sestito, Cramarossa and all follow up attempts. Just making saves he has no business making. Despite this, I felt that the majority of time was spent played in front of Leighton and the Penguins chances were too much one and done.

Overtime: After a period of organized confusion, J-S Dea walks in, fights off a hook and Teddy Blueger puts home the garbage to end it.

Ballgame.

Three Stars: 3) J-S Dea (goal, assist, +2) 2) Michael Latta (goal, assist, +1) and 1) Teddy Blueger (overtime game winning goal, +1)

Around the Division: Lehigh Valley loses at home to Bridgeport who have won five in a row. 3-2 is the final from Allentown. Penguins make up ground on first place Lehigh Valley but their magic number doesn’t dwindle any further tonight….Charlotte beats Hartford 4-3….Providence beats Rochester 2-1 in overtime….Utica gets past Springfield 3-2 in overtime….Hershey beats Syracuse 2-1.

Standings: Lehigh Valley (.680 percentage points) — Penguins (.649) — Providence (.642) — Charlotte (.582) — Bridgeport (.559) — Springfield (.492) — Hartford (.484) — Hershey (.484)

Wheeling Update: Nailers beat Reading at home in overtime on Troy Josephs’ overtime winner. 4-3 was the score. Here is the goal…

Man down!

If the Devils put up video highlights, I will run them here in this spot.

Pens travel home to take on a rested Grand Rapids Griffins team who did not play tonight. Gameday setup hits the blog Saturday at 3.

Let’s Go Pens!