Chirps from Center Ice

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Who: Bridgeport Sound Tigers

Where: Mohegan Sun Arena at Casey Plaza

When: 3:05 p.m.

Last Game: Last night in Binghamton, the Pens coughed up a three goal lead and needed an eight round shootout to push past the Binghamton Devils and won 5-4. Garrett Wilson scored in regulation and also in the shootout round in the top of the eighth to win it for the Penguins. For Bridgeport, the Sound Tigers were in Syracuse Friday and lost 4-1. Casey Bailey scored the only goal for the Sound Tigers in the loss.

Last Meeting: January 3 in Wilkes-Barre, the Pens won in overtime 4-3. Teddy Blueger won it for the Penguins in a game that Sebastian Caron backed up Anthony Peters in.

Record: For WBS: 38-19-6-2 (84 pts., 2nd place Atlantic Division) // For BRI: 31-26-5-3 (70 pts., 5th place Atlantic Division)

Referee(s): Conor O’Donnell / Jeremy Tufts

Linesmen: J.P. Waleski / Libor Suchanek

Why You Should Care: Penguins can get the magic number to 5 with a win today against the Sound Tigers in regulation. The next biggest thing that the Penguins have left is sewing up their spot in the Calder Cup Playoffs. The Sound Tigers will be the more rested team so Wilkes-Barre will need a good start.

Other Game to Watch: Grand Rapids visits Chicago in a matchup between the second and third place teams in the Central division.

Next Five Games: PRO 3/28, @ HFD 3/30, vs. PRO 3/31, vs. HER 4/3, vs. BRI 4/6

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Who: Binghamton Devils

Where: Floyd L. Maines Veterans Memorial Arena

When: 7:05 p.m.

Last Game: Last night in Utica, the Penguins fell behind 3-0 but battled back to force overtime but lost 5-4. Gage Quinney had a goal and an assist and was named third star. For Binghamton, the Devils were in
Rochester and beat the Amerks 4-2. Nick Lappin had a hat trick for the Devils. John Quenneville had three assists.

Last Meeting: March 9 in Binghamton, the Penguins won 3-2. Who else but Teddy Blueger scored for the Penguins in the win.

Record: For WBS: 37-19-6-2 (82 pts., 2nd place Atlantic Division) // For BNG: 22-33-7-3 (54 pts., 6th place North Division)

Referee(s): Tyler Puddifant / Brandon Schrader

Linesmen: Matt Brady / Jim Harper

Why You Should Care: Penguins need better starts, falling down 0-2 Tuesday and 0-3 last night in Utica. Binghamton has been playing some inspired hockey as of late and took down a Rochester team that will be a playoff team sooner rather than later.

Other Game to Watch: Bridgeport is off tonight so the Pens are on their own if they want to reduce their magic number without any outside influences. May as well keep tabs on Game 2 between Lehigh Valley and Providence from Rhode Island.

Next Five Games: vs. BRI 3/25, PRO 3/28, @ HFD 3/30, vs. PRO 3/31, vs. HER 4/3

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Who: Utica Comets

Where: Adirondack Bank Center

When: 7:00 p.m.

Last Game: Tuesday in Toronto, the Penguins lost in overtime to the Marlies 4-3. Garrett Wilson had a goal and an assist. For Utica, the Comets were in Toronto Sunday and beat the Marlies 3-1. Thatcher Demko stopped 38 of 39 Marlies shots, which earned him first star of the game.

Last Meeting: February 17 in Wilkes-Barre, the Penguins lost to the Comets in overtime 5-4. Penguins scored three goals in the third to battle ahead of the Comets before Cam Darcy’s late goal forced overtime where Patrick Weircioch scored :49 in to give Utica the extra point. Jarrett Burton had a goal and two assists.

Record: For WBS: 37-19-5-2 (81 pts., 2nd place Atlantic Division) // For UTI: 31-23-6-4 (72 pts., 4th place North Division)

Referee(s): Chris Brown / Jeremy Tufts

Linesmen: Tory Carissimo / Mike Emanatian

Why You Should Care: Utica is in free fall mode, winners of two of their last ten games but played the Penguins tough the last time these teams met. Penguins need to inch closer to wrapping up a playoff spot this weekend and it starts here in Utica for the first of yet another three in three weekend.

Other Game to Watch: Lehigh Valley is in Providence this weekend taking on the Bruins for a two game set which begins tonight.

Next Five Games: @ BNG 3/24, vs. BRI 3/25, PRO 3/28, @ HFD 3/30, vs. PRO 3/31

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Who: Toronto Marlies

Where: Ricoh Coliseum

When: 7:00 p.m.

Last Game: Sunday at home against Hershey, the Penguins won 6-4 in comeback fashion. Thomas DiPauli led the way with two goals. Tom Kostopoulos had three assists. For Toronto, the Marlies hosted Utica Sunday and lost 3-1. Mason Marchment scored the only goal for Toronto in the loss.

Last Meeting: November 8 in Wilkes-Barre, the Penguins beat Toronto 4-2. Thomas DiPauli had two goals in that game as well.

Record: For WBS: 37-19-4-2 (80 pts., 2nd place Atlantic Division) // For TOR: 44-17-1-1 (90 pts., 1st place North Division)

Referee(s): Mitch Dunning / Corey Syvret

Linesmen: Adam Harris / Dustin McCrank

Why You Should Care: Call this a measuring stick game for Wilkes-Barre. Many times, it’s the opposition that is looking to measure up to these Penguins but tonight, it will be the Penguins chasing the bar set by Toronto who have just pillaged the North Division this season. If the Penguins in their current form want to advance far in Calder Cup Playoffs once they qualify, they will soon run into a team like Toronto if they want to advance to a Calder Cup. This should be a good one.

Other Game to Watch: Grand Rapids visits Milwaukee. Nothing else going on in the Eastern Conference for the Penguins.

Next Five Games: @ UTI 3/23, @ BNG 3/24, vs. BRI 3/25, PRO 3/28, @ HFD 3/30

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Who: Hershey Bears

Where: Mohegan Sun Arena at Casey Plaza

When: 3:05 p.m.

Last Game: Last night at home against the Hartford Wolf Pack, the Penguins lost 4-1. Daniel Sprong scored the only goal for Wilkes-Barre in the loss. For Hershey, the Bears hosted the Springfield Thunderbirds and won 4-2. Nathan Walker scored a pair of goals for the Bears and Vitek Vanecek stopped 22 of 24 Thunderbirds shots.

Last Meeting: February 25 in Wilkes-Barre, the Penguins won 3-2. Adam Johnson has a pair of goals and Daniel Sprong assisted on both of them. Riley Barber and Tyler Graovac scored for the Bears.

Record: For WBS: 36-19-4-2 (78 pts., 2nd place Atlantic Division) // For HER: 27-29-4-5 (63 pts., 7th place Atlantic Division)

Referee(s): Andrew Howard / Terry Koharski

Linesmen: Tom DellaFranco / Matt McNulty

Why You Should Care: Penguins need this one today. They looked awful Wednesday against Charlotte and then  abad first period cost them last night against Hartford. You shoulder have to get up to play a game against your bitter rival in the Bears, so it should be interesting to see how the Penguins come out this afternoon against the Bears.

Promotion(s): None

Other Game to Watch: Bridgeport visits Providence to close out their weekend. Bruins and Penguins are neck and neck, Sound Tigers result may affect the Penguins magic number.

Next Five Games: @ TOR 2/20, @ UTI 3/23, @ BNG 3/24, vs. BRI 3/25, PRO 3/28

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Who: Hartford Wolf pack

Where: Mohegan Sun Arena at Casey Plaza

When: 7:05 p.m.

Last Game: Wednesday in Charlotte, the Pens lost 3-1. Tom Sestito scored the only got for Wilkes-Barre in the loss. For Hartford, the Wolf Pack hosted Lehigh Valley Friday and won in a shootout 4-3. Marek Mazanec stopped 28 of 31 shots and every Phantoms shooter in the shootout. Dan DeSalvo had the only goal in the shootout and a regulation goal.

Last Meeting: January 21 in Hartford, these two teams were scoreless at the end of regulation and in overtime it was Vince Pedrie scoring in overtime to beat the Penguins. Anthony Peters stopped 21 of 22, Wilkes-Barre put 43 total shots on Alexandar Georgiev.

Record: For WBS: 36-18-4-2 (78 pts., 2nd place Atlantic Division) // For HFD: 27-29-5-3 (62 pts., 7th place Atlantic Division)

Referee(s): Troy Paterson / Stephen Thomson

Linesmen: J.P. Waleski / Scott Pomento

Why You Should Care: Penguins need to shake off the smell of Wednesday’s loss to Charlotte quickly tonight against the Wolf Pack at home to keep pace with Lehigh Valley and shrink their magic number even more. Hartford is slumping, but that cannot be an excuse for the Penguins to underestimate this opponent.

Promotion(s): St. Patrick’s Day, Jersey Auction

Television: Tonight’s game will be televised locally on WBRE, which is Channel 28.

Other Game to Watch: Providence and Lehigh Valley meet for just the second time this season in a vital Atlantic Division matchup.

Next Five Games: vs. HER 3/18, @ TOR 2/20, @ UTI 3/23, @ BNG 3/24, vs. BRI 3/25

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Who: Charlotte Checkers

Where: Bojangles’ Coliseum

When: 7:00 p.m.

Last Game / Last Meeting: Last night in Charlotte, the Penguins won 5-2. Wilkes-Barre scored goals :31 apart in the first and :20 in the second. Teddy Blueger had two goals. Valentin Zykov scored his AHL leading 31st goal to open the scoring.

Record: For WBS: 36-17-4-2 (78 pts., 2nd place Atlantic Division) // For CHA: 35-25-0-3 (73 pts., 4th place Atlantic Division)

Referee(s): Peter MacDougall / Liam Sewell

Linesmen: Ryan Townsend / Charlie O’Connor

Why You Should Care: Checkers will respond tonight, expect that. They are in a dogfight with Bridgeport for the final playoff spot and need to win this game. The Penguins can reduce their magic number even further and eat into the Lehigh Valley Phantoms lead on the rest of the Atlantic Division even more with another win. First ten minutes of this game should tell how this game is going to go for both teams.

Other Game to Watch: Busy night by League standards for a Wednesday but the Penguins and Checkers are the only Atlantic teams in action tonight. Syracuse visits Binghamton in what could very well be a a trap game for the Crunch.

Next Five Games: vs. HFD 3/17, vs. HER 3/18, @ TOR 2/20, @ BNG 3/24, vs. BRI 3/25