Brian Gibbons has been a scratch lately. It’s perplexed me because it doesn’t seem that he is ever at issue whenever something goes awry for the Pens. John Hynes & Company have seen it another way, because Gibbons hasn’t been seen in a few games now.

Tonight, he drew back into the lineup and made his presence felt for all sixty minutes.

Riding a two goal game by Penguins rookie Tom Kuhnhackl, Gibbons and Kuhnhackl turn in a three point night and the Penguins defeat the Albany Devils 5-4 in a shootout.

A game, by all rights, the Penguins should have lost. Stark contrast by the game last night vs. Toronto. In fact, if the Pens would have lost this game, “Eggs for Sale” would have been the headline for this postgamer.

They didn’t, and are red hot. 8-2 in the last ten games after starting the season 0-4.

Brad Thiessen vs. Keith Kinkaid – The aforementioned Brian Gibbons and Tom Kuhnhackl were back in the lineup joined by Dylan Reese, Philip Samuelsson and Alex Grant. Lots of shuffling going on.

First Period: Simon Despres, who by all accounts had an awful game, had his pocket picked on the Devils blueline by Mattias Tedenby and the Devils were on the board first. Then Brian Gibbons fed Tom Kuhnhackl from below the goal line for the rookie’s first AHL goal. They reversed places later and Kuhnhackl fed Gibbons to make it 2-1. Then, on an Albany power play, Bobby Butler scores from the slot to make it 2-2. A huge goal for the Devils at the time, because their power play is putrid, I mean there is no other way nicely to put it. It is dead last. At the buzzer, Trevor Smith scores to make it 3-2.

Phew. What a period for both teams who played two games before and had to travel to get here.

Second Period: Nice flow between the two teams. Lots of good back and forth. Through a period of penalties, both teams come out unscathed. Then, locked out NHL-er Adam Henrique scores a nifty goal over the glove of Thiessen to even things at three a side.

Third Period: I’ll tell you. The Penguins just let the Devils run around on them. I haven’t seen much of the Devils this season, so really am not intelligent enough to speak on the last place showing they have put up so far, but it almost looked as if the Penguins were playing down to them. Penguins get a power play, Jacob Josefson scores a shorthanded goal on a rush after picking the pocket of Simon Despres. Later, Kuhnhackl set up by Jasyon Megna in the slot and he rifles it past Kinkaid to bring it even at four again. Both teams had chances late but it was on to….

Overtime: Nothing to see here. On to….

Shootout: Four rounds, no one scores. Jasyon Megna with a pretty dangle move and he scored the only goal in the shootout in Round 5.

Three Stars: 3) Bobby Butler (goal, assist, +1) 2) Brian Gibbons (goal, two assists, +2) and 1) Tom Kuhnhackl (two goals, assist +3)

Penguins are off again until Friday when they face the high flying Syracuse Crunch team.

Around the Division: The aforementioned Syracuse team absolutely bombed the Worcester Sharks 6-1. How deep are the Crunch? Eleven players registered a point in the win for the Crunch. The Bears are back in the win column beating the Toronto Marlies 4-2 in Chocolatetown. Hershey’s Jon DiSalvatore registered his 500th AHL point in the game.

Standings: Syracuse 26 — Binghamton 22 — Penguins 22 — Hershey 15 — Norfolk 14

Conference: 1) SYR (26) 2) SPR (24) 3) MCH (21) 4) BNG (22) 5) WBS (22) 6) BRI (20) 7)WOR (20) 8) CT (19)

Wheeling Update: The Nailers were off.

SendtoNews Highlights: Since it’s a neutral site, no idea if highlights will go up or not. Here is the website. If they go up later I will throw a link in.

I have to come up with some blog content between now and Friday. Don’t want this postgamer to sit stale all week up on the blog. Check back.

What a statement game by the Wilkes-Barre / Scranton Penguins tonight. After basically being run around the rink and being out-physicaled by a very experienced and well coached Toronto team, they claw back and win 2-1 tonight.

Jeff Zatkoff vs. Ben Scrivens

The game basically came down to the third period. The first forty minutes were uneventful if you like offense and really exciting if you like goaltenders standing on their heads and physical, defensive hockey. Teams traded power plays, got close but could not score. Both teams were sprung for breakaways but Messrs. Zatkoff and Scrivens both up to the task. This all led up to the….

Third Period: Marlies were pressing, pressing and pressing some more. Finally, Jerry D’Amigo sets up Will Acton cutting to the net and he beats Zatkoff for the first score of the game.

Now here is where the Penguins, who were pretty much out-classed by the Marlies who play the same kind of physical style that Wilkes-Barre is synonymous with could have folded up the tent and packed it in. They could have started the next shift off with a fight, a bone head penalty or a dumb home-run pass.

No.

Next shift, Beau Bennett shoots the puck from the high slot, Benn Ferriero is right in Scrivens’ kitchen. He can’t corral it, Simon Despres swoops in from out of no where, corrals the puck and roofs it up past Scrivens and in. Tie game.

Later, the physicality boils over with Nicolas Deschamps with a silly cross check penalty in on Beau Bennett near the benches. Exception is taken by the Penguins on Deschamps for doing that to the rookie. Out of it, a scrum ensues. Who other than Bobby Fanham is in the middle of it. A Penguins power play ensues. On it, Despres again unloads a bullet from the point that Riley Holzapfel gets a stick on via deflection in past Scrivens. 2-1 Penguins. The 5,841 in attendance were alive, the building was hopping, it was really cool to be a part of. Marlies get a power play late, but could not find the equalizer.

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I really was impressed with the way the Penguins played all night. In my opinion this was a statement game. This showed to me at least that the Penguins could run with any team in the league. I really hope that they are able to build on this, and not rest on this.

Three Stars: 3) Jeff Zatkoff (31 saves on 32 shots) 2) Simon Despres, (goal, assist, +1) and 1) Riley Holzapfel (game winning goal, +1)

Around the Division: Syracuse drops Albany 4-1. Adirondack beats Hershey 3-1. Connecticut beats Norfolk 5-2 and Binghamton continues their hot streak and beats Bridgeport 6-1.

Standings: Separation staring to form. Crunch have 24 points. Binghamton (yes, Binghamnton) have 22 points. Penguins have 20. Then it drops off to Norfolk with 14 and the Bears with 13.

Conference: 1) SYE (24) 2) SPR (24) 3) MCH (20) 4) BNG (22) 5) BRI (20) 6) WBS (20) 7) WOR (20) 8) ADK (18)

Wheeling Update: The Nailers were shutout on home ice 2-0 by the Cincinnati Cyclones.

SendtoNews Highlights: Are here. As I am linking, there aren’t any video highlights, but if you wait long enough they eventually go up.

Penguins bus to Atlantic City for a 4 p.m. tilt with the Albany Devils. Gameday for the affair will be up at noon here on the blog.

Jeff Zatkoff is making a case for goaltender of the month. His third shutout of the season, Penguins play a sound sixty minutes of period and finally beat the Bears this season.

Abbotsford’s Barry Brust may have something to say about Zatkoff getting goalie of the month, but still.

Anyway. Penguins play a solid sixty minutes and win 4-0.

Jeff Zatkoff vs. Braden Holtby – Jayson Megna and Alex Grant were back in the lineup. Megna’s first action since November 4, and Grant’s first action since October 28. Brian Strait battling a nagging something. Brian Dumoulin scratched for Grant. Megna dressed over Tom Kuhnhackl. Brian Gibbons, Zach Sill, Dominik Uher and Joey Mormina were the other scratches.

First Period: Solid period by both teams. Scary moment for Eric Tangradi while on the power play he was struck by the ever powerful slap shot of Alex Grant. He left the ice and did not return until the….

Second Period: Pens get a power play goal via Beau Bennett that banked off of a Bears skate and in between the legs of Holtby. Later, Bobby Farnham sells a penalty and then Simon Despres scores when Riley Holzapfel wins a faceoff to Dylan Reese making it 2-0.

Then, depending on if you believe anonymous sources telling freelance writers in Hartford a thing or two about bounties, the tension hits a boiling point. Steve MacIntyre and Matt Clackson fight. MacIntyre gets a hand free and drops Clackson. He rightfully gets a game misconduct for continuing to reign blows upon Clackson and is tossed. Then Bears captain Boyd Kane gets a double minor. Tensions at this point were very high. However, no other altercations ensued. Credit referee Mark Lemelin for keeping things under control.

Third Period: Bears on a 1:45 power play, need to get a goal, but Benn Ferriero scores his first goal and the first shorthanded goal for the Penguins, essentially taking the air out of the Giant Center and making the period pretty much a boring period. Probably the most boring period of hockey between the Penguins and Bears I have seen. Bears manage one shot on goal in the period. Warren Peters nets a goal late to make it 4-0. That was about it.

Three Stars: 3) Simon Despres (goal, +1) 2) Benn Ferriero (goal, assist, +2) 1) Jeff Zatkoff (15 save shutout)

Around the Division: Norfolk falls to Charlotte 5-2.

Standings: Syracuse 22 — Penguins 18 — Binghamton 16 — Norfolk 14 — Hershey 13

Conference: 1-SPR (22) 2-SYR (22) 3-MCH (17) 4-BRI (20) 5-WBS (18) 6-BNG (16) 7-WOR (16) 8-STJ (16)

Wheeling Update: Nailers finally get back in the win column with a 4-0 shutout of the Evansville IceMen.

SendToNews Highlights: Are here.

Penguins off until Saturday when they host the Toronto Marlies.

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!