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The last time that the Wilkes-Barre / Scranton Penguins won in Springfield was two years, two days ago.

February 5, 2016. A 4-3 overtime win for the Penguins where names like Steve Oleksy and Anton Zlobin scored for the Penguins and Carter Rowney scored the overtime game winning goal.

Fast forward to Wednesday night, and the Penguins are winners in Massachusetts again.

3-1 is the final score. A battle all night with a better than advertised Springfield side who probably deserved better and will eventually. The Thunderbirds were 7-3 in their last ten games coming into tonight and on a three game winning streak. They were finally getting good goaltending out of the backup spot with their number one called up to parent Florida.

But better goaltending from the away team, coupled by power play success and its the Penguins who win their fourth straight to maintain the top spot in the Atlantic Division.

Casey DeSmith opposed Evan Cowley.

Lines were…

Thomas Di Pauli – J-S Dea – Reid Gardiner
Garrett Wilson – Gage Quinney – Daniel Sprong
Jarrett Burton – Greg McKegg – Patrick McGrath
Adam Johnson – Teddy Blueger – Colin Smith

Kevin Czuczman – Frank Corrado
Jarred Tinordi – Chris Summers
Andrey Pedan – Ethan Prow

Casey DeSmith – Anthony Peters

Lineup Notes: There were no recalls to Pittsburgh in the wake of Tom Kuhnhackl and Carter Rowney leaving the Pittsburgh Penguins games Tuesday night. Also, no one was preserved tonight in the wake of an impending recall Thursday. For the lineup tonight, there was some shuffling, but no roster changes.

First Period: Biggest play in the period came at the end of the period, where the Penguins found themselves on the wrong end of the 5-on-3 power play. Casey DeSmith made this save to preserve the scoreless period…

Second Period: Penguins had a double minor power play that they could not score on. Game was slowly starting to open up with good chances on both sides. Finally, Gage Quinney broke the 0-0 deadlock to give the Penguins the 1-0 lead on this nice pass by Reid Gardiner…

2:04 later, led by the Thunderbirds fourth line, Springfield tied it up. They kept the Penguins hemmed in the defensive zone and Dryden Hunt scored from the slot to tie the game back up at 1.

Daniel Sprong was hooked on a breakaway but lost the handle. Instead of awarding a penalty shot, the Penguins went on a straight 2:00 power play. Thomas DiPauli scored his first goal since December to give the Penguins a 2-1 lead heading into the…

Third Period: Casey DeSmith again, making saves that mortals can only dream of, keeps it a one goal game.

Penguins ice the game away with a power play goal on an empty net that was scored by Garrett Wilson that iced the game away…

Three Stars: 3) Evan Cowley (37 saves on 39 shots) 2) Gage Quinney (goal, +1) and 1) Thomas DiPauli (goal, even)

Around the Division: Lehigh Valley fights off Charlotte 4-3 at home to maintain their thorn in the side of the Penguins…Hartford beat Springfield earlier in the day 5-4 in overtime. Everyone else was off.

Standings: Penguins (.689 percentage points) — Lehigh Valley (.646) — Providence (.609) — Bridgeport (.564) — Charlotte (.552) — Hartford (.520) — Springfield (.469) — Hershey (.448)

Wheeling Update: The Nailers were off. They play again on Friday.

Video Highlights: Coal Street put their own out on Thursday morning. Check it out…

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Penguins are going to stay in New England and likely bus to Providence Thursday where they will set up shop for the weekend with games Friday and Sunday there. Gameday setup for Friday’s game will hit the blog Friday at 3.

Let’s Go Pens!

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If you have ever been to a Wilkes-Barre / Scranton Penguins game at the Mohegan Sun Arena at Casey Plaza, then you are familiar with the in between music bumps that they play during stoppages in play. Well, there was one with 27.9 left in a tight game in a third period that was predicated by this save by Tristan Jarry. Here it is…

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After the save, the Arena played Alien Ant Farm’s “Smooth Criminal” Here are some of the lyrics.

You’ve Been Hit By
You’ve Been Hit By
A Smooth Criminal

Apropos. That smooth criminal tonight was none other than goaltender Tristan Jarry, who stopped 34 of 35 shots sent his way in arguably his best game of the season for the Penguins. Since his reassignment by Pittsburgh, he’s 3-0 and has only allowed five goals during that time.

Tom with more from Donatelli post game…

Penguins win 2-1. Some breathing room on Lehigh Valley for the division lead, with three games in hand to boot.

Jarry opposed Dustin Tokarski

Lines were…

Thomas Di Pauli – J-S Dea – Reid Gardiner
Garrett Wilson – Gage Quinney – Daniel Sprong
Adam Johnson – Greg McKegg – Colin Smith
Jarrett Burton – Teddy Blueger – Patrick McGrath

Jarred Tinordi – Ethan Prow
Kevin Czuczman – Frank Corrado
Andrey Pedan – Chris Summers

Tristan Jarry – Anthony Peters

Lineup Notes: Zach Aston-Reese was recalled to Pittsburgh earlier in the day today when Patric Hornqvist was injured in last nights game. Conor Sheary was moved to IR. Tom Venesky highlighted Aston-Reese on the pay website The Athletic a couple of weeks ago for them. Now normally, I wouldn’t tell you to pay to read junk on the internet, but I researched them this week, and it’s a top quality website. This link explains more. If you don’t subscribe I suggest you at least check out the free seven day trial. No, I am not on their payroll, either. Tom is a quality guy, if he is going to churn out quality stuff featuring the Wilkes-Barre / Scranton Penguins, the only AHL team I think that has someone dedicated on the beat on that website, it’s at least worth your time to check out.

Anyway. In the wake of the Aston-Reese recall and the injury to Ryan Haggerty last night, the Pens recalled Reid Gardiner, who was thrust right onto the top line for the Pens tonight and Troy Josephs, who had a hat trick for the Nailers Friday night.

First Period: :26 in, Phantoms killer J-S Dea wasted no time in establishing the lead for the home team.

Jarry was dialed in, denying a Mark Vecchione would be tap in.

Penguins double the lead, via this Daniel Sprong power play goal.

I love how when Sprong shoots, he knows it’s a goal. Goal scorers just have a feeling. More Tom with Clark on Sprong…

Second Period: No scoring in the period. Jarry continued to dial in. He had a certain swagger about him tonight and even I picked that up.

Period was really marred by a lot of penalties that didn’t amount to anything as it remained 2-0 Penguins heading into the…

Third Period: Jarred Tinordi was in the penalty box for a puck over gas delay of game and Chris Conner scored from the slot to bust up Jarry’s shutout bid.

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Time started to run out on the Phantoms and Jarry made the save with under :30 left after Lehigh Valley pulled Tokarski for the extra man. They never found the equalizer.

Three Stars: 3) J-S Dea (goal, +1) 2) Daniel Sprong (gioal, even) 1) Tristan Jarry (34 saves on 35 shots)

Around the Division: Providence splits the home and home with Hartford, who beat the P-Bruins 3-1 at home tonight…Bridgeport beats Belleville at home 3-1 and Hershey finally is back in the win column in a wild game with Charlotte 6-5 in a shootout. Springfield was off.

Standings: Penguins (.682 percentage points) — Lehigh Valley (.638) — Providence (.609) — Bridgeport (.565) — Charlotte (.554) — Hartford (.510) — Springfield (.479) — Hershey (.457)

Wheeling Update: beats Wheeling in West Virginia 7-3.Fort Wayne Freddie Tiffels scored in the loss.

Video Highlights: 

AHL Power Rankings are Monday. Pens are back in action this Wednesday in Springfield.

Let’s Go Pens!