@      

  2                                          1

–

The Wilkes-Barre / Scranton Penguins progressively got weaker personnel wise this weekend with the Pittsburgh Penguins playing two meaningless games having their fate and playoff opponent already sealed up. Two players went up Saturday morning, a trio went up Sunday morning.

You would have been fine thinking that the Penguins would lose today in Providence. After all, all the Penguins needed was one point in the next four games and the Atlantic Division Championship was theirs.

That’s not how Clark Donatelli and his coaching staff attacks life though. He’s a coach, after all, and coaches men to succeed to the next level, which five of them have done right before his locker rooms very eyes in the last 48 hours.

A 2-1 win this afternoon in Providence who are still chasing down a playoff spot and dressed a semi-full lineup too and the Wilkes-Barre / Scranton Penguins are your…

– Atlantic Division Champions, first division win for the Penguins since 2010-11
– As a result, they also win the Eastern Conference Championship, meaning the path to the Calder Cup coming out of the East, goes through Wilkes-Barre.
– First team to 50 wins in the AHL this season and only the fifth team in AHL history four teams playing 76 games to win 50 games.

The one constant for the Penguins throughout the season has been defense. It’s a really deep blueline for the Penguins and one that has carried the Penguins this far. Also, the play as a backup by Casey DeSmith cannot go understated. DeSmith would be a starter for about half the other teams in the league and would still thrive and likely win as many games if not more for his team. When Tristan Jarry can’t play, Casey DeSmith steps right in and fills the void. That type of play is going to earn him an NHL contract in the near future.

He opposed Zane McIntyre this afternoon in Providence.

Lines were…

Garrett Wilson – Teddy Blueger – Tom Kostopoulos|
Zach Aston-Reese – Jarrett Burton – Ryan Haggerty
Nick Sorkin – Troy Josephs – Adam Krause
Cody Wydo – Christian Hilbrich – Patrick McGrath

David Warsofsky – Frank Corrado
Tim Erixon – Ethan Prow
Jeff Taylor – Brett Stern

Casey DeSmith – Sean Maguire

Lineup Notes: J-S Dea, Derrick Pouliot and Oskar Sundqvist were all recalled to Pittsburgh Sunday morning as the Penguins play their final game of the regular season against the New York Rangers. Word was that the game would feature a heavy contingent of Wilkes-Barre alums as Dea is expected to make his NHL debut and Tristan Jarry is expected to make his first NHL start in goal. Dylan Sink, who the Penguins signed yesterday, hasn’t yet reported to the team.

First Period: The Penguins jumped out to a quick 2-0 lead. Cody Wydo scored his first NHL goal here…

–

…and Jarrett Burton scored to double the lead and made it 2-0 Wilkes-Barre / Scranton…

–

Zach Aston-Reese picked up and assist on this goal giving him eight points in eight games.

Providence had a power play at the end of the period and ferociously tried to get a goal but DeSmith kept them out of the net.

Second Period: Bruins had a goal taken off of the board when referee Stephen Reneau had intent to blow the whistle as the puck crossed the line. Tough break for the Bruins there but we have all been on the wrong end of those calls before.

Third Period: Much like last night in Hartford, the Bruins would score early to cut the deficit to one, Jake DeBrusk scored a power play goal :40 in to make it a one goal game…

–

The action picked up and was end to end, clock continued to run. Penguins nearly scored off of an Alex Grant turnover. The Bruins, with McIntyre vacated for an extra man, were never able to find the equalizer.

Three Stars: 3) Jake DeBrusk (goal, even) 2) Jarrett Burton (goal, +1) and 1) Casey DeSmith (33 saves on 34 shots)

Around the Division: Everyone else in the Atlantic Division has to wait until the final week of the regular season to sew up a playoff berth thanks to Bridgeport beating Hartford 3-2. Hershey, Lehigh Valley and Springfield all had the afternoon off.

Standings: Penguins (.712 percentage points) — Lehigh Valley (.651) — Providence (.651) — Hershey (.628) — Bridgeport (.622) — Springfield (.473) — Hartford (.370)

Look for the Penguins, now with nothing left to play for other than the regular season championship, to rest some regulars with three home games coming up this week. You will probably see a caravan of Black Aces come up from Wheeling this week, Sean Maguire will probably start one of the three games if not more and guys like Jeff Taylor and Dylan Zink may see time on the top defensive pairings.

If the Bruins do a video highlight package and IU can work an edit in, I will do so here.

Power Rankings out at 4 Monday then the final Wheeling Wrap out noon Tuesday. Gameday setup vs. Lehigh Valley yours Wednesday at 3.

Let’s Go Pens!

          @          

2                                              1

–

The Penguins, one of the best team in the AHL, go 8-0 in the season series against one of the worst teams in the AHL and sweep the season series with the Hartford Wolf Pack with a 2-1 win Saturday night. The aggregate score in the eight game series was 40-14 Penguins. An absolute obliteration in every sense of the term.

The Penguins rested a lot of guys and lost a few to recall as it was on the minds of the brass in Pittsburgh too and still beat a Hartford side which was building on something towards next season.

Casey DeSmith opposed Magnus Hellberg.

Lines were…

Garrett Wilson – Oskar Sundqvist – Ryan Haggerty
Nick Sorkin – Teddy Blueger – J-S Dea
Troy Josephs – Jarrett Burton – Cody Wydo
Adam Krause – Patrick McGrath

David Warsofsky – Derrick Pouliot
Tim Erixon – Ethan Prow
Frank Corrado – Jeff Taylor
Brett Stern

Casey DeSmith – Sean Maguire-

Lineup Notes: The Penguins signed defenseman Dylan Zink out of UMass-Lowell Saturday. He had a career year for the Riverhawks, posting 10-26-36 in 41 games. Zink was named second team All-American….Tristan Jarry and Kevin Porter were recalled to Pittsburgh. Pittsburgh has nothing left to play for as their playoff seeding is locked in, so they called upon Jarry and Porter as a bonus to both of them. As a result the Penguins recalled Sean Maguire and signed Cody Wydo. As for the personnel on the ice, Tom Kostopoulos was give the night off, breaking his iron man streak. Zach Aston-Reese’s flight was cancelled out of Chicago so he missed the game….Sahir Gill is week to week with an upper body injury. Penguins dressed seven defensemen tonight.

First Period: Was all about the Penguins penalty killing. They did an excellent job killing the Hartford power plays that were gifted to them by the whistles of referees Terry Koharski and Chris Brown.

Second Period: Patrick McGrath scored his first AHL goal on this nice setup by Derrick Pouliot…

–

J-S Dea doubled the Penguins lead with this snipe from the slot…

–

Things settled from a special teams perspective with only three calls made after the first period and the Penguins had a better chance to showcase themselves as the better team at five on five.

Third Period: Adam Tambellini scored on a laser of a shot to bust up the DeSmith shutout bid and put Hartford on the board to cut it to one just :15 into the third period. DeSmith’s shutout streak ends at 130:25. From here, it was all about hanging on for Wilkes-Barre and not allowing the Wolf Pack another goal. With Hellberg vacated and on a late power play, they never found the equalizer.

Three Stars: 3) Casey DeSmith (34 saves on 35 shots) Adam Tambellini (goal, even) 1) J-S Dea (goal, +1)

Around the Division: The Penguins had a chance to clinch the division tonight with a win and a Providence loss but the Bruins shutout the Bridgeport Sound Tigers 3-0 tonight…Hershey keeps their playoff hopes alive and now control their own destiny with a 2-1 win in Toronto to sweep the weekend…Lehigh Valley beats Springfield 4-2.

Standings: Penguins (.708 percentage points) — Providence (.660) — Lehigh Valley (.651) — Hershey (.628) — Bridgeport (.616) — Springfield (.473) — Hartford (.375)

Wheeling Update: with a 5-2 loss in Kalamazoo tonight.The Nailers closed out their season Expect a Black Ace squad to be recalled sometime next week.

Sprong Watch: after a 5-2 win tonight.The Charlottetown Islanders now have a 2-0 series lead on the Cape Breton Screaming Eagles Daniel Sprong had two goals. Game 3 is Tuesday.

If I see video highlights and can work an edit in, I will do so here.

Gameday setup for the 3 p.m. game against the Providence Bruins will hit the blog Sunday at 11 a.m.

Let’s Go Pens!

       @       

  3                                       0

–

Depending on how you interpret things, you can call this a statement win by the Wilkes-Barre / Scranton Penguins. Not just on the Lehigh Valley Phantoms who have been the Penguins main pursuer for the top spot in the Atlantic, but on the rest of the division and Eastern Conference.

The third shutout in a row against the Phantoms, who haven’t scored a goal on the Penguins in 215:38. Lehigh Valley isn’t a team that gets shutout that often mind you. The Phantoms are still battling for playoff positioning in a battle with three other teams separated by just three points coming in. Wilkes-Barre wins 3-0 to push the point total to 100 this season and is again the first AHL team to reach the threshold of tens this season; the first time Wilkes-Barre has hit 100 points since 2010-11.

This is without regulars like Josh Archibald and Dominik Simon in the lineup, Zach Aston-Reese away on Hobey Baker duty and Thomas DiPauli out with an injury.

Defense remains generally intact though and that was what the Penguins relied upon to get them through this one. The Phantoms only had 21 shots on goal in this game. Lehigh Valley is the second highest scoring team in the league.

Tristan Jarry opposed Anthony Stolarz.

Lines were…

Sahir Gill – Kevin Porter – Tom Kostopoulos
Garrett Wilson – Oskar Sundqvist – Ryan Haggerty
Troy Josephs – Teddy Blueger – J-S Dea
Adam Krause – Jarrett Burton – Patrick McGrath

David Warsofsky – Frank Corrado
Derrick Pouliot – Brett Stern
Tim Erixon – Ethan Prow

Tristan Jarry – Casey DeSmith

Lineup Notes: Casey DeSmith and Jake GuentzelI didn’t get to put this in a blog post this week but were named to the AHL All-Rookie Team this week and David Warsofsky was named to the AHL All-Star Second Team this week….Zach Aston-Reese was away on Hobey Baker duty and Thomas DiPauli was out with an injury, possibly his wrist per WBS media reports I saw this week….Coal Street recalled Wheeling Nailers captain Nick Sorkin earlier in the day Friday but he was a healthy scratch tonight…Barry Goers was announced as paired with Derrick Pouliot, but it was Brett Stern who took warmups, that slotted in on the second defensive pairing.

First Period: Anthony Stolarz was under fire early and often by the Penguins who didn’t allow the Phantoms a shot on goal until 9:20 into the period. The period ended scoreless and the storylines were the aggressive start by the Penguins and the stellar play by Anthony Stolarz in net for the Phantoms.

Second Period: It was another smothering defensive period by the Penguins, who didn’t allow the Phantoms a shot until 9:09 into the second.

Oskar Sundqvist scored on this nice slapshot that gave the Penguins a 1-0 lead….

–

It was the 100th professional point for Sundqvist.

Penguins ended up taking two penalties to close out the period but the Phantoms were not able to capitalize.

Third Period: Sundqvist scored his second of the night with this shot…

–

…that made it 2-0 Penguins.

Penguins basically whittled time down and kept the Phantoms at bay the entire period. Then after a time out and Stolarz pulled, David Warsofsky scored this empty net goal from 190′ away to make it 3-0 and ice the game away…

–

The only issue which remained was whether or not the Penguins would collect the shutout for the third consecutive time against Lehigh Valley. They did.

Three Stars: 3) Tristan Jarry (21 save shutout) 2) Ryan Haggerty (two assists. +2) 1) Oskar Sundqvist (two goals, assist, +3)

Around the Division: Providence beats Bridgeport 2-1. These two teams rematch tomorrow. Hershey beats Rochester 3-2. Hartford beats Springfield 4-3.

Standings: Penguins (.704 percentage points) — Providence (.655) — Lehigh Valley (.646) — Bridgeport (.625) — Hershey (.623) — Springfield (.479) — Hartford (.380)

Wheeling Update: Nailers throttle Kalamazoo 7-2 in West Virginia. Riley Bourbonnais had a hat trick, Christian Hilbrich had a goal and two assists and Sean Maguire stopped 36 of 38 shots.

Sprong Watch: Daniel Sprong and the Charlottetown Islanders have a 1-0 series lead on the Cape Breton Screaming Eagles after beating them Thursday 4-1. Sprong had a goal in the contest. Game 2 is played Saturday.

If Lehigh Valley puts up video highlights or if the Penguins run them, I will run an edit here if I can.

Pens now bus to Hartford as the weekend road trip continues. Gameday setup hits the blog Saturday at 3.

Let’s Go Pens!