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Good thing Springfield has been eliminated from playoff contention because if they were a playoff team, Wilkes-Barre would want nothing to do with them.

The Thunderbirds sweep the Penguins on home ice up at MassMutual Center and beat Wilkes-Barre 3-1. For a place that the Penguins used as an offensive playground not too long ago, the goals have certainly dried up big time from a Wilkes-Barre perspective.

It was a bad night overall for the Pennsylvania teams in the AHL in general. Lehigh Valley and Hershey both lost tonight. The Penguins lead on the Phantoms remains at 5 but the magic number to clinch playoffs remains at 5 as well because the Bridgeport Sound Tigers beat the Phantoms. Also with Hershey getting shutout in Hartford to the Wolf Pack 3-0, that puts the game tomorrow between Hershey and Bridgeport basically as a must win for the Bears if they really want to get serious about a trip to the playoffs.

Anyway, Tristan Jarry opposed Sam Brittain.

Lines were…

Zach Aston-Reese – Kevin Porter – Tom Kostopoulos
Garrett Wilson – Oskar Sundqvist – Josh Archibald
Dominik Simon – Teddy Blueger – J-S Dea
Thomas DiPauli – Jarrett Burton – Ryan Haggerty

David Warsofsky – Frank Corrado
Derrick Pouliot – Barry Goers
Jeff Taylor – Tim Erixon

Tristan Jarry – Casey DeSmith

Lineup Notes: Tons. Oskar Sundqvist, Josh Archibald and David Warsofsky were returned to Wilkes-Barre Thursday afternoon from Pittsburgh. Archibald, Sundqvist and Garrett Wilson skated on a line for the first time since February 14, which was the last time that Garrett Wilson played any game of significance of the Penguins before his injury. Jeff Taylor made his pro debut on the third pairing with Tim Erixon.

First Period: If you missed most of the first period like I did, you didn’t miss much. The most significant thing to happen in the period was this fight Zach Aston-Reese had with Mackenzie Weegar after Aston-Reese freight trained Tim Bozon at center ice. Here is the whole thing…

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Both teams traded power plays, no one scored, the Thunderbirds outshoot the Penguins 9-7.

Second Period: Matt MacKenzie capitalized off of a Wilkes-Barre turnover and scored at 10:18 to give the Thunderbirds a 1-0 lead. Wilkes-Barre’s biggest problem was that they placed a paltry six shots at Sam Brittain that he disposed of quickly which a majority of came shorthanded. The Penguins were locked into yet another low scoring affair with the Thunderbirds and were on the wrong end of referee Keith Kaval and Andrew Wilk’s whistles. Usually in games like these, it’s very hard to generate offense let alone get a goal.

Third Period: Thunderbirds double their lead on a goal by Anthony Greco. Springfield on a power play went for a dump in and Jarry vacated his net to corral the puck but before he touched it, it hit off of a stanchion and popped right in the slot to Greco who had the easy tap in for the goal….

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Penguins started to push back but couldn’t get one past Brittain. Springfield did the same and got another past Jarry that made it 3-0. Kyle Rau…

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Penguins would finally get one past Brittain and get on the board on this nice face-off win by Jarrett Burton to Ryan Haggerty for a goal that would bust up the shutout bid Springfield had going…

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Penguins wouldn’t get any closer with Jarry vacated for an extra attacker.

Three Stars: 3) Sam Brittain (27 saves on 28 shots) 2) Matt MacKenzie (goal, even) and 1) Anthony Greco (goal, +1)

Around the Division: As noted in the open it was a bad night for the Pennsylvania teams in the AHL and a good night for pretty much everyone else. Hershey gets shutout by the Wolf Pack in Hartford 3-0…Lehigh Valley loses at home to a desperate Sound Tigers team 3-1 and Providence beats Albany 4-1.

Standings: Penguins (.699 percentage points) — Lehigh Valley (.662) — Providence (.654) — Hershey (.630) — Bridgeport (.623) — Springfield (.486) — Hartford (.382)

Wheeling Update: The Nailers beat the Brampton Beast 4-3. Daniel Leavens had a pair of goals for the Nailers in the win. Sean Maguire picked up the win in net stopping 32 of 35.

Sprong Watch: Blogged Thursday that Daniel Sprong’s Charlottetown Islanders are onto the second round of the QMJHL Playoffs after a sweep of Baie-Comeau. Sprong and the Islanders won’t know who they play until all of the other series in the first round are complete.

If Springfield puts out a video highlight package that I see and am able to edit in here, I will do so at this spot.

Pens are home Saturday to host the Phantoms. Both teams will be looking for redemption after bad losses. Gameday setup hits the blog here Saturday afternoon at 3.

Let’s Go Pens!

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Casey DeSmith’s season high 45 saves on Sunday afternoon give the Wilkes-Barre / Scranton Penguins a 2-1 win against a desperate Utica Comets team fighting of their playoff lives.

Six regulars on NHL recall to Pittsburgh, but the Penguins have won four straight, seven of their last eight and sweep the weekend here.

Consider this the rehearsal when the Penguins rematch with the Comets next Sunday which also happens to be Wrestlemania. I’m a big wrestling mark and I’m going to have a basement full of frosties and friends over for the Show of Shows a week from now. So this game recap is being hammered out in the parking lot. Mind the misspellings and comma splices, moreseo than usual.

Lines were:

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Casey DeSmith was backed up by Tristan Jarry. He opposed Michael Gartieg.

Lineup Notes: Two lineup changes and a surprise. Patrick McGrath was in for Adam Krause and Frank Corrado was in for Ryan Segalla. Now the surprise, as Obie was tweeted the line rushes above, I was looking for an extra forward and saw a 19 skate by. Wait a minute…Garrett Wilson! Indeed it was he!

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First Period: Penguins went up 11-1 on shots then the Comets rattled off nineteen shots for a season high in a period for them and a season high in saves in a period for a Penguins goaltender. Some of the saves made by DeSmith were highlight reel caliber. For two teams playing their third game in under 48 hours, combining for 35 shots total in the period was a sight to see.

Second Period: Pens had thought they scored on this play but ref Mike Sheehan waved it off and the call was confirmed on replay.

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Good call here. Puck hit both posts and never fully crossed. Better call by Sheehan in real time waving it off.

Penguins got a power play that came and went. Then Utica got a power play and of course scored to take the 1-0 lead. Darren Archibald pounced on a juicy rebound left by DeSmith that gave the Comets the 1-0 lead.

:41 later, Sahir Gill connected on a power play which counted and tied it at one.

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After a first period where both teams seemingly went for broke, the teams were deadlocked at one heading into the…

Third Period: Dominik Simon scored this goal over a way out of his crease Gartieg gave the Penguins a 2-1 lead they would never relinquish…

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Wilkes-Barre just ground the clock down form there. The Comets, with Gartieg pulled, were never able to find the equalizer.

Three Stars: 3) Sahir Gill (goal. even) 2) Dominik Simon (goal, +1) and 1) Casey DeSmith (45 saves on 46 shots)

Around the Division: Lehigh Valley was down 3-1 to start the third at home against Bridgeport and storm back and take the Sound Tigers to overtime and beat them 4-3….Hershey beat St. John’s on the Rock 2-1…Rochester shutout Springfield 2-0 and Providence beat Hartford 5-2. Rare that all seven teams in the division are in action on a Sunday.

Standings: Penguins (.709 percentage points) — Lehigh Valley (.672) — Providence (.649) — Hershey (.640) — Bridgeport (.612) — Springfield (.485) — Hartford (.373)

Penguins can clinch Friday if Bridgeport, who is in action Wednesday, loses and the Penguins win Friday and the Sound Tigers fail to record at least a point. Or, the Sound Tigers can pick up a point Wednesday and lose clean Friday but the Penguins would still have to win Friday.

Sprong Watch: Daniel Sprong’s Charlottetown Islanders hold a 2-0 series lead on the Base-Comeau Drakkar as now the series switches to Quebec Tuesday for Game 3.

Wheeling Update: Nailers were off. More on them Tuesday in the Wheeling Wrap.

Video highlights….

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Week 24 AHL Power Rankings hit the blog Monday at 4.

Let’s Go Pens!