PENS CLINCH PLAYOFF SPOT WITH 6-1 WIN OVER SPRINGFIELD

WILKES-BARRE, PA - A season-high four power play goals lifted the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins to a 6-1 win against the Springfield Falcons on Friday night at Wachovia Arena at Casey Plaza.

The win clinched a sixth straight playoff berth for the Pens, who pulled one point ahead of the Philadelphia Phantoms in the East Division standings on Friday. The Phantoms dropped a 6-5 decision to the Bridgeport Sound Tigers in Connecticut, leaving Philly with 93 points (43-25-3-4) to the Pens' 94 (45-26-0-4).

The Pens will look to extend that lead Saturday night, when they host the Phantoms in what promises to be a playoff-style contest.

"We didn't look past this one, but we're definitely looking forward to tomorrow," said Mark Ardelan, who picked up two points in Friday's win, including the game-winning goal. "We wanted to win and clinch a playoff spot, we didn't want another team to lose for us to clinch. We had it up on the board before the game, and we went out and did it. It's a great thing."

After having trouble on the power play for the better part of a month and a half, the Penguins have suddenly found their scoring touch on the man advantage. They tallied two power play goals on Wednesday against Norfolk - the first time they accomplished that feat in 12 games.

On Friday they equalled that mark in the first 11 minutes of play, and went on to post four power play markers for the first time this season.

"It's important for us early on in games, not necessarily to score a goal, but to at least generate some opportunites, and we were able to do that," said head coach Todd Richards. "I think what that does is give everybody on the bench confidence.

"We were able to build some momentum up from our power play, and I think that carried over to the five-on-five."

Chris Minard and Grant Potulny traded goals during the early stages of the game, with the Penguins' sniper picking up his team-leading 24th of the season just 3:02 into play. But,after Potulny banged home his 27th as he crasehd the net, it was all Penguins.

Ardelan one-timed a shot from the slot off a Nathan Smith pass for his second goal in four games, and Deryk Engelland slipped a shot behind one-time Penguin Devan Dubnyk with 3:06 left in the first period to give the home club a two-goal cushion.

Tim Brent tallied the lone goal of the second frame, the Pens' third power play tally of the night, and Mark Letestu surprised Dubnyk with a quick turnaround shot on a loose puck, leading to a goaltender change for the Falcons.

But by that point it was too little, too late. Bryan Pitton stopped three of the four shots he faced, allowing Smith a wrap around with 4:24 to play to close out the scoring.

So, with the palyoff spot finally secured, the Pens can look forward to a heated battle for first on Saturday night.

"Everybody in here knows what's coming up tomorrow, and it's a huge game tomorrow....We're battling for first place, but we're fairly close to third, too. Every game is important, every game is critical," said Richards. "I think it's going to be a playoff type game. It's going to have intensity, speed, passion, everything about it is going to have a playoff feel to it."