PENGUINS WEEKLY RELEASE #15

Outdoor Classic Win Makes it Four in a Row for WBS

Pens battle IceCaps on Wednesday before heading North for two

LAST WEEK’S RESULTS

 

Tuesday, January 15: Penguins 4, ADMIRALS 2

Alex Grant and Riley Holzapfel each registered a goal and two assists to lead Wilkes-Barre/Scranton to a 4-2 victory over the Admirals at the Norfolk Scope. 

 

After Josh Brittain converted on the power play to pull the Admirals even, 2-2, with 5:14 remaining, Grant answered less than three minutes later during a man-advantage to give the Penguins the lead for good. Brian Gibbons added a shorthanded empty goal to seal the win.

 

Brad Thiessen needed only 11 saves to gather his third straight win. 

 

Sunday, January 21: Penguins 2, BEARS 1 (OT) - 2013 Capital BlueCross AHL Outdoor Classic

Paul Thompson scored the game-winner at 1:19 of overtime as the Penguins defeated the Bears, 2-1, in this year’s AHL Outdoor Classic. 

 

Tomas Kundratek broke a scoreless tie at 15:40 of the second period to the put Hershey ahead 1-0.  The Penguins knotted the score with 12:13 left in regulation on Riley Holzapfel’s 11^th of the season to set up Thompson’s overtime heroics.

 

Jeff Zatkoff made 24 stops for his 12^th win of the season. 

 

UPCOMING GAMES

 

Wednesday, January 23, 7:05PM: PENGUINS vs. IceCaps - 102.3 the Mountain

The St. John’s IceCaps make their last regular season visit to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton for game four of their current six-game road trip.  St. John’s is on a four-game point streak (3-0-0-1), but sits in fifth place in the Atlantic Division at 18-20-1-2.  The Penguins were triumphant during the first meeting, winning by a score of 5-3 on Dec. 1. 

 

Friday, January 25, 7:05 PM: Penguins at AMERICANS - 102.3 the Mountain

Wilkes-Barre/Scranton begins a two-trek game through the North Division with a match-up against the Rochester Americans (21-15-2-1) at Blue Cross Arena.  The Americans have taken four of their last five, including a pair of wins over their upstate-NY rival, the Syracuse Crunch.  The Penguins won in dramatic fashion against the Americans on Oct. 26, 5-4 as Paul Thompson potted the decisive tally in overtime.  Amerks goalie David Leggio has started 12 straight games, going 8-4-0-0. 

Saturday, January 26, 5:00 PM: Penguins at MARLIES - 102.3 the Mountain

The Marlies return from their own six-game road stretch to host the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton for their only meeting of the season in Toronto.  The Marlies lead a tightly-packed North Division with a record of 23-12-1-2.  Toronto has the best home winning-percentage in the AHL at .844 (13-2-0-1).  Wilkes-Barre/Scranton was victorious in the first match against Toronto, 2-1, on Nov. 24. 

 

PENGUINS TEAM LEADERS as of 1/22/13…

PLAYER	GP	G	A	PTS
Riley Holzapfel	39	11	14	25
Beau Bennett	31	6	18	24
Trevor Smith	39	11	11	22
Paul Thompson	36	13	7	20
xEric Tangradi	34	10	8	16

GOALIE	GP	REC	SO	GAA	SV%
Jeff Zatkoff	24	12-12-0	3	2.16	.913
Brad Thiessen	16	7-7-1	2	2.64	.902

EAST DIVISION STANDINGS as of 1/22/13…

TEAM	GP	W	L	OTL	SOL	PTS
1. Binghamton Senators	39	25	10	1	3	54
2. Syracuse Crunch	39	24	10	2	3	53
3. Hershey Bears	41	20	18	2	1	43
4. PENGUINS	39	19	17	2	1	41
5. Norfolk Admirals	39	15	21	2	1	33

 

ICE CHIPS…

- Wilkes-Barre/Scranton has won four straight games for the second time this season. 

- The Penguins have given up just nine goals over their last seven contests (1.29 goals per game).

- Wilkes-Barre/Scranton’s road penalty kill continues to lead the league at 89.4% (76-for-85).

- Paul Thompson has scored four goals in his last five games and now leads the Penguins with 13.  He also ranks first on the Penguins with four game-winning goals. 

- Brad Thiessen has won four of his last five starts, allowing only five goals and posting two shutouts.  He has a .953 save percentage over that span.

- Brian Gibbons recorded the Penguins’ second shorthanded goal of the season with his unassisted empty-netter on Tuesday at Norfolk.

- In the Penguins’ only other this season against the Americans and Marlies, Thompson was responsible for both game-winners. 

 

PENGUINS RECENT TRANSACTIONS…

01/19/2013	Chris Barton	C	DEL	Released from PTO
01/19/2013	Paul Crowder	C	DEL	Released from PTO
01/17/2013	Beau Bennett	LW	ADD	Returned on loan from Pittsburgh (NHL)
01/17/2013	Jayson Megna	C	ADD	Returned on loan from Pittsburgh (NHL)
01/16/2013	Carl Sneep	D	ADD	Reassigned by Pittsburgh (NHL) from Wheeling (ECHL)
01/16/2013	Cody Wild	D	ADD	Signed to SPC
01/15/2013	Adam Payerl	C	ADD	Reassigned by Pittsburgh (NHL) from Wheeling (ECHL)

 

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