PENGUINS WEEKLY – 11/19/24

Wilkes-Barre/Scranton has light week, focuses on lone home game

Penguins (8-4-1-0) set sights on return to win column with Islanders coming back to town

Weekly Rewind

Wednesday, Nov. 13 – PENGUINS 3 at Lehigh Valley 4 (OT)
Owen Pickering nabbed his first pro goal, but Wilkes-Barre/Scranton surrendered goals late in all three periods leading to an overtime loss at PPL Center. Lehigh Valley struck first, but goals in 15 seconds from Marc Johnstone and Emil Bemström put the Penguins in the lead. The Phantoms’ Alexis Gendron tied the game, 2-2, before the second intermission. Pickering’s first briefly put the Black and Gold ahead by one, but Gendron’s second of the night forced OT. Olle Lycksell tallied the winner on the power play a minute into the extra session.

Saturday, Nov. 16 – PENGUINS 2 vs. Bridgeport 5
The Penguins rallied from a two-goal deficit, but were undone by a late flurry from the visiting Islanders. Joel Blomqvist was locked in from the first shift of his AHL return, staving off an early blitz by Bridgeport. The Islanders eventually solved Blomqvist with a power-play goal in the first period, then scored again early in the second. Jagger Joshua, returning from injury and playing in his first game of the season, set up Raivis Ansons halfway through the middle frame. Tristan Broz’s team-leading seventh goal made it 2-2, but an extra-attacker goal by the Islanders during a delayed penalty lifted them back on top. A pair of empty netters sealed the Penguins’ fate.

The Week Ahead

Friday, Nov. 22 – PENGUINS vs. Bridgeport
In a rare twist, Wilkes-Barre/Scranton plays only once this week: another home game against the Bridgeport Islanders. Bridgeport was responsible for snapping a five-game home winning streak for Wilkes-Barre/Scranton. Furthermore, the Penguins had won six head-to-heads in a row against the Isles. The first goal on Friday will be a pivotal one, given these team’s track records. The Penguins are 8-1-0-0 when scoring first, and scoring first has led to all four of the Islanders’ wins. Both clubs are winless this season when conceding the opening goal.

Ice Chips

– Wilkes-Barre/Scranton has out-scored its opponents 14-4 in the first period, the best first-period goal differential in the AHL.

– With seven goals, Tristan Broz ranks second among league rookies.

– Mac Hollowell is tied for the most shots on goal by AHL defensemen (38).

– Joel Blomqvist is the fifth starting goalie the Penguins have used through 13 games this season (F. Larsson, S. Murashov, A. Nedeljkovic, T. Jarry).

– Owen Pickering made his NHL debut for the Pittsburgh Penguins on Saturday, recording an assist against San Jose.

DIVISION STANDINGS

TEAM LEADERS

* = rookie
x = not on current roster

UPCOMING GAME SCHEDULE

DATE                    OPPONENT              LOCATION                                TIME        

Fri, Nov. 22          Bridgeport               Mohegan Arena                      7:05 p.m.

RECENT TRANSACTIONS

DATE                  PLAYER                                                          TRANSACTION

Mon, Nov. 11     (C) Sam Poulin                                            Recalled to PIT

Mon, Nov. 11     (D) Mats Lindgren                              Reassigned to WHL

Thu, Nov. 14     (C) Vasily Ponomarev                                Recalled to PIT

Thu, Nov. 14     (LW) Matt Nieto                                         Recalled to PIT

Thu, Nov. 14     (G) Joel Blomqvist                               Reassigned by PIT

Fri, Nov. 15        (D) Owen Pickering                                  Recalled to PIT