PENGUINS WEEKLY – 1/18/22

Penguins look to keep the ball rolling through busy homestand

Wilkes-Barre/Scranton (11-15-1-3) will host Toronto, Cleveland for the first times this season

Penguins Weekly Rewind

Friday, Jan. 14 – PENGUINS 3 vs. Lehigh Valley 4
Despite dictating the play from the opening puck drop, Wilkes-Barre/Scranton was shocked by Lehigh Valley. The Penguins out-shot their rival, 42-16, but goals by Félix Robert, Valtteri Puustinen and Alex Nylander weren’t enough to get the win.

Saturday, Jan. 15 – PENGUINS 5 at Lehigh Valley 2
In their rematch with the Phantoms, the Penguins were rewarded for their tenacious efforts with a huge offensive output. Puustinen got the scoring started in the first, then Sam Poulin, Robert and Nathan Légaré tallied during a 1:37 window during the second period.

Sunday, Jan. 16 – PENGUINS 2 vs. Hershey 1
Wilkes-Barre/Scranton gutted out a tight win in their final game of a three-in-three. Nylander put the Pens on the board with a power-play goal in the middle frame, and Patrick Watling buried the game-winner in the third, his first goal as a Penguin.

The Week Ahead

Wednesday, Jan. 19 – PENGUINS vs. Lehigh Valley
For the third time in six days, the Penguins face-off against their turnpike rival. Wilkes-Barre/Scranton has a 4-2-0-0 record against Lehigh Valley this season, and Félix Robert has 10 points (6G-4A) in 10 career games against the Phantoms.

Friday, Jan. 21 & Saturday, Jan. 22– PENGUINS vs. Toronto
For the first time this season, Wilkes-Barre/Scranton will do battle with the Toronto Marlies. The Marlies are on a six-game win streak and rookie Filip Král was just named AHL Player of the Week (2G-4A).

Monday, Jan. 24 – PENGUINS vs. Cleveland
Cleveland comes to town to make up a previously postponed game from Dec. 31. The Penguins are 8-2-0-0 all-time against the Monsters franchise, including a perfect 4-0-0-0 at home.

Ice Chips

– Wilkes-Barre/Scranton has had a different game-winning goal-scorer in all 11 of its victories this season

– Seven of the Penguins’ 11 wins have come by a one-goal margin.

– The Penguins’ line of Félix Robert, Sam Houde and Valtteri Puustinen combined to earn (4G-5A) nine points last weekend.

– Puustinen has opened the scoring in games five times this season, tied for the most first goals in the league.

– Patrick Watling is the second Penguin this season to have his first goal with the team stand as the game-winner (Nathan Légaré – Oct. 30 at Springfield).

DIVISION STANDINGS

TEAM                      GP       W         L       OTL     SOL     PTS     Pts%

1. Providence        29        16         9         3          1        36       .621

2. Springfield         33       18        11         3          1        40       .606

3. Hershey             34        18        11         3          2        41       .603

4. Hartford             31       16        10         3          2        37       .597

5. Charlotte            32       17        13         2          0        36       .563

6. Lehigh Valley     30       10        12          6         2        28       .467

7. Bridgeport         37        13        17        3          4        33       .446

8. PENGUINS         30        11         15        1         3        26       .433

TEAM LEADERS

SKATERS                        GP        G         A        PTS

Valtteri Puustinen        30        11       10         21

Alex Nylander               29        10         7         17

Félix Robert                   26         8          7         15

Pierre-Olivier Joseph    22        3         12         15

Jordy Bellerive               28         4        10         14

GOALIES                       GP      W-L-OT      GAA       SV%    Shutouts

Matt Jurusik*^x               2          1-1-0        2.00       .926            1

Louis Domingue^         9          3-3-2       2.54        .922            0

Filip Lindberg*              7          4-2-0        2.76       .915            0

Tommy Nappier*         9          3-4-2        3.22       .883            0

* = rookie
^ = currently with Pittsburgh
^X = no longer in the organization

UPCOMING GAME SCHEDULE

DATE                OPPONENT      LOCATION                                   TIME      

Wed, Jan. 19    Lehigh Valley    Mohegan Sun Arena                  7:05 p.m.

Fri, Jan. 21        Toronto             Mohegan Sun Arena                  7:05 p.m.

Sat, Jan. 22       Toronto             Mohegan Sun Arena                  7:05 p.m.

Mon, Jan. 24     Cleveland           Mohegan Sun Arena                 7:05 p.m.

RECENT TRANSACTIONS

Wed, Jan. 12    (LW) Drew O’Connor                      Recalled to PIT

Wed, Jan. 12    (LW) Filip Hållander                        Recalled to PIT

Fri, Jan. 15       (RW) Pascal Laberge                        Signed to PTO

Mon, Jan. 17    (D) Juuso Riikola                   Reassigned from PIT

Tue, Jan. 18     (RW) Pascal Laberge               Released from PTO

PENGUINS WEEKLY – Individual game tickets and season-ticket packages for the 2021-22 season are on sale now. Full-Season, 22-game, 12-game, Flexbook and Premium Seating plans are available by reaching out to the Penguins directly at (570) 208-7367.