PENGUINS WEEKLY – 1/28/25

Bemström stays hot, Penguins continue to protect home ice

Wilkes-Barre/Scranton (22-10-4-0) has three games this week before All-Star Break

Weekly Rewind

Friday, Jan. 24 – PENGUINS 3 at Utica 5
In the team’s first game after a nine-day layoff, Wilkes-Barre/ Scranton fell short in its only visit to Utica. Valtteri Puustinen notched two assists in his 400^th pro game, while Dan Renouf, Jesse Puljujärvi, and Sam Poulin scored in the loss.

Saturday, Jan. 25 – PENGUINS 2 vs. Utica 1
The Penguins enacted revenge on the Comets fewer than 24 hours later in their first home game in three weeks. Rutger McGroarty and Vasily Ponomarev lit the lamp in front of a stellar, 29-save outing from rookie goalie Sergei Murashov.

Sunday, Jan. 26 – PENGUINS 5 vs. Lehigh Valley 1
Wilkes-Barre/Scranton concluded its first three-in-three of the season with a rout of the Phantoms. Emil Bemström gathered his second hat trick of the season, while Ville Koivunen’s rocked up four assists. The Penguins’ power play went three-for-four, including Mac Hollowell’s first goal in Black & Gold.

The Week Ahead

Wednesday, Jan. 29 – PENGUINS vs. Hershey
Wilkes-Barre/Scranton takes on another fierce, PA rival. The Penguins own the best home record in the East (14-5-1-0), but the Bears are the best away team in the entire AHL (14-1-4-0).

Friday, Jan. 31– PENGUINS at Charlotte
The Penguins catch a flight to the Queen City for a two-game set. The Checkers have the edge in the season series, winning three of the four meetings so far.

Saturday, Feb. 1 – PENGUINS at Charlotte
Charlotte and Wilkes-Barre/Scranton own the top two power-play units in the league: The Checkers rank first overall at 29.1%, and the Penguins own second place with a 26.7% conversion rate.

Ice Chips

– With wins on Saturday and Sunday, Wilkes-Barre/Scranton is 10-1-1-0 (.875) after playing the night before.

– Emil Bemström has nine goals in his last eight games.

– Bemström is one of five AHL players this season to record two hat tricks this season.

– Five hat tricks by the Penguins this season ties the franchise record for most in a single season set in 2017-18.

– In his first 22 starts in North America, Sergei Murashov has a combined record of 18-3-1 in the AHL and ECHL.

– Ville Koivunen leads all AHL rookies with 22 assists as well as 11 power-play assists, and he ranks second with 32 points.

– Valtteri Puustinen has eight points (1G-7A) in his last eight games.

DIVISION STANDINGS

TEAM LEADERS

* = rookie
x = not on current roster

UPCOMING GAME SCHEDULE

DATE                    OPPONENT              LOCATION                                TIME        

Wed, Jan. 29       Hershey                   Mohegan Arena                      7:05 p.m.

Fri, Jan. 31           Charlotte                  Bojangles’ Coliseum              7:00 p.m.

Sat, Feb. 1            Charlotte                 Bojangles’ Coliseum              6:00 p.m.

RECENT TRANSACTIONS

DATE                  PLAYER                                                              TRANSACTION

Mon, Jan. 20    (G) Sergei Murashov           Reassigned by PIT from WHL

Tue, Jan. 21      (G) Jaxon Castor                                     Released from PTO

Sat, Jan. 25       (D) Owen Pickering                                 Reassigned by PIT

Sat, Jan. 25       (LW) Boko Imama                                        Recalled by PIT

Sat, Jan. 25       (D) Isaac Belliveau                   Reassigned by PIT to WHL

Mon, Jan. 27    (C) Atley Calvert                                    Recalled from WHL