AHL Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins

Penguins conclude regular season with three games this week

Published on April 10, 2006 under American Hockey League (AHL)
Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins News Release


The Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins conclude their most successful regular season to date this week, traveling to Syracuse on Wednesday before hosting Bridgeport and Philadelphia on Friday and Saturday nights.

Friday night will be Fan Appreciation Night at the Wachovia Arena, with every fan winning a prize as they enter the rink. Twenty lucky fans will win the ‘Shirts Off Our Backs,' walking away with official, game-worn warm-up jerseys from the Penguins. Other prizes include vacation packages, Penguins playoff tickets, gift certificates to area restaurants and other Penguins memorabilia.

Saturday is awards night at the arena, with the players being honored prior to the puck drop. Awards such as Team MVP, Most Improved Player, Rookie of the Year and Leading Scorer will be handed out.

The Penguins enter this week's action with a 49-18-5-5 record and 108 points. The team claimed its first ever regular season division title with a 5-4 win against the Norfolk Admirals last Friday, and is currently tied with the Portland Pirates for the top spot in the Eastern Conference. The Atlantic Division champion Pirates take on the Lowell Lock Monsters on Wednesday, then play a home-and-home series with the Springfield Falcons on Friday and Saturday. Portland currently holds the tie-breaker in the race for the Frank S. Mathers Trophy with 50 wins to the Penguins' 49.

The Penguins have set new records for wins, points, home wins, home points, road wins, road points, and will finish the regular season with a new record for fewest losses. Additionally, the Penguins can set a new record for fewest goals allowed in a season, having allowed a league-low 173 through 77 games (the current record is 197, set in 2003-04.

DEFENSE FIRST

The Penguins continue to lead the AHL in defense, having allowed just 173 goals through 77 games thus far (2.25 goals per game). The next closest team in the goals against column is the Providence Bruins, who have allowed 203 in 76 games (2.67 goals per game).

The Penguins team record for fewest goals allowed in a season is 197 (2.4625 goals per game), set during the 2003-04 campaign.

SABOURIN NAMED FIRST TEAM ALL-STAR

Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins goaltender Dany Sabourin has been voted to the American Hockey League's 2005-06 First All-Star Team, it was announced last week.

Sabourin ranks among the AHL leaders in goals against average (2.30), save percentage (.931), wins (28) and shutouts (3). He is also up for the Aldege ‘Baz' Bastien Award, which is given to the AHL's outstanding goaltender. That award will be announced on Tuesday.

The 6-2, 190 pound native of Val d'Or, Quebec has set new team records for consecutive wins (nine games, from Oct. 9-Dec. 12), consecutive road wins (eight games, from Oct. 9-Dec. 2), longest unbeaten streak (nine games, from Oct. 9-Dec. 12) and wins in a season (27) this year, while anchoring the league's best defense (167 goals against, 2.23 goals per game).

ATTENDANCE

The Penguins are averaging 8,129 fans per home game this season (308,892 in 38 games), 99.8% of capacity.

PENS FIRST ROUND PLAYOFF DATES ANNOUNCED

The Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins will host the first two games of the East Division Semifinals on Thursday, April 20 and Saturday, April 22, it was announced on Monday. Both games will begin at 7:05pm.

The Penguins will play either the Bridgeport Sound Tigers or the Binghamton Senators in the opening round of the Calder Cup Playoffs.

SCENARIO #1 - Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins vs. Bridgeport Sound Tigers

GAME DAY DATE TIME VENUE

1 (A) Thursday April 20 7:05pm Wachovia Arena at Casey Plaza

2 (B) Saturday April 22 7:05pm Wachovia Arena at Casey Plaza

3 Sunday April 23 1:05pm Arena at Harbor Yard

4 Tuesday April 25 7:35pm Arena at Harbor Yard

5* (C) Wednesday April 26 7:05pm Wachovia Arena at Casey Plaza

6* Friday April 28 7:35pm Arena at Harbor Yard

7* (D) Saturday April 29 7:05pm Wachovia Arena at Casey Plaza

SCENARIO #2 - Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins vs. Binghamton Senators

GAME # DAY DATE TIME VENUE

1 (A) Thursday April 20 7:05pm Wachovia Arena at Casey Plaza

2 (B) Saturday April 22 7:05pm Wachovia Arena at Casey Plaza

3 Monday April 24 7:00pm Broome County Veterans' Memorial Arena

4 Tuesday April 25 7:00pm Broome County Veterans' Memorial Arena

5* (C) Saturday April 29 7:05pm Wachovia Arena at Casey Plaza

6* Sunday April 30 5:00pm Broome County Veterans' Memorial Arena

7* (D) Tuesday May 2 7:05pm Wachovia Arena at Casey Plaza

= if necessary; letters in parenthesis indicate home game ticket letter

Tickets for first round home games A, B and C are on sale now, and available at the Wachovia Arena Box Office, on-line at www.ticketmaster.com or by calling TicketMaster at 570-693-4100.

Ticket prices for games A, B and C are $34.00 for Yellow Zone seats, $24.00 for Red Zone, $20.50 for Gold Zone and $16.75 for Blue Zone.

A LOOK AHEAD:

Wednesday, April 12 - PENGUINS @ Syracuse Crunch

NOTES:

The Penguins are 4-3-0-0 against the Crunch this season. This is the eighth and final meeting between the teams this season. Syracuse is 45-23-5-3 (98 points) and in second place in the North Division. This is the Penguins' road finale for the regular season. Wilkes-Barre/Scranton is 23-10-3-3 (52 points) away from home this season.

Friday, April 7 - Bridgeport Sound Tigers @ PENGUINS

NOTES:

The Penguins 4-4-0-1 against Bridgeport this season, 2-1-0-1 on home ice. This is the 10th and final regular season meeting between the teams. Bridgeport is 38-31-6-3 (85 points) and in fourth place in the East Division. Bridgeport's magic number to clinch a playoff spot is two. The Sound Tigers have two regular season games remaining, while the fifth-place Binghamton Senators have four. Any combination of two points won by Bridgeport or two points lost by Binghamton will clinch a spot for the Sound Tigers.

Saturday, April 8 - Philadelphia Phantoms @ PENGUINS

NOTES:

The Penguins are 7-1-1-0 against the Phantoms this season. This is the 10th and final meeting between the clubs this season. Philadelphia is 34-36-1-7 (76 points) and in sixth place in the East Division.

INDIVIDUAL LEAGUE LEADERS

Dany Sabourin is second in the American Hockey League with a 2.30 goals against average, tied for third with a .921 save percentage, third with 28 wins and tied for fourth with three shutouts. Dennis Bonvie is first overall with 404 penalty minutes. Daniel Carcillo is fifth with 273 penalty minutes. Alain Nasreddine is tied for sixth with a plus-24 rating. Matt Hussey is tied for third with seven game-winning goals.

ON THE AIR

All Penguins games can be heard live on QFM 92.1 and on the internet at www.wbspenguins.com, with Tom Grace calling the action.

ON THE WEB

All Penguins games can be seen live on the internet thanks to the B2 Network. Log on to www.wbspenguins.com to watch all Penguins home and road games live.

TICKETS

Good seats remain for all Penguins home games. Full season, partial season, group and individual tickets for Penguins home games are now on sale. For more information, contact the Penguins at 570-208-7367 or log on to www.wbspenguins.com.

Check out the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins Statistics

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American Hockey League Stories from April 10, 2006


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