AHL Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins

Letestu Nets Two In Penguins Win

January 9, 2008 - American Hockey League (AHL)
Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins News Release


WILKES-BARRE, PA - Mark Letestu scored two goals, Jonathan Filewich chipped in three points, and the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins posted a 3-1 win against the Lake Erie Monsters Wednesday night at the Wachovia Arena at Casey Plaza.

The win upped the Pens' record to 22-13-0-1 on the season (45 points, second in East Division), while Lake Erie fell to 11-20-1-5 (28 points, sixth in North Division).

The line of Tim Brent, Kurtis McLean and Chris Minard carried the Penguins through their recent nine-game winning streak, but the trio was held off the scoresheet entirely on Wednesday.

Instead, it was the combination of Letestu, Filewich and Joe Jensen which clicked for the home club, as those three combined for six points (3+3) on the night.

Letestu only netted his first AHL goal just two games ago, but led the charge against Lake Erie, sniping his first of the night with 57 seconds left in the opening period, then adding his second less than a minute into the second frame.

"A lot of times it's just getting that first one and getting confident," said Penguins head coach Todd Ricahrds. "It's hard when you go...12, 13, 14 games without a goal. You start pressing a little bit, and questions start to pop into your head. Certainly when you get the first one, you start to get more confident. Hopefully his game can go forward from here."

Filewich fed Letestu on both goals, setting up the first from behind the Monsters' net and feeding Letestu at the right faceoff circle to open the scoring late in the first period.

"I thought we did a lot of good things in the game. We came out a little flat, and I think some of that had to do with how they played" said Richards. "They're a hard working group, and they were carrying the pace a little bit."

Filewich chipped in with his seventh of the season midway through the game, but most of the hard work on the goal was done by Jensen. Recently recalled from Wheeling (ECHL), Jensen pursued a Lake Erie defender behind the goal, and blocked a clearing pass with his left skate. He then poked the loose puck to Filewich at the near post who deposited it on the far side of Tyler Weiman.

Former Penguin Matt Hussey netted the lone goal of the night for Lake Erie just over a minute later. That was the only blemish on John Curry's stat line, as the Pens' netminder turned aside 14 of 15 shots for his seventh victory of the season.

The win was the 10th in the last 11 games for the Penguins, and keeps the team second in the East Division, with games against intrastate rivals Hershey and Philadelphia on the home slate for the weekend.

Check out the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins Statistics



American Hockey League Stories from January 9, 2008


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