Sports stats

AHL Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins

Penguins Clinch Playoff Berth with Shutout of Phantoms

April 8, 2015 - American Hockey League (AHL)
Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins News Release


ALLENTOWN, Pa. - Matt Murray stopped all 30 shots he faced to record his 12 shutout of the season and Kaspari Kapanen notched a goal and an assist in his Wilkes-Barre/Scranton debut as the Penguins secured their 13th consecutive trip the Calder Cup playoffs with 3-0 win over the Lehigh Phantoms on Wednesday night at PPL Center.

Kapanen put the Penguins ahead, 1-0, at 4:33 of the first period when he pounced on a loose puck at center ice, sped past the Phantoms defense and snapped a wrist shot that rattled off the right post and into the net. At 18 years, 8 months and 17 days, Kapanen became the youngest player in franchise history to score a goal.

The rookie forward figured in the scoring again as Wilkes-Barre/Scranton stretched its lead to two during a four-minute power play late in the second period. From the left circle of the Lehigh Valley zone, Kapanen a sent low shot toward the crease that Tom Kuhnhackl redirected over the shoulder of Rob Zepp for his first of the evening.

With Lehigh Valley on the power play in the final minutes of regulation looking to break up Murray's shutout bid, Kuhnhackl netted a shorthanded, empty-net tally with 1:10 remaining in the contest to complete the scoring. The unassisted goal was Kuhnhackl's ninth of the season.

Murray has recorded three shutouts in his last four starts versus Lehigh Valley, stopping 100-of-103 shots for a 0.75 goals against average and a .971 save percentage. The rookie goalie is now one shy of the record for the most shutouts in a season by an American Hockey League goaltender, held by Jason LaBarbera (Hartford - 2003-04).

Zepp took the defeat for Lehigh Valley, making 29 saves on 31 shots.

The 13th straight postseason berth for the Penguins is the longest, current active streak in the AHL and the sixth-longest in league history.

The Penguins head to Portland to battle the Pirates on Saturday, Apr. 11 at 7:00 p.m. Listen in on WILK Newsradio or watch online at AHL Live.

Individual tickets for all Penguins home games are available at the Mohegan Sun Arena Box Office, online at TicketMaster.com, or by calling 800-745-3000.

Check out the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins Statistics



American Hockey League Stories from April 8, 2015


The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.

Other Recent Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins Stories



Sports Statistics from the Stats Crew
OurSports Central