AHL Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins

Penguins Have Perfect Start To Road Trip

Published on October 24, 2011 under American Hockey League (AHL)
Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins News Release


LAST WEEK'S RESULTS

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 21: Penguins 3, FALCONS 0... Brad Thiessen helped the Penguins put the memories of a seven-goal outing from the Springfield Falcons behind them, as Wilkes-Barre/Scranton posted a 3-0 win at the MassMutual Center on Friday night. The victory came just seven days after the Falcons pounded the Penguins on their home ice.

Thiessen, who allowed two goals in mop-up duty against Springfield last week, stopped 26 shots to record his 12th career regular season shutout for the Penguins.

The game was a goaltending duel for nearly two periods, with the newly signed Manny Legace - an 18-year veteran and Stanly Cup winner - keeping Wilkes-Barre/Scranton off the scoreboard until Geoff Walker notched his team-high third power play goal of the season.

Eric Tangradi continued his hot streak in the third, picking up his third goal in the past four games and stretching his point streak to four games (3+3=6) midway through the frame.

Former Falcon Bryan Lerg got into the act as well, notching a short-handed empty net goal to give him goals in each of his last four games. He also picked up an assist on Tangradi's goal, giving him four straigh multiple point games.

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 22: Penguins 3, BEARS 1.... Bryan Lerg registered a goal and an assist and Brad Thiessen made 27 saves to help the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins down the Hershey Bears, 3-1, on Saturday at the Giant Center.

Already up 1-0 going into the second, the Penguins would further their lead thanks to a dominant period that saw them outshoot the Bears, 12-3. A turnover at center ice allowed Colin McDonald to start a 3-on-1 rush and drop a pass that Simon Despres one-timed past Braden Holtby for his first professional goal, coming at 7:49.

Lerg extended his point streak to five games with the second assist on Despres' tally and made it five straight games with goal on an even-strength marker eleven minutes into the second. A textbook give-and-go with Paul Thompson gave Lerg his team-leading sixth tally of the season and made the score 3-0 for the Penguins.

Hershey broke through on its sixth man-advantage of the contest as Boyd Kane spoiled Thiessen's shutout bid with 3:19 left in regulation.

The Penguins were able to jump out to a 1-0 edge on a power play goal by Brian Gibbons. Some quick passing around the Hershey zone opened up the slot for Gibbons' redirect of a feed from Jason Williams at 3:36 of the first.

Wilkes-Barre/Scranton put forth an 8-for-9 effort on the power play and was 5-for-6 on the penalty kill. The win was the Penguins' sixth consecutive at the Giant Center.

LERG LEADS THE WAY.... Bryan Lerg continues to be a force offensively for the Penguins, extending his goal (6g) and point streaks (6g-4a) to five games. He currently leads Wilkes-Barre/Scranton in scoring with 10 points - tied for sixth in the AHL - and has registered five-straight multi-point games. Lerg is the first Penguin to record multiple points in five consecutive contests since Jeff Taffe had a six-game streak (7g-6a) from Oct. 22 - Nov. 5, 2008.

ON THE ROAD AGAIN... The Penguins are a perfect 3-0-0-0 away from Mohegan Sun Arena at Casey Plaza. They have outscored opponents 11-2 on the road and are 15-of-16 on the penalty kill.

MAN DOWN... Lerg's empty-net shorthanded goal on Friday at Springfield gave him two on the season and lifted him into a tie for the league lead with Chris Connor of Grand Rapids. The Penguins rank first in the American Hockey League with three shorthanded goals scored.

UPCOMING GAMES

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 28, 7:30 PM: Penguins at CRUNCH... The Penguins will battle the Syracuse Crunch (3-1-1-1) on Friday at the Onondaga War Memorial at Oncenter for the first of their eight contests this season. Syracuse fell for the first time in regulation in a 7-0 road loss to the Hershey Bears on Sunday. The Crunch sit in a tie for third place in the East Division with the Penguins with one game in hand.

Second-year pro Kyle Palmieri is off to a fast start this season, leading the AHL with eight goals and ranking tied for sixth in points with 10 (8g-2a). Palmieri had his four-game goal scoring streak (8g) broken up Saturday versus Lake Erie. Teammate and fellow second-year player Nick Bonino is tied for first in the league with eight assists.

The Penguins and Crunch will renew their rivalry at home on November 23. The two teams split the six-game season series last season, but Wilkes-Barre/Scranton leads the all-time series 47-43-5-3-2 (W-L-T-OTL-SOL).

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 29, 7:00PM: Penguins at MONARCHS... Wilkes-Barre/Scranton faces the Manchester Monarchs (3-5-0-0 for the first time since Feb. 21, 2010 when the Penguins earned a 4-2 win at the Verizon Wireless Arena. The Monarchs took a 3-1 decision earlier that season on Wilkes-Barre/Scranton's home ice.

Manchester has played six of its eight games thus far on the road and occupy fourth place in the Atlantic Division. Andrei Loktionov is tied for fourth in scoring in the league with 11 points (3g-8a) and tied for first in assists (8), while Jake Muzzin leads all rookie defensemen with three tallies.

Wilkes-Barre/Scranton will again travel to take on Manchester on November 19 before wrapping up the four- game season series with a pair of games at the Mohegan Sun Arena at Casey Plaza. The Penguins are 8-4-0-0 against the Monarchs all-time head-to-head.

UPCOMING EVENTS/PROMOTIONS... Fans will get an up close and personal look at the Penguins on TV, as CHILLIN' WITH THE PENGUINS hits the airwaves this season. The half hour show will feature Penguins broadcasters Tom Grace and Mike O'Brien chatting with Pens players, and will allow fans to ask questions directly to their favorite Penguins with an interactive Q&A session in each episode.

The show will feature two Penguins players or coaches each week, and will be taped in front of a live audience inside the Ice Rink at Coal Street Park (40 Coal Street in Wilkes-Barre). Ten shows will be taped this season, and aired at 6:30pm as a lead in to Penguins home games being broadcast on MyNetwork TV.

The next taping will be held at 6:00pm on Monday, November 7. Admission to each taping is free and open to any Penguins fans in the area.

Friday's contest against the Hershey Bears on November 4, and all Friday home games, is a Dollar Dog and Draft Night. Fans can purchase dollar dogs while supplies last, and fans 21 years of age and older may purchase select draft beers also for just $1 from 6:00-7:30pm. The first 5,000 fans will receive a Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins Team Photo, courtesy of Unigraphic.

Tickets for these and all upcoming Penguins home games are available at the PennStar Box Office at Mohegan Sun Arena, through any Ticketmaster outlet, or online at ticketmaster.com. Tickets can be purchased via phone by calling 1-800-745-3000. Additionally, full and partial season ticket plans for the 2011-12 season of Wilkes- Barre/Scranton Penguins Hockey are on sale, and available by calling 570-208-PENS (7367).

All 80 regular-season Penguins games can be heard live on the home for Penguins hockey, 102.3 The Mountain, and on-line at www.wbspenguins.com . Games may also be viewed on-line at www.ahllive.com . AHL Live, powered by NeuLion, is the official video provider of the American Hockey League.

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American Hockey League Stories from October 24, 2011


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