AHL Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins

Penguins On The Road For Four Games

Published on March 10, 2009 under American Hockey League (AHL)
Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins News Release


THE ROAD AHEAD: The Penguins (39-21-2-2, 82 points) take to the road for four inter-division games this week. Fourteen of the team's final 16 games are against East Division foes, and nine of their final 16 contests take place away from the Wachovia Arena at Casey Plaza.

Wednesday, March 11 @ Philadelphia, 7:05pm

The Phantoms (32-26-2-2, 68 points) sit six points out of the final playoff spot in the division, with two games in hand on the fourth place Binghamton Senators. Danny Syvret is second among all AHL defensemen with 45 points (9+36), while Matt Clackson leads the league with 28 major penalties this season. Scott Munroe is tied for fourth in the league with 23 wins in net. The Pens and Phantoms will meet three times in the next nine days (March 11, 18 & 20).

Friday, March 13 @ Albany, 7:00pm

Monday, March 16 @ Albany, 7:00pm

The River Rats (28-28-3-3, 62 points) rank 25th out of 29 teams in the league standings this season, but have managed to grab two wins in the past three meetings with the Penguins. The Rats are also one of the best teams in the AHL when it comes to shootouts, posting a 6-3 record in such games. Only the Rockford Ice Hogs and Manchester Monarchs have won more shootout contests (seven each) this season. Goaltender Justin Peters has been in net for five of those six victories. Former Penguin Joe Jensen has a five-game assist streak entering this week.

Saturday, March 14 @ Hershey, 7:00pm

The Bears (40-18-1-5, 86 points) have scored more goals this season (247) than any other team in the league. However, they allow an average of 3.09 goals per game (198 goals/64 games) to place 23rd in the category. They also have the lowest ranked penalty kill in the AHL at 79.1% (276 or 349). Hershey boasts the league's top two scorers in Keith Aucoin (22+63=85) and Alexandre Giroux (45+30=75) and one of the top rookie scorers in Mathieu Perreault (10+33=43). Since falling to the Bears, 8-4, on opening night, the Penguins have run off five straight wins against the first place club. The teams meet four times (March 14, March 29, April 4 and April 12) during the final month of the season, with only one of those games (April 4) coming in Wilkes-Barre.

All Penguins games can be heard live on 102.3 the Mountain and on-line at www.wbspenguins.com. All Penguins games can also be viewed on-line at www.ahllive.com, the official video provider of the American Hockey League.

LEAGUE LEADERS

JEFF TAFFE is tied for 10th in points (61), tied for seventh in assists (41), tied for 10th in game-winning goals (5) and tied for sixth in plus-minus (plus-17)

JANNE PESONEN is tied for 13th in points (58), tied for 16th in assists (33)

CHRIS MINARD is third in goals (29), second in power play goals (16), tied for second in game-winning goals (7)

LUCA CAPUTI is tied for 14th among rookies in points (40)

BEN LOVEJOY is tied for 20th in defenseman points (28) and first in the league in plus-minus (plus-38)

CONNOR JAMES is tied for second in shorthanded goals (4) and shorthanded points (5)

DUSTIN JEFFREY is tied for the league lead in shorthanded points (5) and shorthanded assists (4)

JOEY MORMINA is second in the league in plus-minus (plus-34)

J.P. COTE is tied for 18th in the league in plus-minus (plus-17)

JOHN CURRY is 10th in goals against average (2.39), tied for 13th in save percentage (.917), third in wins (25) and tied for ninth in shutouts (3)

ADAM BERKHOEL is 14th in goals against average (2.49), tied for 17th in save percentage (.913) and tied for fifth in shutouts (4)

CURRY SETS TEAM MARK FOR CAREER WINS: Penguins netminder John Curry made 21 saves on Sunday, March 8 to post a 4-1 win against the Norfolk Admirals. That win was the 49th of Curry's Penguins career, moving him one win ahead of Sebastien Caron and into sole possession of first place on the team's all-time wins list. Curry recorded his 49th win in just his 78th game with the Penguins, while Caron's 48th win came in his 122nd game with the team.

PENGUINS ALL-TIME WINS LEADERS

1. JOHN CURRY 49 (25)

2. Sebastien Caron 48

3. Marc-Andre Fleury 39

4. Dany Sabourin 38

5. Andy Chiodo 31

Curry's 25 wins so far this season are the third-highest single season total in team history, behind only Marc-Andre Fleury's 26 in 2004-05 and Dany Sabourin's 30 in 2005-06.

The second year pro has also moved into third place on the team's all-time shutout list (6).

PENGUINS ALL-TIME SHUTOUT LEADERS

1. Sebastien Caron 10

2. Andy Chiodo 7

3. JOHN CURRY 6 (3)

4. Marc-Andre Fleury 5

Dany Sabourin 5

Curry stopped 38 shots in a 5-2 win over the Worcester Sharks on February 15, giving him his 10th consecutive victory between the pipes - a new team record.

Curry became the first Penguins goaltender to post back-to-back 20 win seasons when he stopped 20 shots in a 3-2 win against Hamilton on February 14.

FAN-TASTIC: The Penguins had their best weekend in terms of attendance all season on Friday and Saturday, drawing an over-capacity crowd of 8,292 on Saturday night against Binghamton and 7,787 on Sunday night against Norfolk. The combined attendance of 16,079 (8,040 average) was 98.7% of capacity for the weekend.

LETESTU LIGHTING IT UP: Mark Letestu has been the hottest hand on the Penguins since the beginning of the calendar year, recording 31 points (13+18) in 30 games since January 1. He carries a four-game scoring streak (2+3=5) into this week, has nine points (2+7=9) in his past seven games and 17 points (5+12=17) in his past 14 contests.

Letestu now has 18 goals this season. That's the same number of points he had all of last year.

PESONEN IS MR. CONSISTENCY: Janne Pesonen had a six-game scoring streak (6+3=9) snapped on Sunday, but has been one of the team's most reliable point producers this season. He has not gone more than two consecutive games without a point all season, and has seven scoring streaks of at least three games on the year.

TERRIFIC YEAR FOR TAFFE: Jeff Taffe ranks in the top 10 in AHL scoring this season with 61 points. That is tied for the sixth-highest single season point total in team history with Tim Brent, who picked up 61 points last season. Taffe's 41 assists this season are tied for fourth on the team's single season list with Toby Petersen (2000-01) and are just seven shy of the all-time team record for assists in a season with Kris Beech (2004-05)

JAMES JUMPS UP SCORING LIST: Connor James picked up two assists on March 8 against Norfolk, giving him 108 points (37+71) with the Penguins. That moved him one point ahead of Matt Hussey and into 15th place on the team's all-time points list. He trails John Slaney by two points for 14th place.

GOOSE ON THE LOOSE: Alex Goligoski has recorded nine points (2+7) in 12 games with Wilkes-Barre/Scranton this season, and now has 47 points (12+35) in his AHL career with the Penguins. His assist on March 8 against Norfolk moved him into a tie with Peter Ratchuk for 12th place on the team's all-time scoring list among defensemen. Current teammate Ben Lovejoy is 11th with 48 points.

MINARD CLOSING IN ON TEAM GOAL MARKS: Chris Minard ranks third in the AHL with 29 goals this season, is first in power play goals (16) and tied for second in game-winning goals (7).

Minard sits just two goals shy of the team's all-time record for goals in a season, held by Toby Petersen (2002-03) and Michel Ouellet (2004-05)

PENGUINS SINGLE SEASON GOAL LEADERS

1. Toby Petersen 31 (2002-03)

Michel Ouellet 31 (2004-05)

3. Jonathan Filewich 30 (2006-07)

Michel Ouellet 30 (2003-04)

John Slaney 30 (1999-2000)

6. CHRIS MINARD 29 (2008-09)

Minard moved into a tie for eighth place on the team's all-time goal scoring list with Martin Sonnenberg following his tally March 8 vs. Norfolk.

PENGUINS ALL-TIME GOAL LEADERS

1. Tom Kostopoulos 97

2. Tomas Surovy 89

3. Shane Endicott 73

4. Toby Petersen 72

5. Michel Ouellet 71

6. Jonathan Filewich 64

7. Eric Meloche 61

8. CHRIS MINARD 54 (39)

Martin Sonnenberg 54

Minard's 16 power play goals are a single season best for the team, and his 29 career power play goals with the Penguins are second all-time.

PENGUINS ALL-TIME POWER PLAY GOAL LEADERS

1. Tom Kostopoulos 31

2. CHRIS MINARD 29 (16)

3. Toby Petersen 28

4. Tomas Surovy 27

Minard's seven game-winning goals this season are one shy of Kurtis McLean's team record, set in 2007-08, and his nine all-time winners are tied for seventh in team history.

PENGUINS ALL-TIME GAME-WINNING GOALS LEADERS

1. Michel Ouellet 13

2. Tomas Surovy 12

3. Toby Petersen 11

4. Erik Christensen 10

Tom Kostopoulos 10

Matt Hussey 10

7. CHRIS MINARD 9 (7)

Jonathan Filewich 9

Kurtis McLean 9

ALUMNI GAME TICKETS ON SALE NOW: General admission tickets to the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins alumni game, scheduled for April 4 at 2:00pm, are on sale now. Tickets are just $12, and available at the Wachovia Arena Box Office, online at www.ticketmaster.com, at any TicketMaster location or by phone at 570-693-4100. Penguins season ticket holders can get their tickets for just $10 by contacting their Penguins account executives.

The alumni game will feature former members of the Penguins, including Dennis Bonvie, Chris Kelleher, Casey Harris, Jean-Paul Tessier, Steve Webb, Greg Crozier, David Weninger and Jim Leger lacing up the skates against the Hershey Bears alumni. Additionally, the famous Hanson Brothers (www.hansonbrothers.net) will serve as reinforcements for the Penguins that night, and will stay to entertain the crowd during the Penguins-Bears AHL game that night at 7:05pm.

All proceeds from the game will benefit the Penguins/United Way Charity Fund. Sponsors for the event include the Wachovia Arena at Casey Plaza, Lucky's Sporthouse, Mohegan Sun at Pocono Downs, Hilton Garden Inn and Wyoming Valley Health Care System.

PENGUINS SPORTS CAREER FAIR TO BE HELD MARCH 25: Ever wanted to work in the sports world? Well, here's your chance to network with and find out about jobs in the industry.

The Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins are proud to announce their first ever Sports Industry Career Fair on March 25, 2009. This event will bring together industry leaders from minor league sports, college athletics, sports media, exercise/fitness centers and more.

The Career Fair will take place at Wachovia Arena at Casey Plaza in Wilkes-Barre - (255 Highland Park Blvd. Wilkes-Barre, PA 18702) on Wednesday, March 25th at 2-5PM. Attendees are encouraged to bring copies of their resumes to hand out. The first 50 people to purchase admission to the fair will have their resumes put into a portfolio which will be distributed to all participating organizations.

The tentative list of teams/organizations participating in the fair:

Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins

Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Pioneers

Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Yankees

Reading Phillies

Lancaster Barn Stormers

Harrisburg Spampede

Little League Baseball Inc

East Stroudsburg University

Keystone College

ESPN Radio 630 and 1240

WBRE TV

The Academy of Chinese Martial Arts

Scranton Martial Arts Center

The Times Leader

Pocono Raceway

Frozen Ropes Baseball Academy

Wachovia Arena

Pocono Family YMCA

Stock Care Racing Experience at Pocono Raceway

Mohegan Sun Casino

International Sport Camps

International Gymnastics and Day Camps

York Outfitters Wilderness Guide School

Your $17.00 pre-registration includes entry to the fair, game ticket (Pens vs. Grand Rapids Griffins that evening at 7:05PM) and a Pens baseball cap. Additionally, $20 tickets for the event will be available at the door. Call Mike Chatburn in the Penguins office at 208-5415 for more info.

CELEBRAT ST. PATRICK'S DAY WITH THE PENS: The Penguins will hold their annual St. Patrick's Day celebration on Wednesday, March 18, when the team hosts the Philadelphia Phantoms at 7:05pm. The team will wear special St. Patrick's themed game jerseys which will be auctioned off on the concourse during the contest.

Additionally, Pot O' Gold puck sales will be going on throughout the evening. Fans can pick up a special St. Patrick's themed puck, autographed by a Penguins player for just $10. Pucks come wrapped and sealed, so fans won't know which puck they are getting until they are opened. Each player has also signed one puck in gold, and the fans who receive those pucks will also receive a game-used stick by that player.

All proceeds from both events will benefit the Penguins Charity Fund.

Check out the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins Statistics

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American Hockey League Stories from March 10, 2009


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