AHL Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins

Penguins open new year at home

Published on January 2, 2007 under American Hockey League (AHL)
Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins News Release


The Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins will look to ring in the new year with wins when they take on the Grand Rapids Griffins and Hershey Bears this weekend at the Wachovia Arena at Casey Plaza.

Friday's game against the Griffins is the first of four Penguins Game-Worn Jersey Card Giveaways, sponsored by Dodge/Chrysler/Jeep. The first 5,000 fans entering the gates will receive a randomly selected card featuring on of six Penguins players. All cards feature a swatch of that players' jersey as worn during the team's first two home games this season.

The players included in the first giveaway are: Dennis Bonvie, Matt Carkner, Stephen Dixon, Connor James, Tyler Kennedy and Noah Welch.

The Penguins finished up the 2006 portion of the current campaign with a 24-6-2-2 record for 52 points, good for second place in the East Division and third place in the entire American Hockey League. Wilkes-Barre/Scranton carries a two-game winning streak into this week's action, and the team is 7-2-1-0 in its past 10 games.

Season ticket plans and partial packages for the 2006-07 season of Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins hockey are on sale now, and available by calling (570) 208-7367.

PENGUINS/RED CROSS BLOOD DRIVE THIS WEDNESDAY

The Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins and the Wyoming Valley Red Cross are teaming up for their second annual blood drive, to be held this coming Wednesday, January 3, from 11:30am-6:30pm at the Pittston Convention Hall.

Penguins players including Jonathan Filewich, Andrew Penner, Dennis Bonvie, Matt Carkner, Kurtis McLean and Ryan Stone, will be on hand between 11:30am and 2:30pm to greet donors and sign autographs.

Autographed Penguins items, including pucks, game programs, lineup cards and hockey cards, as well as a Noah Welch game-used stick, will be raffled off throughout the day. All fans donating blood will receive a free Penguins/Red Cross T-Shirt, as well as food and drinks provided by local sponsors.

The Pittston Convention Hall is located at 1073 Oak Street, just off the I-81 exit in Pittston. For more information, or to schedule a time to donate, please contact the Wyoming Valley Red Cross at 1-800-GIVE-LIFE.

PENGUINS LEAGUE LEADERS

- Jonathan Filewich is tied for ninth with two shorthanded goals and tied for 17th with 15 goals.

- Daniel Carcillo is tied for 27th with 14 goals and fourth in the league with 120 penalty minutes.

- Tom Gilbert is tied for eighth among league defensemen with 19 points (3+16=19) and 24th among all rookies with 19 points.

- Micki DuPont is eighth among defensemen with 19 points (6+13=19).

- Rob Schremp is tied for 11th among rookies with 25 points (7+18=25).

- Tyler Kennedy is tied for 15th among rookies with 23 points (7+16=23).

- Jeff Drouin-Deslauriers is tied for third in the AHL with a 2.31 GAA, is tied for 11th in the league with 11 wins, and 12th with a .912 save percentage.

- Andrew Penner is tied for third with 13 wins, tied for fourth in the league with two shutouts and 17th with a 2.63 goals against average.

POWER PLAY

The Penguins currently have the top ranked power play in the American Hockey League, striking at a 23.1% rate (48 goals/208 attempts). The Penguins home power play is first in the league at 26.7% (27 goals/101 attempts). The Pens road power play ranks sixth overall at 19.6% (21 goals/107 attempts).

PENALTY KILL

The Penguins rank sixth overall with an 86.1% penalty kill rate (25 goals against/180 attempts). The Pens home penalty kill is 15th in the league at 83.5% (15 goals against/91 attempts). The Pens road penalty kill is first at 88.8% (10 goals against/89 attempts).

PENGUINS STREAKS

Kyle Brodziak has a five-game point streak (2+5=7; Dec. 23-30) Goaltender Andrew Penner has won his past six starts (Dec.9-30).

SHOOTING GALLERY

The Penguins set a new team record for shots in a game on December 29 @ Syracuse, when they peppered the Crunch with 58 shots (54 in regulation). The former team record of 53 was set on November 18, 2000 against the Albany River Rats at home, and the former road record was 50, set February 2, 2001 also in Syracuse.

BONVIE TOPS TOPPAZZINI IN 200th

Dennis Bonvie appeared in his 200th game as a member of the Penguins on December 29 in Syracuse, and now ranks 14th on the Penguins all-time games played list. Martin Sonnenberg holds down the 13th spot at 213, while Toby Petersen (215) and Matt Murley (216) sit just outside the top 10.

Bonvie is also the AHL's active leader in career games played with 786, and passed Zellio Toppazzini, who suited up with the Hershey Bears and Providence Reds from 1948-1964, for 28th place on the AHL's all-time games played list on December 29.

AHL ALL-TIME GAMES PLAYED LEADERS

Place Name Years Games

25 Mitch Lamoureux 1982-99 802

26 Dave Creighton 1948-69 800

27 Frank Mathers 1948-62 799

28 DENNIS BONVIE 1993-2006 786

29 Zellio Toppazzini 1949-64 785

30 Don Cherry 1954-72 767

LAST WEEK TO GET OUT THE ALL-STAR VOTE

Voting for the RBK Hockey 2007 AHL All-Star Classic is now underway at www.theahl.com. Voting runs through Sunday, January 7. The 2007 Rbk Hockey AHL All-Star Classic will take place on January 28-29 at Ricoh Coliseum, home of the Toronto Marlies

UPCOMING OPPONENTS

Grand Rapids Griffins - Friday, January 5 - 7:05pm @ Wachovia Arena at Casey Plaza

- RECORD: 15-15-4-2, 36 points, fourth place in North Division

- LEADING SCORERS:

o Points: Kip Miller - 39

o Goals: Kip Miller - 15

o Assists: Kip Miller - 24

- LEADING GOALIES (Minimum 5 Games):

o GAA: Jimmy Howard - 2.89

o Wins: Jimmy Howard - 12

o Save%: Jimmy Howard - .904

- SEASON SERIES: This is the first of two meetings between the clubs this season. The Penguins will travel to Grand Rapids on Saturday, January 13.

- NOTES: The Penguins and Griffins have met just twice in regular season competition, with Grand Rapids posting a pair of victories during the 2001-02 season (3-0 on Nov. 22 in Wilkes-Barre; 3-2 on March 23 in Grand Rapids)...The clubs also met in the 2003 Western Conference Quarterfinals, with Grand Rapids taking the series, three games to one...Former Penguins forward Matt Hussey ranks fourth on the Griffins with 19 points (7+12) in 36 games this season.

Hershey Bears - Saturday, January 6 - 7:05pm @ Wachovia Arena at Casey Plaza

- RECORD: 25-4-3-4, 57 points, first place in East Division

- LEADING SCORERS:

o Points: Alexandre Giroux - 39

o Goals: Alexandre Giroux - 26

o Assists: Tomas Fleischman - 18

- LEADING GOALIES (Minimum 5 Games):

o GAA: Maxime Daigneault - 2.62

o Wins: Frederic Cassivi - 12

o Save%: Maxime Daigneault - .915

- SEASON SERIES: This is the fourth of 10 meetings between the teams this season. Wilkes-Barre/Scranton has a 2-1-0-0 record thus far, while Hershey is 1-1-0-1 in the first three games.

- NOTES: The Bears lead the entire AHL in points (57) and fewest regulation losses (4), and are tied for most wins (25)...Hershey carries a six-game winning streak into this week's action. They play two games in Norfolk (Wednesday and Friday) before traveling to Wilkes-Barre on Saturday.

Check out the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins Statistics

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American Hockey League Stories from January 2, 2007


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