Tough stretch awaits Penguins
Published on January 15, 2007 under American Hockey League (AHL)
Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins News Release
The battle for the East Division will hit a fever pitch this week, as the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins will play four games in five nights - including three contests against the only two teams ahead of them in the American Hockey League standings.
The Penguins begin the week with a Wednesday evening home contest against the Syracuse Crunch at 7:05pm. They follow that up with a home-and-home series with the Norfolk Admirals, who currently lead the league with a 29-8-4-1 record for 63 points. The Pens visit the Scope in Norfolk for the first time this season on Friday before hosting the Admirals on Saturday.
Wilkes-Barre/Scranton finishes the week with a Sunday afternoon visit to the Giant Center to face the defending Calder Cup Champion Hershey Bears.
The Penguins are coming off a weekend swing through the Midwest, which saw them post a 1-0 win against the Western Conference leading Chicago Wolves before dropping a 4-3 shootout decision to the Grand Rapids Griffins.
The Penguins enter this week with a 26-7-2-3 record for 56 points. Their seven regulation losses are the fewest in the AHL this season.
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 LEAGUE LEADERS
- Jonathan Filewich is tied for 16th with 17 goals and tied for 10th with two shorthanded goals.
- Tyler Kennedy is tied for eighth among rookies with 32 points and 12 goals (12+20=32).
- Rob Schremp is tied for 17th among rookies with 25 points (7+18=25).
- Micki DuPont is tied for 15th among defensemen with 20 points (7+13=20).
- Kyle Brodziak is tied for eighth with four game-winning goals.
- Daniel Carcillo is tied for fifth in the league with 128 penalty minutes.
- Jeff Drouin-Deslauriers is third in the AHL with a 2.30 GAA, is tied for sixth in the league with 13 wins, eighth with a .915 save percentage and tied for fourth in the league with two shutouts
- Andrew Penner is tied for sixth with 13 wins and tied for fourth in the league with two shutouts.
PENGUINS STREAKS
- Kyle Brodziak has points in three straight games (4+2=6).
TWO FOR TK
Penguins rookie Tyler Kennedy has points in seven of his past 13 games, but he has multiple points in each of the games in which he has scored (six two-point games, one five-point game).
300 - 600
Saturday night's game against the Grand Rapids Griffins was the 300th road contest in Penguins history. The Pens' away record now stands at 111-130-24-24-11.
The Penguins will play the 600th game in franchise history when they travel to Norfolk to face the Admirals on Friday, January 19. Their overall record as through 598 games is 265-232-48-37-16 for 631 points (.528 points percentage).
POWER PLAY
The Penguins currently have the top ranked power play in the American Hockey League, striking at a 23.9% rate (53 goals/222 attempts). The Penguins home power play is first in the league at 29.4% (32 goals/109 attempts). The Pens road power play ranks seventh at 18.6% (21 goals/113 attempts).
PENALTY KILL
The Penguins rank fourth overall with an 86.6% penalty kill rate (28 goals against/209 attempts). The Pens home penalty kill is tied for 14th in the league at 82.9% (18 goals against/105 attempts). The Pens road penalty kill is first at 90.4% (10 goals against/104 attempts). The Penguins killed all 15 power play attempts they faced last weekend, going eight for eight against the Chicago Wolves on Friday, January 12 and seven for seven against the Grand Rapids Griffins on Saturday, January 13.
UPCOMING OPPONENTS
Syracuse Crunch - Wednesday, January 17 - 7:00pm @ Wachovia Arena at Casey Plaza
- RECORD: 13-22-1-4, 31 points, Sixth Place in North Division
- LEADING SCORERS:
o Points: Geoff Platt (29)
o Goals: Geoff Platt (16)
o Assists: Filip Novak (20)
- LEADING GOALIES:
o GAA: Tomas Popperle (2.10)
o Wins: Tomas Popperle (10)
o Save%: Tomas Popperle (.895)
- SEASON SERIES: This is the fifth of eight meetings between the team. The Penguins have a 3-1-0-0 record so far this season.
Norfolk Admirals - Friday, January 19 - 7:15pm @ Scope Arena, Saturday, January 20 - 7:00pm @ Wachovia Arena
- RECORD: 29-8-4-1, 63 points, First Place in East Division
- LEADING SCORERS:
o Points: Brandon Bochenski (59)
o Goals: Brandon Bochenski (31)
o Assists: Martin St. Pierre (41)
- LEADING GOALIES (Minimum 5 Games):
o GAA: Corey Crawford (2.48)
o Wins: Corey Crawford (24)
o Save%: Corey Crawford (.920)
- SEASON SERIES: The Penguins and Admirals meet for the fourth and fifth of 10 meetings between the clubs this season. The Penguins have a 3-0-0-0 record so far this season.
Hershey Bears - Sunday, January 21 - 5:00pm @ Giant Center
- RECORD: 27-8-3-4, 61 points, Second Place in East Division
- LEADING SCORERS:
o Points: Alexandre Giroux (44)
o Goals: Alexandre Giroux (30)
o Assists: Tomas Fleischman (24)
- LEADING GOALIES (Minimum 5 Games):
o GAA: Frederic Cassivi (2.63)
o Wins: Frederic Cassivi and Maxime Daigneault (12)
o Save%: Frederic Cassivi (.913)
- SEASON SERIES: This is the fifth of 10 meetings between the clubs this season. The Penguins have a 3-1-0-0 record so far this season.
American Hockey League Stories from January 15, 2007
- Blues Place Hinote on IR; King Recalled - Peoria Rivermen
- Winnik, Rouleau reassigned to Phoenix - San Antonio Rampage
- Coyotes Assign Jones To San Antonio - San Antonio Rampage
- Portland Pirates Weekly Report - Portland Pirates
- Three Power Play Tallies Help Monarchs Soar To Victory - Manchester Monarchs
- Tough stretch awaits Penguins - Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins
- Sharks Defeat Devils in OT, 3-2 - Albany Devils
- Albany River Rats Notebook - Albany River Rats
- Knights Play Three At Home This Week - Abbotsford Heat
- Admirals Sweep Rats, Set for Busy Week - Norfolk Admirals
- Griffins Look to Climb North Division Ladder - Grand Rapids Griffins
- Phantoms Weekly - Adirondack Phantoms
- Hamilton sweep extend Moose win streak to five - Manitoba Moose
- Iowa calls on left winger - Iowa Chops
- Rivermen weekly - Peoria Rivermen
- Wolf Pack Weekly - Connecticut Whale
- Rochester Americans hit the road for four games - Rochester Americans
- Crunch clip Senators in shootout - Binghamton Senators
- Nielsen Ties Team Record in Defeat - Bridgeport Islanders
- Admirals Tame Tigers With Third Period Comeback - Norfolk Admirals
- Bulldogs weekly - Hamilton Bulldogs
- Devils' Clarkson named CCM Vector/AHL Player of the Week - AHL
- Wolves Weekly Notes - Chicago Wolves
- Iowa Stars Weekly - Iowa Chops
- Aeros Weekly Report - Houston Aeros
- Monarchs Report - Manchester Monarchs
- Sound Tigers Weekly News - Bridgeport Islanders
- Rosa Released From PTO - Providence Bruins
- Falcons Host Monarchs Monday Afternoon - Springfield Falcons
- Binghamton Senators weekly - Binghamton Senators
- Sharks bite for three out of possible four points - Worcester Sharks
- Popovic Marked for Wolves - Chicago Wolves
- Flames Return Godard To Knights - Abbotsford Heat
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