AHL Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins

Weekly: Youth Movement Sparks Penguins Past Providence

Published on April 26, 2016 under American Hockey League (AHL)
Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins News Release


Wednesday, Apr. 20 - Penguins 3 vs. Providence 2 (OT)

Game 1 of the Atlantic Division Semifinal between Wilkes-Barre/Scranton and Providence went to the Penguins after Carter Rowney scored the game-winner 1:09 into overtime. Rookie goalie Casey DeSmith made 31 saves for the win in his first professional playoff start.

Thursday, Apr. 21 - Penguins 4 vs. Providence 3 (OT)

The Penguins stormed back from down 2-0 to win in extra time once again. Daniel Sprong, playing in his second AHL game, scored twice including the OT finisher. Kael Mouillierat assisted on both of Sprong's goals, giving him three helpers through the first two games of the postseason.

Saturday, Apr. 23 - Penguins 5 at Providence 4 (2OT)

For a third time the Penguins and Bruins required overtime to determine a victor, except this time, one bonus frame wasn't enough. Completing a four-point performance, rookie Jake Guentzel scored the game-ending, series-clinching goal at 13:52 of the second OT. Also, rookie Dominik Simon potted the team's first power play goal of the postseason, Sprong scored again, and Tim Erixon tallied three points (1G-2A) for a personal-high for points in professional playoff game.

The Week Ahead

TBD

The Penguins' second round opponent will be the victor of the best-of-five series between the Portland Pirates and Hershey Bears. That Atlantic Division Semifinal is currently knotted up at one game apiece and can end at the earliest on Saturday. Wilkes-Barre/Scranton faced off with Hershey 12 times in the regular season. The two teams split their head-to-head records right down the middle, 6-5-1. Portland beat the Penguins in four of their six meetings this season, but half of those contests were forced to overtime.

Ice Chips

- Wilkes-Barre/Scranton's Atlantic Division Semifinal series with Providence was the first time in both teams' histories that every game in a series was decided in overtime.

- Casey DeSmith's 59 saves in the clinching game established a new franchise playoff record.

- Jake Guentzel leads all players in the Calder Cup Playoffs with seven points (3G-4A).

- Guentzel's four-point playoff game was the first for a Penguin since Janne Pesonen on May 8, 2009 vs. Hershey.

- Guentzel's four-point performance was the eighth in Penguins playoff history, joining Pesonen, Jean-Michel Daoust, Michal Rozsíval, Tomá' Surovi (twice), and Chris Kelleher - who has a club-record five-point playoff game.

- Daniel Sprong became the second-youngest player to score a playoff goal for Wilkes-Barre/Scranton at 19-years, one-month, and four-days-old (Kasperi Kapanen, 18y9m1d).

- Sprong is also just the third Penguin ever to score a playoff goal before his 20th birthday (Kapanen, Luca Caputi).

- The Penguins are now eight-for-eight all-time in series during which they take a 2-0 lead.

- Wilkes-Barre/Scranton's next playoff win will be its 100th in team history.

TEAM LEADERS

SKATERS GP G A PTS

Jake Guentzel* 3 3 4 7

Carter Rowney 3 1 4 5

Daniel Sprong* 3 3 1 4

Tim Erixon 3 2 2 4

Tom Kostopoulos 3 1 2 3

Kael Mouillierat 3 0 3 3

GOALIES GP W-L GAA Sv% Shutouts

Casey DeSmith* 3 3-0 2.45 0.930 0

Tristan Jarry* 0 0-0 0.00 0.000 0

* = rookie

RECENT TRANSACTIONS

Sun, Apr. 17 ADD (LW) Tom Sestito Reassigned from PIT

Tue, Apr. 19 ADD (RW) Daniel Sprong Reassigned by PIT

Wed, Apr. 20 ADD (G) Tristan Jarry Reassigned from PIT

Sun, Apr. 24 DEL (C) Jarrett Burton Released from PTO

Check out the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins Statistics

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American Hockey League Stories from April 26, 2016


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