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AHL Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins

Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins at Norfolk Admirals

March 29, 2002 - American Hockey League (AHL)
Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins News Release


The Site: Norfolk Scope, Norfolk, Virginia (8,927 capacity)
The Date: Friday, March 29, 2002, 7:30 p.m. EST
The Teams: Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins (20-40-12-3, 55 points; 4th-place, South Division, Western Conference) (Penguins' third season in the AHL; 79-116-30-10 all-time record) Norfolk Admirals (35-24-12-4 record; 86 points; 1st-place, South Division, Western Conference) (Admirals' second season in the AHL; 71-50-25-9 all-time record)
The Coaches: Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Head Coach: Glenn Patrick (3rd season; 79-116-30-10 record; Career AHL Record: 79-116-30-10) Norfolk Head Coach: Trent Yawney (2nd season; 71-50-25-9 record; Career AHL Record: 71-50-25-9)
The Series: Norfolk leads, 5-4
TV: None.
Radio: Oldies 92 and 100 (WQFM 92.1 and 100.5/WQFN - FM 100.1). Pregame show with Tom Grace begins at 7:10 p.m.
Storyline: The Penguins look to end their five-game losing streak tonight in the final regular season meeting between the two South Division rivals.

General Information

TODAY'S GAME

Norfolk leads, 5-4. Tonight's game is the tenth and final meeting of the season between the Penguins and Admirals and the fifth of five meetings between the two clubs at the Norfolk Scope.

The Admirals ended the Penguins' four-game winning streak against them with a 3-2 win on Wednesday at Scope. Prior to Wednesday's game, the Penguins defeated the Admirals, 3-1, in Norfolk. In earlier season meetings, the Penguins defeated Norfolk, 5-4, in overtime on February 10 at the First Union Arena at Casey Plaza. The Penguins defeating the Admirals, 3-2, in Wilkes-Barre on Feb. 3 and posted a 4-3 win in overtime at the Scope on January 11.

Norfolk won the first four meetings of the season against the Penguins. Norfolk defeated the Penguins, 2-0, in Norfolk on Jan. 9 and previously won three straight games against the Penguins at the First Union Arena at Casey Plaza. The Admirals defeated the Penguins, 5-0, on December 30, 6-0, on Dec. 23 and 4-3 on November 11 in Wilkes-Barre.

Norfolk has outshot the Penguins, 303-255 (33.67 per game/28.33 per game), in the season series. The Penguins have been outshot in six of the nine season meetings, including three times on the road. The Penguins are 2-4 when being outshot and have a record of 2-1 when outshooting the Admirals this season.

In the nine season meetings, the Penguins are 3-0 against the Admirals when scoring first, while Norfolk is 5-1 when they score the first goal.

The Penguins are 6 for 58 (10.3%) on the power play against Norfolk this season and have been scoreless in five of the nine games. The Admirals have converted on 10 of 48 (20.8%) power play chances against the Penguins this season. Norfolk has scored a power play goal in seven of the nine games against the Penguins this season.

LIFETIME SERIES

The Penguins are 8-8-1lifetime against the Norfolk Admirals. The Penguins are 4-4-0 against the Admirals at Scope and have a 4-4-1 record against Norfolk at the First Union Arena at Casey Plaza.

Nolan Baumgartner is the Admirals' all-time leading scorer against the Penguins with 13 points (2+11) in 16 games. Tom Kostopoulos is Wilkes-Barre/Scranton's all-time leading scoring against the Admirals with 10 points (5+5) in 14 games.

2000-2001

The Penguins were 4-3-1 against the Norfolk Admirals during the 2000-2001 season. The Penguins had a 2-2 record last season against the Admirals at the Norfolk Scope. The Penguins defeated the Admirals, 2-0, on March 25 and won, 4-3, in overtime on Nov. 8. The Admirals defeated the Penguins, 5-4, on February 16 and skated to a 3-1 win on Feb. 17 at the Scope.

The Penguins were 2-1-1 against the Admirals at the First Union Arena at Casey Plaza. The Penguins defeated the Admirals, 4-3, on March 17 and posted a 3-1 win on Jan. 27. The Admirals defeated the Penguins, 3-1, on Dec. 16 and the two clubs skated to a 3-3 tie on November 25.

Norfolk Admirals vs. Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins
SERIES RESULTS

Regular Season (2001-2002)
DATE SITE RESULT
11/11/01 Wilkes-Barre 4-3 L
12/23/01 Wilkes-Barre 6-0 L
12/30/01 Wilkes-Barre 5-0 L
1/09/02 Norfolk 2-0 L
1/11/02 Norfolk 4-3 W (OT)
2/03/02 Wilkes-Barre 3-2 W
2/10/02 Wilkes-Barre 5-4 W (OT)
3/13/02 Norfolk 3-1 W
3/27/02 Norfolk 3-2 L
3/29/01 Norfolk

Regular Season (2000-2001)
DATE SITE RESULT
11/08/00 Norfolk 4-3 W
11/22/00 Wilkes-Barre 3-3 T
12/16/00 Wilkes-Barre 3-1 L
1/27/01 Wilkes-Barre 3-1 W
2/16/01 Norfolk 3-1 L
2/17/01 Norfolk 5-4 L
3/17/01 Wilkes-Barre 4-3 W
3/25/01 Norfolk 2-0 W

Scouting the Norfolk Admirals

The first-place Admirals bring a record of 35-24-12-4 (86 points) into tonight's contest . The Admirals are first in the division (South), tied for second in the conference (Western) and are tied for fifth (T-5th) overall in the standings . The Admirals have won their last seven games . Norfolk's last loss was to the Penguins on March 13 .Norfolk is 8-1-1 mark in its last 10 games . The Admirals have a record of 17-11-8 at home . Norfolk is 2-4-12 in overtime games this season . Norfolk is ranked 14th in the league in penalty minutes, averaging 21.1 penalty minutes per game . The Admirals have converted on 60-of-309 power play chances (19.4%), fourth-best in the league. At home, the Admirals have converted on 26-of-141 (18.4%) power play opportunities, 12th -best in the league . Norfolk has killed off 280 of 336 (83.3%) power play opportunities this season . At home, the Admirals have killed off 133-of-157 (84.7%), ninth-best in the league . Overall, they are ranked 14th in the league in penalty killing .Norfolk is sixth in the league in goals against, allowing just 2.59 goals per game . The Admirals are averaging 2.76 goals per game, 17th-best in the league . Norfolk is fourth in the league in shots against, allowing 27.23 shots per game . The Admirals are averaging 31.80 shots per game, ninth-best in the league . Rookie center Tyler Arnason, who is currently on recall to the Chicago Blackhawks, leads the team in scoring is the leading scorer among AHL rookies with 56 points (26+30) . Arnason was recalled by Chicago on February 25 . Arnason has four points (3+1) and two penalty minutes in 14 games with the Blackhawks . Despite being recalled, he is second in the league in rookie scoring . Arnason is ranked first in power play goals (11) and is second in goals and assists among rookies . Center Peter White was sent down from Chicago on March 16 . In 48 games with the Blackhawks, White had six points (3+3) and 10 penalty minutes .In 19 games with the Admirals, he has 20 points (4+16) . In nine career games against the Penguins, the former Philadelphia Phantom has 19 points (7+12) . He recorded 17 points against the Penguins during the 1999-2000 season with Philadelphia . White recorded two assists in Wednesday's 3-2 win over the Penguins . Goaltender Michael Leighton is fourth in the league with a 2.19 goals against average . Leighton has a record of 24-15-8 with a .919 save percentage . He has recorded six shutouts this season, including two against the Penguins .Leighton is second in the league in shutouts . He is tied for third in wins and is fourth in the league in minutes played (2,875) . In four games against the Penguins this season, Leighton has a record of 2-2 with 2.02 goals against average and a .930 save percentage . Leighton has recorded back-to-back straight in his last two starts . Leighton recorded 24 saves in the Admirals' 6-0 win over Philadelphia on March 23 and made 19 saves in a 4-0 win over the Phantoms on March 24 . Goaltender Craig Andersson has a record of 2-2 with a 2.20 goals against average and a .912 save percentage in five games against the Penguins this season . Overall, Andersson has a record of 9-12-4 with a 2.90 gaa and an .888 save percentage with two shutouts . Among current active players on the roster, LW Matt Henderson leads the team in scoring with 43 points (18+25) in 69 games . Henderson scored the GWG in Wednesday's win over the Penguins . RW Shawn Thornton leads the team in penalty minutes with 255 . Thornton has 18 points (6+12) in 65 games . Center Ajay Baines is the only player to have appeared in all 75 games this season for the Admirals . Baines has 40 points (15+25) and 68 penalty minutes . He is tied for third in the league with four short-handed goals . Dmitri Tolkunov is third among defensemen in plus-minus with a plus-21 rating . Tolkunov has 18 points (1+17) in 46 games this season .The Admirals are 29-8-5 when scoring first . Norfolk has a record of 22-2-3 when leading after one period . When leading after two periods, the Admirals are 28-4-1 . However, when trailing after one period, Norfolk is 2-12-4 and when trailing after two periods, the Admirals' record is 0-16-7 . At home, Norfolk has a record of 11-0-3 when leading after one period . When leading after two periods, the Admirals are 14-1-1 at the Scope. However, when trailing after one period, Norfolk is 0-5-4 and when trailing after two periods, the Admirals' record at home is 0-6-5 .Norfolk is 14-7-5 when outshooting the opposition.

Penguins' Media Notes of Interest .

. The Penguins have scored two goals or less in 19 of Robbie Tallas' 33 starts this season . The Penguins have been shutout four times with Tallas in goal . The Penguins have been outscored 116-82 (3.52 goals per game - OPP./2.48 goals per game - PENS) in games that he has started . Overall, the Penguins have been outscored, 118-86 (3.28 goals per game - OPP./2.39 goals per game - PENS) in games with Tallas in net (36 games overall) . The Pens have been outshot in 23 of 33 games that he has started . The Penguins are being outshot, 989 (29.96 per game)-1,193 (36.15 shots per game) with Tallas in goal . He has faced 40-49 shots six times and 50 or more shots twice . Tallas is winless (0-4) in his last four games and has a 2.28 goals against average and a .940 save percentage during that . In his last 10 games, he has a record of 2-7-1 with a 2.70 gaa and a .945 save percentage . Tallas has started in three consecutive games three times this season (10/17/01-10/20/01- 3 games, 12/07/01-12/14/01 - 4 games and 3/20/02-3/27/02 - 3 games) . Overall, he has a record of 6-2-35 with a 3.37 goals against average and a .903 save percentage.

. Prior to Wednesday's game, Coach Glenn Patrick announced that goaltender Sebastien Caron will start between the pipes on Friday for the Penguins . Caron has a record of 14-20-7 with a 3.11 goals against average and a .903 save percentage . His last start was on St. Patrick's Day (March 17) against the Syracuse Crunch . In seven games against the Admirals this season, Caron has a record of 4-3 with a 2.85 goals against average and a .909 save percentage. . Defenseman Mike Wilson has a point in each of the last two games . Wilson has a goal and an assist in the last two games for the Penguins . Overall, he has 12 points (3+9) and is plus-one with 53 penalty minutes and 58 shots in 43 games this season with Wilkes-Barre/Scranton.

. Tom Kostopoulos recorded his 12th multiple-point game of the season and his first since March 9 with a goal and an assist on Wednesday against the Admirals . Kostopoulos is second on the team in scoring . Has a point in 33 of 65 games . Overall, Kostopoulos has 47 points (26+21) and 99 penalty minutes in 65 games.

. Tonight's game is the Penguins' 76th game of the 2001-2002 regular season. Including tonight's game, the Penguins will play three of their remaining five games on the road . The Penguins are currently fourth in the Western Conference's South Division with a 20-40-12-3 record (55 points) . The Penguins have lost their last five games and are 2-7-1 in their last 10 games . The Penguins are 1-4-0 in their last five road games and are 2-7-1 in their last 10 games away from the First Union Arena at Casey Plaza. The Penguins are 13th in the conference and 26th overall in the American Hockey League standings . The Penguins were officially eliminated for playoff contention with their 2-0 loss at Philadelphia on March 20.

.The Penguins lead the AHL in penalty minutes (2,627), averaging 35.03 minutes per game . The Penguins also led the league with 44, 10-minute misconduct penalties, 30 game misconduct penalties, 616 minor penalties and are tied for first in match penalties with three.

The American Hockey League suspended Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins' forwards Steve Parsons, Jason MacDonald and Darcy Verot on March 19 for their actions in AHL Game #942 on March 17 vs. Syracuse at the First Union Arena at Casey Plaza.

Parsons was suspended for twelve (12) games under the provisions of AHL Rule 28(d), and 76(a) in Category III as a result of his game misconduct penalties against the Crunch. He will miss the Penguins' final six games of the 2001-02 regular season: March 27 at Norfolk, March 29 at Norfolk, March 30 vs. Syracuse, April 3 at Philadelphia, April 5 vs. Philadelphia and April 6 at Hershey. The final four games will be served subsequently during the 2002 AHL playoffs and/or the 2002-03 AHL regular season. Parsons has missed the Penguins' last two games - March 20 at Philadelphia and this past Saturday's game at Grand Rapids.

MacDonald was suspended for six (6) regular season games under the provisions of AHL Rule 28(d) as a result of the accumulation of his third (3), fourth (4) and fifth (5) game misconduct penalties in the General Category. He will miss the Penguins' next four games: March 27 at Norfolk, March 29 at Norfolk, March 30 vs. Syracuse and April 3 at Philadelphia. He will be eligible to return to the lineup in the Penguins' final home game of the regular season on Friday, April 5 vs. Philadelphia (7:05 p.m.). MacDonald has missed the Penguins' last two games - March 20 at Philadelphia and this past Saturday's game at Grand Rapids.

Verot was suspended for two (2) regular season games under the provisions of AHL Rule 33A as a result of receiving a match penalty under AHL Rule 43 (a). Verot missed the Penguins' last two games. He is eligible to return to the lineup tonight against the Admirals.

The Penguins set a new team record for penalty minutes in a game with 162 on March 17 against the Crunch. The Penguins lead the AHL in penalty minutes with 2,531 in 72 games. The Penguins also led the league with 42, 10-minute misconduct penalties, 29 game misconduct penalties, 598 minor penalties and are tied for first in match penalties with three (3).

The Penguins are 245 penalty minutes away from tying the league record of 2,872, set by the Hershey Bears during the 1986-87 season.

Steve Parsons leads the league with 366 penalty minutes in 52 games this season. Parsons is also tied for fourth in major penalties with 28. Darcy Verot and Jason MacDonald are ranked second and fourth, respectively, in penalty minutes. Verot has 354 penalty minutes in 67 games, while MacDonald has 324 penalty minutes in 55 games. Verot is second in the league in minor penalties with 72. MacDonald set a new team record for penalty minutes in a period with 50 in the third period on Sunday.

Last season, the Penguins led the American Hockey League this season in penalty minutes with 2,295, an average of 28.7 per game. The Penguins also led the League in minor penalties (605) and major penalties with 117. The Penguins had six players with more than 100 penalty minutes. Darcy Verot led the team with 347 penalty minutes and was second overall in the League.

. At this point of the season last year (after 75 games), the Penguins were in fourth-place in the Mid-Atlantic Division with a 34-31-8-2 record (78 points). The Penguins were fourth (4th) in the division, seventh (7th) in the conference (Western Conference) and were twelfth (12th) overall in the standings. The Penguins scored 237 goals in 75 games, an average of 3.16 goals per game. The Penguins allowed 231 goals in 75 games, an average of 3.08 per game. During their first season in the AHL (1999-2000), the Penguins had a record of 20-43-9-3 (52 points) after 75 games and were last in the division, last in the conference and last overall in the standings. The Penguins scored 221 goals in 75 games, an average of 2.95 goals per game. The Penguins allowed 294 goals in 75 games, an average of 3.92 goals per game.

Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins' 2001-02 Regular Season at a Glance
Last Win: 3/13/02 at Norfolk (3-1)
Last Loss: 3/27/02 at Norfolk (3-2)
Last Tie: 3/10/02 vs. Syracuse (3-3)
Last Overtime Win: 2/10/02 vs. Norfolk (5-4)
Last Overtime Loss: 12/27/01 at Syracuse (2-1)
Longest Losing Streak: 6 games (10/19/01-10/30/01)
Longest Winning Streak: 2 games (1/13/02-1/19/02)
Longest Unbeaten Streak: 4 games, twice (1/13/02-1/1/20/02) and (12/07/01-12/14/01)
Last Shutout: 3/06/02 vs. Cincinnati (3-0)
Last Time Shutout: 3/17/02 vs. Syracuse (4-0)

2001-02 Regular Season at a Glance
Penguins' Individual Leaders.
POINTS Sonnenberg (49), Kostopoulos (47), Endicott (39), Ratchuk (38), Tibbetts (30)
GOALS Kostopoulos (26), Endicott (19), Sonnenberg (19), Surovy (19), Ratchuk (15)
ASSISTS Sonnenberg (30), Ratchuk (23), Scuderi (22), Kostopoulos (21), Endicott (20), Lupaschuk (19)
PP GOALS Kostopoulos (10), Endicott (8), Ratchuk (7), Sonnenberg (6), Fadrny (4), Meloche (4), Surovy (4), Tibbetts (4)
SH GOALS Tibbetts (5), Kostopoulos (2), Endicott (1), Meloche (1), Ratchuk (1), Sonnenberg (1), Verot (1), Wilson (1), Zevakhin (1)
GW GOALS Kostopoulos (3), Surovy (3), Ratchuk (2), Tibbetts (2), Dome (1), Endicott (1), Fadrny (1), Kraft (1), Lupaschuk (1), MacDonald (1), Meloche (1), Sonnenberg (1), Walsh (1), Wilson (1)
GT GOALS Surovy (3), Dome (1), Kostopoulos (1), Sonnenberg (1)
3+ GOALS Meloche (1)
PIM Parsons (366), Verot (354), MacDonald (324) Tibbetts (193), Walsh (151)
SHOTS Ratchuk (225), Sonnenberg (212), Kostopoulos (205), Endicott (152)
PLUS/MINUS Kraft (+8), Jakopin (+4), Orpik (+3), Wilson (+1), Robertsson (E)

Bold - no longer on the team

PENGUINS SET NEW AMERICAN HOCKEY LEAGUE RECORD FOR SELLOUTS IN A SEASON

AHL Franchise Owned by Pittsburgh Penguins Owner and NHL Hall of Famer Mario Lemieux sets sellout record in just third season in the league

WILKES-BARRE, PA. (Sunday, March 17, 2002) - The Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins set a new American Hockey League record for sellouts in a season with their 37th sellout of the year tonight against the Syracuse Crunch before a crowd of 8,373 at the First Union Arena at Casey Plaza.

The Penguins broke the 11-year old league record that was held by the now-defunct Cape Breton Oilers. The Oilers recorded 36 sellouts during the 1990-91 season in the 4,700-seat Center 200. The official seating capacity for hockey at the First Union Arena at Casey Plaza is 8,143.

"This record belongs to the fans of Northeastern Pennsylvania," said team president Jeff Barrett. "Our fans have supported this team from day one and have proven without a doubt to be the best fans in the entire American Hockey League."

The Penguins lead the AHL in both overall attendance and average attendance. The Penguins have a total attendance of 316,788 in 38 home games this season, an average of 8,336 with a league-high, 37 sellouts.

The Penguins are in their third season in the American Hockey League. The American Hockey League, in its 66th season of operation, serves as the top development League for the National Hockey League. Approximately 70% of all players to compete in the NHL last season spent time developing their skills in the AHL.

The Penguins are the AHL affiliate of the National Hockey League's Pittsburgh Penguins. The W-B/S Penguins are owned by Pittsburgh Penguins owner and NHL Hall-of-Famer Mario Lemieux.

The Penguins have sold out every game this season played in Wilkes-Barre at the First Union Arena at Casey Plaza. For the second straight season, the Penguins played one "home" game in Pittsburgh at Mellon Arena. The Penguins have attracted 308,183 fans (102.0% capacity) in 37 home games at the First Union Arena at Casey Plaza and attracted a crowd of 8,605 in one "home" game at Mellon Arena. Seating capacity at Mellon Arena is 16,958 for hockey.

After 38 home games last season, the Penguins were second in the American Hockey League in average attendance. The Penguins had a total attendance of 313,395 in 38 home games, an average of 8,247 with 31 sellouts. The Penguins have attracted 304,284 fans (100.9% capacity) in 37 homes games at the First Union Arena at Casey Plaza and attracted a crowd of 9,111 (53.7% capacity) in one home game at Mellon Arena in Pittsburgh. After 38 home games during their inaugural season two years ago (1999-2000 season), the Penguins' total attendance was 289,101, an average attendance of 7,607 (93.4% capacity) with 24 sellouts. Last season, the Penguins total attendance was 305,569 in 40 games, an average of 7,639.

The Penguins have led the American Hockey in sellouts the past two seasons. Last season, the Penguins finished third in the American Hockey League in average attendance. The Penguins' total attendance for the 2000-2001 regular season was 330,135 fans in 40 home games, an average of 8,255 with a league-high, 33 sellouts. The Penguins attracted 321,024 fans (101.0% capacity) in 39 homes games at the First Union Arena at Casey Plaza and attracted a crowd of 9,111 (53.7% capacity) in one home game at Mellon Arena in Pittsburgh.

During last year's Calder Cup Playoffs, the Penguins sold out 10 of 11 home games at the First Union Arena at Casey Plaza. The Penguins led in the AHL in both total and average attendance during the playoffs. The Penguins' total attendance for the 2000-2001 playoffs was 89,613 fans, an average of 8,146 (100.0%).

Last season, the Penguins ranked second among all minor league hockey clubs in percent of capacity (trailing only the WPHL's Corpus Christi Ice Rays) and were fifth overall in average attendance behind Oklahoma City (CHL - 9,096), Philadelphia (AHL - 8,571), Rochester (AHL - 8,529) and Chicago (IHL - 8,329).

During the off-season, the Penguins stopped selling season tickets 51 days before the puck was dropped for the start of the 2001-02 season. Full, 22 and 12-game plan holders occupied all of the 8,143 seats in the First Union Arena at Casey Plaza for this season. The Penguins have approximately 7,366 season ticket holders.

However, a limited number of tickets were available for sale to the general public. After all the partial plan holders selected their games, the Penguins had an average of 600-700 tickets per game available for individual game sale.

The Penguins have started a waiting list for season tickets. Fans interested in being placed on the waiting list can call the team at (570) 208-PENS.

The Penguins' total attendance for the 1999-2000 season was 305,569 fans in 40 games, an average of 7,639. The Penguins led the League with 26 sellouts and played at 93.2% capacity at the First Union Arena at Casey Plaza during their inaugural season.

The Penguins have two home games left in the regular season. The Penguins host the Crunch on Saturday, March 30 (7:05 p.m. start) and close out the home portion of their 2001-02 schedule against the Philadelphia Phantoms on Friday, April 5 (7:05 p.m. start).

SHOTS ON GOAL

The Penguins have been outshot in 46 of 75 games this season, including 28 of the last 40 games . The Penguins allowed 40 or more shots for the 13th time this season on Wednesday against the Norfolk Admirals . The Penguins are being outshot, 2,272-2,532 (30.29/33.76) for the season ... This season, the Penguins are 7-15-5 when outshooting the opponent and are 12-25-7 when being outshot and have a 0-2-0 record when shots are even.

The Penguins have outshot their opponents in 19 of 38 home games this season. The Penguins are 6-10-3 this season when outshooting their opponents at home. They are 8-7-3 this season when being outshot at home and are 0-1-0 when shots are even.

The Penguins have been outshot in 27 of 37 road games . This season, the Penguins are 1-6-1 when outshooting the opponent and are 5-18-4 when being outshot and have a 0-1-0 record when shots are even in games on the road.

IN MARCH

The Penguins have an all-time record of 14-25-4 in the month of March. Tonight's game is the 12th of 13 games this month and the seventh and final road game for the month.

2001-2002 ROSTER

The Penguins have 23 players on their roster - 13 forwards, eight defensemen and two goaltenders. The average height of this year's team is 6'1 1/2"; average weight 197.1 pounds; and the average age of the team is 23.4 years old.

IN THE SYSTEM

Of the 23 players on the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins' roster, 11 players were drafted by Pittsburgh in the NHL Entry Draft, 9 were signed as free agents (seven by Pittsburgh and two by Wilkes-Barre/Scranton), one was claimed on waivers (via Pittsburgh) and two were acquired via trade. The breakdown of the players selected by round is as follows: first round - 2; second round - 1; third round - 1; fourth round - 2; fifth round - 2; sixth round - 1; and seventh round - 1.

The Penguins selected Eric Meloche in the seventh round (186th overall) of the 1996 NHL Entry Draft; Robert Dome was selected in the first round (17th overall) of the 1997 NHL Entry Draft; Alexandre Mathieu was selected in the fourth round, 97th overall in 1997; Alexander Zevakhin was selected in the second round, 54th overall in 1998; Robert Scuderi was selected in the fifth round (134th overall) of the 1998 NHL Entry Draft; Jan Fadrny was selected in the sixth round (169th overall) of the 1998 NHL Entry Draft; Sebastien Caron was selected in the third round (third round, 86th overall) of the 1999 NHL Entry Draft; Tom Kostopoulos was selected in the seventh round, 204th overall in 1999; Brooks Orpik was selected in the first round, 18th overall in 2000; Shane Endicott was selected by the Pens in the second round (52nd overall) of the 2000 NHL Entry Draft; and Tomas Surovy was selected in the fourth round (120th overall) of the 2001 NHL Entry Draft.

The nine players on the roster acquired through free agency by Pittsburgh include goaltender Robbie Tallas, defensemen Brendan Buckley (signed by W-B/S), Peter Ratchuk and Mike Wilson, and forwards Darcy Verot, Martin Sonnenberg, Jason MacDonald, Steve Parsons and Brendan Walsh (signed by W-B/S). Rookie defenseman Ross Lupaschuk was acquired in the Jaromir Jagr trade with the Washington Capitals and defenseman John Jakopin was claimed on waivers by Pittsburgh from Florida, October 2, 2001. Jakopin was assigned by Pittsburgh to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton on Jan. 29. Defenseman Bert Robertsson was acquired by Pittsburgh from the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim on March 8 in exchange for defenseman Mark Moore.

BACK-TO-BACK GAMES

The Penguins will play 14 sets of back-to-back games this season. The Penguins have played 12 sets of back-to-back games so far this season and will play their next set of back-to-back games this weekend (tonight at Norfolk and tomorrow vs. Syracuse). The Penguins have a record of 6-15-3 when playing on consecutive days. The Penguins are 1-9-2 in the first game and 5-6-1 in the second game. The Penguins are 30-51-9 overall (14-26-5 in the first game and 16-25-4 in the second game) during their three seasons in the American Hockey League.

BACK-TO-BACK-TO-BACK GAMES

The Penguins will play nine sets of back-to-back-to-back games this season. Wilkes-Barre/Scranton played its ninth and final set of three games in three nights last weekend (Mar. 8-10) and posted a mark of 1-1-1. The Penguins are 9-12-6 in back-to-back-to-back games this season (3-3-3 in the first game, 2-5-2 in the second game and 4-4-1 in the third game). The Penguins are 26-37-12 overall in back-to-back-back games (11-11-3 in first game, 7-12-6 in second game and 8-14-3 in third game) during their three seasons in the American Hockey League.

MAN-GAMES LOST

The Penguins have 82 man-games lost this season: Alexandre Mathieu (19), Shane Endicott (11), Mike Wilson (11), Jason MacDonald (10), Billy Tibbetts (9), Steve Parsons (5), Tomas Surovy (5), Darcy Verot (4), Peter Ratchuk (2), Ross Lupaschuk (2), Michal Sivek (2), Robert Dome (1) and Rob Scuderi (1).

INJURIES

Forward Alexandre Mathieu had successful surgery on Feb. 14 to repair a non-union scaphoid fracture of the left wrist and is out indefinitely. Defenseman Rob Scuderi is out indefinitely with bruised ribs.

RECENT TRANSACTIONS

Pittsburgh (NHL) reassigned defenseman Darcy Robinson from Wilkes-Barre/Scranton (AHL) to Wheeling (ECHL) on March 25 . Pittsburgh reassigned forward Eric Meloche to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton on March 19. Pittsburgh reassigned forward Shane Endicott to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton on March 16. Pittsburgh recalled forwards Shane Endicott and Billy Tibbetts from Wilkes-Barre/Scranton on March 9 . Pittsburgh reassigned defenseman Mike Wilson from Wilkes-Barre/Scranton on March 9. Pittsburgh acquired by Pittsburgh from the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim in exchange for defenseman Mark Moore on March 8 . Pittsburgh recalled forward Eric Meloche from Wilkes-Barre/Scranton on February 27. Wilkes-Barre/Scranton recalled center Chris Wells from Wheeling on Feb. 15. Wilkes-Barre/Scranton released Chris Wells from his contract on Feb. 15. Pittsburgh reassigned forward Eric Meloche and defenseman Mike Wilson to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton on Feb. 13. Pittsburgh reassigned defenseman Darcy Robinson from Wheeling to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton on Friday. Pittsburgh recalled defenseman Mike Wilson from Wilkes-Barre/Scranton on Feb. 4. Pittsburgh reassigned forward Billy Tibbetts to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton and reassigned defensemen David Koci and Darcy Robinson from Wilkes-Barre/Scranton to Wheeling of the East Coast Hockey League on Jan. 31. Pittsburgh recalled forward Shane Endicott to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton and assigned defenseman John Jakopin to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton on January 29. Pittsburgh reassigned defensemen David Koci and Darcy Robinson from Wheeling to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton on Jan. 19. Pittsburgh reassigned defensemen David Koci and Darcy Robinson from Wilkes-Barre/Scranton to Wheeling on Jan. 17. Wilkes-Barre/Scranton recalled right wing Brendan Walsh from Wheeling on Jan. 16. Pittsburgh reassigned forward Billy Tibbetts to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton on January 1. Pittsburgh recalled forward Tom Kostopoulos from Wilkes-Barre/Scranton and reassigned forward Milan Kraft to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton on Dec. 28.

REMAINING 2001-2002 SCHEDULE
Friday, March 29 at Norfolk (7:30 p.m.), Norfolk Scope
Saturday, March 30 vs. Syracuse (7:05 PM), First Union Arena at Casey Plaza (FAN APPRECIATION NIGHT)
Wednesday, April 3 at Philadelphia (7:05 p.m.), First Union Spectrum
Friday, April 5 vs. Philadelphia (7:05 p.m.), First Union Arena at Casey Plaza (TEAM AWARDS NIGHT)
Saturday, April 6 at Hershey (7:00 p.m.), Hersheypark Arena (END OF REGULAR SEASON)

PENALTY SHOTS

Tyler Arnason attempted the fourth penalty shot ever against the Penguins on December 23 and was successful. The last penalty shot attempted against Penguins occurred during the 2001 Calder Cup Playoffs when Brad Moran scored on his penalty shot attempt against Rich Parent. Listed below are the players that have attempted penalty shots against the Penguins.

OPPONENTS

PLAYER OPPONENT DATE GOALTENDER RESULT
Josh Holden Syracuse 1/25/00 Ryan Bach No Goal
Reggie Savage Syracuse 4/01/01 Rich Parent GOAL
Brad Moran Syracuse 4/13/01 Rich Parent GOAL*
Tyler Arnason Norfolk 12/23/01 Robbie Tallas GOAL

* Playoff Game

Tomas Surovy attempted the third penalty shot in team history on March 17 and was unsuccessful in his attempt against Syracuse's Greg Gardner at 18:22 of the third period. Martin Sonnenberg and Ross Lupaschuk previously attempted the other two penalty shots for the Penguins. Both players were unsuccessful in their attempts.

PENGUINS
PLAYER OPPONENT DATE GOALTENDER RESULT
Martin Sonnenberg Hamilton 2/25/00 Mike Minard No Goal
Ross Lupaschuk Syracuse 2/22/02 J-F Labbe No Goal *
Tomas Surovy Syracuse 3/17/02 Greg Gardner No Goal

* Attempted shot in overtime

SHUTOUTS

Goaltender Sebastien Caron recorded his first shutout of the season as well as the team's first as the Penguins defeated the Cincinnati Mighty Ducks, 3-0, on Wednesday at the First Union Arena at Casey Plaza. Caron made 32 saves in the win. The shutout was his fifth of his career.

PENGUINS SHUTOUTS

PENGUINS
SEASON No. DATE OPPONENT SCORE GOALIE
2000-2001 1 Oct. 22 ALBANY 7-0 Sebastien Caron
2000-2001 2 Nov. 25 SYRACUSE 3-0 Sebastien Caron
2000-2001 3 Jan. 21 at Philadelphia 4-0 Sebastien Caron
2000-2001 4 Feb. 23 at Philadelphia 2-0 Sebastien Caron
2000-2001 5 Mar. 22 WORCESTER 7-0 Rich Parent
2000-2001 6 Mar. 25 Norfolk 2-0 Rich Parent
2001-2002 7 Mar. 6 CINCINNATI 3-0 Sebastien Caron

The Penguins were shutout for a league-record 11th -time this season on March 20 as Neil Little recorded his third career shutout against the Penguins in Philadelphia's 3-0 win at the First Union Spectrum.. The Penguins have been shutout in three straight games. The Penguins have now been shutout 15 times in franchise history.

OVERTIME

The Penguins have a record of 4-3-12 in overtime games this season. The Penguins tied the Syracuse Crunch, 3-3, on March 10 at the First Union Arena at Casey Plaza. The Penguins have a 2-1-6 record at home and are 2-2-6 on the road in overtime games this season. Overall, the Penguins have a lifetime record of 11-10-30 in overtime games. The Penguins have a record of 7-4-16 at home and are 4-6-14 on the road in overtime games.

OFFENSE

The Penguins have scored 192 goals in 75 games this season, an average of 2.56 per game. The Penguins are 12-2-4 when scoring four goals or more and are 8-41-8 when scoring three goals or less.

DEFENSE

Overall, the Penguins have allowed 253 goals in 75 games this season, an average of 3.37 per game. The Penguins are 16-17-8 when allowing three goals or less and are 4-26-4 when allowing four goals or more.

POWER PLAY

The Penguins were 0x5 on the power play at Norfolk on March 27. In 75 games this season, Wilkes-Barre/Scranton is 59x409 (14.4%) on the power play. The Penguins are scoreless on their last 32 power play opportunities. . They have not scored a power play goal since Martin Sonnenberg's power play goal at 10:32 of the third period against the Admirals on March 13 . Overall, the Penguins are ranked 23rd in the league in power play efficiency.

At home, the Penguins are converting at a rate of 17.2% (35x214) 15th - best in the League. On the road, the Penguins are converting at a rate of 12.3% (24x195), 23rd -best in the League.

The Penguins have recorded at least one power play goal in 40 of their 75 games this season. The Penguins are 5-27-3 when they do not record at least one power play goal in a game. The Penguins are 7-11-5 when scoring one power play goal this season. The Penguins are 8-5-3 when scoring two power play goals and they are 0-0-1 when scoring three power play goals in a game.

PENALTY KILLING

The Penguins killed off all five of Norfolk's power play opportunities on March 27. Wilkes-Barre/Scranton has killed off 342 of 434 (78.8%) power play chances in its 75 games this season. The Penguins are ranked 27th in the league in penalty killing.

At home, the Penguins are killing penalties at 83.2% (193 of 232 power play opportunities), ranked 17th in the league thru 38 home games. On the road, the Penguins are killing penalties at 73.8% (149 of 202). The penalty killing is ranked 27th overall in the league thru 37 road games.

On the season, the Penguins have a record of 5-12-6 when they allow the opposition no power play goals. When allowing the opposition one power play goal, the Pens have a record of 12-12-2. When the Penguins allow more than one power play goal in a game, they have posted a record of 3-18-3.

THE PENGUINS AT HOME

The Penguins are 14-17-7 at home this season. The Penguins have scored 110 goals and have allowed 126 goals in 38 home games this season. Overall, the Penguins have a lifetime record of 50-51-17 in 118 regular season home games.

THE PENGUINS ON THE ROAD

The Penguins are 6-26-5 on the road this season. The Penguins have scored 83 goals and have allowed 127 in 37 road games this season. Overall, the Penguins have a lifetime record of 29-75-13 in 117 regular season road games.

Check out the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins Statistics



American Hockey League Stories from March 29, 2002


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