Penguins Double Up Crunch to Take Game 1

Game Sheet

Grant scores twice as W-B/Scranton opens series with win

Penguins hand Crunch first postseason loss
Wilkes-Barre/Scranton at Syracuse

;

SYRACUSE, N.Y. – Defenseman Alex Grant netted his first two goals of the playoffs as the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins started off the Eastern Conference Final with a 4-2 win over the Syracuse Crunch at Onondaga County War Memorial at Oncenter.

The Penguins got the early jump on the Crunch on Grant’s first of the night. A forechecking steal by Trevor Smith freed up the puck behind net for Derek Nesbitt, who found Grant streaking across the blueline. The Wilkes-Barre/Scranton d-man blasted a one-timer from the far circle that squeezed through the pads of Syracuse goalie Cedrick Desjardins at 1:55 of the first.

The Crunch’s Brendan Mikkelson tied the score at one at 16:41 of the same period with a long wrist shot from the near point that sailed past a screened Brad Thiessen. 

On the next shift, Wilkes-Barre/Scranton got a chance to retake its lead with a 5-on-4 advantage and would do so 31 seconds after the Crunch’s game-tying goal.  Some tic-tac-toe passing around the Syracuse zone saw Gibbons handle the puck on the far post and set up Smith in front for the easy tap-in and a 2-1 Penguins lead. 

Syracuse would level the match once again 5:38 into the second period when, on the power play, Tyler Johnson picked the top left corner with a wrist shot from the near circle.

Christiaan Minella put the Penguins back on top, 3-2, less than four minutes later as he picked off an outlet pass in the high slot and rifled the puck under the glove of Desjardins.  The unassisted marker was Minella’s first career playoff goal. 

Wilkes-Barre/Scranton extended its lead to 4-2 just 55.8 seconds before the second intermission with its second power play goal of the game.  Controlling the puck on the nearside blueline, Grant wheeled all the way to the far dot before releasing a shot that trickled through the pads of Crunch goaltender.

Thiessen made sure the lead stood with 24 saves, winning his fifth straight start.  Desjardins finished the game with 19 saves on 23 shots. 

The Penguins and Crunch take the ice for Game 2 of the Eastern Conference Final on Sunday, May 26 at 7:00PM.  Tune in on 102.3 The Mountain and AHLLive.com.

Wilkes-Barre/Scranton will host Games 3 and 4 on Wednesday, May 29 and Friday, May 31.  Tickets for the Eastern Conference Finals are available starting at just $15, and can be purchased at the Mohegan Sun Arena box office, through TicketMaster.com, or by calling the Penguins at 208-7367.

– penguins –

COMEBACK COMPLETE - Pens Win Game 7

The Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins made history Wednesday night in Providence as they came back from a 0-3 series deficit and claimed Game 7 of the Eastern Conference Semifinal with a 5-0 shutout win over the Bruins at Dunkin’ Donuts Center.   The Penguins become the first team in American Hockey League history to rally from three down in a playoff series and win the seventh game on the road.

Neither team was able to find the back of the net in the second period, but the Penguins more than made up for it in the middle frame, beating Bruins goalie Niklas Svedberg four times.

With its first power play of the game, Wilkes-Barre/Scranton went up, 1-0, at 4:44 of the second when Chad Kolarik followed his own rebound behind the net and banked the puck off of Svedberg and across the goal line. 

The Penguins then rattled off three goals in just over four minutes late in the period to build a commanding 4-0 lead going into the second intermission.  Peter Merth started Wilkes-Barre/Scranton’s second tally by holding a puck in at the right blueline and quickly sliding a pass to the opposite point for Joey Mormina.  Mormina sent a wrist shot toward the crease that was redirected to the top corner by Warren Peters at 13:04 for his fourth goal of the playoffs.

Chris Collins helped push the margin to three goals two minutes later, stealing a Bruins outlet attempt and dropping a pass at the far circle that Adam Payerl rifled by the blocker of Svedberg.

Wilkes-Barre/Scranton made it a four-spot with 2:45 remaining until the break as Dominik Uher chased down his own dump in to the Providence zone and left it along the back boards for Collins.  The Penguins forward notched his second assist of the night, setting up Zach Sill alone in front for a roof shot over a sprawled-out Svedberg.  

Trevor Smith completed the scoring with 4:35 left in regulation, notching his fourth of the postseason. 

Brad Thiessen made 34 saves for his second shutout of the playoffs and fourth of his Penguins career.  He is now tied for first all-time on Wilkes-Barre/Scranton with Andy Chiodo. 

The Penguins move on to face the Syracuse Crunch in the Eastern Conference Final, beginning Saturday, May 25 at 7:00PM.  Wilkes-Barre/Scranton will host Games 3 and 4 on Wednesday, May 29 and Friday, May 31.

The Full Eastern Conference Finals schedule is:

Game 1 – Sat., May 25 – W-B/Scranton at Syracuse, 7 ET
Game 2 – Sun., May 26 – W-B/Scranton at Syracuse, 7 ET
Game 3 – Wed., May 29 – Syracuse at W-B/Scranton, 7:05 ET
Game 4 – Fri., May 31 – Syracuse at W-B/Scranton, 7:05 ET
*Game 5 – Sat., June 1 – W-B/Scranton at Syracuse, 7 ET
*Game 6 – Mon., June 3 – Syracuse at W-B/Scranton, 7:05 ET
*Game 7 – Wed., June 5 – W-B/Scranton at Syracuse, 7 ET
    *if necessary

Tickets for the Eastern Conference Finals are available starting at just $15, and can be purchased at the Mohegan Sun Arena box office starting at 10am on Thursday, through TicketMaster.com, or by calling the Penguins at 208-7367.

ECF Tix On Sale NOW!

Click to purchase online

Penguins Shock Bruins in OT to Force Game 7

Game Sheet

Thiessen makes 46 saves as W-B/Scranton rallies to even series

P-Bruins fall to Penguins in overtime, 2-1
Wilkes-Barre/Scranton at Providence

PROVIDENCE, R.I. – Penguins goaltender Brad Thiessen made 46 saves – including 20 in the third period – as Wilkes-Barre/Scranton stunned the Providence Bruins with a 2-1 overtime win at Dunkin’ Donuts Center.  The Penguins become the fourth team in AHL history to force a Game 7 after losing the first three games of a series.

The game’s first goal did not come until the 1:03 mark of the second period when the Bruins caught the Penguins in a line change and Craig Cunningham broke in alone for a flick shot past the blocker of Thiessen.

Five minutes later, Wilkes-Barre/Scranton was able to knot the score, 1-1, with two Bruins in the penalty box.  Brian Dumoulin picked the top right corner of the net with a wrister from the high slot for his second power play goal in as many games. 

For the remainder of regulation, the Bruins controlled the play in all three zones, outshooting the Penguins by a combined 33-5 margin over the second and third periods.  Thiessen was miraculous in net for Wilkes-Barre/Scranton in sending the game to overtime.

In the fourth period, the Penguins had the early jump and soon netted the game-winner at 3:26.  Defenseman Alex Grant kept the puck in Bruins zone at the far side point and threw a shot that went wide of goalie Niklas Svedberg before coming to a stop behind the net.  Trevor Smith swooped in to snag the loose puck and wrapped it inside the left post to send the series to a seventh game.

Thiessen’s 46 saves were the most for a Wilkes-Barre/Scranton goalie in the postseason since Nolan Schaefer made 50 saves on May 4, 2007.   Svedberg stopped 16-of-18 for Providence. 

The Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins will battle the Providence Bruins in Game 7 of the Eastern Conference Semifinal on Wednesday, May 22 at 7:05PM.  Tune in on 102.3 The Mountain or AHLLive.com.

– penguins –

Pens Shut Out Bruins In Game 5

Game Sheet

Pens Shutout Bruins to Send Series Back to Providence

Thiessen makes 30 saves for third playoff shutout

WILKES-BARRE, Pa. – Penguins goaltender Brad Thiessen made 30 saves as Wilkes-Barre/Scranton blanked the Providence Bruins, 4-0, at Mohegan Sun Arena at Casey Plaza to force a Game 6 in the Eastern Conference Semifinal.  The Bruins still lead the best-of-seven series, 3-2. 

 

The Penguins enjoyed four man-advantages in the opening period and were able convert on half to take a 2-0 lead into the first intermission.  Wilkes-Barre/Scranton edged ahead, 1-0, at 10:55 when Brian Gibbons sent a pass into the slot that Chad Kolarik redirected toward the Providence net.  Goalie Niklas Svedberg kicked the puck away with his leg pad, but Brian Dumoulin raced to the rebound and put it top corner for his first professional playoff goal.

 

Six minutes later during a 5-on-3 power play, Trevor Smith accepted a feed from Riley Holzapfel and whizzed a wrist shot from the hash marks over the blocker of Svedberg that doubled the Penguins’ lead. 

 

The two teams would skate through a scoreless second period before Adam Payerl notched a big insurance goal for Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, rifling a slapshot home from the right circle at 3:39 of the third to make the score, 3-0.  The tally was also Payerl’s first of the playoffs.

 

The remainder of the third period became a penalty-filled affair with both teams combining for 76 penalty minutes. The end result saw the Penguins awarded extended power play time and Paul Thompson completing the scoring during a two-man advantage with 3:16 left in regulation.

 

Dumoulin finished the night with three points on a goal and two assists.  Thiessen’s shutout was the third of his postseason career.  Svedberg made 25 saves on 29 shots for Providence. 

 

The Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins look to force a seventh game as they take on the Providence Bruins in Game 6 on Monday, May 20 at 7:05pm. Tune in on 102.3 The Mountain or AHLLive.com

 

– penguins –

Game 5 Set For Saturday

The playoffs continue on Saturday night, as the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins face off with the Providence Bruins at Mohegan Sun Arena at 7:05pm tonight in Game 5 of the Eastern Conference Semifinal.

The Bruins captured the first three games in the series, before the Penguins posted a 3-1 win on Saturday night in Game 4..

Our friends at Eyewitness News (WBRE/WYOU) and the Citizens’ Voice for a fantastic playoff offer for tonight's game as well.

Kids tickets (ages 14 and under) for games on Friday, May 17 and Saturday, May 18 (if necessary) are just $7.  Kids tickets are based on availability in the Club Seat and Blue Zone sections, and must be accompanied by the purchase of an adult ticket (maximum of two kids tickets purchased with each adult ticket).  Adult tickets in these sections are priced at $27 and $15 respectively.

Tickets are available at the Mohegan Sun Arena Box Office, online at TicketMaster.com or by calling 570-208-PENS (7367).  You can also stop by the Penguins team store, located at 40 Coal Street, between 9am and 5pm on Saturday to purchase your seats.

Fans around the world can check out the action by tuning in to 102.3 the Mountain;  you can also tune in live online;  if you're on the go be sure to download the Pens iPhone or Android apps to listen anywhere;  or watch the game live on your computer at ahllive.com .

The complete schedule is as follows:

GAME		DATE		TEAMS		TIME/RESULT
Game 1		Fri., May 10		PENGUINS at Providence		8-5 Loss
Game 2		Sat., May 11		PENGUINS at Providence		4-2 Loss
Game 3		Wed., May 15		Providence vs. PENGUINS		2-1 OT Loss
Game 4		Fri., May 17		Providence vs. PENGUINS		3-1 WIN
Game 5		Sat., May 18		Providence vs. PENGUINS		7:05 PM
*Game 6		Mon., May 20		PENGUINS at Providence		7:05 PM
*Game 7		Wed., May 22		PENGUINS at Providence		7:05 PM

   

* - if necessary                

PENS FORCE GAME 5 WITH 3-1 WIN

Game Sheet

Penguins Extend Series with Win Over Bruins

Mormina assists on all three W-B/Scranton goals

Pens Force Game 5 with 3-1 Win
Providence at Wilkes-Barre/Scranton

WILKES-BARRE, Pa. – The Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins staved off elimination with a 3-1 win against the Providence Bruins in Game 4 of the Eastern Conference Semifinal.  The Penguins will look to send the series back to Providence with Game 5 at Mohegan Sun Arena at Casey Plaza on Saturday night.    

 

Trailing 1-0 after the first, Wilkes-Barre/Scranton put forth its best of hockey in this series against Providence.  The Penguins evened the score at 6:25 when Adam Payerl pushed down the right side of the Bruins’ zone and left a pass to Warren Peters.  The veteran forward used a Providence defenseman as a screen to sneak a wrist shot inside the far post. 

 

The Penguins went ahead for the first time in the game with 3:10 left until the second intermission as Joey Mormina’s shot from the far blue line deflected to right circle for Riley Holzapfel to snap over goalie Niklas Svedberg and to the top of the net. 

 

A late power play helped Wilkes-Barre/Scranton take its first two-goal lead of the series 1:07 after Holzapfel’s goal.  Stationed at the center point, Mormina waited for a screen to set up in front of the Bruins crease before firing a waist-high shot that was tipped in by Chad Kolarik.   

 

Carter Camper started Game 4 much the same way he ended Game 3, capitalizing on a steal and finding the back of the net.  Jordan Caron knocked down a Penguins pass by the near post and had his shot stopped by Brad Thiessen before Camper skated to the rebound behind the net and banked it across the goal line for a 1-0 Providence lead at 7:37 of the first.

 

Thiessen registered his second win of the postseason with 31 saves on 32 shots.  Svedberg’s six-game winning streak came to an end as he stopped 19-of-22.

 

The Penguins host the Providence Bruins for Game 5 of the Eastern Conference Semifinal on Saturday, May 18 and are offering kids tickets (ages 14 and under) for just $7.  Kids tickets are based on availability and must be accompanied by the purchase of an adult ticket (maximum of two kids tickets purchased with each adult ticket).

 

Tickets are available at the Box Office at Mohegan Sun Arena, through any Ticketmaster outlet, or online at ticketmaster.com.  Tickets also can be purchased via phone by calling 1-800-745-3000.

 

– penguins –