That's right, the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins traveled up I-81 this past weekend to start their first round playoff matchup with the Senators, and returned home with two big victories in tow.
But the hard work isn't done just yet. The Pens need one more win to capture a berth in the second round, and we want YOU to be there to help us get it!
Game Three of the first round is this Thursday, May 2, at the Mohegan Sun Arena at Casey Plaza. And you can get seats for what could be the decisive meeting for as low as $14 thanks to our friends at Eyewitness News. Just visit the Mohegan Sun Arena Box Office, call 800-745-3000, or click here to purchase your seats online.
The first 5,000 fans through the gates will also receive a special playoff noisemaker, thanks to our friends at Martz Trailways. Grab yours on the way in and let the team know you are there!
Penguins playoff packages are also on sale, with discounts over the gate price and a FREE whiteout t-shirt with every package purchased. Get yours by calling the Penguins directly at 570-208-7367.
Come on down to the arena this Thursday to root on the Pens!
The 2004-05 American Hockey League season was unique in league history. With the National Hockey League schedule being wiped out due to a work stoppage, the AHL saw in influx of extremely high end talent, making it arguably the top league in the world.
The Penguins and Senators both reaped the benefits of the lockout to varying degrees.
Wilkes-Barre saw Marc-Andre Fleury, Rob Scuderi, Ryan VandenBussche and Ryan Whitney – all players who figured to see significant playing time in Pittsburgh – suiting up.
And while the Penguins received some nice additions, the Senators were virtually stacked.
Binghamton’s roster featured four players – Jason Spezza, Antoine Vermette, Brian Pothier and Anton Volchenkov – who spent the entire 2003-04 campaign in the NHL. Those four were joined by AHL vet Denis Hamel, two-time All-Star netminder Ray Emery and center Chris Kelly, who would graduate to the NHL full time after the season.
Key to the team was the play of Spezza, the second overall pick in the 2001 NHL draft, who paced the league with 85 assists and 117 points. Hamel did his part as well, finishing third in the AHL with 39 goals and ninth with 78 points, as Bingo recorded a league-high 276 goals on the year.
The Sens’ 106 points (47-21-4-8) were good enough to capture the East Division title, while the Pens (39-27-7-7) finished fourth in the division with 92 points, one behind the third place Norfolk Admirals. A 4-2 loss to the Syracuse Crunch on the last day of the regular season put the Pens in the unenviable situation of facing the high-flying Sens in the first round of the playoffs.
Binghamton wasted little time in showcasing their offensive firepower, as Josh Langfeld scored 123 seconds into Game One, as the Senators skated to a relatively easy 5-2 victory.
It took even less time for the home club to jump out to the lead in Game Two, as Charlie Stephens tallied 1:44 into the contest. Kris Beech evened the score with a second period goal, but Bingo rattled off three consecutive tallies in the third to post a 4-2 win, and take a commanding 2-0 lead in the series.
Game Three started a little slower, with the opening salvo not coming until the 9:04 mark of the first frame when Christoph Schubert beat Andy Chiodo with a power play marker to give the visiting Senators the early lead.
The tide started to turn in the second period, as Shane Endicott and Beech scored power play goals seven minutes apart to give the Penguins their first lead of the series at 2-1. Schubert made sure the advantage was short-lived, though, as he netted his second of the night with 4:49 remaining in the period to even the score.
And then….nothing.
The Pens peppered Emery with 14 shots in the third period, but couldn’t put one behind the Binghamton backsopper, while Chiodo stopped all nine shots he saw in the third frame.
The teams held each other at bay during the first overtime period, and when the second extra frame ended with the score still tied at 2-2, fans had to be wondering if the game would ever end.
The third overtime dragged on, and it looked like players were skating with cement blocks trailing them after nearly five hours of action.
Then, just past the halfway mark of the third overtime and two minutes shy of midnight, Beech accepted a breakout pass at center ice, and cut to the left boards. As Erik Crhistensen trailed the play, Armstrong snuck in behind defenseman Pat Kavanagh, and tipped home a feed at the top of the crease to give the Penguins a dramatic 3-2 win in the longest contest in team history.
The victory turned the tide in the series, as the Pens used the momentum from the game to post a 2-0 decision in Game Four on April 27. Matt Murley and Armstrong tallied in that contest, and Chiodo stopped 23 shots for the shutout.
Ryan VandenBussche was the unlikely hero in Game Five. The Penguins bruiser game Wilkes-Barre a 2-1 lead late in the second with his first of the postseason, and he scored again just 34 seconds after Josh Langfeld tied the game early in the third to give the Pens a 3-2 victory.
Game Six was back in Wilkes-Barre on Sunday, May 1. Chris Kelly scored 18:47 into the second period to give Binghamton the lead, but Beech tied the score with another power play goal, and Michel Ouellet capped the comeback with his first goal since Game One, as the Pens posted a 2-1 win and a 4-2 series victory in one of the biggest upsets in AHL history.
WILKES-BARRE, Pa. – The Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins today announced the schedule for their best-of-five Eastern Conference Quarterfinal series against the Binghamton Senators.
The series will begin with Game 1 on Saturday, Apr. 27 at Broome County Veterans Memorial Arena at 7:05PM. The Penguins will host Game 3 at Mohegan Sun Arena at Casey Plaza on Thursday, May 2 and, if necessary, Game 4 on Saturday, May 4. Start time for both games is 7:05 PM.
Individual tickets for the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins’ games A and B of the Calder Cup Playoffs are on sale now and 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.
The complete schedule is as follows:
Game 1 - Saturday, Apr. 27, W-B/Scranton at BINGHAMTON, 7:05 PM Game 2 - Sunday, Apr. 28, W-B/Scranton at BINGHAMTON, 5:05 PM Game 3 - Thursday, May 2, W-B/SCRANTON vs. Binghamton, 7:05 PM *Game 4 - Saturday, May 4, W-B/SCRANTON vs. Binghamton, 7:05 PM *Game 5 - Monday, May 6, W-B/Scranton at BINGHAMTON, 7:05 PM
* - if necessary
Playoff ticket packages are available by contacting the Penguins Front Office at (570) 208-PENS and include a Penguins playoff T-Shirt with each seat purchased.
WILKES-BARRE, Pa. – The Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins clinched their 11th consecutive appearance in the Calder Cup Playoffs – the longest current active streak in the American Hockey League – after defeating the St. John’s IceCaps 3-0 on Saturday night in Newfoundland.
Tickets for individual playoff games will go on sale to the general public on Friday, April 19 at 10:00am and 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.
Playoff ticket packages are available by contacting the Penguins Front Office at (570) 208-PENS and include a Penguins Whiteout T-Shirt with each package purchased.
Two games in Binghamton, two Penguins wins!
The first 5,000 fans through the gates will also receive a special playoff noisemaker, thanks to our friends at Martz Trailways. Grab yours on the way in and let the team know you are there!
The 2004-05 American Hockey League season was unique in league history. With the National Hockey League schedule being wiped out due to a work stoppage, the AHL saw in influx of extremely high end talent, making it arguably the top league in the world.
Game Three started a little slower, with the opening salvo not coming until the 9:04 mark of the first frame when Christoph Schubert beat Andy Chiodo with a power play marker to give the visiting Senators the early lead.
WILKES-BARRE, Pa. – The Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins clinched their 11th consecutive appearance in the Calder Cup Playoffs – the longest current active streak in the American Hockey League – after defeating the St. John’s IceCaps 3-0 on Saturday night in Newfoundland.