Game 71 Preview: WBS Penguins @ Binghamton

With Brad Thiessen recalled to Pittsburgh, John Curry gets his chance to shine in the spotlight this weekend.

The Wilkes-Barre Scranton Penguins travel to Binghamton for tonight's game with the Senators. I went to the team's morning skate and was able to confirm via head coach John Hynes that Patrick Killeen was in fact recalled. Hynes told me that Killeen landed around 10:30 this morning but was unable to join the team for the morning skate. He will join the team and be the backup goalie tonight.

The team got another body on defense when Joe Rogalski took to the ice this morning wearing #16. Rogalski, a 6-2 right handed shooting defenseman, played for the OHL's Sarnia Sting this year registering seven goals and 25 assists in 63 games. He was recently signed to an amateur tryout contract.

The Senators have given the Pens some trouble this season, as the Pens trail the season series between the teams (3-4). With Barry Brust out of action this weekend, Robin Lehner will be in net for the Sens. Meanwhile, the Pens will go with John Curry.

Alright, back to the usual format after the jump



The Basics
WBS Penguins: 70 games played - 1st place East Division, 51-18-0-1, 103 points
Binghamton: 71 games played - 5th place East Division, 37-27-3-4, 81 points

Season Series: Binghamton leads 4-3
Previous 10 games - BNG: 5-5-0-0  WBS: 7-2-0-1

Players to Watch
Binghamton: If Brad Thiessen isn't the favorite for the AHL's most valuable player award, then Corey Locke should be.  Locke has been absolutely tearing up the AHL, posting 20 goals and 61 assists in 63 games with Binghamton this season. He has eight points in his last seven games (2G, 6A) and is a very dangerous player that the Pens need to contain defensively if they want two points tonight.

WBS: It's hard not to pick the forward line of Geoff Walker, Keven Veilleux and Zach Sill as the guys to watch for the Pens. These guys have been incredible lately; they have really stepped up their game the last month or so and not a bad time to catch fire. Walker has eight points in his last 10 games (3G, 5A). Veilleux is racking up the assists in March with nine helpers in his last seven. After scoring just three goals in his first 54 games, Sill has scored seven in his last 16 games. These three guys aren't afraid to drop the gloves and certainly not afraid of punishing their opponents with good body checks.


Final Thoughts
I will be heading up to Binghamton for the game tonight and hopefully will be able to live tweet the game for those who would like to follow along tonight. Follow my Twitter feed if you aren't already. The game thread is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. EST. Puck drops at 7:05.