Kostopoulos Returns 1/31

The date was November 4th, 2000. They hosted the Rochester Americans. Just the 2nd season for the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins, and being that I was only 11 years old and attending one of my first pro hockey games, I stayed after the game for the post-session autograph signing.

Little did I know then that my first autograph, from a hockey player born in Mississauga, Ontario, would be a guy who would go on to become one of the most prominent figures of the then very young AHL franchise. And on an even brighter note? After more than a decade later, I get to cover the team he plays for once again as a sports journalist. That's right folks, Tom Kostopoulos is back in a Penguins uniform.

He made his return to the WBS lineup for the first time in over nine years last Friday night against none other than the Rochester Americans. Kostopoulos logged 15:39 of ice time in his first hockey game of the 2012-13 season, and recorded an assist on Zach Sill's first goal of the year.

"It's fun to come back," Kostopoulos said. "This facility here is amazing [Coal Street] and it's good to see some familiar faces."

Paired on a checking line with Zach Sill and rookie Adam Payerl, Kostopoulos appears to be playing the same style of hockey that old-time WBS Penguins fans from the last millennium came to admire: A gritty, hardworking and nonstop hustle that has often been identified as the definition of Penguins hockey.

Tomorrow, Tom Kostopoulos will not only be playing his first game back in front of the Mohegan Sun Arena crowd, it will be his 1,000th regular season game as a pro.

"It'll be exciting to come back. I spent my first four seasons with the Penguins and it's ironic how it's gone full-circle."

The Penguins host another one of Kostopoulos' former teams tomorrow night when the Manchester Monarchs come to town. Check out today's practice update below.

Thursday Practice UPDATE 1/31

The Penguins were back at the Coal Street Rink in Wilkes-Barre today as they prepare for three games this weekend. Here's the news and notes I gathered today:

• Paul Thompson is out with an upper body injury. He skated on his own after practice but its clearly evident he won't play this weekend. Didn't get a chance to speak with head coach John Hynes but Thompson's status is not day-to-day. EDIT: Citizens Voice writer Jonathan Bombulie confirms via Hynes that Thompson will be out a few weeks.

• Phil Dupuis hasn't skated in over two weeks with the team and I didn't see him at all today. Safe to say he is out this weekend as well.  EDIT: Hynes also said Dupuis is out for awhile, but not a season ending injury per Bombulie.

• Beau Bennett didn't skate today either. Bennett came out about halfway through the Pens practice to do some off-ice shooting, before heading back into the locker room. His status is still day-to-day.

Here's the WBS lines I jotted down during practice:

Holzapfel - Smith - Kolarik
Gibbons - Peters - Megna
Payerl - Sill - Kostopoulos
Farnham - Uher - MacIntyre

Reese - Dumoulin
Grant - Eaton
Samuelsson - Morrow
Wild - Mormina

• The Pittsburgh Penguins have just announced they have claimed former Charlotte Checkers and Carolina Hurricanes forward Zach Boychuk on waivers. Boychuk cannot be sent to Wilkes-Barre so he's staying in the NHL. 

• Could this mean the end of Eric Tangradi's time in Pittsburgh? The Penguins would have to put Tangradi on waivers before he could be eligible to play in the AHL.

Grant Getting His Chance To Shine

Alex Grant is an offensive defenseman who has a big shot from the point.

Although Alex Grant made the team's opening night lineup in Binghamton back in October, he was slowly losing a numbers game on the blueline. With the NHL lockout bolstering AHL lineups and the additions of newly acquired Brian Dumoulin and 2011 first round pick Joe Morrow, Grant saw himself slip down to as far as 8th on the AHL Penguins defensive depth chart this season.

Hard to imagine after leading all Wilkes-Barre/Scranton defensemen in scoring last season with 37 points (10G-27A) in 61 games, including seven power play goals, that Grant would have any trouble cracking the lineup this season in 2012-13. It got to a point this season where the team was using him as a 7th defensemen or a winger on the 4th line, desperately trying to spread minutes amongst nine defensemen.

Now that the dust has settled from the NHL lockout, and guys like Robert Bortuzzo, Simon Despres and Brian Strait have graduated to the NHL, Grant has been a regular in the WBS lineup and playing a much more expanded role.

I caught up with Grant two weeks ago after a three point night in Norfolk and he talked about what the end of the lockout meant for him, in terms of more playing time and a shot to be a difference maker on this team.

"It's what I've been working for all year," Grant said. "I've put a lot of time in off-ice and in practices."

Paired with teammate Joey Mormina on the team's 2nd pairing, Grant is getting more ice time both at even strength and the power play. He logged 20:41 of ice time in Friday night's game up in Rochester, the most for any Penguins defenseman that night.

"That's what you're working for all year is that opportunity and I was fortunate enough to get it and take advantage of it."

Four of Grant's five points on the season have come in the last five games. With an increased role and his cannon of a shot on the man advantage, is it only a matter of time before Grant becomes a guy that can change the outcome of a game?

Thompson, Payerl Lead Pens Past Marlies

With Mark Eaton off for delay of game 6:44 into the third period, Tim Conolly scored and tied the game at one for the Marlies. But Paul Thompson wasn't about to let the Marlies back into the game.

Off the ensuing face-off, Thompson got in on the forecheck, stole a clearing pass and beat goalie Mark Owuya to give the Pens the lead back at 2-1 just 59 seconds after the Marlies tied it.

Adam Payerl, who had a strong game on a line with Zach Sill and Tom Kostopoulos, added a power play goal with 5:28 to play to put the icing on the cake for the Penguins 3-1 victory.

Riley Holzapfel opened the scoring midway through the second period, using a Marlies defender as a screen and beating Owuya to the stick side. Dylan Reese added the lone assist at 11:21 of the middle frame.

So the Penguins head into the All-Star break winning six of their last seven games. Recent addition to the team, Chad Kolarik, will represent the Penguins in the All-Star festivities in Providence. Beau Bennett was also named an All-Star but after sitting out both of this weekend's games his status is questionable. It might be better for Bennett to have the extra time off.

Jeff Zatkoff got the start in net tonight and played well, being named the game's first star with 27 saves on 28 shots.

Lineup changes included Dominik Uher in for Steve MacIntyre and Warren Peters in for Joey Mormina. The Penguins went back to 12 forwards and six defensemen tonight. With seven veterans on the team now, two must sit out every night as the league rule is a 5 maximum. With Phil Dupuis out with injury, Mormina was scratched as the 2nd veteran so Peters could return to the lineup.

After being in the locker room last night in Rochester, I wouldn't be surprised if Mormina was held out as a precaution after the big collision he had at center ice with Rochester's Mark Mancari last night in the third period.

The time off should help guys like Mormina, Bennett and Dupuis get closer to making a return to the lineup. It also can help the new guys (Kostopoulos, Eaton and Kolarik) get more acquainted with their new teammates and new home.

The next Penguins update won't come until after Wednesday's practice, but I will look to run feature stories on some players I have interviewed throughout the past few weeks. So check back for that early on in the week.

Amerks Pull Past Pens 4-2

The way the season has been going for the Penguins, with winning streaks followed by losing streaks, I asked head coach John Hynes what the message was to the guys in the locker room after tonight's 4-2 loss to the Amerks.

"It's real simple," said Hynes. "We gotta take care of the puck. The 2nd period we wanted to play a soft game, over pass the puck and it ends up in the back of our net."

After Zach Sill scored his first of the season halfway through the 2nd period, giving the Pens a 2-1 lead, it seemed to go downhill.  Bobby Farnham takes a slashing minor after digging for a rebound on Amerks netminder David Leggio. Brian Flynn scores a goal on a bad bounce off a skate and ties the game at the 13:26 mark of the 2nd frame.

Then with less than two minutes to play in the middle frame, the flood gates open. Adam Pardy blasts one top shelf on Brad Thiessen and then Kevin Sundher pokes one past Thiessen while laying on the ice with less than 10 seconds left, giving the Amerks three goals in the last 6:34 of the period and the 4-2 lead heading into the third.

Tom Kostopoulos, Mark Eaton and Chad Kolarik all made their WBS season debuts tonight. Kostopoulos played on a third line with Zach Sill and Bobby Farnham and had some chances in around the net, assisting one Sill's goal in the second period. Eaton was dressed as a 7th defenseman and logged 17:16 of ice time. Kolarik opened the scoring 1:36 into the game for his 17th of the season.

"A good veteran group in there," said Kolarik of his new teammates. "They were on a roll before I got here and I definitely don't want to be a problem. Hopefully we can bounce back tomorrow night."

After watching Kolarik play tonight, I have a feeling he is going to help the team much more than fans might have originally thought. Sure, he's an All-Star forward. But Kolarik adds a whole new dimension to the WBS attack. He was paired on a line with Jayson Megna and Brian Gibbons tonight.

ROSTER NOTES

• Brad Thiessen got the start in net and was pulled after two periods. He allowed four goals on 18 shots. Jeff Zatkoff replaced him for the third and stopped all four shots he faced. After speaking with coach Hynes postgame, he told me Zatkoff will start in net tomorrow night in Toronto against the Marlies.
• Phil Dupuis, Warren Peters and Beau Bennett missed tonight's game up front for the Penguins, while Cody Wild was a healthy scratch on defense. Dominik Uher was also a late scratch after taking the warmups. Hynes said Bennett is still day-to-day and lists him as questionable for tomorrow's game. An upgrade to his "doubtful" status for tonight's game? We'll have to wait and see.

Moving Parts 1/24

A lot of news, notes and roster movement to talk about after a very busy Thursday morning. Business is picking up. Here's a look at Thursday's practice update:

• Benn Ferriero and Carl Sneep have been traded. The Penguins get back a draft pick for Sneep and forward Chad Kolarik from the Connecticut Whale (AHL) for Ferriero. Kolarik is expected to make his WBS debut tomorrow in Rochester.

• Phil Dupuis and Beau Bennett did not skate at practice today. Head coach John Hynes said Dupuis is out this weekend, and that Bennett is day-to-day and will be making the trip.

• Warren Peters (pictured above) skated in a regular practice jersey and appears ready to return to the lineup after taking that punishing hit from Brooks Orpik in the Penguins scrimmage last Wednesday.

Eaton during a drill.

• Newly signed PTO's Mark Eaton (above) and Tom Kostopoulos (below) skated in practice today. Both have been training and skating on their own before being signed so I don't think it's a question of conditioning. Both are planned to make their season debuts tomorrow in Rochester.

Kostopoulos is back.

• Speaking of Rochester, I'll be heading to western New York tomorrow for the Penguins game against the Americans. Follow all the latest news on the WBS Penguins on our Twitter feed @H_P_Hockey.

Penguins Trade Ferriero & Sneep

The Pittsburgh Penguins were busy this morning, acquiring forward Chad Kolarik from the New York Rangers in exchange for Benn Ferriero. The Penguins also dealt defenseman Carl Sneep to the Dallas Stars for a conditional draft pick.

Here's the team's press release on the Ferriero/Kolarik deal.

Here's the release on Sneep's move to Texas.

Ferriero wasn't producing in Wilkes-Barre, and after being a healthy scratch he seemed like he was getting it together until a minor injury caused him to miss some more time.

The team's presser says Kolarik, 26, will report to the AHL Penguins.

Kolarik was in the midst of a fine season with the Rangers AHL affiliate Connecticut Whale, where he has posted 35 points (16G-19A) in 41 games. He's currently tied for 13th in the league in scoring and comes to the WBS Penguins as the team's leading scorer and will be going to the AHL All-Star festivities in Providence after the weekend.

Great pick up by the Penguins, grabbing that scoring threat they were looking for their AHL team in the offseason.

The move to let Sneep go was purely a numbers game and an attempt to ease up the logjam on the blue line in the Penguins organization. Sneep wasn't getting playing time in Wilkes-Barre and an opportunity elsewhere is best for him.

Five is Nice, Thiessen Shuts Out IceCaps

I think it's safe to say the recent slide is over, as the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins won their 5th straight game tonight, 3-0 over the St. John's IceCaps.

The Penguins came out attacking in the first period, striking early, late and in the middle of the opening frame.

With Ben Maxwell in the box for tripping 1:30 in, Riley Holzapfel fed Alex Grant on the point and Grant's blast beat IceCaps net minder Eddie Pasquale to give the Penguins a 1-0 lead. Trevor Smith added an assist on the power play goal at 2:32.

Then midway through the period, Philip Samuelsson retrieved an IceCaps clearing bid and flung a shot on goal that eluded Pasquale, increasing the Penguins lead to 2-0.

Holzapfel capped the scoring (no pun intended) with 2:19 left in the first period, slamming home the rebound of a Paul Thompson shot to make it 3-0.

I bet St. John's is kicking themselves for getting rid of Holzapfel last season. He leads the Penguins in scoring so far this season with 27 points (12G-15A) through 40 games played.

Brad Thiessen picks up another shutout, a 26 save effort tonight, and is now tied with
fellow goalie Jeff  Zatkoff for the team lead with three. Good stuff all around.

ROSTER NOTES

• Phil Dupuis and Warren Peters did not take the warmup skate tonight. Dupuis hasn't skated since last Monday and Peters was skating at practice yesterday in a red no-contact jersey.
• Newly signed Mark Eaton and Tom Kostopoulos signed autographs before the game and watched from the Penguins luxury box. 
• Beau Bennett left the game early and did not return. Whether it has anything to do with his absence from yesterday's practice, listed by Pens beat writer Jonathan Bombulie as personal reasons, or if there is an injury to report on. 
• With Eaton coming in the Penguins are back to nine healthy defensemen, which begs the question if Cody Wild or Carl Sneeo might be heading back to Wheeling (ECHL). 

Penguins practice tomorrow before heading to Rochester for a game Friday night. The Penguins then hop the border for a Saturday night tilt with the Toronto Marlies.

Hopefully, I'll have an update on everyone's status for this weekend after practice tomorrow. Check our Twitter feed for all the latest breaking news on the WBS Penguins @H_P_Hockey.

WBS Sign Eaton, Kostopoulos to PTO's

Busy day for the Penguins. Per the AHL's transactions page this morning, the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins signed former Pittsburgh Penguins defenseman Mark Eaton to a professional tryout contract (PTO). Eaton spent four seasons playing with the NHL Penguins from 2006-2010.

Then late this afternoon, the WBS Penguins brought back back their all-time leader in games played (318), goals (97), assists (149) and points (246) in forward Tom Kostopoulos. 

Eaton, 35, brings 627 games of NHL experience to a young and raw WBS defensive core. He spent the last two seasons with the New York Islanders after being with the NHL Penguins the previous four.

Kostopoulos, 33, brings 615 games of NHL experience to Wilkes-Barre.  He appeared in 81 games for the Calgary Flames (NHL) last season, tallying four goals and eight assists while adding 57 penalty minutes.

Here's the team's press release on Eaton.

The team's press release for Kostopoulos.

Good moves by the Penguins, and I'll tell you why both could pay off.

In all, Eaton has 15 years of professional hockey under his belt and hasn't played in the AHL since the 2004-05 season. Kostopoulos is entering his 14th year as a pro. At 35 and 33 years old, respectively, both are put in a position where they need to prove that they can compete at a high level and be successful.

Eaton's experience and defensive responsibility could dramatically help the Penguins down the stretch. The veteran power forward presence that Kostopoulos brings, in addition to the grit and willingness to drop the gloves, definitely adds a kind of guy that head coach John Hynes is going to like.

If nothing else, it generates a buzz amongst the fan base bringing back a familiar face to some and a fan favorite for some fans who were at games since day one.

Pens "Bear" Down, Claim Classic

Trailing 1-0 after two periods, the Penguins found themselves in a tight game on a big stage, and against their biggest rival.  Playing in front of a record crowd 17,311 fans, Riley Holzapfel and Paul Thompson grabbed the spotlight in the AHL's Outdoor Classic.

First, a Holzapfel blast off an odd man rush tied the game with 12:13 to play. Paul Thompson and Zach Sill added assists. The Penguins had a chance in the waning moments of regulation, but Brian Gibbons was robbed by Bears goalie Dany Sabourin.

Overtime in the AHL's Outdoor game? Couldn't have been scripted any better if you were a Penguins fan tonight.

Jayson Megna and Joey Mormina sprung Paul Thompson on a mini-breakaway 1:19 into the extra session and Thompson beat Sabourin to the glove side. Sabourin got a piece but not enough and the team came out to swarm the goal scorer. More on the "celebration" later but back to Thompson.

The goal was Thompson's team leading 13th goal of the season. He's scored a goal in each of the last three games. Holzapfel netted his 11th of the year tonight and has four points (2G, 2A) in his last two games.

With Phil Dupuis and Warren Peters out with injuries and Eric Tangradi graduated to Pittsburgh, Thompson and Holzapfel are clearly benefiting being put in a top-six role anchored by Trevor Smith. A lot of names thrown at you at once but the thing to take away is the team's ability to find ways to win these close games that they were losing weeks ago.

Now onto the post game reactions. Penguins beat writer Jonathan Bombulie reported that Bears head coach Mark French had words with Penguins head coach John Hynes about the Penguins' celebration of the game winning goal.

I'm not sure what French saw, but from my view (look at the game photo above) the Penguins celebrated in the corner the goal was scored before both teams gave the fans a stick salute. Maybe French was upset that the Penguins saluted the crowd on the road in Hershey. I would imagine the Penguins were saluting the corner of HersheyPark Stadium where the majority of the Pens fans in attendance were sitting. Add another log to the fire of this rivalry.

Post-lockout, guys are being placed into more prominent roles and it's good to see Thompson and Holzapfel stepping up in not only a big game against their intrastate rival but an important game in the standings.

The win gives the Penguins their fourth in a row. One game into the second half of the season and the Penguins sit just one point of out a playoff spot with 41 points, two back of Hershey for 6th in the Eastern Conference and three back of 5th place Manchester.

In the East Division, Binghamton Senators (54 points) and Syracuse Crunch (53 points) have built a cushion, but the second half of the season is going to test every team's depth. Now that the NHL has resumed and teams have played a few regular season games I'll clear up which teams lost who and let you, the reader, decide which team lost the most and which team has the advantage down the stretch.

Strait to the Island 1/18

Brian Strait is no longer with the Penguins after being claimed by the New York Islanders. Photo courtesy of Amy's WBS Picture Page.

The big news of the day is the departure of Brian Strait, who has been claimed off waivers by the New York Islanders. Wishing Brian Strait all the best with his new team.

Meanwhile, at the WBS Penguins practice facility at Coal Street, the AHL Penguins had their last practice of the week before boarding the bus tomorrow afternoon to head to Hershey for this weekend's AHL Outdoor Game.

Follow the official Twitter Feed of Highland Park Hockey for all the latest news, injury updates, live in-game action and anything WBS Penguins related.

Missing from practice today were forwards Phil Dupuis and Warren Peters. Dupuis (undisclosed) left practice Monday with a minor injury and didn't play Tuesday in Norfolk. Peters (upper body) took a big hit in the 1st period of Wednesday's scrimmage in Pittsburgh and did not return.

I spoke with head coach John Hynes after the 90 minute session. He said both are day-to-day and with two days before their next game, he is unsure whether or not they will be in the lineup Sunday. Benn Ferriero practiced in full today and is expected to play Sunday.

A lot of bodies at practice today, including recent call ups from Wheeling forwards Chris Barton, Paul Crowder and Adam Payerl and defensemen Carl Sneep and Cody Wild.  Payerl was wearing Eric Tangradi's number 25 in practice today. Wild was wearing Brain Strait's number 7.

Here's a look at the lines from Friday's practice.

Holzapfel - Smith - Thompson
Bennett - Ferriero - Megna
Farnham -  Sill - Gibbons
Uher - Barton - Payerl
MacIntyre - Crowder

Reese - Dumoulin
Mormina - Grant
Morrow - Samuelsson
Sneep - Wild

Orginizational Shuffling 1/17

WAIVER WORLD

With the Pittsburgh Penguins having until 5 p.m. Friday to get under the maximum roster size, decisions needed to be made. And fast. Just a six day training camp for the NHL Penguins, along with Wednesday night's intrasquad scrimmage in Pittsburgh. Ray Shero and company were certainly busy this week.

Many are on their way back to Wilkes-Barre. Forwards Jayson Megna and Beau Bennett were returned to the AHL Penguins. Both are waiver exempt. Bennett was recently named to the AHL's Eastern Conference All-Star team. A well deserved nominee indeed.

Meanwhile, forwards Phil Dupuis, Benn Ferriero, Riley Holzapfel, Warren Peters and Trevor Smith and defensemen Alex Grant, Dylan Reese and Briant Strait have all been placed on waivers. All players are eligible to play in the AHL after clearing waivers at noon on Friday. I'll be at WBS Penguins practice in the morning for all the latest, and have the details on who remains in the organization.

All of the above guys who have been placed on waivers, with the exception of Brian Strait, had cleared waivers back in September before the NHL lockout but were required to go through the process again before the start of the season. That being said, all 30 teams had the option of adding these guys already so it is unlikely they'll have any trouble clearing. This is Strait's first time being available to opposing teams, but we will wait and see tomorrow.

Pittsburgh is currently at the max roster size set at 23 so they don't need to make anymore moves. It appears as though Eric Tangradi, Robert Bortuzzo and Simon Despres will at least begin the season in the NHL. Of the three, only Despres is waiver exempt.

Still, the AHL Penguins did some adding of their own, picking up defensemen Carl Sneep and Cody Wild from their ECHL affiliate Wheeling Nailers. The move gives the WBS Penguins eight healthy defensemen, with a possible ninth coming in the form of Brian Strait.

LOOKING FORWARD

Earlier today on the site's Twitter feed, I had said that forwards Chris Barton, Paul Crowder and Adam Payerl could be heading back to Wheeling with all the bodies coming back from Pittsburgh.

But with Warren Peters' early exit from Wednesday's scrimmage and the fact that Brian Gibbons was held out of the event altogether, some forwards may need some time off this weekend, especially after adding the already "day-to-day" Benn Ferriero and Phil Dupuis into the mix.

Speaking of this weekend, the WBS Penguins are off until Sunday evening when they face the Hershey Bears in the AHL's Outdoor Game at HersheyPark Stadium. Look for thoughts on this weekend's game from the players Saturday.

Look for an update from the WBS Penguins practice facility at Coal Street Rink tomorrow afternoon.

Not So Fast(h) - Pens Win 3rd Straight

Another night where the Penguins where they faced an unknown goaltender making his AHL debut. Tonight is was Viktor Fasth, who came over from the Swedish Elite League for his first game in North America.  Just some background so you can understand my overly witty headline.

Trevor Smith returned to Norfolk for the first time since leaving the Admirals after last season and tips an Alex Grant shot from the point for the game winning goal tonight. Penguins win 4-2, their third straight win.

The building said Grant got credit for the goal but after talking to Grant and Smith after the game, they both confirmed Smith got a piece of it. The goal will need to be changed to Smith from Grant and Brian Dumoulin.

"I was trying to get a screen and then it was coming right at me so I tried to move at the last second and it hit my stick," Smith said. "A nice home bounce."

The Penguins never trailed tonight, despite a slow start. The Admirals had the better chances in the first period and had the Penguins on their heels at times. Nick Schaus brought a puck down the wing on an odd man chance and fired a shot past Thiessen. It looked like the shot caught Thiessen off guard. Troy Bodie and John Mitchell got the assists 6:56 into the contest.

A Gabe Guentzel highsticking double minor at the tail end of the first period gave the Penguins 3:57 to work with in the second period, and they cashed in after Troy Bodie gave the Pens a 5-on-3 power play.

Brian Dumoulin fed a pass across the point to Alex Grant and Grant's shot was tipped past Fasth by Riley Holzapfel. The power play tally was the third in as many games for the Penguins, who appear to have their power play back on track. 

Paul Thompson scored his team leading 12th goal of the season on a weird play 4:49 into the third period, slamming home a puck after it was batted down in front of the net by an Admirals defender. Holzapfel and Grant got the assists.

The Admirals tied the game at 2 with 5:14 left to play while on a power play. Josh Brittian flung a shot from the near wing boards and beat Thiessen to the blocker side.

The Penguins power play came to the rescue tonight with 2:10 to play. Their second power play goal of the game. They've now scored at least one power play goal in each of their last three games. Are we seeing a trend here? 

The Penguins ended the game on the penalty kill, and Brian Gibbons blocked a point shot and walked the puck into the empty Admirals net with 27.7 to go to give the Penguins the 4-2 win.

ROSTER NOTES

Probably what you scrolled down to read. I spoke with John Hynes after the game, who had this to say regarding players from the AHL Penguins heading to Pittsburgh tomorrow: all guys on NHL deals will be heading out to join the rest of the guys in Pittsburgh for tomorrow's scrimmage. He said it was good to give all those guys a taste of NHL training camp.

So here's the list of guys heading to Pittsburgh tomorrow below. I kept Benn Ferriero and Phil Dupuis off the list due their minor injuries and "day-to-day" statuses. Also not sure if Steve MacIntyre will be needed in the scrimmage.

Goalies: Brad Thiessen and Jeff Zatkoff

Defensemen: Dylan Reese, Philip Samuelsson, Joe Morrow, Brian Dumoulin and Alex Grant.

Forwards: Brian Gibbons, Zach Sill, Paul Thompson, Dominik Uher, Trevor Smith, Riley Holzapfel, Adam Payerl and Warren Peters.

Pens Looking For 3rd Straight Win

The venue for tonight's game: The Norfolk Scope Arena. It has been nicknamed "Mini Madison Square Garden" because of its similarities to the home of the NHL's New York Rangers.

Coming off a two-win weekend, including a 1-0 shutout of the Hershey Bears and a 2-1 nail biter over the Adirondack Phantoms, the Penguins are in Norfolk, Virginia tonight to take on the Admirals, searching for their third straight win,

Highland Park Hockey will continue to be the place to be to get all the live in-game updates, as I will be tweeting and reporting from press row tonight.  Follow @H_P_Hockey on Twitter for all the latest on the WBS Penguins.

Some news and notes to get you caught up for tonight's game:

• F Tom Kuhnhackl had season ending surgery to repair a separated shoulder, which Kuhnhackl himself posted on Facebook as the third time he's separated that shoulder. Ouch!

• F Benn Ferriero practiced yesterday but is still questionable for tonight's game, which is why the Penguins announced this morning that F Adam Payerl has re-joined the team after a successful weekend in Wheeling. The move gives the Penguins 13 healthy forwards, excluding Kuhnhackl and Ferriero and including Steve MacIntyre, Paul Crowder and Chris Barton.

• With only six healthy defensemen currently on the WBS roster, I thought today would be the day Carl Sneep would re-join the Pens as well. But a source close to the situation has told me that Sneep won't make it to Norfolk for tonight's game but is in Wilkes-Barre and will most likely join the team when they return home after the game.

• Expect the defense pairings to remain the same tonight:

Brian Dumoulin - Dylan Reese

Joey Mormina - Alex Grant 

Joe Morrow - Philip Samuelsson 

• It'll be interesting to see who gets the start in net tonight. Jeff Zatkoff has been the team's number one goaltender without a shred of doubt up until this past week. Backup Brad Thiessen has come in and won three of his last four starts, including two shutouts and back-to-back wins the last two games the Penguins played.

No More Sliding - Pens Win 2-1

The Penguins beat the Adirondack Phantoms 2-1 tonight in front of a sell out crowd at Mohegan Sun Arena at Casey Plaza for their second win in as many nights.

Paul Thompson scored off his own rebound on the power play to give the Penguins a 1-0 lead in the first period. With Bennett and Tangradi in Pittsburgh, it was good to see Thompson score in back-to-back games, bringing his season total to a team leading 11 goals.

Brian Gibbons flew down the wing on an odd man rush in the 2nd period and found a streaking Brian Dumoulin in between the face-off circles and fed Dumoulin a perfect pass. The only thing better was Dumoulin's shot, which picked the top right corner and gave the Pens a 2-1 lead.

Brad Thiessen got the start in net for the second straight night.  Thiessen was sharp, allowing just one goal on shots. With two wins this weekend and wins in three of his last four starts, Thiessen is making his case to be the Penguins starting goaltender.

Robert Bortuzzo and Brian Strait were out of the lineup tonight as they head to Pittsburgh to join fellow WBS players Eric Tangradi, Beau Bennett, Simon Despres and Jayson Megna for NHL Penguins training camp.

To replace guys headed to Pittsburgh, the Penguins added forwards Chris Barton and Paul Crowder from Wheeling.  Barton had a few chances tonight. Didn't see much from Crowder, and he didn't play much if at all in the third period.

Joe Morrow was on the ice for the Phantoms lone goal of the game and sat on the bench the entire third period. It's safe to say the coaching staff is unhappy with his play as of late. And with the Pens down to just 6 defensemen, I'd expect Carl Sneep to make his return to Wilkes-Barre before the Penguins head to Norfolk for a Tuesday night game.

Oh and by the way, Highland Park Hockey will be making the 700 mile round trip to southern Virginia for the week night game. So be sure to stay tuned for all the latest.  

Thiessen's Back - Pens Win 1-0

The Penguins turned the tables on the Bears tonight, finally beating their rival in front of the home crowd. Should give them confidence against the Bears heading into the AHL Outdoor Game between these two teams next weekend.

The lead of the story tonight has to be that of goaltender Brad Thiessen, who picked up his second win in his last three starts. Both wins are shutouts. Tonight's 23 save shutout was impressive, especially in the third period with the Penguins shorthanded twice. Is it safe to say the Thiessen of old is back? Is it enough to over take Jeff Zatkoff for the starting role?

The Penguins lone goal came in the first period while the Penguins were on the power play. Dylan Reese sent a pass across to Brian Dumoulin, who fed a puck to the half wall to Beau Bennett. Bennett fired a pass back to Dumoulin and his point blast eluded Dany Sabourin for the 1-0 lead.

The big news of the night is that Eric Tangradi and Simon Despres were scratched tonight and have been reported as being in Pittsburgh awaiting training camp. Who will join them? Who will replace those lost to the NHL? Stay tuned to our Twitter feed for all the latest. Might have an exclusive blog post later tonight on the organization's player movement.

Penguins Host Bears 1/11

NEWS AND NOTES

Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins vs. Hershey Bears
Mohegan Sun Arena at Casey Plaza
Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania 

Penguins
35 games played, 15-17-2-1, 33 points 
4th place East Division (Tied 10th - EAST)

Bears
35 games played, 17-16-1-1, 36 points
3rd place East Divion (Tied 8th - EAST)

Expected Goalies: Dany Sabourin (HER) 3-0-0 vs WBS this season
Jeff Zatkoff (WBS) 1-4-1 vs HER this season 

Leading Scorers
WBS: Beau Bennett (6G, 17A), Trevor Smith (11G, 10A), Riley Holzapfel (9G, 12A)
HER: F Jeff Taffe (8G, 27A), F Jon DiSalvatore (10G, 16A), D Tomas Kundratek (11G, 9A)

These two teams play each other in the AHL's Outdoor Game at HersheyPark Stadium next weekend, with the alumni game on January 19th, and the game itself on the 20th. Highland Park Hockey will be at the most anticipated event in the league this season. Follow us on Twitter @H_P_Hockey for all the latest news and updates on the AHL's Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins, the top minor league affiliate of the Pittsburgh Penguins (NHL).

For the Bears

Since sweeping a home-and-home against the Penguins after Christmas, the Hershey Bears had dropped three straight games before a come from behind 4-3 OT win over Bridgeport Tuesday night. With Braden Holtby's days in Hershey being counted down, Dany Sabourin carries the load in net. Forward T.J. Syner is set to return to the lineup after missing eight games with a lower body injury.

For the Penguins

It hasn't been going the Penguins way in the second quarter of the season. They are 2-10-3 in their last 15 games and an impressive November has passed what seems like a season or two ago.  Plain and simple, the Pens need their scoring forwards to step up. Looming the loss of Bennett and Tangradi up front, guys like Smith and Holapfel will be pushed to anchor the WBS attack with a supporting cast of Paul Thompson, Jayson Megna, Benn Ferriero and Phil Dupuis.

Tom Kuhnhackl (upper body) is the only player not on the injury list. Benn Ferriero is day-to-day with a minor tweak injury. Keven Veilleux hasn't dressed for a pre game warmup since being cleared for games after Christmas. UPDATE: Veilleux has been re-assigned to Wheeling for conditioning. The scratches on Wednesday were D Joey Mormina, F Brian Gibbons, F Dominik Uher, D Alex Grant and F Benn Ferriero.

Lehner The Penguin Killer 1/9

Binghamton Senators goalie Robin Lehner turned in another spectacular performance against the Penguins, upping his record to 4-0-1 against the Pens this season with a 31 save effort tonight.  After watching tonight's 3-1 loss to the BSens, I'm convinced Lehner is Swedish for "Penguin Killer".

He was particularly good in the third period, stopping numerous prime chances from Beau Bennett, Paul Thompson, Eric Tangradi and Trevor Smith.

The BSens took the lead 6:27 into the first period on a tic-tac-toe passing play between Andre Benoit, Jakob Silfverberg and Stephane Da Costa on a 3-on-1 chance. Da Costa finished off the play for his 6th of the season.

From there, not much going on for the Penguins until the 8:36 mark of the 2nd period. Corey Cowick challenged Zach Sill to a fight and early on it appeared Cowick was standing his ground. But then Sill switched to his left and went to town on Cowick, landing numerous uppercuts and the eventual takedown.

The Penguins started the 3rd period on the penalty kill, and just 1:00 in to the final frame an Eric Gryba point shot trickled past Zatkoff, giving the BSens what looked like an insurmountable 2-0 lead.

The Penguins did not fade away into the night after the early third period goal. In fact, they did quite the opposite, going on to out shoot the Senators 14-4 in the final 20 minutes.

Paul Thompson knocked home a rebound past Lehner to break his shutout bid 4:45 into the final frame, and the Penguins came to life. Eric Tangradi and Dylan Reese got the assists. 

The Penguins had several good scoring chances on their lone power play midway through the 3rd period, but couldn't get the equalizer tonight. Mike Hoffman added an empty net goal in the final minute to complete the 3-1 final score.

ROSTER NOTES

After being scratched Sunday, Beau Bennett, Eric Tangradi and Robert Bortuzzo returned to action tonight.

The healthy scratches tonight were Joey Mormina, Brian Gibbons, Dominik Uher, Alex Grant and Keven Veilleux.

Benn Ferriero, who nobody noticed his absence from the third period Saturday night, is day-to-day. Tom Kuhnhackl is week-to-week, recovering from a separated shoulder.

Jeff Zatkoff got the start in goal tonight, and while he wasn't overly impressive, he turned back 13 of the 15 shots that came his way. Zatkoff kept the Penguins in the game in the first period after they got off to a slow start.

In a surprise move while on a power play, Bobby Farnham and Steve MacIntyre hopped over the boards with Riley Holzapfel on the 2nd unit for a shift tonight. With the power play converting at roughly a 4.5% rate during the team's current slide, maybe head coach John Hynes was sending a message to his skill guys.

What Happens Next 1/7

While the finer details are hammered out to officially end the NHL lockout, many wonder the fate of the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton players. Especially those who might be heading to Pittsburgh this week when the NHL announces a schedule.

The general consensus is that there will be a 48 game season starting in mid January, with no preseason and a shortened training camp. Penguins GM Ray Shero is quoted as saying the Pens are prepared for however long the camp may be, be it a 5 or 7 day camp.

The magic number is 24-26 guys. Currently, Pittsburgh has 12 forwards, six defensemen and two goaltenders. The WBS Penguins scratched Eric Tangradi, Beau Bennett and Robert Bortuzzo yesterday, so by adding those three to the mix the Penguins have 23 bodies at camp. So who will fill the last 1-3 spots in camp for a chance with the NHL club?

On defense, it's possible that the Penguins could call upon Brian Strait. Strait had been out of the lineup the first two games of the weekend with an illness, but played yesterday. Strait has battled through injury and hasn't had much luck so far this season. In 24 games with the AHL Penguins this season, Strait has no points and is a -6 with 34 penalty minutes.

Many Penguins fans think Simon Despres played well enough in the NHL last season to come back this year. But after being a healthy scratch for the Penguins on Friday and Saturday night, he returned to action Sunday. Since returning from injury, Despres has been rather ineffective which is why he sat out this weekend. With 8 guys on one-way NHL contracts ahead of him, I don't think Despres makes the NHL club right away. Of course, moves can be made to make room for him, but I don't think teams will be quick to make moves now. At the trade deadline (whenever that will be), all bets are off.

Up front it is clear the Penguins have room in their top six. Beau Bennett and Eric Tangradi appear on the way to Pittsburgh to challenge for that spot. It's possible that the Pens could seek out a free agent forward to bring in to camp for a tryout as well.

My take on Beau Bennett? He's been far and away the best forward for the WBS Penguins night in and night out. He'd be a great fit in Pittsburgh's top six on a line with Crosby or Malkin, but if he's not going to get top six minutes in the NHL than I think the Pens should ship him back to Wilkes-Barre for the time being.

Eric Tangradi meanwhile, is more suited for 3rd and 4th line minutes if he doesn't impress in a top six role as a power forward.  He's been a streaky scorer for the WBS Penguins this season.

With the recent injury to Benn Ferriero and Phil Dupuis' lack of production, the only other forwards in the AHL with an outside chance would be Trevor Smith and Warren Peters. 

The other thing WBS Penguins fans will have to worry about is what happens with waivers this season. Under the old rules, the following players would need to clear waivers before being able to play in the AHL:

Eric Tangradi, Steve MacIntyre, Brian Strait, Robert Bortuzzo, Brad Thiessen and Jeff Zatkoff

We will have to wait and see how that all shakes out, but I don't think the two goaltenders or MacIntyre would have trouble clearing waivers. The other three, however, could be harder to send back to the minors if they do in fact need to be put on waivers.

For the latest on the Penguins and more lockout ramifications that will affect the WBS Penguins, follow us on Twitter.

Missiaen Possible - Whale Blank Pens

The Connecticut Whale went to backup goalie Jason Missiaen (pronounced mission) this afternoon. Their regular starter, Cameron Talbot, was in net on Friday and Saturday night and the last 14 games for the Whale.

Missiaen, the towering 6-foot-8 goaltender, came into today with a 2-3 record, a 4.26 GAA and .871 SV%. So naturally, he pitches a 35 save shutout against the Penguins in route to a 2-0 victory.

Another game where the Penguins outshot their opponent (35-18) but didn't play well enough to win. Kyle Jean scored both Whale goals for his first two of the 2012-13 campaign.

But more importantly the news of the day: The NHL owners and the NHLPA (the players association) have a verbal agreement on a new CBA that will end the NHL lockout.

To counter that, the Penguins scratched three players today. Beau Bennett, Eric Tangradi and Robert Bortuzzo. That's not to say more players from the AHL could be headed to Pittsburgh when everything is resolved, but those three being healthy scratches should imply they are among those getting an NHL look.

Brad Thiessen got the start in net today after a 30 save shutout performance last night. Phil Dupuis, Dominik Uher, Simon Despres and Brian Strait replaced the above three scratches. Alex Grant was also a healthy scratch. Here's what the lineup looked like tonight:

Holzapfel - Smith - Megna
Thompson - Peters - Gibbons
Dupuis - Sill - Uher
MacIntyre - Farnham

Some might be surprised to see Despres not on the list as one of those healthy scratches, but after sitting the last two games out as a healthy scratch due to poor play (), he needed to get back in the lineup. With 8 guys on one-way NHL deals, it just doesnt make sense to put Despres in the NHL unless room is made for him. Other Pens prospect Joe Morrow is not NHL ready in my opinion.

Pens Blank Sharks 3-0, End Slide

Benn Ferriero opened up the scoring just 40 seconds into the game against his former team, finishing off a Beau Bennett wrap around. Riley Holzapfel added to the lead in the 2nd period with an absolute beauty of a shot.   

Warren Peters tapped in a rebound goal off an Eric Tangradi shot and the Penguins took a 3-0 lead into the second intermission. Familiar territory for the Penguins, who twice in their last 12 games had seen 3-0 leads evaporate into disappointing losses.

Mike O'Brien asked Warren Peters during the second intermission interview what the keys to the third period would be and Peters' response, "We just got to keep our nose to the grindstone."

The Penguins did just that tonight, ending their slide and getting back in the win column with a 3-0 victory over the Worcester Sharks.

Brad Thiessen got the start in net tonight and was very impressive, stopping all 30 shots he faced for his first regulation win of the season. And a shut out to boot! 

An all around good night for the Penguins organization as the Wheeling Nailers won their game 5-0 tonight as well. 

The only sour news is that Benn Ferriero did not return during the third period and did not come out to the ice after being named the game's 2nd star either. Not sure on his status for tomorrow.

The only change to the lineup from last night was Steve MacIntyre in for Alex Grant on the 4th line. Simon Despres and Phil Dupuis were healthy scratches for the second straight night. 

The Penguins conclude their three game weekend with a 3 pm matinee in Hartford tomorrow afternoon against the Connecticut Whale.

Pens Can't Solve Lehner, Lose 3-1

The Penguins outshot the Senators 44-15 tonight but still come away with no points. Robin Lehner made 43 saves as the BSens pull past the Pens by a 3-1 final score.

The losing streak continues.  The Penguins have won just one game in their last 12. Beau Bennett might've put it in the most simple way.

"We just have to get better," Bennett said after the 3-1 loss to the Binghamton Senators.

Bennett gave the Penguins a 1-0 lead 8:21 into the first period after a turnover in the neutral zone sprung him on a 2-on-1 with Benn Ferriero. Bennett decided to shoot and his wrister was fired into the top right corner of the net past Robin Lehner's glove. Riley Holzapfel and Robert Bortuzzo got the assists.

The BSens tied it up late in the first period after what appeared to be an obvious interference penalty. Derek Grant finished off the play for the goal with 3:30 left in the opening frame. Assists went to Mark Stone and David Dziurzynski.

The BSens appeared to have taken a 2-1 lead :54 into the middle frame but a Mark Stone goal was negated by a too many men penalty.

After a Benn Ferriero hooking minor and a Robert Bortuzzo double minor for highsticking, the BSens cashed in on the 5-on-3 power play. Joey Mormina had broken his stick and the Pens were unable to clear the puck. Mike Hoffman scored on a back door play with 8:41 left in the 2nd period. Stephane Da Costa and Andre Benoit got the assists on the power play tally.

The story of the game was certainly the Penguins power play, which went 0 for 9 tonight. Head coach John Hynes had this to say about his teams' power play:

"Consistently, we had opportunities but when you get in these tight games that's the big difference. They get one on the 5-on-3 and we don't. It'd be nice to get one."

The Penguins get right back in action tomorrow night at home against the Worcester Sharks.

ROSTER NOTES

It was Jeff Zatkoff vs. Robin Lehner in net tonight. Brian Strait, Phillipe Dupuis, Simon Despres, Dominik Uher, Steve MacIntyre and Keven Veilleux were scratched tonight. Tom Kuhnhackl was scheduled to have surgery on his shoulder yesterday and is still out of the lineup.

Alex Grant went back to playing on the 4th line. Here's what the lines looked like tonight:

Brian Gibbons - Trevor Smith - Jayson Megna
Eric Tangradi - Benn Ferriero - Beau Bennett
Warren Peters - Riley Holzapfel - Bobby Farnham
Paul Thompson - Zach Sill - Alex Grant

Robert Bortuzzo - Joey Mormina
Dylan Reese - Brian Dumoulin
Joe Morrow - Philip Samuelsson

Wednesday's WBS Practice UPDATE

After a lengthy team meeting, the Penguins came out onto the ice at Coal Street and got right to work with down-and-back sprints. Lots of sprints. They did a few drills and ended the practice with 30-45 minutes of laps, sprints and other skating drills. It's safe to say coach Hynes put them through hell on the ice today.

This shouldn't be surprising as the team has won just one game in their last 11 contests.

Everyone practiced today except for Tom Kuhnhackl (shoulder), who is still recovering from an upper body injury. He walked out midway through the practice and had a quick chat with trainer Patrick Steidle. He looked alright to me, which makes me think he will begin skating sometime this week.

Keven Veilleux participated in full today and at times you could tell he was really feeling it. Not sure about his status for this weekends' games but I can guarantee the process is still to ease him back into action.

I jotted down some lines during the few minutes the team wasn't doing laps. Here's what they looked like:

Holzapfel - Smith - Megna
Tangradi - Peters - Dupuis
Gibbons - Sill - Thompson
Farnham - Ferriero - Uher
MacIntyre - Veilleux

Strait - Bortuzzo
Reese - Dumoulin
Mormina - Despres
Morrow - Samuelsson
Grant

Benn Ferriero is clearly in the doghouse right now. He was a healthy scratch on Monday after having a meeting with the coaches according to the Pens pre-game radio report. Another veteran off-season acquisition, Dylan Reese, has sat out the last two games as a healthy scratch as well.  Coach Hynes is holding everyone accountable, including veteran players like Ferriero and Reese.

Check back tomorrow afternoon for another practice update.