Saturday Shootout Success: Pens Win 3-2

Sixty-five minutes of hockey wasn't enough again tonight as the Penguins went to a shootout for the second straight night. Tonight, the Pens seemed they could do no wrong, scoring on three of four attempts and leaving Binghamton with two points.

The win, coupled with a Connecticut Whale loss, puts the Penguins in sole possession of 6th place in the Eastern Conference. Here's a look at the race to make the postseason:

5th - Portland (79 points)

6th - PENGUINS (76 points)

7th - Connecticut (74 points)

8th - Hershey (73 points)

9th - Norfolk (71 points) 

10th - Manchester (69 points)

11th - Albany (68 points) 

The Penguins got off to another good start, scoring the game's first goal on a 3-on-2 rush. Chad Kolarik stole a puck in the neutral zone and came streaking down the wing. He let loose a wrist shot from the far side face-off dot that was wired to the top shelf. It was Kolarik's 25th of the season.

The BSens tied it on their second shot of the hockey game, coming off an ugly defensive zone turnover. It was all Penguins through the first 12:22 of the game, but it quickly became a hard fought grudge match the rest of the way.

The Penguins re-gained the lead halfway through the second period while on a power play. Beau Bennett fed Chad Kolarik at the point and Kolarik's shot was tipped home past Lawson by Trevor Smith. The goal was Smith's 20th of the season.

The Penguins got into penalty trouble late in the second, surrendering two minor penalties with 5.9 left giving the BSens a two man advantage to start the third period. The Penguins were able to kill both penalties off, but a one-timer from Daniel New tied the game at two a few shifts after the penalty kill. 

Again the Penguins fought their way to overtime and the shootout. Obviously there won't be shootouts in the postseason (thankfully), but the 2nd point goes to the Pens tonight.

The Penguins are off tomorrow. They practice Monday morning at Coal Street before getting on the bus and heading south to Norfolk for Tuesday night's game against the Admirals. Naturally, Highland Park Hockey (of the Blue Mountain's Town & Country Gazette) will be making the trip down to the Norfolk Scope Arena to continue to bring live road coverage of the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins. 

Penguins/Senators PREVIEW

Another East Division battle as the Penguins take on the Binghamton Senators tonight at 7:05 EST.

For all the latest, follow our LIVE in-game updates of tonight's action on Twitter (@H_P_Hockey).

Highland Park Hockey is also on Instagram and Facebook. We've got you covered!

Expected Starting Goalies

Jeff Zatkoff (WBS): 21-19-0, 2.00 GAA, .919 SV%, 3 SO

Nathan Lawson (BNG): 10-5-1, 2.32 GAA, .936 SV%, 1 SO

Breaking Down the Matchup

PENGUINS (7th - EAST): 3rd Place East Division, 35-28-2-2 = 74 points 

Binghamton (4th - EAST): 2nd Place East Division, 40-21-1-5 = 86 points

Leading Scorers

PENGUINS: Chad Kolarik (24G, 31A), Trevor Smith (19G, 25A), Riley Holzapfel (17G, 26A)

Binghamton: Stephane Da Costa (12G, 23A), Shane Prince (16G, 13A), Cole Schneider (13G, 16A)

For the Penguins, Robert Bortuzzo has been re-assigned to the AHL Penguins for what Pittsburgh head coach Dan Bylsma says is three games for Bortuzzo to get in some ice time before the NHL trading deadline. 

Beau Bennett has also been re-assigned until the April 3rd trade deadline and roster expansion. 

Pittsburgh returned goaltender Jeff Zatkoff yesterday and Wilkes-Barre subsequently released goaltender Scott Darling from his PTO. The WBS Penguins also recalled defenseman Reid McNeill from Wheeling (ECHL).

The injured list has just two names on it. Phil Dupuis has been out of the lineup since missing the game against Norfolk on January 15th. Tom Kuhnhackl is out for the season as he had shoulder surgery after injuring his shoulder on December 1st. 

Injured list: Tom Kuhnhackl (shoulder surgery - out for season) and Phil Dupuis (out indefinitely since 1/15)

Healthy Scratches: Clark Seymour, Reid McNeill, Cody Wild, Christian Minella, Dominik Uher and Steve MacIntyre

Expected lineup:

Holzapfel - Smith - Kolarik

Bennett - Gibbons - Thompson

Collins - Peters - Payerl

Farnham - Sill - Megna 

Reese - Dumoulin

Mormina -Grant

Bortuzzo - Samuelsson

Penguins Fall to Bruins in Shootout

Much like when the Penguins visited Providence earlier this month, the Bruins came into Mohegan Sun Arena tonight in the midst of a seven game road trip of their own.

Tonight was a back and forth, tight-checking playoff-like atmosphere and while the Penguins fall in the 8th round of the shootout, a point is earned in the standings and at this time of the season every point matters.

"To play the way we have and get a point out of it in a real close game is an important big picture lesson," Hynes said of tonight's game.

With the game tied at two halfway through the third period, the Penguins take a tripping minor and add a bench minor before the puck is dropped, putting the Pens down two men for two minutes. You could argue the WBS PK got the Penguins that one point tonight. Warren Peters sees it a little differently.

"The kill was great but the power play scored two goals too," Peters said.  "Special teams got us a point tonight. We'll take a big point at this time of the year and run with it into tomorrow night."

The power play seemed rejuvenated with the return of Beau Bennett. Dylan Reese finished the play twice, with two blasts from the point that made their way through traffic and past a very talented goaltender in Niklas Svedberg.

Svedberg made some great saves for the Bruins tonight. Most notably, a right pad save on Jayson Megna on a 2-on-1 chance in the first period. Svedberg was also active in overtime, stopping all four shots he faced.

"That's a playoff-type game," Reese said. "It's good to get the point, but more importantly I think we played well and have strung two games in a row together and feel good about the way we've played."

The Penguins travel to Binghamton tomorrow to face the Senators at 7:05 p.m. EST.

ROSTER NOTES

Jeff Zatkoff has been re-assigned to the AHL. He backed up starting goaltender Brad Thiessen tonight. Beau Bennett was also re-assigned to Wilkes-Barre in addition to defenseman Reid McNeill from Wheeling (ECHL). Bennett started the game on the 2nd line. McNeill was not at the rink for tonight's game.

Injured list: Tom Kuhnhackl and Phil Dupuis
Healthy scratches: Clark Seymour, Cody Wild, Reid McNeill, Chris Minella, Dominik Uher and Steve MacIntyre

Line combinations:

Holzapfel - Smith - Kolarik
Bennett - Gibbons - Thompson
Collins - Peters - Payerl
Farnham - Sill - Megna

Reese - Dumoulin
Mormina - Grant
Samuelsson - Bortuzzo

Thiessen - Zatkoff

Penguins/Bruins PREVIEW

With only 10 games left, every night becomes a battle for two points. Tonight, the  Penguins host the Providence Bruins at 7:05 EST.

For all the latest, follow our LIVE in-game updates of tonight's action on Twitter (@H_P_Hockey).

Highland Park Hockey is also on Instagram and Facebook. We've got you covered!

Expected Starting Goalies

Brad Thiessen (WBS): 14-11-1, 2.68 GAA, .903 SV%, 4 SO

Niklas Svedberg (PRO): 31-7-2, 2.25 GAA, .923 SV%, 3 SO

Breaking Down the Matchup

PENGUINS (7th - EAST): 3rd Place East Division, 34-28-2-1 = 71 points 

Providence (3rd - EAST): 1st Place Atlantic Division, 40-20-0-5 = 85 points

Leading Scorers

PENGUINS: Chad Kolarik (24G, 31A), Trevor Smith (19G, 23A), Riley Holzapfel (17G, 25A)

Providence: Ryan Spooner (13G, 34A), Jamie Tardif (27G, 12A), Craig Cunningham (23G, 16A)

For the Penguins, Robert Bortuzzo has been re-assigned to the AHL Penguins for what Pittsburgh head coach Dan Bylsma says is three games for Bortuzzo to get in some ice time before the NHL trading deadline. Jeff Zatkoff was called up to Pittsburgh yesterday, while Beau Bennett was re-assigned to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton. The AHL Penguins also added goaltender Scott Darling to a PTO to fill the void left by Zatkoff's departure. The injured list has just two names on it. Phil Dupuis has been out of the lineup since missing the game against Norfolk on January 15th but skated on his own last week for about 30 miuntes. Tom Kuhnhackl is out for the season as he had shoulder surgery after injuring his shoulder on December 1st. 

Injured list: Tom Kuhnhackl (shoulder surgery - out for season) and Phil Dupuis (out indefinitely since 1/15)

Healthy Scratches: Clark Seymour, Cody Wild, Christian Minella, Dominik Uher and Steve MacIntyre

Expected lineup:

Holzapfel - Smith - Kolarik

Bennett - Gibbons - Megna

Collins - Peters - Thompson

Farnham - Sill - Payerl

Reese - Dumoulin

Mormina -Grant

Bortuzzo - Samuelsson

Zatkoff Recalled, Iginla Trade Fallout

Marc-Andre Fleury isn't ready to back up Tomas Vokoun tonight, hence the reason why Jeff Zatkoff's locker room stall at Mohegan Sun Arena was empty this morning. Per head coach John Hynes, it's Zatkoff's first NHL call up and well deserved. Hynes also said that the team plans to call up goaltender Scott Darling from their affiliate in Wheeling (ECHL) to fill the void in Wilkes-Barre in the meantime.

The big news in the organization is the Penguins acquiring forward Jarome Iginla from the Calgary Flames in exchange for Ben Hanowski, Kenny Agostino and a 2013 first round draft pick. Here's what head coach John Hynes had to say about Iginla:

"It's a great thing for the organization to add a player of that caliber, character and experience to help them make a run at the Stanley Cup. It shows the players here just the commitment level of what type of organization they're in."

I figured talking to Warren Peters would be a good idea since he grew up in Saskatchewan and was once a part of the Calgary Flames. Here's what Peters had to say about the acquisition of Iginla:

"Jarome was the face of that organization for a long time for a lot of different reasons. The way he conducted himself as a leader, a face in the community, he epitomized what it meant to be a Calgary Flame. I was a little bit younger when I was with the Flames, but he set the benchmark as far as fitness testing, practice habits, work habits, the way he wanted to play the game, the grit and obviously he had the skill to back it up. He's a consumate professional."

Trevor Smith on the offensive production and if the team can start putting up 3,4,5 goals a night more frequently:

"That sounds great. I thought we had a good start. Forecheck was working well. We were getting turnovers in the offensive zone which relates to scoring chances and we were able to capitalize. This is crunch time for us to ensure a playoff spot, so first period, first shift, first five minutes its about gaining momentum early."

I also talked to Smith about the chemistry formed among the top line with him, Riley Holzapfel and Chad Kolarik:

I like how we're put together. We see each other very well on the ice, we know where we are going. Riley's big body gets on the forecheck and he's got one of the best shots in the league. With the addition of Chad, who sees the ice very well, he can dish the puck as well as shoot it like you saw last night. I think we really read each other well and feed off each other's energy when we get going on the forecheck."

 I asked Holzapfel the same question:

"Since Chad came we kind of all stuck together and have good nights. It's time now that we get scoring and keep it up the rest of the way. We got to keep playing the way we have been."

The Penguins host the Providence Bruins tomorrow night. For all the latest, stay tuned to Highland Park Hockey on Twitter (@H_P_Hockey). I plan to have a preview of tomorrow's game up on the site around noon.

Fast Start Aids Pens in 4-2 Win

The Penguins got off to a fast start in the first and finished off the Binghamton Senators in third, winning 4-2 over one of their East Division foes, a feat that hasn't been accomplished with much regularity this season.

The Penguins got a goal scoring surge midway through the first period, scoring three goals in a span of 4:52.

First, Riley Holzapfel fed Chad Kolarik in the slot. Kolarik's shot was stopped by Nathan Lawson but Trevor Smith tapped home the rebound at 11:35 to give the Pens a 1-0 lead.

"When I'm playing well, I'm playing well. And when I'm not you know I'm not," Kolarik said.

Tonight, the top line of Holzapfel, Smith and Kolarik led the way.

On the top lines next shift, Holzapfel again found Kolarik open in the slot. This time Kolarik didn't leave a rebound, picking the top corner with a snipe show wrist shot. Dylan Reese picked up a secondary assist on the Pens' 2nd goal at 14:38.

Chris Collins found a streaking Paul Thompson down the wing and Thompson buried it past Lawson for his 16th of the season. Robert Bortuzzo, playing in his first AHL game since mid-January, added a secondary assist to make it 3-0 Penguins.

"I thought we did a good job in the first period," Bortuzzo said. "We knew they were going to make a push."

The Senators battled back in the second period, and avoided a blow out early killing off several penalties in the first five minutes. They then got on the board when Corey Cowick tapped a rebound past Zatkoff with 7:09 left in the second period.

Binghamton came out hard early in the third period and got within one 5:30 into the third period when a  Hugh Jessiman point shot eluded Zatkoff.

But the Penguins didn't flinch, going right back to work and drawing two more power plays midway through the third period. On their seventh power play of the night, the Penguins cashed in.

Joey Mormina fed a pass across to Alex Grant, and Grant's shot from the point deflected off Brian Gibbons' stick and found the back of the net just six seconds after the power play had started. The Penguins held onto the 4-2 lead and turned it into two points tonight.

SOUNDS FROM THE LOCKER ROOM

"We were doing the right things, getting a lot of chances. Fortunately tonight they went in," Thompson said. "That top line did a great job tonight to get us going and when things are going in for other guys it gives you a little extra confidence."

"We really got off to a good start and we were able to establish our forecheck," head coach John Hynes said. "We wound up getting some momentum from that and the guys made some good plays. It was good to see the confidence with the puck."

"I play hockey because I love playing hockey games," said Bortuzzo. "It had been a little while before I got in some and I figured this was the best for me. Like you said, it was exciting to get out there and play a hockey game."

ROSTER NOTES

Jeff Zatkoff got the start in net, stopping 28 of 30 shots tonight to pick up his 21st win of the season.

Defenseman Robert Bortuzzo played in his first game since February 28th (Pittsburgh), and his first AHL game since 1/11 against Hershey.

Healthy scratches tonight were Clark Seymour, Cody Wild, Christian Minella and Steve MacIntyre. Tom Kuhnhackl is out for the season (Out since 12/1/12) and Phil Dupuis is still out indefinitely (Out since 1/15/13).

Lines

Holzapfel - Smith - Kolarik
Collins - Peters - Thompson
Uher - Gibbons - Payerl
Farnham - Sill - Megna

Reese - Dumoulin
Mormina - Grant
Bortuzzo - Samuelsson

Penguins/Senators PREVIEW

Another East Division battle as the Penguins host the Binghamton Senators tonight at 7:05 EST.

For all the latest, follow our LIVE in-game updates of tonight's action on Twitter (@H_P_Hockey).

Highland Park Hockey is also on Instagram and Facebook. We've got you covered!

Expected Starting Goalies

Jeff Zatkoff (WBS): 20-19-0, 2.00 GAA, .919 SV%, 3 SO

Nathan Lawson (BNG): 9-4-1, 2.22 GAA, .938 SV%, 1 SO

Breaking Down the Matchup

PENGUINS (7th - EAST): 3rd Place East Division, 34-28-2-1 = 71 points

Binghamton (4th - EAST): 2nd Place East Division, 39-20-1-5 = 84 points

Leading Scorers

PENGUINS: Chad Kolarik (23G, 29A), Trevor Smith (18G, 23A), Riley Holzapfel (17G, 22A)

Binghamton: Stephane Da Costa (12G, 22A), Shane Prince (16G, 12A), Mike Hoffman (13G, 15A)

For the Penguins, Robert Bortuzzo has been re-assigned to the AHL Penguins for what Pittsburgh head coach Dan Bylsma says is three games for Bortuzzo to get in some ice time before the NHL trading deadline. We'll see if he enters the lineup tonight. The injured list has just two names on it. Phil Dupuis has been out of the lineup since missing the game against Norfolk on January 15th but skated on his own last week for about 30 miuntes. Tom Kuhnhackl is out for the season as he had shoulder surgery after injuring his shoulder on December 1st.

Injured list: Tom Kuhnhackl (shoulder surgery - out for season) and Phil Dupuis (out indefinitely since 1/15)

Healthy Scratches: Clark Seymour, Cody Wild, Christian Minella and Steve MacIntyre

Expected lineup:

Holzapfel - Smith - Kolarik

Collins - Peters - Thompson

Uher - Gibbons - Megna

Farnham - Sill - Payerl

Reese - Dumoulin

Mormina -Grant

Bortuzzo - Samuelsson

Beating The Odds: Pens' Wild is Ready

Photo courtesy of Amy's WBS Picture Page.

With the fallout of the Morrow for Morrow trade, defenseman Cody Wild now enters the regular lineup as the team's 6th defenseman. Here's what the new pairings looked like at practice today:

Reese - Dumoulin

Mormina - Samuelsson

Grant - Wild

"It's been a five year grind for me so far," said Cody Wild on his journey to the AHL. "I just have to stay patient."

Wild is no stranger to the Penguins. The North Providence native appeared in 51 games for the AHL Pens last season, posting a goal and five assists with 34 penalty minutes and a plus 8 rating.

Wild began this season with the ECHL's Wheeling Nailers and played well, first earning a call up to the AHL's Hamilton Bulldogs, appearing in two games with Montreal's top minor league affiliate back in December.

Two games after being sent back to Wheeling from Hamilton, Wild recorded a four point night (1G, 3A) in a Wheeling win over Greenville. All in all, Wild finished with 26 points (6G, 20A) in 35 games with the Nailers (ECHL) before being added by the Penguins in mid January.

With the Penguins this season, ice time has been hard to come by for Wild with all the blue line depth the Pens have built up. Wild has appeared in eight games and has gone scoreless with a plus two rating and two penalty minutes. With Joe Morrow traded to Dallas, Wild will return to the lineup tomorrow for the first time since March 1st.

"I just have to take it one game at a time. It's been awhile since I've played, but I'm ready to go tomorrow night," Wild said.

Analyzing the Morrow Trade at the AHL Level

For those who might have missed it yesterday, the Penguins traded defenseman Joe Morrow and a 5th round draft pick to the Dallas Stars in exchange for forward Brenden Morrow and a third round pick. Both draft picks swapped are for the 2013 NHL Draft.

On the surface, the Penguins get a veteran forward that can play in the top six. Morrow plays with a physical edge as well and was the captain of the Stars this season. I think there's nothing wrong with adding a guy with his experience, leadership and high compete level.

Joe Morrow, the former Pens 1st round draft pick, is the second AHL Penguins defenseman to be traded to the Stars organization this season, Carl Sneep being the other. Morrow has an NHL caliber slap shot from the point, can skate and move the puck well and has a ton of potential.

In this business, you have to give up something to get something and with the depth built on the blue line in the Penguins organization, Morrow is moved to the Stars. I wish him all the best moving forward and there's even reports that he may get a chance with the big club right away.

From a WBS perspective, the defense loses its sixth defenseman in Morrow. Cody Wild now slots into the lineup. Adding a forward at the NHL level should mean Trevor Smith will be back before Wednesday's game. Once Evgeni Malkin returns, Pittsburgh will have 14 healthy forwards. Here's what the WBS lineup looks like now:

Holzapfel - Smith - Kolarik
Collins - Gibbons - Megna
Payerl - Peters - Thompson
Farnham - Sill - Uher
MacIntyre - Minella

Reese - Dumoulin
Mormina - Grant
Samuelsson - Wild
Seymour

Zatkoff - Thiessen

With the April 3rd NHL Trade Deadline quickly approaching, stay tuned for all the latest on breaking news and trades affecting the WBS Penguins on our Twitter feed: @H_P_Hockey.

If nothing else breaks out today, check back tomorrow for an update after practice. Penguins get back at it Wednesday night at home against Binghamton.

Pens "Mediocre" in 4-1 Loss to Admirals

A frustrating loss for the Penguins tonight as they fall 4-1 to Norfolk. With several teams fighting for the post season, every game counts and mistakes become magnified.

However, tonight wasn't a lack of effort on the home team's part. Simply put by head coach John Hynes,"It wasn't enough, but it wasn't something where you're upset about it."

Obviously the Penguins aren't happy with the result tonight, but the message going forward seems to be continue to stick to the system, out-work/out-compete the opposition and finish on the scoring opportunities that present themselves throughout the course of a game. Tonight, the Penguins did most of those things, except for well the last part.

Alex Grant brought the Penguins within one goal 13:13 into the 2nd period, taking a pass from Chad Kolarik and beating Frederick Andersen top shelf to the glove side. At 2-1, the Pens were very much in the game at that point.

"It's obviously not the way we wanted to come out," said Alex Grant. "We cut the deficit in half in the 2nd and then ran into penalty trouble."

A missed power play chance right after the Grant goal, coupled with two Penguin penalties, quickly shifted the momentum back into Norfolk's favor. Patrick Maroon scored just after the two man advantage had expired. Devonte Smith-Pelly found the back of the net 98 seconds later to swing the game to a 4-1 score late in the 2nd period.

Not easy to swallow for the fans, but I'll leave you with this from Alex Grant.

"We know we can do it in here. We still have lots of belief in ourselves we just need to come to the rink ready to play every night. If we work hard and out compete teams, the majority of the time we are going to win the game."

ROSTER NOTES

With Trevor Smith still on recall to Pittsburgh, the Penguins lineup looked a little different tonight.

Healthy Scratches: Clark Seymour, Cody Wild and Christian Minella
Injured List: Tom Kuhnhackl and Phil Dupuis

Lines:

Holzapfel - Gibbons - Kolarik
Collins - Megna - Thompson
Payerl - Peters - Uher
Farnham - Sill - MacIntyre

Reese - Dumoulin
Mormina - Grant
Morrow - Samuelsson

Penguins/Admirals PREVIEW

Home Sweet Home

After seven straight road games and three weeks since a home game, the Penguins return to Mohegan Sun Arena and face-off against East Division foe Norfolk tonight at 7:05 p.m. EST.

For all the latest, follow our LIVE in-game updates of tonight's action on Twitter (@H_P_Hockey).

Highland Park Hockey is also on Instagram and Facebook. We've got you covered!

Expected Starting Goalies

Jeff Zatkoff (WBS): 20-19-0, 2.01 GAA, .918 SV%, 3 SO

Frederick Andersen (NOR): 17-13-1, 2.16 GAA, .929 SV%, 2 SO

Breaking Down the Matchup

PENGUINS (6th - EAST): 3rd Place East Division, 34-27-2-1 = 71 points

Norfolk (11th - EAST): 5th Place East Division, 30-28-4-1 = 65 points

Leading Scorers

 

PENGUINS: Chad Kolarik (23G, 29A), Riley Holzapfel (17G, 22A), Paul Thompson (15G, 9A)

Norfolk: Patrick Maroon (17G, 22A), Sami Vatanen (7G, 32A), Devante Smith-Pelly (9, 14A)

 

For the Penguins, the injured list has just two names on it. Phil Dupuis has been out of the lineup since missing the game against Norfolk on January 15th but skated on his own Thursday for about 30 miuntes. Tom Kuhnhackl is out for the season as he had shoulder surgery awhile back.

Injured list: Tom Kuhnhackl (shoulder surgery - out for season) and Phil Dupuis (out indefinitely since 1/15)

Healthy Scratches: Cody Wild and Steve MacIntyre

Expected lineup:

Holzapfel - Gibbons - Kolarik

Collins - Peters - Megna

Payerl - Sill - Thompson

Farnham - Uher - Minella

Reese - Dumoulin

Grant - Mormina

Samuelsson - Morrow

 

Penguins Prep For Norfolk 3/22

The Penguins practiced at Coal Street this morning, preparing for a home match up with the Norfolk Admirals tomorrow night. The Penguins haven't fared well against teams in the East Division this season, and have had trouble especially of late going just 1-6 in their last seven against those teams.

I asked head coach John Hynes about the added importance of these divisional games and if now is the time to really focus and bear down.

We can figure them out," Hynes said of teams in the division. "We just have to play hard and play a certain way."

Heading down the stretch, every game becomes increasingly more important. I talked to Trevor Smith about that, among other things.

"These games are going to be huge," Smith said. "Everyone is kind of eying the playoffs, jockeying for position. You want to be up there in the playoffs and guarantee your spot down the stretch."

I also got a chance to speak with defenseman Clark Seymour about his first impressions and a little bit about his style of play and what he brings to the table. Here's what Seymour had to say:

"Guys are opening their arms to me and it has been a great experience so far. Today's practice was high paced, yesterday was an off-ice workout. It's good to be around the rink and see how things work around here." - Clark Seymour

For those who aren't familiar with Seymour, I asked him to sort of to give fans an idea of how he plays the game.

"I'm a big stay-at-home defenseman. Easy puck moving defenseman that keeps it simple, plays physical and chips in the odd time offensively."

ROSTER NOTES

With 14 healthy forwards and eight defenseman, decisions will need to be made relative to who will be in the lineup heading down the stretch.  Here's how the lines looked in today's practice:

Holzapfel - Smith - Kolarik
Uher - Peters - Thompson/Payerl
Collins - Gibbons - Megna
Farnham - Sill - Minella/MacIntyre

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

Zatkoff - Thiessen

UPDATE: Phil Dupuis Skated Today

Not much going on at the rink today as the Penguins went with a team meeting and off-ice workout with two days off between games. Resting the skating legs at this time of year isn't a bad idea.

The big news of the day was the sight of forward Phil Dupuis (above) taking to the ice on his own. Dupuis has been out of the lineup since January 15th and many were starting to wonder if his injury would prevent him from playing the rest of the season. Hopefully, this is a sign that Dupuis has made the next step on his way to recovery and ultimately a spot in the regular lineup might not be too farfetched.

Dupuis, who has missed the last 27 games with an apparent upper body injury, was the only Penguin who skated today. Dupuis skated on-ice for a little over a half hour with only a helmet, stick and gloves and left the ice after doing several shooting and stick handling drills. When one of the assistant trainers asked Dupuis how he felt, he simply said he felt "good."

Dupuis' return to the ice comes at a time when the Penguins are still searching for some added scoring. There's no timetable for his return to the lineup just yet, but could Phil Dupuis help solve the Penguins scoring miseries? Time will tell. The Pens practice at Coal Street Rink tomorrow before hosting the Norfolk Admirals on Saturday.

Penguins Fall 1-0 to Crunch

The Crunch pounced on the Penguins early, struck gold early in the second and the Penguins couldn't find an equalizer in third. That about sums it up tonight as the Pens get shutout on the road for the 5th time this season.

The real story here is the Penguins' troubles against East Division opponents. The Pens are just 1-6 in their last seven games against teams in their division and with four of the next five games coming up against divisional opponents, the time is now to overcome their troubles with these teams.

The lone bright spots for the Penguins tonight were Jeff Zatkoff, who stood on his head making 26 saves on the 27 shots he faced, and the third line of Adam Payerl, Warren Peters and Dominik Uher.

The trio established a solid forecheck all game and gave the Crunch fits in their own end. Payerl had a few nice chances around the net but credit to Crunch goaltender Cedric Desjardins for making the necessary stops and earning the 20 save shutout.

I noticed while waiting in the hallway that head coach John Hynes kept the players longer than usual after the game. Not sure what that means for tomorrow's practice plans but it should probably be a sign that the coaching staff wasn't satisfied.

The Penguins practice at Coal Street tomorrow and Friday before a home game against the Norfolk Admirals on Saturday.

ROSTER NOTES

Chad Kolarik and Steve MacIntyre did not make the trip to what the team's radio broadcaster said were "maintenance days". I'm sure Hynes said Kolarik was day-to-day.

Originally I thought Kolarik might be heading to Pittsburgh with the uncertainty surrounding forwards Evgeni Malkin and now Matt Cooke, but at least for now that appears to not be the case.

Jeff Zatkoff got the start in net tonight.

Healthy scratch: Cody Wild
Injured list: Tom Kuhnhackl, Phil Dupuis, Steve MacIntyre and Chad Kolarik

Lines:
Holzapfel-Smith-Thompson
Collins-Gibbons-Megna
Payerl-Peters-Uher
Farnham-Sill-Minella

Reese-Dumoulin
Mormina-Grant
Morrow-Samuelsson

Pens Prospect Headed to Wilkes-Barre?

I was getting ready to leave for Syracuse but this came to my attention. With junior team seasons' ending, some guys will opt to leave to gain some experience in the AHL on what is termed an amateur tryout contract (ATO).

That being said, I believe you will be seeing the name of defenseman Clark Seymour in a Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins uniform very soon, based off this tweet he posted this afternoon:

"Off to Wilkes Barre for an exciting experience. Can't thank PTBO teammates and fans enough for the story we wrote this season #MuchLove"

EDIT: The team made the signing official this afternoon.
 
Seymour, 19, was the Pittsburgh Penguins' 5th round pick in the 2012 NHL Draft and just finished his third season with the Peteborough Petes (OHL), posting three goals and 10 assists, along with 61 penalty minutes and a -7 rating in 62 games played.

The 6-3 defenseman was also at the Penguins Development Camp I attended this past summer in Pittsburgh. From what I remember, and in looking back over my notes from July, Seymour was a physical, stay-at-home type defenseman much comparable to Reid McNeill who was oddly enough his blue line partner in the scrimmage at camp.

Awaiting official confirmation from the team, but it looks like Clark Seymour will be added to the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins roster via an ATO sometime this week.

PREVIEW: Penguins/Crunch

For all the latest, follow our LIVE in-game updates of tonight's action on Twitter (@H_P_Hockey).

Highland Park Hockey is also on Instagram and Facebook. We've got you covered!

Expected Starting Goalies

Jeff Zatkoff (WBS): 20-18-0, 2.04 GAA, .917 SV%, 3 SO

Riku Helenius (SYR): 15-10-0, 2.75 GAA, .894 SV%, 4 SO

Zatkoff has started 5 of the 7 meetings between the two teams. Helenius shut out the Penguins (23 saves) in his first and only appearance against the Pens the last time the two teams met.

Breaking Down the Matchup

PENGUINS (6th - EAST): 3rd Place East Division, 34-26-2-1 = 71 points

Syracuse (1st - EAST): 1st Place East Division, 37-17-3-5 = 82 points

Leading Scorers

PENGUINS: Chad Kolarik (23G, 29A), Trevor Smith (18G, 23A), Riley Holzapfel (17G, 22A)

Syracuse: Brett Connolly (26G, 30A), Richard Panik (22G, 19A), Mark Barbiero (8G, 32A)

One More Before The Home Stretch

The Penguins travel to New York today to take on the Syracuse Crunch before returning for a home game on Saturday.  The Penguins probably won't catch the Crunch for the East Division crown, as they are 11 points behind coming into tonight's game, but a win tonight could make a statement.

For the Penguins, the injured list has just two names on it. Phil Dupuis has been out of the lineup since missing the game against Norfolk on January 15th and it's looking more and more like a season ending injury. Tom Kuhnhackl is out for the season as he had shoulder surgery awhile back.

Injured list: Tom Kuhnhackl (shoulder surgery - out for season) and Phil Dupuis (out indefinitely since 1/15)

Healthy Scratches: Cody Wild, Christian Minella and Steve MacIntyre

Expected lineup:

Holzapfel - Smith - Kolarik

Collins - Gibbons - Megna

Payerl - Peters - Thompson

Farnham - Sill - Uher

Reese - Dumoulin

Grant - Mormina

Samuelsson - Morrow