Tuesday Practice Update 4/30

Tuesday, April 30, 2013

A short practice at Coal Street for the main roster earlier this afternoon. They were joined by the Black Aces squad and even forwards Phil Dupuis and Tom Kuhnhackl, who sported red no-contact jerseys. It was the first time I had seen Kuhnhackl skate since his upper body injury back in December.

Penguins Put Senators On The Brink

Sunday, April 28, 2013

The Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins used another strong start and clutch goaltending in the third period to extend the series lead to 2-0 in the best-of-five series against the Binghamton Senators.

Jeff Zatkoff played another strong game in net, stopping 35 of 37 shots, and putting the Penguins in good position heading into Thursday's Game Three at the Mohegan Sun Arena.

"The next game is always the most important game, whether you've won it or lost it," head coach John Hynes said of Thursday's Game Three in Wilkes-Barre.

Eastern Conference Quarterfinal Series Game Two Preview: WBS Pens vs. BSens


The Penguins look to take a commanding 2-0 series lead in the best-of-five tonight in Binghamton. Puck drop is scheduled for 5:05 p.m. EDT.

Last night in Game One, the Penguins jumped out to a 2-0 lead and were dominant in the first period. The BSens battled back in the second and third to tie the game at 2, but Chad Kolarik continues to score big goals and beat Nathan Lawson 8:18 into OT to give the Penguins the 3-2 win and 1-0 series lead.

I'll have in-game updates every step of the way tonight on Twitter: @H_P_Hockey.

Expected starters in net and lineup after the jump.

WBS Pens Take Game One in OT

Saturday, April 27, 2013

If tonight's Game One is any indication of how the series will go, it will certainly prove to be one hard-fought battle.

Regulation wasn't enough tonight and the Penguins and Senators got their first taste of overtime playoff hockey. Both teams exchanged chances in the overtime, but it wasn't until Trevor Smith and Chad Kolarik came into the WBS offensive zone eight minutes into the extra session that the deadlock was resolved.

Kolarik found space between the faceoff dots and beat Nathan Lawson to give the Penguins a 3-2 win and a 1-0 lead in the best-of-five series. It was Kolarik's second of the night and his fourth overtime winner of the season, but he didn't seem surprised that the game came down to the wire.

"Theyre not going to run us out of the building and we're not going to run them out of the building," Kolarik said."It's going to be a tight series."

Eastern Conference Quarterfinal Series Game One PREVIEW: Pens vs. BSens

It's that time of the year again for fans of the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins: the 11th straight season that the franchise will begin their quest for a Calder Cup. The 2013 AHL Calder Cup Playoffs begin tonight for the Penguins against East Division rival Binghamton.

I'll have in-game updates all along the way on Twitter: @H_P_Hockey.

Here's the two-part breakdown of each team:

Part One Breaking Down the BSens

Part Two Breaking Down the WBSPens

I'll lead into the head-to-head matchup with this bit from Trevor Smith after yesterday's practice:
"This year everyone is pretty close and anyone's system or style of play can go pretty deep in this playoff. I feel like it's going to be an exciting series. It's a rivalry, it's an hour up the road so it's going to be a lot of fun, a lot of fun to watch for the fans," Smith said. "It's going to be a battle."

Looking at How The Pens & BSens Match Up

Offense (Forwards)

The Penguins have enjoyed success when their offense has been successful, especially when scoring three or more goals. They have five 20-goal scorers from the regular season (Kolarik, Nesbitt, Smith, Holzapfel and Thompson) and need that secondary scoring touch or scoring depth if they want a chance of making a legitimate run this postseason. Binghamton has had several guys step up their game post NHL lockout.

Edge: Binghamton

Defense (Defenseman)

Both teams have a good mix of youth and experience on the blue line. For the Penguins, what a difference a year makes for Philip Samuelsson. Last season was a learning experience for the rookie defenseman, and he could very well be on the shutdown pair in his sophomore campaign this postseason. The Penguins gave up the least goals in the regular season to balance offensive woes and will need that to continue in the postseason.

Edge: Penguins

Goaltending

The Penguins duo of Jeff Zatkoff and Brad Thiessen combined for nine shutouts and received the Harry "Hap" Holmes Memorial Award. Ben Bishop and Robin Lehner graduated to the NHL leaving Marc Cheverie backing up Nathan Lawson. Decided advantage for the Penguins but as evidenced last night with Hershey's 5-2 win over the top seeded Providence Bruins, that's why they play the games.

Edge: Penguins

Three Things To Key In On

1. Secondary Scoring

Who gets it more consistently? Who scores the "timely goals"?

2. Players to Watch

For WBS, if the top line isn't scoring Derek Nesbitt and Paul Thompson are the guys to keep an eye on. For BNG, Nathan Lawson didn't practice until yesterday. He's expected to start Game One but if he's not 100%, Marc Cheverie could be between the pipes.

3. The Intangibles

Which team's power play can get the offense jump-started? Mistakes are under the microscope from here on out, and the team that minimizes them while also capitalizing on their opportunites is obviously important.
As for a friendly prediction to show why my career path of writing is a better decision than foreseeing the future? I'll hop on the conservative Penguins in four games bandwagon, but a well rounded scoring Penguins lineup or lack there of could tip the scale either way, respectively.

Expected starters in net and lineups for both teams after the jump in our Game One preview.

Breaking Down Pens & BSens - Part Two

The 2013 Calder Cup Playoffs began with four games in action Friday night. The Penguins begin their quest for the AHL's championship trophy Saturday in Game One of their first round best-of-five series with the Binghamton Senators.

I'll have a full preview and a look at the head to head matchup tomorrow afternoon but after the jump, Part Two of Breaking Down Pens & BSens focuses on the Penguins.

WBS Penguins Friday Practice Update

Friday, April 26, 2013
The Penguins held one last practice at Coal Street this afternoon before beginning their quest for the 2013 Calder Cup when they take on the Binghamton Senators tomorrow night in Game One of their first round best-of-five series.

The coaching staff has some decisions to make on a few spots in the lineup, most notably a wing position in the top six and a defenseman on the third pairing. After practice today, I get the feeling that Dominik Uher and Reid McNeill will fill those roles, respectively.

Uher has played well down the stretch, scoring three goals in two games up in St. John's, and for a first year pro holds a bit of playoff experience from his time with Spokane in the junior ranks.

"I was fortunate to play in a couple of playoff series down in Spokane," Uher said. "I kind of know that the level is going to raise up and that mistakes are going to be eliminated."

"I'm definitely excited," added Uher on playing in his first pro playoff game tomorrow night. "Especially against Binghamton, one of our rivals, I'm excited and really looking forward to it."

If you're looking for playoff experience at this level, look no further than Warren Peters and Trevor Smith.

Peters has made the Calder Cup Finals twice in a row, and while he hasn't raised the trophy in June, I'm sure he's hoping that a third opportunity presents itself this year.

"I don't know if it changes how badly you want to win," Peters said. "It's still about playing hockey. We've done a good job around here the past couple weeks. We're focusing on short term goals because you can't get lost in the bigger picture."

Smith, on the other hand, doesn't have to look too far back to know what it takes to be a championship team. Smith won the Cup last season as a member of the Norfolk Admirals. I asked him if there was anything he would pass on to the younger guys heading into tomorrow night's game.

"You can't get away from what you've been doing all year," Smith said. "For the young guys, it's just a matter of not thinking it's too serious. It's a matter of staying loose and even-keel."

Check back later tonight for a more in-depth look at the Penguins in Part Two of Breaking Down the Pens and BSens. Part One focused on the opponent and you can see that here if you missed it last night.

Breaking Down Pens & BSens - Part One

Thursday, April 25, 2013
To break up the monotony of practices leading up to Saturday's Game One, coach Hynes and the Penguins treated today as if it were a game day. The team was scheduled for a "morning skate" before participating in an intrasquad scrimmage tonight at 7:00 p.m. for all to see at the Coal Street Rink. Admission was free and open to the public.

I was unable to attend the event but from what I gathered from those in attendance, the Thursday night practice featured different game-like situations and odd-man rushes, along with power play and penalty kill work.

I will be attending tomorrow's practice at Coal Street and gather some thoughts from the players heading into the weekend and first two games of the series.

After the jump, a general overview of the opponent for the Penguins: the Binghamton Senators with Part 2 getting a better look at the Penguins tomorrow night.

BSens' Lebda Adding Fuel To The Fire?

Wednesday, April 24, 2013

The Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins will begin their quest for the 2013 Calder Cup starting this Saturday as the 5th seed in the Eastern Conference, battling the Binghamton Senators in a best-of-five series in the first round.

We're just three days away from Game One and I came across an interesting quote from Binghamton Senators defenseman Brett Lebda today in an article by WBNG Sports, breaking down the offense between the Penguins and Senators.

I expect most Penguins fans will have the end of Lebda's quote from the story stick. Here it is, copied directly from the article I linked above:
"Those are two key guys we'll key on but up and down their lineup they're skilled and they've got some toughness and they match up well with us but at the same time, we're not really worried about them a lot," said Brett Lebda.
The two guys Lebda is referring to the BSens keying on are of course Chad Kolarik (31 regular season goals) and Derek Nesbitt (26 regular season goals).

But the end of that remark? Is Lebda, a 10-year pro with 397 games of NHL experience, trying to instill confidence in his team or give the Penguins bulletin board material? I'm sure he was shooting for the former, but I believe he probably did both.

Chalk it up as adding fuel to the fire of a rivalry that will surely show itself in this first round match up. After all, it is the Senators that are the Penguins closest (geographically) rival. They played each other 10 times this season, and while the overall season series had the Pens go 4-6 against the BSens, the Pens won the last three meetings.

In the coming days, I will breakdown the two teams heading into Saturday's game and offer up a prediction of my own inside of Saturday's Game One Preview.

Here's the full schedule of round one if you missed it earlier this week:

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

Pens Fall 3-1 in Regular Season Finale

Saturday, April 20, 2013

The Penguins fall 3-1 tonight to a desperate Manchester Monarchs team that needed to win to clinch a playoff berth of their own. While the Penguins end the regular season on a sour note, every team entering the playoffs starts 0-0 on Monday.

"If you won the two games, you still have to re-focus for the playoffs," Hynes said. "It's a new season starting now."

Penguins/Monarchs PREVIEW


The Penguins close out the regular season at home tonight against the Manchester Monarchs. If someone had told me back in October that I would make it to an AHL rink for 69 out of the 76 WBS games this season, I'd think you were crazy. But 12,265 miles later, here I am.

You can catch all the lastest with in-game updates on Twitter: @H_P_Hockey.

We are also on FaceBook and Instagram!

Streak Snapped: Sharks Stun Pens 4-2

Friday, April 19, 2013
The Penguins fall 4-2 to the Worcester Sharks tonight and while the game might not mean all that much for the Pens in the standings, the players and coaches won't use that as an excuse.

With the game tied at two late in the third period and the Penguins on a power play, a turnover at the blue line led to a 2-on-1 chance and shorthanded goal. The Sharks added an empty net goal in the final minute to cap the 4-2 final.

"We played a soft game," head coach John Hynes said. "We got off to a great start but we didn't maintain how we needed to play."

The Penguins came out and played well at times, starting three minutes into the contest when Adam Payerl notched his 3rd of the season. Payerl came out from the corner and threw a puck on net. Alex Stalock made the save, but Payerl followed his shot and tapped home his own rebound to get the Penguins on the board.

After a rather uneventful middle frame, the Penguins found themselves down 2-1 after allowing a Sharks power play goal. Riley Holzapfel knocked in the rebound of a Brian Dumoulin shot to tie the game at two with just about seven minutes left in regulation.

The goal was Holzapfel's 20th of the season, his first 20-goal season as a pro. While he couldn't have been happier at that moment, the eventual turnover and shorthanded goal certainly left Holzapfel and the Penguins wanting a bounce back game. Luckily for them, they end the regular season with a game against Manchester tomorrow night.

"They don't mean that much in the standings, but at the same time you want to be playing your best hockey going into the playoffs, said Holzapfel. "Tonight was unacceptable and we need to bounce back tomorrow night."

Tonight was also the debut of forward Derek Nesbitt, who started the game on the 2nd line with Brian Gibbons and Jayson Megna, but found himself playing in different situations and with different line mates most of the night. Nesbitt won't play tomorrow to avoid the veteran rule for next season so I figured I would gather his thoughts on his first game with the Penguins:

"Definitely new. Not even close to the result you wanted," Nesbitt said of tonight's loss. "Each period got a little better mentally for me to kind of know what was going on. I was probably thinking more than I normally do. I got another week of practice until playoffs start, so hopefully go through that a few more times and hopefully it'll be second nature by then."

ROSTER NOTES

Jeff Zatkoff got the start in net tonight for the Penguins.

Healthy Scratches: Peter Merth, Cody Wild, Chris Barton, Chris Minella, Chris Collins, Anton Zlobin, Harrison Ruopp and Matia Marcantuoni

Lines:

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

Reese - Dumoulin
Samuelsson - Mormina
Grant - McNeill

Penguins/Sharks PREVIEW


The Penguins close out the regular season with two home games this weekend, starting tonight at 7:05 pm EDT against the Worcester Sharks.

You can catch all the lastest with in-game updates on Twitter: @H_P_Hockey.

We are also on FaceBook and Instagram!

Expected Starting Goalies
Jeff Zatkoff (WBS): 26-19-0, 1.91 GAA, .921 SV%, 5 SO
Harri Sateri (WOR): 14-21-3, 2.89 GAA, .903 SV%, 1 SO

Breaking Down the Matchup

PENGUINS (5th - EAST): 3rd Place East Division, 42-28-2-2 = 88 points
Worcester (13th - EAST): 4th Place Atlantic Division, 30-34-4-6 = 70 points

For the last five games of the regular season I'll put up the conference standings with the teams fighting for a playoff spot:

y - 1. Providence - 99 points, 3 games remaining
y - 2. Springfield - 97 points, 2 games remaining
x - 3. Syracuse - 93 points, 3 games remaining
x - 4. Binghamton - 92 points, 3 games remaining
5. PENGUINS - 88 points, 2 games remaining
6. Portland - 83 points, 3 games remaining
7. Norfolk - 79 points, 3 games remaining
8. Connecticut - 79 points 2 games remaining
9. Manchester - 77 points, 3 games remaining
10. Hershey - 77 points, 3 games remaining
11. Bridgeport - 74 points, 3 games remaining
12. Albany - 71 points, 3 games remaining

Leading Scorers

PENGUINS: Chad Kolarik (31G, 36A), Trevor Smith (23G, 29A), Riley Holzapfel (19G, 30A)
Worcester: Bracken Kearns (21G, 25A), Daniil Tarasov (13G, 13G), John McCarthy (9G, 16A)

The 'Home' Stretch

The Penguins can wrap up 5th in the East with a point gained tonight, or a point lost by 6th place Portland. With two games left, the Pens look to fine tune to their game and continue their hot play into the playoffs. They look for their 8th straight win tonight. 

Head coach John Hynes said Derek Nesbitt will play one game this weekend instead of both to avoid going under veteran status for next season. Hynes also said he isn't planning on playing the Black Aces or the new guys on ATO's such as forwards Matia Marcantuoni and Anton Zlobin.

Worcester has been eliminated from playoff contention and can play the role of spoiler this weekend. They gave the Pens trouble in their recent meeting up in Worcester when they beat the Penguins 5-1.


Injured list: Tom Kuhnhackl (shoulder surgery - out for season), Phil Dupuis (out for season) 

Healthy Scratches: Scott Darling, Cody Wild, Christian Minella, Chris Barton, Chris Collins, Matia Marcantuoni, Anton Zlobin and Harrison Ruopp

Expected lineup:

Holzapfel - Smith - Kolarik

Nesbitt - Gibbons - Megna 

Collins - Peters - Thompson

Farnham - Sill -Uher


Reese - Dumoulin

Mormina -Samuelsson

Grant - McNeill

Thursday Practice Update 4/18

Thursday, April 18, 2013

The Penguins held their last on-ice practice of the regular season today, gearing up for two more games this weekend before entering the playoffs. The Penguins can wrap up the 5th seed in the East with a point earned or a point lost by 6th place Portland.

The first round opponent will be whatever team in the division doesn't win the East Division regular season title, that being either Binghamton or Syracuse. Both the Senators and Crunch, respectively, have announced that their first two home games of the playoffs will be Saturday, April 27th, and Sunday, April 28th.

With three games left for both teams and the separation between the Senators an Crunch at only one point, it's very likely the Penguins won't know their first round opponent until after the last day of the regular season. The Crunch and Senators end the season Sunday, facing off against each other in what could be for the division title.

Aside from all of that, head coach John Hynes certainly wasn't overlooking the team's last two games this weekend after practice today.

"We want to continue to play good hockey and do the right things," Hynes said. "Whether it's Game 75 or it's Game 1 of the playoffs, you want to be playing a certain way, with a certainly mentality and a certain level of execution and that's what we'll be looking for."

As for getting some of the younger guys into game action this weekend, such as recent ATO's and the Black Aces squad, Hynes seemed to be heading in a different direction, although he didn't leave out the possibility.

"Right now we're not planning on it but we'll see what happens as the weekend goes on," Hynes said. "We're going to take the weekend as an opportunity to play our team and win some games."

Farnham: A Time For Penguins To "Fine-Tune" Their Game

I spoke with forward Bobby Farnham about the last practice of the regular season:

"I think everyone is excited about playoffs coming up," Farnham said. "I think everyone has their bumps and bruises but overall, I'm feeling pretty good."

Farnham on what the team is looking for in these last two games:

"We have to make sure we are really detailed in what we do, make sure we are staying with the process we have been with the last ten games or so and ride that right into the playoffs."  
 
Juice Boy Shootout

The Penguins ended their practice today with the 'Juice Boy' shootout. Goaltender Jeff Zatkoff was nearly declared the winner in the first round after allowing the first three shooters to score. Luckily for Zatkoff, he denied Chad Kolarik to keep the shootout rolling along.

In the end, it came down to veteran forward Warren Peters and rookie defenseman Brian Dumoulin.  Peters led off the 8th round with a miss and Dumoulin capitalized, sending the team into a frenzy and pile up around the 'Juice Boy' for the playoffs....

#43 Warren Peters

   

Wednesday's WBS Practice UPDATE

Wednesday, April 17, 2013
The Penguins held a short but high-paced practice this morning after having the day off yesterday. They'll hold their last practice of the regular season tomorrow at Coal Street before finishing off the weekend with two home games.

And then it's on to the second season: the 2013 AHL Calder Cup Playoffs.

But let's not get ahead of ourselves. Sure, the Pens have clinched a playoff spot and can wrap up the 5th seed with one more point gained or one point lost by 6th place Portland. Sure, the Penguins are rolling along right now after a weekend sweep up in St. John's and are 8-0-0-1 in their last nine games. Much like the last few weeks have been, every game is going to be hard-fought.

Today was the first real practice for newly acquired forward Derek Nesbitt, who the Penguins received from Peoria for future considerations at last week's AHL trading deadline.

Nesbitt skated yesterday with a few of the guys who didn't make the St. John's trip, but today he found himself on the left wing alongside Brian Gibbons and Jayson Megna. A spot head coach John Hynes says is where he will be when he plays one game this weekend.

As to not make Nesbitt enter veteran status for next season, the Penguins will allow Nesbitt to sit out one of the two remaining games so he won't count against the AHL veteran limit for another season. A nice gesture by the organization to make Nesbitt's value in the off-season a little higher than it already is.

Here's the coach's thoughts on Nesbitt:

"He's going to play one of the two. If he plays that second game, then he would become a veteran so we're going to play him in one. You can see today in practice, for a first day at practice, he was on in every drill."

I also caught up with Nesbitt, and as you can guess when a 26 goal scorer comes to the team, everyone wanted to talk to the new guy. Nesbitt noted he only played in Wilkes-Barre one time and played a few years back on a team with Dylan Reese and Chad Kolarik, so he's not completely out of touch as he enters the locker room. Here's his thoughts on coming to a new team with two games left:

"It's happened to me before [traded at deadline four years ago], but it was also with a month or so left in the season. It's good to get in and get practices this week and get back on track."

I also caught up with Dominik Uher, who scored one goal in 49 games going into last weekend. Uher netted three goals in the two games in Newfoundland.

"It was a great feeling for sure, especially to help our team to win both games," Uher said of his three goal weekend. "I'm happy to finally get some goals going on and hope to keep it going."

More Uher:

"All lines are starting to click, every guy is pretty much playing their best hockey of the season so its a good fact going into the playoffs. I'm happy that our team is doing well"

Hynes on Uher's weekend:

"He's scored all his goals within five feet of the net. He's been getting to those areas more and he just had a lot more energy and drive in his game."

Today's Lines:

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

Reese - Dumoulin
Mormina - Samuelsson
Wild - Grant
McNeill

Zatkoff - Thiessen

Updates on Dupuis, Collins & Black Aces

Tuesday, April 16, 2013

The Penguins cancelled practice today after a long travel day back from Newfoundland yesterday, but a few guys skated this morning at Coal Street including injured forward Phil Dupuis.

Dupuis skated in a red, no-contact jersey for about an hour before leaving the ice. I spoke with Penguins head coach John Hynes about a possible timetable on Dupuis' return to the lineup.

"He's done for the year," Hynes said on Dupuis' status for this season. "He's doing some rehab type stuff."

Also skating today was goaltender Scott Darling, forward Chris Barton and newly acquired forward Derek Nesbitt. Players weren't made available for comment today, so look for some thoughts from Nesbitt after tomorrow's practice.

The status of Chris Collins, whose PTO is about to run out, was also brought up. Hynes was quick to say that Collins will be staying with the team this season.

The Penguins also signed defenseman Peter Merth to a PTO contract, just days after he was released from one with Hamilton (AHL). Merth was on the WBS roster last season and with the Wheeling Nailers the past three seasons. Merth also skated with the four other guys mentioned above for about an hour this morning.

Another 2012 Penguins draft pick appears to be headed to Wilkes-Barre as 4th round selection Matia Marcantuoni tweeted this morning that he's excited to be heading to Wilkes-Barre today.

For those who missed it, the Penguins signed goaltender Eric Hartzell to a one-year entry-level contract that runs through the rest of the 2012-13 season. Hartzell will become a restricted free agent this summer. Hartzell is expected to join the AHL Penguins.

So taking a look at the roster, this is what your Black Aces squad looks like right now:

Goaltenders: Scott Darling and Eric Hartzell
Defenseman: Peter Merth, Reid McNeill and Harrison Ruopp
Forwards: Chris Barton, Christian Minella and Matia Marcantuoni

Add that to the current roster and you have a total of four goaltenders, nine defensemen and 17 healthy forwards. I'll have a better idea of the line combinations tomorrow but here's what they look like currently:

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

Reese - Dumoulin
Mormina - Samuelsson
Grant - Wild
McNeill - Ruopp/Merth

Zatkoff - Thiessen - Hartzell - Darling

Kolarik's Hat Trick Lifts Pens Past IceCaps

Monday, April 15, 2013
Chad Kolarik scored three goals, including the game winner in overtime, to lift the Pens past the IceCaps for a clean sweep up in Newfoundland. The Penguins are 8-0-0-1 in their last nine games and with only two games left in the regular season, they look to enter the postseason on a roll.

Dominik Uher picked up his third goal of the weekend in the 2nd period to give the Pens a 2-1 lead, but the IceCaps stormed right back with two goals of their own before a Trevor Smith breakaway goal sent the two teams tied at three heading to the third period.

In the third period, Kolarik took over. He scored his 30th goal of the season to tie the game at four with 5:17 left to play. Then, in overtime, Kolarik netted his 31st of the season about halfway through the extra session to give the Pens their 8th win in their last nine contests.

With the hat trick on Sunday, Kolarik is just one goal away from tying the Penguins franchise record for most regular season goals (32), set by Janne Pesonen in the 2008-09 season. 

A few lineup changes for the Penguins on Sunday, with Brad Thiessen in net for Jeff Zatkoff, Reid McNeill in for Cody Wild and Christian Minella in for Chris Collins.

With the Penguins playoff spot at 5th in the conference nearly set in stone, I would expect to see guys like Joey Mormina and Dylan Reese get some rest heading into the postseason. Same could be said for some of the veteran forwards as well.

Penguins Clinch AHL Playoff Birth For 11th Straight Season

Saturday, April 13, 2013


The Penguins punch their ticket to the 2013 Calder Cup Playoffs tonight with a 3-0 victory over the St. John's IceCaps, their 11th straight season with postseason hockey.

Could this be the year? That remains to be seen, but the Penguins improve to 7-0-0-1 in their last eight games. Dominik Uher led the way tonight with two goals. Jeff Zatkoff got his 5th shutout of the season, his second straight shutout, and hasn't allowed a goal in 126:44. Lots of good news coming out of the top minor league affiliate of the Pittsburgh Penguins.



Penguins/IceCaps PREVIEW

The Penguins play their first of two games at Mile One Centre against the IceCaps tonight at 6:00 p.m. EST*

You can catch all the lastest with in-game updates on Twitter: @H_P_Hockey.

We are also on FaceBook and Instagram!

Expected Starting Goalies
Jeff Zatkoff (WBS): 25-19-0, 1.95 GAA, .920 SV%, 4 SO
Mark Dekanich (STJ): 15-13-0, 2.99 GAA, .898 SV%, 2 SO

Breaking Down the Matchup

PENGUINS (5th - EAST): 3rd Place East Division, 40-28-2-2 = 84 points
St. John's (14th - EAST): 5th Place Atlantic Division, 31-34-2-4 = 68 points

For the last five games of the regular season I'll put up the conference standings with the teams fighting for a playoff spot:

y - 1. Providence - 95 points, 5 games remaining
y - 2. Springfield - 93 points, 5 games remaining
x - 3. Syracuse - 91 points, 4 games remaining
x - 4. Binghamton - 89 points, 5 games remaining
5. PENGUINS - 84 points, 4 games remaining
6. Portland - 81 points, 5 games remaining
7. Connecticut - 78 points, 4 games remaining
8. Norfolk - 77 points, 5 games remaining
9. Hershey - 75 points, 5 games remaining
10. Manchester - 73 points, 5 games remaining
11. Bridgeport - 73 points, 4 games remaining
12. Albany - 71 points, 5 games remaining

Leading Scorers

PENGUINS: Chad Kolarik (28G, 35A), Trevor Smith (22G, 27A), Riley Holzapfel (19G, 30A)
St. John's: Eric O'Dell (28G, 24A), Jason Jaffray (15G, 29A), Kael Mouillierat (11G, 31A)

Win & They're In
The Penguins look to keep rolling in Newfoundland and clinch a playoff spot this weekend. Hershey's 3-2 loss to Providence last night moved the magic number from 4 down to 2 for the Penguins. So, for the Penguins to punch their ticket to the Calder Cup Playoffs they need one of three things to happen:
a) A Penguins win, b) A Hershey loss, or c) A Penguins & Bears OTL/SOL
Two of the Penguins recent ATO's, defenseman Clark Seymour and goaltender Matt Murray, have gone home for the summer after coming in for a few days and learning what the pro ranks are about.

Newly acquired forward Derek Nesbitt did not make the trip to Newfoundland and won't play this weekend. Per Peoria beat writer Dave Eminian, Nesbitt is nursing a lower body injury. Eminian also added that the Rivermen were going to hold Nesbitt out the rest of the regular season so he can avoid veteran status next season. I would imagine the Pens would do the same, but time will tell.
Injured list: Tom Kuhnhackl (shoulder surgery - out for season), Phil Dupuis (out indefinitely since 1/15) and newly acquired Derek Nesbitt (lower body injury - day to day)

Healthy Scratches: Scott Darling, Reid McNeill, Christian Minella, Chris Barton, Steve MacIntyre and Harrison Ruopp

Expected lineup:

Holzapfel - Smith - Kolarik

Megna - Gibbons - Thompson

Collins - Peters - Payerl

Farnham - Sill -Uher


Reese - Dumoulin

Mormina -Samuelsson

Grant - Wild

Penguins Looking For Continued Success

Friday, April 12, 2013
SPECIAL NOTE: The games this weekend are not at normal times for local Pens fans! St. John's is an hour and a half different than Eastern Standard Time (EST) where Wilkes-Barre is. Saturday's game is scheduled for 6 p.m. EST and Sunday's game starts at 2:30 p.m. EST.  

I got a chance to speak with some of the guys earlier this week before the Penguins boarded a plane for Canada, so I figured I would break up the monotony of days off between games with a little insight on the players' thoughts heading into this weekend's games with the St. John's IceCaps. I chose two players who have been at this stage before in their careers.

Pens Add Derek Nesbitt At AHL Deadline

Wednesday, April 10, 2013
Photo courtesy of the AHL's website.
As per reports coming out of Peoria, the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins have acquired forward Derek Nesbitt from the Peoria Rivermen for future considerations.

EDIT: Here's the press release from the Penguins. And one from Peoria as well.

Nesbitt, 30, was the leading goal scorer for the Rivermen this season, posting 26 goals and 21 assists in 66 game played. He most certainly gives the Penguins that secondary scoring they were searching for. Nesbitt also led the Rivermen with eight power play goals.

I spoke with current Penguins forward Cody Chupp and Peoria Rivermen beat writer for Peoria Journal Star, Dave Eminian about what Nesbitt brings to the table.

Jayson Megna: Flying Under The Radar

Monday, April 8, 2013

His stat line reads 52 games played, five goals, seven assists, a minus 10 rating and 26 penalty minutes. Judging solely off that, you might not be impressed with the rookie season Jayson Megna is having and think Pittsburgh Penguins General Manager Ray Shero made a mistake. You couldn't be more wrong.

Penguins Finish Off Bears With 4-3 Win

Sunday, April 7, 2013
The Penguins come away with a 4-3 win this afternoon over the Hershey Bears and have won five games in a row. They're playing well and peaking at the right time, with just two weeks left in the regular season.

The defense and goaltending has been there all season long, but it has to be especially rewarding to the goal scorers this weekend, putting up 11 goals in three games and taking six points in the standings.

The Bears got off to a quick start, scoring 1:54 into the game and taking a 1-0 lead. But from there, the Penguins took over.

Jayson Megna flew down the wing, made two Bears defenders miss and then put a perfect pass between his legs across the crease to Paul Thompson, who buried it to tie the game.

The power play was clicking again tonight, and Brian Dumoulin gave the Penguins a 2-1 lead late in the first period with a shot from the point through traffic that eluded Philipp Grubauer.

"They have always put pucks at the net and now they're just bearing down and finishing them," Dumoulin said of the Pens' recent offensive surge. "When you have the whole team going, you get to see more good things happen."

Chad Kolarik extended the lead 3:43 into the second period, beating Grubauer to the five-hole after a nice pass from behind the net from Trevor Smith. Kolarik came out hard early in the third and got his second of the night early in the third period, putting the Penguins up 4-1 at that point.

Kolarik's two goals today have many thinking he might be the league's leading scorer when all is said and done with the regular season. Before Jeff Taffe added an assist, Kolarik was tied for the league lead. Here's what Kolarik had to say about that:

"I'm not really worried about it," Kolarik said. "I don't think about it when I'm on the ice. If it happens, it happens but I would rather win a championship to tell you the truth."

No one was expecting the Bears to go away quietly into the night. They came into this game tied for the 8th and final playoff spot and are fighting for their playoff lives. They took advantage of some chances midway through the third period and managed to bring the game back within a goal with 6:12 to play.

"You know what happens. Football, hockey any sport when you lay off and try to play prevent defense it doesn't work," Kolarik said.

The Penguins took their timeout and got things under control, hanging on for the win.

The Penguins have some time before their next game, which isn't until Saturday night up in St. John's. They will begin practice next week on Tuesday at the Coal Street Rink but check back tomorrow for a feature on one of the Penguins forwards. I'll give you a hint: He hasn't scored many goals this season but, like the rest of the team, he has elevated his game and has been playing his best hockey the past few weeks.

ROSTER NOTES

Brad Thiessen got the start in net, picking up his 15th win of the season stopping 31 of the 34 shots he faced.

Beau Bennett was called up to Pittsburgh this afternoon, confirming he was held out last night as a healthy scratch with the intentions that a call-up was on the way.

Lines:

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

Reese - Dumoulin
Mormina - Samuelsson
Grant - Wild

Penguins/Bears PREVIEW

The Penguins conclude a three game weekend with a 3p.m. Sunday matinee against rival Hershey.

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): 14-11-2, 2.64 GAA, .904 SV%, 4 SO
Philipp Grubauer (HER): 12-6-2, 2.13 GAA, .926 SV%, 2 SO

Breaking Down the Matchup

PENGUINS (5th - EAST): 3rd Place East Division, 39-28-2-2 = 82 points
Hershey (8th - EAST): 4th Place East Division, 33-27-3-6 = 70 points

For the last five games of the regular season I'll put up the conference standings with the teams fighting for a playoff spot:

1. Providence - 91 points, 7 games remaining
2. Springfield - 89 points, 7 games remaining
3. Syracuse - 89 points, 6 games remaining
4. Binghamton - 87 points, 6 games remaining
5. PENGUINS - 82 points, 5 games remaining
6. Portland - 81 points, 8 games remaining
7. Connecticut - 78 points, 6 games remaining
8. Hershey - 75 points, 7 games remaining
9. Norfolk - 75 points, 6 games remaining
10. Albany - 70 points, 7 games remaining
11. Manchester - 69 points, 7 games remaining
12. Bridgeport - 69 points, 7 games remaining
 
Leading Scorers

PENGUINS: Chad Kolarik (26G, 35A), Trevor Smith (22G, 26A), Riley Holzapfel (19G, 28A)
Albany: Jeff Taffe (18G, 45A), Casey Wellman (15G, 32A), Jon DiSalvatore (16G, 27A)

Emptying the Tank
 
The Penguins come into tonight's game 5-0-0-1 in their last six games. The Bears are in a dog fight for the last playoff spot in the Eastern Conference and are currently tied for 8th with the Norfolk Admirals.

EDIT: Beau Bennett has just been recalled to Pittsburgh. Bennett was held out last night as a healthy scratch and the WBS Penguins were waiting to see if Pittsburgh needed Bennett's services. Got your answer with that recall. Status of forward James Neal is unknown at this point.

The Black Aces have arrived in Wilkes-Barre and were in attendance at last night's game. Forward Chris Barton, defenseman Harrison Ruopp and goaltenders Matt Murray and Scott Darling have joined the team for the stretch run.

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: Scott Darling, Matt Murray, Clark Seymour, Reid McNeill, Christian Minella, Chris Barton, Steve MacIntyre and Harrison Ruopp

Expected lineup:

Holzapfel - Smith - Kolarik

Megna - Gibbons - Thompson

Collins - Peters - Payerl

Farnham - Sill -Uher


Reese - Dumoulin

Mormina -Samuelsson

Grant - Wild

Penguins Dominiate Devils

Saturday, April 6, 2013
The Penguins came out fast and hard tonight against the Albany Devils, dominating play and looking about as solid as a team heading down the stretch can.

They outshoot the Devils 34-11 tonight en route to a 4-0 victory, and didn't even need the services of forward Beau Bennett, who was held out as a healthy scratch tonight. Head coach John Hynes said Bennett is still in town and there's a possibility he could be in the lineup tomorrow.

First, it was Chad Kolarik finishing off a broken play just 48 seconds in to get things started for the Penguins. The team got the fans into the game early and continued to feed off the energy from there.

"Even if your legs felt like junk from the four-hour bus ride last night, it all falls to the wayside," said Chad Kolarik on feeding off of the packed house at Mohegan Sun.

Trevor Smith made it 2-0 in the final minute of the first frame, roofing a puck past Jeff Frazee in what was a highlight-reel goal. Credit to Frazee for keeping the Devils in the game early. WBS outshot the Devils 17-1 through the first twenty minutes and took the 2-0 lead into the third period.

The Penguins never really took their foot off the gas tonight, extending the lead to 3-0 in the third period while on a powerplay. Alex Grant let loose a shot from the point that eluded Frazee, giving the Pens their third power play goal of the night.

Paul Thompson crashed the net a few minutes later and got a piece of Jayson Megna's shot to make it a 4-0 lead and really deflating the Devils from that point on. 

Jeff Zatkoff picked up his 4th shutout of the season tonight with an 11-save performance. And while Zatkoff wasn't peppered with shots, he made some big saves at some key moments throughout the course of the game.  

"Not as physically demanding but mentally it's a more of a grind," Zatkoff said of tonight's game.

"It's just staying in it and focusing and making that next save," Zatkoff added.

Zatkoff faced only one shot in the first period and was tested with some point-blank chances in the second. He shut the door on the Devils when he needed to tonight.

The win puts the Penguins in 5th place in the Eastern Conference, one point ahead of idle Portland. The Pirates have three games in hand on the Penguins. The Pens are also now just five points behind 4th place Binghamton.

The Penguins conclude a three game weekend with an important Sunday matinee with the Hershey Bears, who after losing in regulation tonight are now tied for the 8th and final spot in the Eastern Conference. Expect a Bears team coming in tomorrow to be playing with purpose.

ROSTER NOTES

Jeff Zatkoff got the start in net for the second straight night. Beau Bennett and Steve MacIntyre were scratched and replaced by Chris Collins and Dominik Uher. Rest of the lineup stayed the same.

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

Reese - Dumoulin
Mormina - Samuelsson
Grant - Wild

Penguins/Devils PREVIEW


The Penguins host the Albany Devils on Zach Sill bobble head tonight.

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): 14-11-2, 2.64 GAA, .904 SV%, 4 SO
Jeff Frazee (ALB): 7-11-5, 2.50 GAA, .916 SV%, 0 SO

Breaking Down the Matchup

PENGUINS (6th - EAST): 3rd Place East Division, 38-28-2-2 = 80 points
Albany (10th - EAST): 3rd Place Northeast Division, 29-27-1-11 = 70 points

Leading Scorers

PENGUINS: Chad Kolarik (25G, 34A), Trevor Smith (21G, 25A), Riley Holzapfel (19G, 26A)
Albany: Joe Whitney (25G, 23A), Matt Andersen (13G, 29A), Steve Zalewski (10G, 28A)

The Penguins come into tonight's game 4-0-1 in their last five games. The Devils, meanwhile, find themselves five points out of the 8th and final playoff spot in the conference with eight games left on their schedule.

Cody Wild has come in and played well since Robert Bortuzzo was recalled by Pittsburgh. Wild is a solid fit on the WBS blue line alongside Alex Grant, has been on this team for two years and knows the system well. 

Reid McNeill was recalled from Wheeling and will serve as the team's 7th defenseman. The Penguins also signed defenseman Harrison Ruopp to an entry-level contract and he is expected to join the AHL  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. 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, Christian Minella, Dominik Uher and Steve MacIntyre


Expected lineup:


 Holzapfel - Smith - Kolarik

Bennett - Gibbons - Thompson

Collins - Peters - Payerl

Farnham - Sill - Megna


 Reese - Dumoulin

Mormina -Samuelsson

Grant - Wild

Penguins Squeeze Past Phantoms

Friday, April 5, 2013
I think Jeff Zatkoff said it best after tonight's 3-2 overtime win over the Phantoms.

"When you get to overtime, it's anyone's game," the Penguins netminder said.

Tonight, it was the Penguins game.

Starting the extra session with some carry over power play time, the Pens were able to get pressure and subsequent chances but couldn't find the winner with the man advantage.

It wasn't until after a great keep in by Beau Bennett, that a shooting lane opened up for Alex Grant. Grant's slap shot from just inside the blue line whistled past Brian Boucher and sent the WBS bench into a frenzy. 

"Feels great when those go in," Grant said of the game winner. "Those aren't points you want to giveaway. It's big getting that second point."

The win gives the Penguins 80 points on the season and keeps them within range of 5th place in the Eastern Conference. The Pens trail 5th place Portland by just one point after both teams won in tonight's action.

Joey Mormina has spent time on both sides of the Phantoms/Penguins rivalry so I figured it would be good to ask him what he thought of tonight's game. I'll have more on Mormina in a later story but here's some of what he said after tonight's win:

"In the third period, we had a lot of guys step up and found a way to get an important two points. We knew they were a team on a roll and a team that works hard. I thought we had some good team toughness tonight."

After a scoreless first period, the Phantoms struck first in the second. Garret Roe got behind the WBS defense on a Penguins breakout of the zone and Jason Akeson stole a puck and found Roe all alone down low. Roe got off a bad angle shot that eluded Jeff Zatkoff to give the Phantoms a 1-0 lead.

The Penguins would tie it up less than four minutes later while on a power play. Brian Gibbons fed a cross ice pass to Joey Mormina on the point. Mormina's shot was deflected in past Brian Boucher by Jayson Megna to tie things up at one. It was Megna's 5th goal of the season.

The 2nd period also featured two fights with Alex Grant and Bobby Farnham dropping the gloves with Derek Mathers and Jeff Dimmen, respectively. The Penguins and Phantoms still have that rivalry feel despite only only seeing each other four times this season. The physical play continued in the third period.

In the third, Riley Holzapfel notched his 19th of the season, finishing off an odd man rush with Brian Gibbons and Cody Wild. That gave the Pens a 2-1 lead, but the Phantoms tied it up with 6:44 to go on a Shane Harper power play goal.

The Penguins bus back home tonight and host the Albany Devils tomorrow night, before another home game on Sunday against the Hershey Bears.

ROSTER NOTES

Jeff Zatkoff got the start in net, making his third straight appearance between the pipes for the Penguins. Another solid performance from Zatkoff, who stopped 27 of 29 shots he faced tonight.

Healthy scratches: Clark Seymour, Reid McNeill, Christian Minella, Dominik Uher and Chris Collins

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

Lines

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

* Bennett and Holzapfel flipped spots in the lineup for the third period.

Reese - Dumoulin
Mormina - Samuelsson
Grant - Wild

Penguins/Phantoms PREVIEW

The Penguins begin a three game weekend on the road up in Glens Falls, New York tonight against the Adirondack Phantoms.

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): 23-19-0, 1.99 GAA, .919 SV%, 3 SO
Brian Boucher (ADK): 5-5-1, 2.45 GAA, .912 SV%, 0 SO

Breaking Down the Matchup

PENGUINS (6th - EAST): 3rd Place East Division, 37-28-2-2 = 78 points
Adirondack (15th - EAST): 5th Place Northeast Division, 28-34-2-3 = 61 points

Leading Scorers

PENGUINS: Chad Kolarik (25G, 34A), Trevor Smith (21G, 25A), Riley Holzapfel (18G, 26A)
Adirondack: Jason Akeson (15G, 30A), Danny Syvret (6G, 30A), Jon Sim (10G, 18A)


For the Penguins, Robert Bortuzzo has been re-assigned to the NHL Penguins after what Pittsburgh head coach Dan Bylsma said would be three games for Bortuzzo to get in some ice time before the NHL trading deadline.  With Bortuzzo back up, Cody Wild will move back onto the third pair with Alex Grant. Reid McNeill was recalled from Wheeling and will serve as the team's 7th defenseman. The Penguins also signed defenseman Harrison Ruopp to an entry-level contract and he is expected to join the AHL Penguins.

Beau Bennett is still with Wilkes-Barre and reportedly made the trip to Adirondack. It is uncertain when Bennett will be recalled back to Pittsburgh.

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, Christian Minella, Dominik Uher and Steve MacIntyre


Expected lineup:


 Holzapfel - Smith - Kolarik

Bennett - Gibbons - Thompson

Collins - Peters - Payerl

Farnham - Sill - Megna


 Reese - Dumoulin

Mormina -Samuelsson

Grant - Wild

Penguins Cool Off Norfolk, Sink Admirals

Tuesday, April 2, 2013
The Penguins hold off a late comeback from Norfolk, hanging on for a 3-2 win over the Admirals tonight. The win brings the Pens within one point of idle Portland for 5th place in the conference.

The game winner came with the Penguins already up 2-0. The Penguins pounced on a neutral zone turnover and came in 4-on-1. Brian Dumoulin found Chris Collins open in the slot for Collins' first goal of the season.

"It finally came and it felt pretty good," Collins said of his first goal in his 15th game with the Penguins this season. "I've been getting chances lately so I knew it was going to come."

In hindsight, it couldn't have come at a better time. The Admirals stormed back with two third period goals to draw the game within one. Warren Peters hustled down the wing with an empty net to shoot at and was hauled down with 28 seconds left, ending Norfolk's chances of a comeback.

"We knew going into the third period they were going to come with a hard push," head coach John Hynes said. "We got back on our heels a little bit but we found a way after they scored the second goal to regroup."

Trevor Smith gave the Penguins a 1-0 lead about four minutes into the game, taking a feed from Chad Kolarik and beating Frederick Andersen on the rebound of his breakaway shot. The play was reviewed since the puck went in off of Smith's skate but it was ruled a good goal. Cody Wild, playing in his first game since March 1st, added a secondary assist on the play.

"We wanted to do a quick transition on this team, and especially with that line on the ice," said Wild, who told me it felt good to get back in the lineup.

It was the 4th time in as many games that the Penguins scored the first goal of the game.

The Penguins added to their lead late in the second period while on a 3-on-2 rush. Kolarik fed a pass across to the near side where Riley Holzapfel let loose a cannon of a shot that hit the inside post and popped out, prompting another goal review. The good goal gave WBS a 2-0 lead.

All in all, two more points in the standings for the Penguins, who will stay overnight in Norfolk before a ten hour bus ride to Glens Falls tomorrow in preparations for Friday night's game against the Adirondack Phantoms.

ROSTER NOTES

Jeff Zatkoff got the start in net tonight. Cody Wild replaced the called-up Robert Bortuzzo on defense. The Pens went with the same 12 forwards as Saturday night in Binghamton.

Injured list: Tom Kuhnhackl (shoulder - out for season) and Phil Dupuis (out indefinitely since 1/15)
Healthy scratches: Clark Seymour, Reid McNeill, Chris Minella, Dominik Uher and Steve MacIntyre

Lines

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

Reese - Dumoulin
Mormina - Samuelsson
Wild - Grant