Penguins Pushed To The Brink

The Penguins played better in Game Four, twice taking a one-goal lead, but still end up on the sour end of a 4-2 loss after the Crunch took the lead in the third period.

"We have to win the next game," head coach John Hynes said. "That's what we are focused on, not necessarily a comeback, the fact that you have to win one game."

"Tonight was 50-50. Unfortunately for us we made some ill advised errors and that's what cost us the game basically," Hynes added. "We beat ourselves."

Scott Harrington made his professional debut tonight and made his presence felt, scoring his first pro goal on his first pro shot 13:40 into the contest. Olli Maatta, who made his debut last night, won't get an assist on his teammate's first goal but was responsible for making the play happen.

Maatta carried the puck through the neutral zone and weaved his way into the offensive zone, getting The puck down low to Dominik Uher. Uher found Riley Holzapfel, who got it to Harrington at the point for the shot and goal.

"It was pretty crazy," Harrington said of his pro debut and first goal. "I wasn't sure, I definitely saw it change direction so I figured one of the forwards tipped it but I guess it went in off their team."

The Crunch tied the game on a point shot from Brendan Mikkelson just 1:17 after the Penguins took the lead.

The Penguins re-gained the one goal lead in the 2nd period, after a forecheck by Warren Peters freed up the puck along the boards. Peters found Jayson Megna, who returned after missing the last three games, and Megna went forehand to backhand and over Cedric Desjardins' glove and into the net.

But again the Crunch responded, tying the game at two just 1:32 later. This time a point shot from Matt Taormina was tipped past Brad Thiessen by Brett Connolly.

The Crunch jumped out for a goal early in the third period and never really looked back, adding an empty net goal in the final minute to seal the Game Four win and bring a 3-1 series lead back to Syracuse with a chance to advance to the Finals tomorrow night in Game Five.

The Penguins came back to win four straight against Providence in the last round and certainly know that it's not over until the handshake line begins at center ice.

The Penguins and Crunch will travel overnight up to Syracuse for tomorrow night's Game Five.

I'll leave with this quote from Chris Collins:

"I think we felt the same feeling we are feeling right now. Like we said last series, You take it one game at a time. You got to win four games no matter what the series is at. If its 2-2, you still got to win the next one. Just take it one game at a time. We have the character in the room to do it.  We did it last series and if any group of guys is going to do it, it's going to be the guys in this room."

#AHL Game Four Preview: #WBSPens vs. #SyrCrunch 7:05 pm EDT

The Wilkes-Barre Scranton Penguins look to even the series at 2-2 before heading up to Syracuse for tomorrow night's Game Five in New York. The Crunch look to take a 3-1 lead back home with a chance to advance to the Calder Cup Finals.

Starting Goaltenders

Penguins - Brad Thiessen (6-3, 1.24 GAA, .958 SV%, 2 SO)
Crunch - Cedric Desjardins (9-1, 2.02, .913 SV%, 2 SO)

ROSTER NOTES

Every single line and defense pairing is different for the Penguins (SEE BELOW).

For the Crunch, top line forward Richard Panik is out tonight. Cedric Paquette or former WBS Penguins forward J-F Jacques look to replace him in the lineup.

Penguins Lineup

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

Dumoulin - Harrington
Samuelsson - Maatta
Mormina - Merth

Penguins Fall in Game Three, Trail Series 2-1

In Wilkes-Barre, the Penguins and Crunch played a tight-checking, low scoring game. A turnover in the 2nd period and a few missed opportunities on the man advantage results in the 2-0 loss for the Pens, who now trail the best-of-seven series 2-1. Game Four is in Wilkes-Barre on Friday.

"It was a game where there wasn't a lot of time and space or a ton of shots on net," head coach John Hynes said. "We had some opportunities to score. They scored on one of the opportunities that they had and that was the difference in the game."

The opportunity Hynes is referring to is a turnover at the Penguins offensive blue line about seven minutes into the 2nd period. Ondrej Palat found Vladislav Namestnkiov who wheeled into the slot and picked a corner on Brad Thiessen to give the Crunch the 1-0 lead they wouldn't look back on. JT Brown would add an empty net goal with 4.8 left in the game for the 2-0 final.

The Penguins had their chances, though, namely on a 5-on-3 power play at the tail end of the 2nd period and start of the third. Tonight, the power play couldn't get the Penguins on the board, just the second game of the postseason where the Pens didn't have a man advantage goal.

"You can't be satisfied," Riley Holzapfel said. "Obviously, we could have created a little more offensively and got more chances. Unfortunately the times that we did get chances we didn't capitalize on it."

Olli Maatta, who just joined the Penguins yesterday after his junior season ended with London (OHL), made his pro debut tonight and didn't look out of place. Maatta had a great chance with about three and a half minutes to go, taking a pass in the slot and firing a shot that was gloved down by Crunch netminder Cedric Desjardins.

"Sometimes it goes in and sometimes it doesn't," Maatta said of his late game chance. "There's nothing you can do about it right now and we just got to look forward to Friday and get better."

Maatta played more as the game went on and found himself on the ice late in a one goal hockey game.

"I felt good," Maatta said. "I was a little nervous right before the game but I got better as the game went further."

More Maatta on his debut:

"It was big. I really enjoyed it," Maatta added. "I felt good that they trust me and I felt good out there."

On switching from OHL playoffs and Memorial Cup to AHL playoffs:

"I'm still in shape. It doesn't change too much, it's still playoffs. Everyone is playing their best and giving their best on the ice. It's the same thing."

The Penguins hold a practice tomorrow at the arena before Game Four Friday. I'm not sure who will be skating (most likely the guys who didn't play tonight) but either way I'll try to get an update up tomorrow afternoon.

#AHL Game Three Preview: #WBSPens vs. #SyrCrunch (Series tied 1-1)

The series shifts to Wilkes-Barre for two games, and after a split in Syracuse, the Penguins are looking to take a 2-1 series lead tonight. Puck drops at 7:05 p.m. EDT.

For all the latest from tonight's game, follow @H_P_Hockey on Twitter for in-game updates from Mohegan Sun Arena.  We are also on Facebook and Instagram!

Starting Goaltenders

Penguins - Brad Thiessen (6-2, 1.27 GAA, .958 SV%, 2 SO)
Crunch - Cedric Desjardins (8-1, 2.24 GAA, .904 SV%, 1 SO)

Lines for the Penguins tonight in Game Three:

Derek Nesbitt - Trevor Smith - Chad Kolarik
Chris Collins - Brian Gibbons - Paul Thompson
Riley Holzapfel - Warren Peters - Adam Payerl
Chris Minella - Zach Sill - Dominik Uher

Brian Dumoulin - Philip Samuelsson
Joey Mormina - Peter Merth
Olli Maatta - Alex Grant

ROSTER NOTES

• Recent ATO's Scott Harrington and Olli Maatta practiced with the main roster yesterday. Harington didn't take the warmup and won't play tonight. Maatta did take the warmup skate and appears to be making his pro debut. 

• Bobby Farnham also skated in yesterday's practice at Coal Street in full-capacity. Farnham hasn't returned since a hit behind the net in Game Five of the 2nd round.

• Dylan Reese and Jayson Megna are still labeled "day-to-day" and didn't practice yesterday. They are both still out of the lineup. 

Tuesday #WBSPens Practice UPDATE: #AHL #Pens Add Harrington/Maatta

Harrington (center) was paired with former Penguins defenseman Joe Morrow at this past summer's prospect camp scrimmage.

There were two new faces on the ice at Coal Street today as the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins prepare for Game Three - their first home playoff game since Game Five against Providence back on May 18th. The two new faces? Defensemen Scott Harrington and Olli Maatta, just four days off from finishing their seasons with the OHL's London Knights.

Harrington, 20, was the Penguins' 2nd round draft choice (54th overall) back in 2011. Maatta, 18, was the Penguins' 1st round draft choice (22nd overall) in last year's NHL Draft. From what I saw at practice today, both were impressive and after just finishing up in the Memorial Cup, they both have been playing at a high level.

Now, the obvious question. Will either of them play? Here's what head coach John Hynes had to say about Harrington and Maatta joining the team:

"When you get the opportunity to work with real high-end prospects that are young guys, first turning pro, it's nice to have them and yeah there's a possibility that those guys would get in the lineup."

For Scott Harrington, it has been a busy season. While the London Knights season ended in the Memorial Cup four days ago, Harrington and his teammate Maatta found out the day after their season ended that they would be heading to Wilkes-Barre to join the Penguins in their playoff run.

"It was a lot of fun," Harrington said of his season with London. "A lot of ups and downs with World Juniors and Memorial Cup but a lot of good stuff too, winning the OHL for the second year with Olli."

Harrington added that he's played with Maatta in London for the last two years and also played some with Reid McNeill, so there is a few familiar faces.

If Harrington finds himself in the Penguins lineup, it wouldn't be the first time he's played at the Mohegan Sun Arena. He participated in the Black & Gold exhibition game two years ago.

"I didn't really know what to expect driving down yesterday," Harrington said. "It would definitely be really cool to play some games but I don't really have too many expectations, just coming down here and trying to get comfortable with the pro-game, working hard at practice and see what happens."

Hynes also added that another highly-touted defensive prospect, defenseman Derrick Pouliot (1st round - 8th overall in 2012), will be joining the team in the near future.

Crunch Take Game Two, Even Series 1-1

Tonight in Game Two, the Syracuse Crunch jumped on the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins from the start, outshooting the Pens 15-1 in the first period and really taking it to them in a 3-2 game. The series is tied at 1-1 as the series shifts to Wilkes-Barre for Games Three and Four.

"For whatever reason, we had too many guys that didn't come ready to play tonight," team captain Joey Mormina said postgame. "When you're chasing a team like Syracuse for the whole game, you put yourself in a bad position."

Despite being heavily outshot, the Penguins twice brought the game back within one goal, including Riley Holzapfel's rebound goal with 5:58 to play. The sense I got from the locker room tonight is that it was too little, too late.

"We had a good push in the third period," Holzapfel said, "but we couldn't get it done and we just have to regroup and be ready Wednesday night."

The real turning point in the game came when the Penguins had a chance to tie it at two midway through the hockey game. The Crunch score shorthanded to make it a 3-1 game. A Penguins goal there to tie it instead obviously changes the dynamic of the game.

Scary play in the third period as Tyler Johnson and Chad Kolarik collided in the Penguins offensive zone. Both players left the ice in obvious pain. Kolarik later returned, but Johnson stayed in the locker room the rest of the third period.

There's two days off between tonight's game and Wednesday's Game Three and the first impression I'm getting from the Crunch media is that Johnson will be ready to go in Game Three.

The Penguins are scheduled to be off tomorrow and resume practice Tuesday. Check back tomorrow though, as I plan to put something up anyway, either by way of another player profile feature or just a deeper look into this series.

Full recap after the jump.

Game Two Preview: #WBSPens vs. #Crunch (WBS Leads 1-0)

The Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins look to take a 2-0 series lead back home to Wilkes-Barre. The Syracuse Crunch look to even the series in Game Two tonight. Puck drops at 7:00 pm EDT.

For all the latest from tonight's game, follow @H_P_Hockey on Twitter for in-game updates and check back after the game for a full postgame recap.

Starting goaltenders
Penguins - Brad Thiessen (6-1, 1.04 GAA, .965 SV%, 1 SO)
Crunch - Cedric Desjardins (7-1, 2.27 GAA, .905 SV%, 1 SO)

Lines for AHL Penguins

Nesbitt-Smith-Kolarik
Collins-Gibbons-Thompson
Holzapfel-Peters-Payerl
Minella-Sill-Uher

Dumoulin-Samuelsson
Mormina-Merth
McNeill-Grant

Fast Start Aids Pens in Game One Win

In Syracuse, the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins use a fast start and more commitment to team defense and shot blocking to take Game One from the Crunch by a final score of 4-2.

Alex Grant started and ended the goal scoring tonight. Chris Minella picked up his first AHL playoff goal. Derek Nesbitt added two assists. What I'm getting at is that it seems to be different guys stepping up every night.

"The further you go on in the playoffs, the more that guys have the opportunity to step up and guys get more comfortable," head coach John Hynes said. "As you continue to move on you're going to need to have a complete team effort. Not just your top guys scoring goals, but secondary scoring."

Derek Nesbitt came to the Penguins with 26 goals in the regular season and while he hasn't been lighting the lamp, he's been racking up assists. Nesbitt set up both of Grant's goals tonight, bringing his total to six helpers in the team's 11 playoff games.

"The shots are coming," Nesbitt said, adding he's getting his chances. "It's sitting around the net and just not going in."

Nesbitt's first assist came on his first shift of the night. He found Alex Grant on the point, who got a shot through Crunch netminder Cedric Desjardins. His second assist came on an important goal that came in the final minute of the second period, extending the Penguins lead to 4-2.

I also talked to Nesbitt about the team's commitment to shot blocking and team defense, which like in the 2nd round against Providence, eliminated those Grade A chances that the Crunch might've had in their first seven playoff games.

"Seeing a team like this, what they're willing to do," Nesbitt said about team shot blocking. "It's contagious. You see one guy do it, another guy wants to do it."

The Penguins look to take a 2-0 series lead back home to Wilkes-Barre tomorrow night in Game Two. Puck drops at 7 pm EDT. Full recap after the jump.

Eastern Conference Finals: Game One Preview WBS Penguins vs. Syracuse Crunch

Starting Goaltenders

Penguins- Brad Thiessen (5-1, 0.89 GAA, .970 SV%, 2 SO)
Crunch - Cedrick Desjardins (7-0, 2.02 GAA, .916 SV%, 1 SO)

The Penguins take on the Syracuse Crunch in Game One of the Eastern Conference Finals. For all the latest tonight, follow @H_P_Hockey on Twitter. I'll also have an recap with thoughts from players/coaches in my post game report.

WBS Expected lines:

Nesbitt-Smith-Kolarik

Collins-Gibbons-Thompson

Holzapfel-Peters-Payerl

Minella-Sill-Uher

Dumoulin-Samuelsson

Mormina-Merth

McNeill-Grant

Thiessen

Know Your Opponent: Syracuse Crunch

Regular Season Notes

43-22-6-5 = 97 points

1st Place East Division

3rd Place Eastern Conference

Leading Scorers: Tyler Johnson (37G, 28A), Brett Connelly (31G, 32A), Ondrej Palat (13G, 39A), Mark Barbiero (8G, 34A), Richard Panik (22G, 19A)

The Syracuse Crunch won the East Division title this season and entered the playoffs as the number three seed in the East. After first and second round sweeps, the Crunch are cruising into the Conference Finals with some serious confidence. Did I mention they are most of the Norfolk Admirals team from last year that won the Calder Cup?

They are led in goal by Cedric Desjardins who, during the regular season, posted a record of 15-18-3 with both the Hamilton Bulldogs and Syracuse Crunch. Since being acquired by the Crunch, he's gone 8-5-1 with three shutouts, 2.12 GAA and a .918 SV%. In the playoffs, Desjardins has been just as impressive, going 7-0 with one shutout, 2.02 GAA and .916 SV%.

On defense, the Crunch have been playing seven defenseman. Radko Gudas and former Penguin J.P. Cote are physical stay-at-home type defenseman while Matt Taormina and Mark Barbiero are offensively gifted. They have Andrej Sustr, the big 6-8 defenseman who was at Penguins development camp last July. 

Up front, the Crunch have a stellar top line of Ondrej Palat, Tyler Johnson and Richard Panik. They follow it up with another scoring line that has talented rookie Brett Connolly on it. The shutdown line has the exprienced Mike Angelidis and J.T. Wyman. Not as deep as the Bruins forward core they faced last round, but the top line is just as scary.

The Crunch haven't lost a playoff game this post season. They are, in essence, the defending champions, after Norfolk and Syracuse switched NHL affiliations this past summer. None of the four teams who make the conference finals made it there by mistake. As coach Hynes said after practice Friday, when you're climbing to the top of a mountain, the air gets thinner.

A breakdown of the matchups, a look at the Eastern Conference finals and I'll embarrass myself with another prediction after the jump.

#WBSPens Practice Update: Reese/Megna "Day-to-Day" & A Double Feature on Samuelsson/Dumoulin

The Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins held a quick skate this morning at the Coal Street Rink, before getting on the bus again. This time the destination is Syracuse, New York, for Game One of the Eastern Conference Finals tomorrow night.

The team had a full skate with all three goaltenders on the roster as well as all of the Black Aces squad. Not practicing today were forwards Chad Kolarik, Zach Sill and Jayson Megna and defenseman Dylan Reese.

Head coach John Hynes said that Kolarik and Sill were fine, while adding that Reese and Megna are "day-to-day".

That being said, I would imagine that Megna won't be in the lineup tomorrow and the WBS 4th line will become Zach Sill centering Dominik Uher and Chris Minella.

Bobby Farnham, who left Game Five last Saturday night, skated in a red no-contact jersey. I don't think he'll be ready for Game One tomorrow night either.

The blog is busy today as I will have my third round edition of Know Your Opponent: The Syracuse Crunch posted tonight. Tomorrow afternoon, I'll break down the series, the matchups and offer up a prediction. Tomorrow night I'll post the Game One Preview complete with starting goaltenders, WBS line combinations & defense pairings and more.

After the jump, a sort of double-feature on defensemen Brian Dumoulin and Philip Samuelsson, former teammates at Boston College and current defensive pairing with the AHL Penguins.

Penguins Make History, Complete Comeback With 5-0 Game Seven Win

Only four teams in the 77-year history of the American Hockey League have forced a seventh game after dropping the first three games. Only three teams have come back to win the series. The 2013 Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins are the only team to complete the comeback with a Game Seven win on the road, a 5-0 final.

"It's hard to explain," Brad Thiessen said. "You go down 3-0 and you're pretty frustrated and things are looking pretty bleak. But, slowly but surely we started to gain momentum and it culminated tonight."

After a first period dominated by the Bruins, the Penguins came out for the 2nd period ready to play.

While on a power play, Brian Dumoulin shuffled a puck to Chad Kolarik at the near side faceoff dot. Kolarik's initial shot was blocked but his follow-up was the difference, as Kolarik skated to the goal line and banked one in off Niklas Svedberg to give the Penguins a 1-0 lead 4:44 into the middle frame.

The Penguins weren't done there. About 10 minutes later, Warren Peters deflects a Joey Mormina point shot and the flood gates open. Adam Payerl scores his 2nd slap shot goal of the series and Zach Sill pops the water bottle as the Penguins put up four goals in the second period, including three on consecutive shots in a span of 4:11.

"It's a good feeling. Guys are able to take a little bit of a deep breath and soak in what just happened,"  Payerl said.

Payerl's goal in the middle of that three goal spurt really seemed to put a dagger in the Bruins' collective side. The series may have begun with the Bruins top line lighting things up offensively, but it ended with guys in the bottom six of the Penguins lineup scoring goals such as Payerl, Peters and Sill.

"You take pride in contributing to your role," Payerl added. "We can pop some goals in here and there it's a plus for the team."

The Penguins advance to the Eastern Conference Finals, where they take on East Division rival Syracuse. Games 1 & 2 are in Syracuse on Saturday and Sunday night.

I'm not sure if/when the Penguins are scheduled to practice next, but as soon as I know I will put something up in the form of an update as the team gets ready for round three. I'll also breakdown the Pens-Crunch matchup before the series starts this weekend.

#AHL Game Seven Preview: #WBSPens Look to Complete Comeback

The Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins have battled back from a 3-0 series deficit to force tonight's winner-take-all Game Seven in Providence, Rhode Island, against the Bruins. They are just the fourth team in league history that have forced a seventh game after trailing 3-0. Tonight, they try to be the third team to complete the comeback.

"Our job is not done yet. The goal wasn't to push it to Game Seven, it was to win the series. That's our job," Brad Thiessen said.

Usually, the team that has won three games in a row heading into Game Seven has all the momentum. I wouldn't necessarily say that is true after seeing the Bruins rack up 20 shots in the third period of Game Six Monday night.
 
"It's Game Seven," Trevor Smith said, "Anything can happen. That's how we felt in Game Six. We are going to regroup and get ready for the battle Wednesday night."

The Penguins have played in three elimination games already this series, so it's not like the mindset has changed much. Like Warren Peters told me after Monday night's overtime win, there's still a 60-minute hockey game to be played. Peters said the message to the younger guys in the room is to go out there and play, but don't get too caught up in the moment.

I'll end with this quote for a Game Seven tonight - probably the quote of the season to date.

"No one plays in their backyard for Game Three," Warren Peters said. "It's always Game Seven. You remember the Game Sevens. It'll be an experience and like I said, if we put the work in hopefully it will be a good one."

Expected starters in net, the WBS lineup and more after the jump.

Warren Peters: "Backs Are Against The Wall Still, One More Game"

The 2013 Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins are just the fourth team in the 76-year history of the American Hockey League to force a Game Seven after trailing three games to none in a best-of-seven series.

Of those four, the first two teams (1960 Rochester and 1989 Adirondack) went on to win Game Seven. The 2011 Hamilton Bulldogs, however, lost their Game Seven to the Houston Aeros. Current Penguins assistant captain Warren Peters was an assistant captain on that 2011 Aeros team that survived the scare from Hamilton two years ago.

Peters recalled some of the events from that 2011 Hamilton-Houston series last Thursday, the day before Friday's WBS Penguins vs. Bruins Game Four. Keep in mind, Peters was on the Houston team that led the series 3-0 before having a teammate score a goal with 1:13 left in Game Seven to avoid the comeback. This year he's on the other side of things.

"They got a lot better; Their level went up," Peters said of the 2011 Hamilton team he faced while with Houston."They did what they had to to hang around and made it interesting. The pressure mounted for us for sure."

So what did that Hamilton team do to force a Game Seven? The same thing the Penguins have done in Games 4 through 6: tighten up defensively, limit the other team's chances and play to win.

Peters is hoping to learn from that experience and turn it into a history-making comeback in 2013.

"Everybody has pressure to win. I think it's probably a pretty even slate. It's a one-game showdown. It's hockey," Peters said. "It'll be exciting. Get ready for it."

I'll save Peters' thoughts as well as some from Trevor Smith and Brad Thiessen on tonight's Game Seven for the usual pregame preview post. I'll have the Penguins expected lines, updates etc. leading up to the drop of the puck at 7:05 p.m. EDT and continue with our usual in-game updates on Twitter. I'll also have a full recap of the game with thoughts and analysis up on the site post-game as well.

To follow on Twitter, simply add @H_P_Hockey! We are also on Facebook and Instagram.

Thiessen Stops 46 of 47, Penguins Force Game Seven with OT Win

Brad Thiessen plays arguably the best game of his career and possibly the best game a goaltender wearing a Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins uniform ever has. Thiessen stopped 46 of 47 shots he faced tonight, including 20 in the third period alone.

"I couldn't do that on my own," Thiessen said, adding that he was repeating a bible verse over and over in his head. "It was fun to be a part of and I am just happy to give our team a chance and bring it to a Game Seven."

Trevor Smith scores 3:26 in to overtime to win it for the Penguins and force a Game Seven after the Pens had trailed the series 3-0. The Penguins are just the 4th team in the history of the American Hockey League to force a Game Seven after falling behind 3-0.

After the game Smith was quick to credit the first star of the game to Thiessen.

"He's got that skill," Smith said of Thiessen. "We leaned on him hard tonight and you know what, the last couple games we have too. He took the game over for us. He bailed us out. He's first star tonight and for most of the series."

Alex Grant has to feel like he redeemed himself tonight after a tough break for him in Game Three. Tonight, the bounce went his way. Grant took a shot from the point and though it didn't go on net,  he got it through traffic and behind the net. The puck came off the back wall right to Trevor Smith, who said he got it on his backhand and thought the puck hit off something before it went in.

Whether it went in off a skate, a stick or a body the Penguins found a way to win and gave themselves a chance to play in a winner-take-all Game Seven Wednesday night in Providence.

More after the jump.

#AHL Game Six Preview: #WBSPens Look To Force Game Seven Tonight

The Penguins look to even the series tonight in Game Six of the Eastern Conference Quarterfinal at the Dunkin Donuts Center in Providence, Rhode Island. The puck drops at 7:05 p.m. EDT. 

For all the latest in-game updates, follow the action live on Twitter @H_P_Hockey starting at 6:00 p.m. We are also on Facebook and Instagram!

UPDATE: Dylan Reese, who hasn't played since Game One of this series, took the warmup skate tonight and appears ready to return to the lineup. Bobby Farnham is out tonight. Here's the scenarios for the lineup:

If Reese returns, he could take Farnham's spot in the lineup and #WBSPens could play 11F/7D.

One of Peter Merth, Reid McNeill or Alex Grant could be scratched to make room for Reese on the blueline. Dominik Uher was the 12th forward so either he's in for the injured Farnham or the Penguins are playing seven defensemen tonight in Game Six.

Providence Bruins forward Graham Mink has been suspended two games by the AHL resulting from his actions during the third period of Game Five Saturday night. Jared Knight appears to replace Mink in the Bruins lineup. 

Projected lines after the jump.

Something Is "Bruin" - Pens Force Game Six

The Penguins came out and took Game Five by storm, shutting out the Providence Bruins 4-0 and sending the series back to Providence for a Game Six Monday night.

If one thing can be taken away from tonight's game, it's that the Bruins are starting to show their frustrations. The Bruins crashed Brad Thiessen's crease midway through the third period and Graham Mink ended up on top of Thiessen, throwing punches at the Penguins goaltender. Everyone found a partner in that exchange, which left assistant equipment manager Josh Richards on the ice to sort out all the loose equipment laying scattered in the Penguins end.

The Bruins' frustration was most evident in the third period after Paul Thompson scored to make it 4-0. After Thompson scored and turned his back to celebrate, rookie goaltender Niklas Svedberg took Thompson's legs out from under him, causing the second big scrum of the period.

"The last two nights we have done a good job," Thompson said. "We certainly haven't accomplished anything yet."

Nothing much has changed for the Penguins since Game Three. Their approach is the same. The only real difference is the end results.

"We gave ourselves another chance to play a hockey game," Warren Peters said. "We have to fight to play again and come to the rink the next day. It's all that has been on our minds."

The Penguins took the lead halfway through the first period while on the power play. Brian Gibbons saw Brian Dumoulin cutting to the net and sent a shot on Svedberg. The rebound kicked out to Dumoulin and he finished the play, notching his first AHL playoff goal and giving his team a 1-0 lead.

The power play was at it again about six minutes later when Garnet Exelby broke the top three inches off his stick and was forced to leave it behind. The Penguins attacked Exelby's side and got a puck to Trevor Smith in the slot, who made no mistake picking the top corner and adding to the Penguins lead.

Adam Payerl was rewarded for his hard work the last two nights, adding an insurance goal early on in the 3rd period. His slap shot goal to the top shelf was his first career AHL playoff goal.

The Penguins have sent the series back to Providence for another must-win game on Monday night. The team will have an optional skate tomorrow before hopping on the bus and heading to Rhode Island. I'll be heading to Providence myself Monday to bring you more live road coverage of Penguins hockey in Game Six Monday night.

#AHL Game Five Preview: Does The Merth Effect Continue Tonight For #WBSPens?

The Penguins look to stave off elimination tonight in Game Fiveof the Eastern Conference Quarterfinal at the Mohegan Sun Arena. The puck drops at 7:05 p.m. EDT. 

For all the latest in-game updates, follow the action live on Twitter @H_P_Hockey starting at 6:00 p.m. We are also on Facebook and Instagram!

Home Cooking: Mormina Leads Penguins To Game Five

When a team is facing elimination, like the Penguins were tonight, the team knows they need to rally around a certain play, a player or collective group. Tonight it was the Penguins veteran group, namely Warren Peters and captain Joey Mormina, who led by example.

Coming into tonight's game Mormina had just two points in 51 AHL playoff games, but he got three in the second period tonight, leading the Penguins to a 3-1 win in Game Four. Game Five is tomorrow night.

While Mormina attributed the performance to the lasagna his grandmother made him for lunch this afternoon, it was evident that getting pucks to the net and perhaps finding some puck luck at the right time propelled the Penguins to playing a Game Five in less than 24 hours.

Despite the slow start for the Penguins, who trailed 1-0 after the first period, they got it together in the middle frame led by a strong period from their captain.

Mormina started the play on the Penguins tying goal 6:25 into the 2nd period. Mormina found Payerl, who left a puck for Peters just above the face-off circle. Peters took the feed from Payerl and used a Bruins defenseman as a screen, timing the shot just right as it eluded Niklas Svedberg and got the Penguins rolling.

"We felt we played well tonight, Mormina said. "I just try to play my game. Offensively, just putting pucks on net."

Mormina did just that about ten minutes later when he took a shot on Svedberg from the left side. The shot was blocked, but went to the right side to a wide open Riley Holzapfel, who tapped it home to put the Penguins in front.

Mormina wasn't done there, getting his third assist of the period on another play where the Penguins captain got pucks to the net. Mormina floated a wrist shot from the point that Chad Kolarik tipped past Svedberg to keep the Penguins in front for good.

I feel that it's worth noting that there wasn't much of a difference in how the last two games were played. Surely the end result was different, but the effort and intensity was there in both contests.

"I think we got a couple bounces our way today," forward Jayson Megna said when I caught up with post-game. "I think our work ethic was the same. We knew we had to just keep working hard and stick to our game and good things would happen."

Megna, as well as guys like Brian Gibbons, Zach Sill and Warren Peters have made strides on the penalty kill, which has held the Bruins top line scoreless in two straight games.

"We had to make some adjustments there in the past few games," Megna said. "We have come out and executed pretty well. Lots of guys are blocking shots and Brad is coming up with unbelievable saves."

The Penguins get right back at it tomorrow night in front of the home fans, looking to send the series back to Providence.

Game Four Preview: #WBSPens Backs to the Wall

The Penguins look to stave off elimination for the first time this playoffs tonight in Game Four of the Eastern Conference Quarterfinal at the Mohegan Sun Arena. The puck drops at 7:05 p.m. EDT. 

For all the latest in-game updates, follow the action live on Twitter @H_P_Hockey starting at 6:00 p.m. We are also on Facebook and Instagram!

Only two teams in league history have won a best-of-seven series after dropping the first three games. A closer look at how the series got to where it is now as well as an expected lineup for tonight's game after the jump.

#WBSPens Thursday Optional Skate: Dylan Reese's Status For Game Four?

The Penguins held an optional skate today and the players who skated earlier this afternoon were those on the roster who didn't play in last night's Game Three loss to the Bruins. Let's take a look at who skated:

Goalies: Jeff Zatkoff and Scott Darling

Defensemen: Dylan Reese, Peter Merth and Harrison Ruopp

Forwards: Bobby Farnham, Dominik Uher, Steve MacIntyre and Chris Barton

Injured forwards Tom Kuhnhackl and Phil Dupuis also skated, sporting red no-contact jerseys. As you might recall, they have been termed out for the season for quite some time. Dylan Reese, however, practiced in a regular jersey today and could return to the lineup for Game Four.

"He is day-to-day right now, so that's undecided" said Penguins head coach John Hynes on Reese's status for tomorrow. Hynes also added that there were no setbacks in Reese's track to return to action.

The only real "exclusive" information I can add to the possible return of Reese in Game Four is that I saw him skate at the team's optional skate this afternoon and he looked pretty sharp to me. I would venture to say he'll be a game-time decision tomorrow night.

Check back later tonight for a closer look at some of the real reasons why the Penguins are in this 3-0 hole. I'll tell you now that it's not because of a lack of effort or desire. I thought that was clearly evident in last night's game and especially in the third period, where the Penguins played to win.

Bruins Put Penguins On The Brink

In a low-scoring, tight-checking game it usually ends up being one bounce or break that seals the deal. Tonight, that one play came 31 seconds into overtime.

Carter Camper left his skates at the Penguins blue line to keep a puck onside, fed it to the middle to Jordan Caron and fell down. Luckily for Camper, he got back up in time to get in position for the rebound and slid one past Brad Thiessen to send to the Bruins bench onto the ice.

The Penguins are on the brink of elimination after falling 2-1 in overtime to the Providence Bruins tonight. There aren't many teams in the history of the American Hockey League that have come back to win a seven game series after dropping the first three games. For the Penguins, the comeback has to start on Friday night in Game Four.

"We have to turn the page quick on this one," head coach John Hynes said, "and continue to build off the things that we did tonight that gave us a chance to have the opportunity to win the game and make sure we are ready to win a game on Friday."

Game Three Preview: #WBSPens vs #AHLBruins

The Penguins look to use the home ice to their advantage tonight against the Providence Bruins in Game Three of their Eastern Conference Semifinals match up.

For all the latest breaking news and in-game updates follow @H_P_Hockey on Twitter. We are also on Facebook and Instagram!

Penguins Tuesday Practice Update: Reese (DTD) Ruled Out Tomorrow, Peters Not Suspended

A few things to note after today's practice at Coal Street:

• Defenseman Dylan Reese (below), who hasn't played since taking a high hit from Providence's Bobby Robins in Game One, came out on the ice about halfway through the team's practice sporting a red no-contact jersey. Head coach John Hynes said Reese is "day-to-day" and will not be available for tomorrow night's Game Three. He didn't leave out the possibility that Reese could return this weekend. 

• It doesn't look like a suspension is coming to Warren Peters for his hit on Bruins defenseman Zach Trotman. Mark Divver, Bruins beat writer for the Providence Journal, tweeted earlier this afternoon that the Bruins were told no suspension was coming to Peters. Divver also reported that Trotman has been ruled out for the rest of this series. 

• Coach Hynes told the media he wasn't set on a starter in net for Game Three tomorrow night and that he would talk to the staff this afternoon before making a decision and letting the goaltenders know either tonight or tomorrow morning.

• After last Friday's 8-5 loss in Game One, coach Hynes did a complete overhaul of the lines for Game Two. The lines in today's practice sort of reverted back to the lines the Penguins have used in recent weeks with two exceptions: Chris Minella inserted on the 4th line and Derek Nesbitt added to the top line with Trevor Smith and Chad Kolarik. Take a look:

Nesbitt - Smith - Kolarik                          

Collins - Gibbons - Thompson

Holzapfel - Peters - Payerl

Minella - Sill - Megna

Dumoulin - Samuelsson

Mormina - Grant

McNeill - Wild

WBS Pens Monday Practice Update: Three Questions Heading Into Game 3

The Penguins held a practice this morning at Coal Street and despite being down 2-0 in the best-of-seven series, the team seemed pretty upbeat. The series now shifts to Wilkes-Barre for three games, starting with Wednesday night's Game Three.

With one more day of practice coming before Wednesday night's game, there are still some questions yet to be answered.

Bruins Double Up Penguins, Take 2-0 Series Lead

In Providence, the Bruins top line of Chris Bourque, Jamie Tardif and Ryan Spooner controlled the first period, scored four goals and chased Jeff Zatkoff from the net after 20 minutes.

From there, the Penguins settled things down, got to their game and got themselves back in it.

"Our level went up," Warren Peters said. "We were harder and smarter with the puck. Obviously they were sitting on a lead so its indicative of only so much but at the same time, I think we got to our game."

But was it really a case of the Penguins elevating their play in the final 40 minutes or the Bruins sitting on a three goal lead? Maybe a little bit of both? I guess that will be answered Wednesday night in Wilkes-Barre in Game Three.

Brad Thiessen came in to the game to start the second period and stopped all 16 shots he faced tonight. I wouldn't be surprised to see him get the start in Game Three, but not necessarily because Zatkoff has been playing poorly. Zatkoff was certainly held out to dry in the first four periods of this series.

There was another big hit in tonight's game that caused some tempers to flare. While on a forecheck, Peters put a big hit on defenseman Zach Trotman that left Trotman down and out. When he got back to his feet he was off-balance and needed to be helped off the ice by two of his teammates. There was no penalty called on the play. Here is Peters' take on the hit:

"On the forecheck, my job there is to track the D. I seen the puck going over, it was a slow pass. Unfortunately, I don't think he saw me coming at all and wasn't able to brace himself. As far as my posture, I felt like I was low. I felt like I stayed on the ice. It was a hard hit. I'm not out there to hurt anybody, I'm not trying to hurt anybody. Unfortunately, that was the result. As far as the rules go, it's defintitely unfortunate, but I thought that I stayed below his shoulders for sure."

Naturally, the Bruins are submitting the clip of the hit to the league to be reviewed for supplemental discipline, but like the hits in last night's game (Bobby Robins on Dylan Reese & Joey Mormina on Justin Florek) no penalty was called on the play. Neither of the agressors in those two hits received suspensions, so I think it will be hard to hand one to Peters.

Two lineup changes for the Penguins in Game Two. Cody Wild replaced the injured Dylan Reese and played pretty well in his 2013 Calder Cup Playoffs debut. The other change was Chris Minella in for Bobby Farnham on the 4th line. Minella challenged Bruins enforcer Bobby Robins on the opening faceoff, but Robins declined the invitation.

There was a complete overhaul of the line combinations for tonight's game. Here's what they looked like:

Nesbitt-Smith-Megna
Collins-Gibbons-Kolarik
Holzapfel-Peters-Thompson
Payerl-Sill-Minella

Dumoulin-Samuelsson
Mormina-Grant
McNeill-Wild

Philip Samuelsson left the game in the final minutes, favoring a lower body ailment. With Reese already on the shelf, Peter Merth or Harrison Ruopp would be next in line on the blue line if Samuelsson is unable to play Wednesday.

It's been a tough series for defenseman when you talk about the injuries to Reese and possibly Samuelsson for the Penguins, the call up of Matt Bartowski and injuries to Kevan Miller and Zach Trotman for the Bruins.

The Penguins next practice is scheduled for Monday, so expect the next update to come after practice Monday afternoon.

PREVIEW: #WBSPens Aim To Even Series

Tonight, the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins look to even things up in Providence at the Dunkin Donuts Center. The puck drops for Game Two at 7:05 p.m. EDT.

For all the latest coverage of breaking news and in-game updates of all the action, make sure you're following us on Twitter at @H_P_Hockey. We are also on Facebook and Instagram!

Wild, Wild East: Pens Drop Game One 8-5

The Penguins and Bruins were the number one and two teams, respectively, in terms of defense throughout the regular season. You know what they say about using regular season stats in the playoffs - throw them out the window. That might be an understatement after the Penguins fall 8-5 in a very strange first game in the best-of-seven series.

"There's a reason we lost the game," head coach John Hynes said. "We have to be better in certain areas and the focus right now is to take the lessons of the game, the good and the bad, and be a better team tomorrow."

Despite a great start to the game for the Penguins, which saw them ahead 1-0 on the scoreboard after a Chad Kolarik penalty shot goal, the Bruins showed why they are a dangerous team in the second period after tying the game at one late in the first.

The second period was not kind to the Penguins tonight. They saw Dylan Reese take a big and high hit from Bobby Robins that knocked Reese's helmet off and left him dazed. He skated off on his own power after being tended to by trainer Kyle Moore but Reese did not return to the game.

Hynes said he would review the hit before deciding whether to submit it to the league for further review and a possible suspension. The hit was unpenalized. Reese's status for tomorrow night's Game Two is very much in question.

The Bruins racked off four goals in a span of 5:15 in the second frame, with a Brian Gibbons rebound goal in the middle of that and a Paul Thompson power play backhand goal shortly after the Bruins' surge.

"We had a lot of major defensive breakdowns and let our goalie out to dry," defenseman and team captain Joey Mormina said. "For us to win this series we have to be a lot better defensively."

Another scare for the Penguins took place at the tail end of the 2nd period as a knee-on-knee hit between Garnet Exelby and Chad Kolarik sent Kolarik sprawling to the ice and he skated off without putting pressure on his right leg. Kolarik returned for the third period.

The game was still in reach at 5-3 heading into the third period before Craig Cunningham's 2nd of the postseason pushed the Bruins' lead back to three. Just when you thought the scoring was capped at nine total goals between the two teams, another scoring surge of four goals - this one in just 2:57 - made the game once again very interesting. Not that there needed to be any more interest sparked.

Chris Collins tipped in a Jayson Megna shot on the power play to make it a 6-4 WBS deficit and a weird bounce off the corner boards 48 seconds later gave Thompson his second goal of the night to make it a one goal game with 2:41 left in regulation.

On the next shift, Collins receives a pass in the high slot, gets a good shot off and is robbed by the pad of Niklas Svedberg.

"It's a seven game series," Collins said. "We were just talking on the bench to just go out there and keep playing the game the right way, invest in every shift. We got a couple good bounces and we almost tied it up there. We can take the postives from that for sure."

That would be as close as the Penguins would get as Chris Bourque came down the wing and fired a puck over Zatkoff's shoulder and off the post and in. Jamie Tardif added a late power play goal for the 8-5 final score.

"It's playoffs," Collins added. "You never know what you're going to get. Every game is different."

Game Two of the series is tomorrow night in Providence at 7:05 p.m. EDT.

ROSTER NOTES

Jeff Zatkoff got the start in net tonight for Game One. The only lineup change was Bobby Farnham in for Dominik Uher.

Lines

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

Reese-Dumoulin
Mormina-Samuelsson
McNeill-Grant

PREVIEW: Breaking Down The Matchups

Tonight, the Eastern Conference Semifinals begin for the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins up in Providence at the Dunkin Donuts Center. The puck drops at 7:05 p.m. EDT.

For all the latest coverage of breaking news and in-game updates of all the action, make sure you're following us on Twitter at @H_P_Hockey. We are also on Facebook and Instagram!

More reading to get yourself caught up on everything if you didn't read up on it already:

Alex Grant and Bobby Farnham talk about facing the Bruins

Know Your Opponent: Providence Bruins Edition

After the jump, a position-by-position breakdown and a bold prediction for round two.

Know Your Opponent: Providence Bruins

Regular Season Notes

50-21-0-5 = 105 points
1st Place Atlantic Division
1st Place Eastern Conference

Leading Scorers: Ryan Spooner (17G, 40A), Carter Camper (10G, 37A), Craig Cunningham (25G, 21A), Jamie Tardif (30G, 15A), Torey Krug (13G, 32A)

The AHL Bruins dominated their regular season schedule, winning 50 games for just the third time  and clinching the Macgregor Kilpatrick Trophy as the league's regular-season points champions for the 2012-13 season.

They are led in goal by rookie sensation Niklas Svedberg, who won the Baz Bastien Award as the league's top goaltender during the regular season, posting a record of 37-8-2, with a 2.17 GAA, .925 SV% and four shutouts.

On defense, they have a good mix of size, speed, youth and experience. They are led offensively by rookie Torey Krug. They have a solid veteran in Garnet Exelby as well. Go figure they're paired up on the Bruins' top unit. They play a similar game to the Penguins in that they rely on their defense heavily to carry the puck up ice in a hurry.

Up front, the Bruins have a bunch of familiar faces to Penguins fans and none will be more apparent than former Hershey Bears forward Chris Bourque. Bourque is one among a few former Bears forwards on the Bruins, Graham Mink and Christian Hanson being the others. Again, a well balanced forward core that has promising young talent like Ryan Spooner and well-known veterans like Trent Whitfield.

Which Bruins team will the Penguins get in this series? The team that allowed the 8th seeded Hershey Bears to put on a clinic and push them to the brink? Or the team that buckled down and won three straight to get to this point? Will the loss of defenseman Matt Bartkowski to the NHL make a big difference? Will rookie netminder Niklas Svedberg handle the playoff pressure and play consistent enough? Lots of questions surrounding the Bruins to think about as this series progresses.

Breakdowns of the two teams in a position-by-position format in tomorrow's Game One Preview. The series starts tomorrow night. Buckle up.

WBS Pens Thursday Practice Update: Round 2 - Penguins Rhode Island Bound

The Penguins held one last practice this morning at Coal Street, before getting the bus packed and boarded. They're in route to Providence, Rhode Island for the Eastern Conference Semifinals, which begin Friday night at the Dunkin Donuts Center. The 5th seeded Penguins take on the top seeded Providence Bruins in a best-of-seven series.

For all the latest in-game coverage and breaking news, follow @H_P_Hockey on Twitter. Highland Park Hockey is also on Facebook and Instagram!

Check back tonight for a closer look at the opponent for round two: The Providence Bruins.

After the jump, some thoughts from defenseman Alex Grant and forward Bobby Farnham on the challenge that awaits them, the 2nd round series with the Bruins and a look at the expected lineup for the Penguins.

Penguins Prospect Profile: Riley Holzapfel - What A Difference A Year Makes

Photo courtesy of Amy's WBS Picture Page

More often than not in the career of a hockey player, it is not the team that drafts him that relishes in the glory when he proves his worth. Sometimes a guy just doesn't fit in the system of the organization he is drafted into or is never given a legitimate chance to prove himself.

That is what trades are for. To give guys a second chance and with hopefully a better opportunity. There is no better example of this than in the case of then St. John's/Syracuse forward and current Penguins forward Riley Holzapfel.
 

#WBSPens Tuesday Practice Update

While the Penguins were practicing at Coal Street today, the league released the potential 2nd round series for both scenarios that could await the Pens in the Eastern Conference Semifinals. The Penguins will begin the 2nd round this Friday and play back-to-back games after what will be an eight day layoff.

If it's Syracuse, then both teams will be in the same boat as the Crunch haven't played since last Thursday either. If it's Providence, the Bruins will be coming off an emotional Game Five win on Wednesday and certainly have some momentum coming into the second round. I spoke to a few of the guys about that today.

"I think it's too early in the playoffs for people to be tired," Chad Kolarik said of a possible match up with Providence. "During the year, we've played more than five games in 14 days so I think they'll be alright and I think we'll be alright."

"We've had long layovers during the season and a long week of practices and then you play on Friday and Saturday, so I don't think we're worried about it and I don't think it's going to be a factor," Kolarik added. "It's playoffs, if you're not going to be up for a second round series you probably shouldn't be playing hockey."

Riley Holzapfel took a different approach to the same question.

"Whoever we get, we have to be ready no matter what," Holzapfel said. "There's no preference. Either team will be fine and we'll be ready when the time comes."

An interesting note on the top line of Holzapfel, Kolarik and Trevor Smith is that all three have played in Syracuse at one point or another in their respective careers. Especially in Holzapfel's case, playing in Syracuse after being traded from St. John's opened a lot of doors for him as he eventually landed a contract with Pittsburgh this past summer.

I also spoke to Chris Collins about the layoff and how that will affect him going forward.

"You want days off," Collins said. "Eight days is a long time for sure but tomorrow night we're going to practice in the evening and I think you just have to keep that mindset. We're going to come in rested and ready to go."

Regardless of the opponent, the Penguins will open the series with two road games this Friday (5/10) and Saturday (5/11), before returning home for at least two home games on the following Wednesday (5/15) and Friday (5/17).

If the Penguins play Syracuse, the series will shift to Syracuse for Game 5 Saturday (5/18). If it's Providence, Game 5 is in Wilkes-Barre on the same day. The complete game-by-game series breakdown for both scenarios as well as some practice notes after the jump. 

WBS Penguins Sunday Practice Update

The Penguins held a Sunday morning practice earlier today at the Mohegan Sun Arena.  It's hard to tell from the photo above but goaltender Jeff Zatkoff practiced in full today and from what I gathered from the team, they're labeling Zatkoff's absence from Thursday's Game Three as a "sickness". It appears as though there aren't any injury concerns with Zatkoff.

"Back to normal," head coach John Hynes said on Zatkoff. "It was minor but is was enough where we felt it wasn't best to play him."

The team as a whole has been about as healthy as it has all season. Only forwards Phil Dupuis and Tom Kuhnhackl are out of the lineup, and both have been out since the winter months of the season.

The Penguins still don't know their opponent for the second round, as the Providence Bruins staved off elimination in Hershey last night. Game Four of that series goes down today.

If the Bears win, the Penguins will face the Syracuse Crunch in round two.

If the Bruins win, that series goes to a Game Five on Wednesday night. If the Bruins complete the comeback, the Penguins will travel to Providence and take on the Bruins in the second round.

I spoke to coach about the East Divsion, which could see three teams in the conference semifinals later this week.

"It's a great division," Hynes said. "Every year coming in you know that it's going to be a real tough battle within our division."

The past nine Eastern Conference champions have come from the East Division. Six of those of nine have went on to win the Calder Cup. There's no questioning the talent-level and depth of the teams in the East Division. It's still very possible that the road to the Calder Cup for the Penguins could go through every team in the division that made the playoffs.

The Penguins are scheduled to have another practice tomorrow morning at Coal Street, so expect the next form of an update to come sometime tomorrow afternoon.

Penguins Left Weighing The Possibilities

The Penguins finished off the Senators last night and have advanced to the 2nd round. While their opponent for round two isn't 100% clear, the Pens get some time in between series' to recoop the body and get on the same page heading into their Eastern Conference Semifinal matchup.

Below is the list of all the possible scenarios for the Penguins' 2nd round opponent, with Syracuse being the most likely opponent in round two.

The Penguins play Syracuse if:

Providence and Manchester advance

                  -OR-

Hershey and Springfield advance

The Penguins can play Providence but only if the Bruins can overcome their 2-0 series deficit to the Hershey Bears, while Springfield holds on over Manchester.

The only way the Penguins can play Manchester in the 2nd round is if the Monarchs turn the series around on Springfield and the Bears finish the Bruins.

With Syracuse also advancing to round two, the Penguins cannot match up against 8th seed Hershey or 2nd seed Springfield in the second round. Both of the Eastern Conference Quarterfinal Series can end this weekend on either Saturday or Sunday night, which would push the 2nd round to starting on probably Tuesday or Wednesday. If the Hershey/Providence series goes the distance, the second round could be on hold until next weekend.

Nothing is set in stone yet, and the next practice update probably won't come until Sunday. I might have something in the works to post this weekend in the meantime so be sure to check back for that.

Penguins Sweep Senators, Advance to Second Round

Heading into the third period, the Penguins trailed the Senators for the first time this series. The score was 1-0 and while the Pens might have been trailing, they had controlled most of the play after the first period.

"They took it to us in the first. We knew we had to rebound," Jayson Megna said.

A break up by Megna on the penalty kill about seven minutes into the third period sent him and Zach Sill on a 2-on-1 rush. Megna lifted a saucer pass towards the net and Sill extended and got a stick on it, tipping it past Nathan Lawson to tie the game at 1-1 with 12:28 left in regulation. 

"I was just driving to the net hard," Sill said. "It was pure excitement and emotion."

It wasn't until Pat Cannone tripped up Trevor Smith with 2:46 left, however, that the Penguins power play took advantage and delivered the punishing blow to advance them to the second round.

Eastern Conference Quarterfinal Series Game Three Preview: Pens vs. BSens

Tonight, the series shifts home as the Penguins host the Binghamton Senators in Game Three, leading the best-of-five series 2-0 and looking to advance to the second round. Puck drop is scheduled for 7:05 p.m. EDT.

Sunday night in Game Two, the Penguins scored a timely goal with 1.6 seconds left in 2nd period to take a 3-1 lead. Much like in Game One, The BSens battled back in the third but were only able to come within one goal, dropping the game 3-2 and putting their season on the ropes.

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

Here's some thoughts I gathered at practice this week from some of the guys on the team about their mindset heading into tonight's game.

Brian Dumoulin:

"We're level-headed. We need to stick to what we do and just focus on ourselves."

Philip Samuelsson:

"When you're trying to end someone's season, you know they're not going to just give it to you. We're not going to sit back. We are going to go out and really attack the game."

Chad Kolarik stating the series isn't over yet:

"They've played really well both games, we've just been lucky enough to come out on top" Kolarik said. "The series is a lot closer than the 2-0 suggests. "I think the start is huge in our building," Kolarik added. "Get our crowd into and see what happens."

Brian Gibbons spoke about finishing the BSens and not allowing them to get any momentum:

"I think when you get a chance to close a team out, you want to close them out," Gibbons said. "If they get one game then they build off that momentum, kind of like Hershey did last year. We definitely don't want to put ourselves in that situation."

Warren Peters' words of wisdom:

"Stay with it, just keep the nose to the grindstone. They're going to be a desperate hockey club and that's what we expect. We don't expect the level of the games to be any different than they have been."

Expected starters in net and lineups after the jump.

Wednesday's WBS Penguins Practice Update

The Penguins held one last practice in preparation for tomorrow night's Game Three of the Eastern Conference Quarterfinal series against Binghamton. They lead the best-of-five series 2-0 and with a win tomorrow, they could advance to the 2nd round.

But like Chad Kolarik said after practice, the series is far from over.