Penguins Put Senators On The Brink With Game Three Overtime Win

Chuck Kobasew deflected Conor Sheary's shot to give Penguins a 2-1 series lead. Photo credit: @ItsJacki.

For the third time in as many games in the best-of-five series, 60 minutes was not enough for the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins and Binghamton Senators. For the second time this series, the Penguins prevailed in overtime.

Andrew Ebbett got a puck over to Conor Sheary - appearing in his first career AHL playoff game - and Sheary let go a shot that changed directions and squeaked past BSens netminder Andrew Hammond to send those at the Mohegan Sun Arena at Casey Plaza into a frenzy.

Chuck Kobasew got credit for the deflection and the game-winning goal, but it was the work by Sheary to give himself space high up in the offensive zone between the face-off circles that made it happen. The former UMass forward had a hell of a playoff debut and will get more ice time moving forward to Friday night's Game Four.

Sheary found himself on the Penguins' top line in overtime due to the fact the Anton Zlobin left the game 5:46 into the first period after a very questionable hit from behind by BSens captain Mark Borowiecki. Borowiecki was only assessed a minor for boarding, but it wouldn't be surprising to see the Penguins seeking supplemental discipline for the hit that knocked Zlobin out of the game.

The 3-2 win by the Penguins gives them a 2-1 lead in the best-of-five series and a chance to advance to the second round with a win in Game Four at home on Friday night.

News & Notes Heading Into Game Three - Penguins vs. Senators (Series Tied 1-1)

Spencer Machacek will be the veteran scratch for Game Three tonight after Nick Drazenovic sat out at the veteran scratch in Game Two.

The Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins and Binghamton Senators are gearing up for a crucial Game Three in their first round best-of-five series, which saw each team win an overtime game in the two games played in Binghamton.

Now the series shifts to Pennsylvania for Games 3 and 4 tonight and Friday night, with the result of tonight's match up at the Mohegan Sun Arena putting one team on the brink of elimination.

You can follow all of tonight's action LIVE with in-game updates on Twitter at @H_P_Hockey!

Puck drops at 7:05 p.m. ET.

Senators Even Series With Penguins In Game Two Overtime Win

Both games in the series have needed overtime to decide the winner. Photo credit: @ItsJacki.

The Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins had a chance to put a stranglehold on the Binghamton Senators and put them on the brink of elimination tonight. Instead, they head back to Wilkes-Barre in a 1-1 tie after two games of the best-of-five series.

The Pens held the dreaded 3-1 lead late into the second period, and a late power play goal and an early 3rd period goal by the BSens sent the game to overtime. 

The Pens had several chances to win it in the overtime, but credit Andrew Hammond with several sprawling saves. Stephane Da Costa, who made it a 3-2 game late in the 2nd period, played hero tonight for the BSens. He kept a puck in at the blue line, skated to the faceoff dot and sniped one high to the short side to send the home crowd at Broome County Veterans Memorial Arena into a frenzy.

The best-of-five series now shifts to the Mohegan Sun Arena as the Pens will host the BSens in Game Three Wednesday night.

Saturday's Morning Skate - Playoff Edition 4/26

It's that time of year again. The 2014 Calder Cup Playoffs got underway on Wednesday night and through the first nine games of the AHL's postseason, an incredible six of the nine games needed overtime to decide a winner.

Eastern Conference Playoff Action

Wilkes-Barre/Scranton - 3, Binghamton - 2 OT 

After three waived off goals with the score tied 2-2, including a Binghamton goal in overtime, Anton Zlobin played the role of hero in overtime for the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins.

Andrew Ebbett lost a face-off at the WBS blue line, but Chuck Kobasew forced BSens defenseman Mark Boroweicki to send an errant pass to the WBS offensive blue line where Kobasew and Zlobin teamed up for the game winner.

Kobasew set a screen on BSens defenseman Patrick Mullen and let Zlobin weave his way into the slot and fire a shot past Andrew Hammond to give the Penguins a 3-2 win and a 1-0 lead in the best-of-five series.

The Penguins and Senators are back at it in Game Two tonight in Binghamton.

Manchester - 2, Norfolk - 0

In Manchester, the Monarchs held onto a one goal lead until 1:20 left in the third period before adding an insurance marker to preserve the 2-0 win in Game One. 

Sean Backman and Zach O'Brien tallied goals in the win for the Monarchs. Goaltender Jean-Francois Berube registered a 30-save shutout for his first career AHL playoff win.

Pittsburgh native John Gibson stopped 24 of the 26 shots he faced in the loss for Norfolk, who is dearly missing the likes of Emerson Etem, Devante Smith-Pelly and Rikard Rakell. 

Jaycob Megna, brother of Penguins forward Jayson Megna, is a defenseman on Norfolk. Jaycob, a 6-5 218 pound blue liner, appeared in two AHL games at the end of the regular season but has yet to make his AHL playoff debut.

Providence - 2, Springfield - 1 OT 

In Springfield, 60 minutes wasn't enough again in Game Two but this time it was Bruins coming out on top courtesy a Matt Fraser goal 3:54 into the first overtime.

The Falcons fell behind 1-0 in the first period after Blake Parlett opened the scoring for the PBruins before tying it up in the 2nd on Michael Chaput's first playoff tally of the postseason. 

Ex-Penguin Joe Morrow had a game-high five shots for the PBruins. Ex-WBS forward Paul Thompson got into a first period fight with Providence's Chris Casto. 

Both games in the series have gone to overtime and the series is tied 1-1 heading back to Providence for Game Three tonight. 

St. John's - 2, Albany - 1

In another game that looked like it was heading to overtime, IceCaps defenseman Ben Chiarot scored his first career AHL playoff goal with 24 seconds left in the third period to give the IceCaps the win in Game One.

The IceCaps took a 1-0 lead early in the first period courtesy of Eric O'Dell, but the Devils evened things up with an early 2nd period power play goal from Joe Whitney before Chiarot's heroics in the waning moments of the third gave the IceCaps a 1-0 series lead.

Game Two of the series is tonight in Albany at 7:00 p.m. ET 

Western Conference Playoff Scores

Chicago - 4, Rochester - 3 OT = Chicago leads series 1-0

Toronto - 6, Milwaukee - 2 = Toronto leads series 1-0

Grand Rapids - 2, Abbotsford - 1 2OT = Grand Rapids leads series 1-0

Zlobin And The Penguins Take Game One in Overtime

Anton Zlobin was the hero tonight. Photo credit: @ItsJacki.

After three waived off goals with the score tied 2-2, including a Binghamton goal in overtime, Anton Zlobin played the role of hero in overtime for the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins.

Andrew Ebbett lost a face-off at the WBS blue line, but Chuck Kobasew forced BSens defenseman Mark Boroweicki to send an errant pass to the WBS offensive blue line where Kobasew and Zlobin teamed up for the game winner.

Kobasew set a screen on BSens defenseman Patrick Mullen and let Zlobin weave his way into the slot and fire a shot past Andrew Hammond to give the Penguins a 3-2 win and a 1-0 lead in the best-of-five series.

The Penguins and Senators are back at it in Game Two tomorrow night in Binghamton.

ECQF Series Preview: #WBSPens vs. #BSens

The Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins begin their quest for the 2014 Calder Cup Friday night with Game One of the Eastern Conference Quarterfinals against division rival Binghamton Senators. 

The Penguins swept the Senators in the first round of last year's playoffs and the BSens are looking to repay the favor this year. These two teams have built quite a rivalry in the past two seasons and I'm sure this playoff series meeting will only add more fuel to the fire.

I'll be live from Binghamton this weekend for Games 1 and 2 with all the latest in-game updates and post game recaps/analysis right here at Highland Park Hockey - The Town & Country Gazette's source for daily American Hockey League coverage. 

You can also follow along on Twitter: @H_P_Hockey.

Eastern Conference Quarterfinals Schedule

Friday 4/25 - Game 1: Penguins @ Binghamton at 7:05 p.m. ET

Saturday 4/26 - Game 2: Penguins @ Binghamton at 7:05 p.m. ET

Wednesday 4/30 - Game 3: Binghamton @ Penguins at 7:05 p.m. ET 

Friday 5/2 - *Game 4: Binghamton @ Penguins at 7:05 p.m. ET 

Monday 5/5 - *Game 5: Penguins @ Binghamton at 7:05 p.m. ET 

* = if necessary

KNOW YOUR OPPONENT - Binghamton Senators

Regular Season Stats

BSens: 44-24-3-5, 96 points, First Place East Division

Season series: BSens went 5-3-0-0 vs WBS in regular season.

A position-by-position breakdown of both teams and I offer my prediction for the series after the jump.

Matchup Set: #WBSPens Meet Binghamton in First Round of AHL Playoffs

With Albany's 5-2 win over Springfield and Providence's loss to Worcester, the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins finish with the 6th seed and will face East Division rival Binghamton Senators in the Eastern Conference Quarterfinals of the 2014 Calder Cup Playoffs.

The Penguins won't have home ice advantage in the first round of the AHL playoffs, a best-of-five-series, but they avoided a long trip to Newfoundland for at least the first round and get to play arguably their biggest rival this season in the Senators.

Eastern Conference Quarterfinals Schedule

Friday 4/25 - Game 1: Penguins @ Binghamton at 7:00 p.m. ET
Saturday 4/26 - Game 2: Penguins @ Binghamton at 7:00 p.m. ET
Wednesday 4/30 - Game 3: Binghamton @ Penguins
Friday 5/2 - *Game 4: Binghamton @ Penguins
Monday 5/5 - *Game 5: Penguins @ Binghamton

* = if necessary

KNOW YOUR OPPONENT - Binghamton Senators

Regular Season Stats

BSens: 44-24-3-5, 96 points, First Place East Division

Season series: BSens went 5-3-0-0 vs WBS in regular season.

Leading Scorers: Stephane Da Costa (18G-40A), Cole Schneider (20G-34A), Chris Wideman (9G-42A)

Goalies: Andrew Hammond (25-19-3, 2.81 GAA, .910 SV%, 1 SO) and Nathan Lawson (15-8-1, 3.05 GAA, .908 SV%, 0 SO)

Eastern Conference Match Ups

1 - Manchester vs. 8 - Norfolk
2 - Springfield vs. 7 - Providence
3 - Binghamton vs. 6 - PENGUINS
4 - St. John's vs. 5 - Albany

Penguins Close Out Regular Season With Shutout Loss To Utica

Don't read too much into the final score, as this was nearly an exhibition game for the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins in their regular season finale with only playoff seeding on the line.

In a game that didn't mean too much for the Penguins, the Pens played a heavily ATO-based lineup and lose to Utica in regulation 2-0. The Penguins regulation loss means they don't face St. John's in the first round.

I'll have a separate post on the Penguins first round playoff opponent up shortly once the Providence/Worcester game goes final. A PBruins loss (they trail 2-0 late in third period) would set the Penguins up with East Division rival Binghamton in the first round. If the PBruins make an epic comeback and win, the Penguins play Springfield in the first round.

Goaltender Matt Murray got the start in net for the Penguins and looked pretty solid in his pro debut, stopping 22/24 in the loss. Hard to blame Murray on either goal - a point shot that through traffic that eluded him in the first and a point blank rebound power play goal after Murray made the initial two saves.

Forwards Jean-Sebastien Dea and Scott Wilson both made their pro debuts, while Bryan Rust and Conor Sheary also looked good in their respective 2nd pro games.

Peter Andersson got the Comets on the board after his point shot beat a screened Murray 7:18 into the contest.

From there it was a bit of a goaltenders duel between Murray and Eriksson, as both goaltenders made several great saves to keep it a 1-0 game through 40 minutes.

Pelletier put the Comets ahead 2-0 early in the third on a power play to cap the scoring. Joacim Eriksson tallied a 27-save shutout.


ROSTER NOTES

Matt Murray got the start in net, making his pro debut.

Scott Wilson and Jean-Sebastien Dea also made their pro debuts up front for the Penguins, who dressed a ATO-heavy lineup and gave the regulars a night off.

Lines

Conner - Rowney - Machacek
Zlobin - Payerl - Sheary
Rust - Sill - Wilson
Uher - Dea - Archibald

Dumoulin - Despres
Harrington - Goers
D'Agostino - Ruopp

Healthy scratches for WBS: Brendan Mikkelson, Harry Zolnierczyk, Nick Drazenovic, Chuck Kobasew, Clark SeymourMike Carman, Bobby Farnham, Andrew Ebbett, Tom Kostopoulos, Pierre-Luc Leblond and Matia Marcantuoni.

WBS Injured List: Reid McNeill (lower body) and Philip Samuelsson (lower body).

Saturday's Morning Skate 4/19

Eastern Conference Playoff Outlook 

The top four seeds are set, with Manchester, Springfield, Binghamton and St. John's leading the way in that order from first to fourth. The Penguins are currently in fifth place with 92 points. Both Albany and Providence trail the Pens by one point in sixth and seventh, respectively. Norfolk is two back of the Penguins in 8th place, but can only finish as high as sixth in the conference as the Penguins own the first tiebreaker, regulation/overtime wins.

For the Penguins, it's simple. A point of any kind today will guarantee the Pens the 5th seed and a date with the St. John's IceCaps regardless of what Albany and Providence do in their respective games.

If the Penguins lose in regulation, they can be passed by either of those two teams if they win their game. The AHL website's daily playoff primer has an extensive chart with every possible scenario but to simplify it here:

Any point by Pens against Utica OR if both Albany/Providence lose in any way (regulation/OT/SO), Pens finish 5th and face St. John's in the first round.

If Pens lose in regulation to Utica AND one of Albany/Providence win their season finale tonight, Pens finish 6th and meet Binghamton in the first round.

If Pens lose in regulation and BOTH Albany and Providence win, Pens finish 7th and take on Springfield in the first round.

For those unfamiliar with the AHL playoffs, the first round Conference Quarterfinals in the AHL is a best-of-five series.

Eastern Conference Standings

*1. Manchester - 105 points, 0 games left
*2. Springfield - 100 points, 1 game left
*3. Binghamton - 94 points, 1 game left
4. St. John's - 97 points, 1 game left
5. PENGUINS - 92 points, 1 game left
6. Albany - 91 points, 1 game left
7. Providence - 91 points, 1 game left
8. Norfolk - 90 points, 1 game left

The East Division was settled last night as the Binghamton Senators held off a late flurry by the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins to claim the East Division title. In fact, with Norfolk's win over Hershey, eight teams in the Eastern Conference have earned a berth in the 2014 Calder Cup Playoffs.

Friday Night Around The East Division

Binghamton - 5, Wilkes-Barre/Scranton - 4 

The BSens clinched the East Division with a win much more dominant than the final score shows. The home team jumped out to a 5-0 lead in the second period, much thanks to Jean-Gabriel Pageau's pair of goals early in the middle fame, but the never-say-die Penguins made a game of it in the third.

After a pair of late second period goals by Adam Payerl and Bobby Farnham gave the Pens some life, the duo of Andrew Ebbett and Chuck Kobasew dominated the third period. Ebbett and Kobasew set each other up for a goal apiece and Kobasaew's 11th goal in 12 AHL games with 2:36 left made it a one-goal game.

The Pens outshot the BSens by a 26-7 count in the final twenty minutes but credit goaltender Andrew Hammond for some key saves in the waning moments to preserve the win.

Norfolk - 3, Hershey - 1

In southern Virignia, the Admirals knocked the Bears out of the postseason with a regulation win. 

Tyson Strachan brought Hershey even at 1-1 in the first period, but goals by former Bears forward David Steckel in the 2nd period and Max Friberg late in the third period proved too much for Hershey, who rarely misses the postseason but will not compete for the Calder Cup this year.

Rochester - 5, Syracuse - 1

In Rochester, the Americans handled the Crunch after jumping out to a 3-0 lead in the first period. Andrey Makarov stopped 22 of 23 shots for the Amerks, who got goals from five from different players.

Jonathan Marchessault got the Crunch on the board early in the third period, but the four-goal deficit was too much to overcome in the final frame. One season after reaching the Calder Cup Finals, the Crunch will have an early summer after a rough year riddled with injuries and call ups, among other things.

East Division Standings (Conference Position)

1. Binghamton (3rd) - 94 points, 1 game remaining

2. PENGUINS (5th) - 92 points, 1 game remaining

3. Norfolk (8th) - 90 points, 1 game remaining

4. Hershey (9th) - 86 points, 1 game remaining

5. Syracuse (12th) - 73 points, 1 game remaining

Penguins Rally Falls Short, BSens Win East Division Title

The Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins nearly did the impossible tonight, coming back in a game they trailed 5-0 at one point, but ultimately come up short in a 5-4 loss to the Binghamton Senators. With the regulation win, the BSens have won the East Division and leave the Penguins with either the 5th, 6th or 7th seed pending the outcome of tomorrow night's games.

The Penguins can clinch the 5th seed tomorrow with a point of any kind in Utica against the Comets. With Providence winning in overtime tonight, they can still catch the Penguins in standings as can Albany. Both the Bruins and Devils trail the Penguins by one point with all three teams having one game left on the regular season schedule tomorrow night.

The eight playoff teams in the Eastern Conference are decided, as Norfolk eliminated Hershey with a 3-1 win tonight, but only the top four seeds are set as Manchester, Springfield, Binghamton and St. John's have the top four spots in that order.

The Penguins only possible first round opponents are now Springfield, Binghamton or St. John's.

Quick recap after the jump.

Penguins Battle Senators For East Division Title

Simon Despres looks to bolster the Penguins blue-line this weekend.

The Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins finish the 2013-14 regular season with a pair of road games, starting with tonight's showdown in Binghamton against the Senators at 7:05 p.m. ET.

With two games left for both teams and currently tied in the standings with 92 points each, the winner of tonight's Pens/BSens game will control their own destiny in terms of winning the East Division and the 3 seed in the Eastern Conference.

A BSens regulation win clinches them the division tonight and although the Pens can't clinch the division with a regulation win of their own tonight (BSens hold the tiebreaker - ROW), the Pens would need just one point Saturday in Utica if they beat the BSens in 60 minutes tonight.

In terms of the Penguins playoff opponent for the first round, tonight will likely make things much more clear.

Currently, 1st, 2nd and 4th place in the conference have already been clinched by Manchester, Springfield and St. John's, respectively. The Penguins can't finish any lower than 7th in the East, so scratch Manchester off the list of possible first round match ups for the Pens.

A point of any kind tonight will ensure the Penguins that neither Norfolk, Albany or Providence can pass them in the standings, leaving the Penguins left with either a division title and the 3rd seed or the 5th seed and a trip to Newfoundland to start the first round to take on the IceCaps in a best-of-five conference quarterfinal.

A look at all the news and notes this week leading up to tonight's game after the jump.

Three Goal Third Leads Toronto Past Penguins

Through two periods of play, it looked like the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins were well on their way to clean sweep of the three-game weekend.

They led the Toronto Marlies 2-0 on a first period power play goal from Adam Payerl 3:06 into the game and an early 2nd period goal from team captain Tom Kostopoulos, and held the Marlies to just eight total shots through the first 40 minutes. However it was the Marlies, led by defenseman T.J. Brennan, who rallied with three goals in the final 11:07.

Greg McKegg got the Marlies on the board with a power play goal and the Marlies got goals on back-to-back shifts as Brennan let loose a shot that eluded goaltender Tomas Vokoun 39 seconds later to even the score at 2-2 midway through the final frame.

After a Penguins timeout, the Marlies continued to press the Penguins - out shooting the Pens 13-5 in the 3rd - and were rewarded with a last minute goal from Kenny Ryan with 26.6 seconds left in regulation to steal the 3-2 regulation win.

The Penguins finish the regular season with two road games, featuring a big game Friday night in Binghamton in what could clinch the East Division crown for the winner. The Pens finish the regular season Saturday night in Utica against a Comets team that is four points out of the playoffs in the West.

ROSTER NOTES

Zach Sill returned to the WBS lineup for his first game since January 25th, centering the 4th line and playing on the PK as usual. He even got in a fight late in the second period with Toronto's Jamie DeVane. Sill replaced Mike Carman in the lineup.

Matia Marcantuoni made his pro debut, replacing Josh Archibald up front for the Penguins.

No changes were made on defense, with Philip Samuelsson (lower body) and Brian Dumoulin (upper body - "day-to-day") both out of the lineup.

Tomas Vokoun made his second of two starts on his conditioning stint with the AHL Penguins and stopped 18-of-21 shots in the loss, though none of the three goals allowed were justifiably Vokoun's fault.

A look at the division action and East Division scenarios for the Pens and BSens after the jump.

Penguins Defeat BSens, Clinch Playoff Spot For 12th Straight Season

With three games left in the regular season, the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins can begin to focus on fine-tuning their game and solidifying their playoff position after a 2-1 win over Binghamton clinched the Penguins a spot in the 2014 Calder Cup Playoffs.

It's the 12th straight season the Penguins have qualified for the AHL's postseason, tied for the longest active streak with the Western Conference's Milwaukee Admirals who clinched a playoff spot earlier this week.

Tonight's win also moved the Penguins into sole possession of first place in the East Division, two points ahead of Binghamton though the BSens have a game-in-hand on the Penguins which they will make up when they face the Toronto Marlies on Wednesday.

The Penguins finish the weekend with a Sunday afternoon tilt against those same Toronto Marlies tomorrow at 4:00 p.m. ET. Tomas Vokoun gets the start for the Penguins against the Marlies.

Saturday's Morning Skate 4/12

The East Division had plenty of excitement last night, as all three of last night's games in the division needed overtime to find a winner.

Wins by the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins and Binghamton Senators have narrowed their magic number to clinch a playoff spot to one point. The two teams are tied for first place in the division and meet tonight in one of two more meetings between the teams before the regular season ends next weekend.

The Hershey Bears and Norfolk Admirals, meanwhile, are fighting for their respective playoff lives with a pair of games between the two teams coming up next week in the last week of the season, starting Wednesday.

Whoever was involved in the making of the AHL schedule this year for these match ups between division rivals chasing each other in the Eastern Conference playoff race deserves a raise.

Penguins Inch Closer to Playoffs with Shootout Victory, Vokoun Strong In Return Between The Pipes

In Syracuse, the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins squeezed past the Crunch 3-2 in a shootout behind a strong performance from goaltender Tomas Vokoun, playing in his first game in over 10 months after the discovery of blood clots removed Vokoun from stopping pucks on the ice.

Vokoun played well in his first game back, stopping all four shooters he faced in the shootout while making 23 saves on 25 shots in 65:00 of work to pick up the win. A sneaky shot from Vladislav Namestnikov and a slap-pass redirect from Jon DiSalvatore - both on the power play - were the only pucks that got past Vokoun tonight. An all-around solid performance for the NHL veteran netminder.

Anton Zlobin and Spencer Machacek scored shootout goals for the Penguins in the win, which should move their magic number to clinch a playoff spot down to one point after both Hershey and Norfolk lost in overtime in their respective games to Binghamton and Providence.

Chuck Kobasew was doing what he does best in the AHL and that's scoring goals. Two more tonight, bringing him to 10 goals in 11 games with the WBS Penguins this season.

One bit of bad news for the Penguins as Brian Dumoulin left the game with an apparent upper body injury after taking a big hit early in the third period behind his own net.

The Penguins return home to face the Binghamton Senators, who are tied with the Pens for first place in the East Division.

#AHL Game Preview: Tomas Vokoun Returns To The Ice With #WBSPens

The WBS Penguins are in Syracuse tonight taking on the Crunch at 7:00 p.m. ET.

With five games left in the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins regular season, the team is just four points from the franchise's 12th straight berth into the Calder Cup Playoffs. The Pens can clinch a playoff spot tonight with a win combined with regulation losses from both Hershey and Norfolk.

Tonight, the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins (WBS) take on the Syracuse Crunch (SYR) at The OnCenter for a 7:00 p.m. ET face-off. Follow all of tonight's action live on Twitter with in-game updates on @H_P_Hockey.

The Penguins (40-23-3-5) look to rebound from Sunday's 6-2 loss to Binghamton and possibly clinch a playoff spot tonight, while the Crunch (29-30-4-7) are looking to play spoiler against those who are still in the playoff race.

Check back shortly following the conclusion of the game for a recap of events right here on Highland Park Hockey: The Town & Country Gazette's source for daily AHL coverage!

East Division Expedition: Former Penguin/Admiral Alex Grant Now On Binghamton's Blueline

Ex-WBS defenseman Alex Grant has been well-traveled in the last year. Photo courtesy of Bob Howard of the Power Play Post Show (@PPPShow).

This past weekend had to be interesting for Binghamton Senators defenseman Alex Grant, who faced his former team from this season - the Norfolk Admirals - on Saturday night and turned around for a Sunday afternoon game against the team who traded him after a conference finals run in the 2013 Calder Cup Playoffs - the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins.

Things didn't go the BSens way on Saturday night in a 6-3 loss to the Admirals, but Grant and the BSens rebounded Sunday with a convincing 6-2 win over a good Penguins team.

"Personally, I don't like losing to a team that I previously played for," Grant said, adding "It's always nice to win those games, especially."

Grant had a game-high three assists for the BSens in the win over Penguins Sunday, but was quick to give credit to the guys up front.

"I've talked ever since I've been here about how skilled the forwards are and how they can put the puck in the net," Grant said. "I'm just trying to get the puck on their stick and make the simple plays."

The BSens win creates a first place tie in the East Division with the Penguins, who meet two more times before the regular season ends on April 20th.

More on Grant's journey since leaving the Penguins organization after the jump.

Riding On E, Penguins Conclude Three-Game Weekend With 6-2 Loss to Binghamton

The Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins came into this afternoon's game only surrendering four goals in their previous five games. They allowed five goals in the first 17:12 tonight and fall 6-2 to the Binghamton Senators, who with the win move into a first place tie with the Penguins in the East Division.


Eric Hartzell got the start in net for the Penguins but struggled early, allowing five goals on 15 shots in the first period. Hartzell stayed in the game and finished with 21 saves on 27 shots. Spencer Machacek scored both goals for the Penguins tonight, but it was Binghamton's Matt Puempel who stole the show with his two-goal performance.

The Penguins next game is Friday night in Syracuse - the beginning of another three games in three nights weekend.

Ground Control To Major Tom - OT Victory Vaults Penguins Atop East Division

In a defensively minded game between the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins and Albany Devils on Tom Kostopoulos bobble head night, it was the Penguins captain setting up his team with 1-0 overtime victory after 61:02 of scoreless hockey.

It was the kind of play that has made Kostopoulos synonymous with Penguins hockey and a big reason why fans in northeastern Pennsylvania have grown to idolize the Ontario native. Kostopoulos forced a Devils defensive zone turnover as a lone forechecker and zipped a pass to a wide open Nick Drazenovic in the slot.

Devils goaltender Keith Kinkaid made the initial stop on Drazenovic's one-time blast, but Drazenovic followed up his shot and his rebound attempt on the backhand just eluded Kinkaid to lift the near-sellout crowd at the Mohegan Sun Arena at Casey Plaza into a frenzy.

Peter Mannino stopped all 25 shots he faced as March's goalie of the month has earned back-to-back shutouts in the first two games of the weekend. Mannino's latest shutout streak is now at 136:05.

The Penguins win, combined with Binghamton's 6-3 loss to Norfolk, moves the Pens into sole possession of first place in the East Division heading into Sunday afternoon's showdown between the Pens and BSens.

Saturday's Morning Skate 4/5

Things are beginning to become more clear in the East Division as the final three weeks of the 2013-14 season conclude.

In a battle for first place, the recently surging Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins are making a push for the division lead, currently tied with the Binghamton Senators entering Saturday's games. The Norfolk Admirals and Hershey Bears are in a battle on a whole different level, as the two teams are fighting for their playoff lives in 8th and 9th place in the conference, respectively.

East Division Standings (Conference Position)

1. Binghamton (3rd) - 86 points, 8 games remaining

2. PENGUINS (5th) - 86 points, 7 games remaining

3. Norfolk (8th) - 79 points, 8 games remaining

4. Hershey (9th) - 78 points, 8 games remaining

5. Syracuse (12th) - 67 points, 7 games remaining

Friday Night Around East Division

Wilkes-Barre/Scranton - 3, Bridgeport - 0

The Penguins took advantage of an under-manned and out-gunned Bridgeport team, shutting out the Sound Tigers 3-0 and moving into a tie with Binghamton for first place in the East Division.

The Penguins best continued to lead the way tonight. Chuck Kobasew scored his 8th goal in 8 AHL games and Peter Mannino stopped all 17 shots he faced for his third shutout of the season. The Penguins host Albany tomorrow night before an East Division showdown in Binghamton against the Senators on Sunday afternoon.

Norfolk - 2, Adirondack - 1 SO

In a goaltender's duel between Norfolk's John Gibson and Adirondack's Cal Heeter, the Admirals needed a game-tying third period goal from rookie Matt Bailey (his first AHL goal) and a successful shootout attempt from Andre Petersson to sneak past the Phantoms and keep pace in the Eastern Conference 's playoff race.

Norfolk travels to Binghamton to take on the Senators, while the Phantoms remain home to face off against the Bridgeport Sound Tigers tonight at 7:00 ET.

Rochester - 4, Binghamton - 3

The Americans went ahead on a third period goal from captain Kevin Porter and Andrey Makarov stopped all 23 third period shots he faced to preserve the much-needed win for Rochester, who are on the outside looking in in the Western Conference's playoff picture.

Derek Grant led the way offensively with a pair of second period goals for the BSens, who begin the first of two East Division grudge matches tonight at home against Norfolk. Rochester heads to Toronto for a 3:00 p.m. ET face-off with the North Division rival Toronto Marlies.

Syracuse - 2, Albany - 1

The Devils jumped out to a 1-0 lead on a power play goal from Harri Pesonen midway through the 2nd period, but it was the Crunch who came away with the two points Friday night. 

Cedric Paquette tied the game at 1-1 in the waning moments of the middle frame and Evan Rankin put the Crunch ahead 8:21 into the 3rd. Kirsters Gudlevskis stopped 16 of 17 Devils' shots for his 17th win of the season.

Syracuse hosts Utica tonight while Albany travels to Pennsylvania to take on the red-hot Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins at 7:05 p.m. ET.

Other Eastern Conference Scores

Springfield - 8, St. John's - 7 OT

Hartford - 2, Manchester - 0

Providence - 3, Worcester - 2 SO

Saturday's Schedule (Eastern Conference)

Portland @ Manchester at 3:00 p.m. ET 

Springfield @ St. John's at 6:00 p.m. ET 

Bridgeport @ Adirondack at 7:00 p.m. ET 

Providence @ Hartford at 7:00 p.m. ET 

Utica @ Syracuse at 7:00 p.m. ET 

Hershey @ Worcester at 7:00 p.m. ET 

Norfolk @ Binghamton at 7:05 p.m. ET 

Albany @ Wilkes-Barre/Scranton at 7:05 p.m. ET 

Mannino, King Kobasew Lead Penguins Past Bridgeport

The Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins took advantage of an under-manned and out-gunned Bridgeport team tonight, shutting out the Sound Tigers 3-0 and moving into a tie with Binghamton for first place in the East Division.

The Penguins best continued to lead the way tonight. Chuck Kobasew scored his 8th goal in 8 AHL games and Peter Mannino stopped all 17 shots he faced for his third shutout of the season. The Penguins host Albany tomorrow night before an East Division showdown in Binghamton against the Senators on Sunday afternoon.

PREVIEW: Big Weekend Could Be Telling of #WBSPens Path to Playoffs

The lower body injury to Philip Samuelsson ends his 2013-14 regular season.

With eight games remaining in the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins 2013-14 regular season, every game becomes increasingly more important as the team inches closer to their 12th consecutive year in the American Hockey League's (AHL) postseason.

Heading into the weekend, the Penguins are in 5th place in the Eastern Conference, just two points behind East Division leading Binghamton Senators for 3rd in the conference. The Pens' magic number to earn a berth into the 2014 Calder Cup Playoffs is 10 points.

The Penguins begin a three-game weekend tonight at home with a 7:05 p.m. ET face-off against the Bridgeport Sound Tigers. The Pens remain home for a battle with 6th place Albany Devils Saturday night before traveling to Binghamton for an East Division showdown with the BSens on Sunday afternoon.

East Division Standings (Entering Friday's Games)

1. Binghamton (BNG) - 86 points, 9 games remaining
2. PENGUINS (WBS) - 84 points, 8 games remaining
3. Hershey (HER) - 78 points, 8 games remaining
4. Norfolk (NOR) - 77 points, 9 games remaining
5. Syracuse (SYR) - 65 points, 8 games remaining

Eastern Conference: *1. MCH-94, *2. SPR-92, *3. BNG-86, 4. STJ-87, 5. WBS-84, 6. ALB-82, 7. PRO-81, 8. HER-78, 9. NOR-77.

A look at this weekend's games and the latest update on the team heading into the final three weeks of the season, including Philip Samuelsson's possibly season-ending injury, Zach Sill eying a return to the WBS lineup, the veteran situation and more.