Rivalry Renewed - Phantoms Tally Six Unanswered In Bounce Back Win

Lehigh Valley ends the weekend on a high note.

Tonight in Wilkes-Barre, with their backs against the wall - down 2-0 halfway through the first period - the Lehigh Valley Phantoms huddled together on the bench during a media timeout. They had already lost five of their last six games coming into tonight's game and looked down and out after allowing a Tom Kuhnhackl power play goal 10:23 into the contest.

I'm not sure what was said on the bench during the short break, but whatever was said worked. Andrew Gordon finished off an odd-man rush less than two minutes later to get the Phantoms on the board and things took off from there. The Phantoms ended up rattling off five more unanswered goals in a big 6-2 victory that could have possibly saved their season. Only time will tell.

"Going into the third period, we said this could be the biggest period of the year," Taylor Leier mentioned post-game. "The boys really stuck together to get a win tonight. It was a good feeling."

Saturday's Morning Skate 1/31

Phantoms need a win against the Penguins tonight to stop their divisional woes.

The first weekend since the All-Star break saw all five teams in the East Division in action last night, with a pair of division matchups between Lehigh Valley and Hershey and Binghamton vs. Norfolk.

Last night in Allentown, the Phantoms dropped their fifth game in their last six outings in blowout fashion to the Hershey Bears. The team held a bit of a players-only meeting after the game.

Tonight, I'll be live from the Mohegan Sun Arena as the Phantoms look to bounce back with a win over their other rival in Pennsylvania, the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins. You can follow the latest on tonight's game right here or on Twitter (@H_P_Hockey) with live in-game updates. Check back here post-game for a recap of the action.

The Home News - keeping you covered for all of your Penguins' and Phantoms' needs. Puck drops at 7:05 p.m. EST, but I'll have full coverage starting around 6:00 ET.

East Division Standings (through 1/30's games)
1. Hershey Bears: 42GP, 24-13-4-1, 53 points
2. Wilkes-Barre/Scranton: 45GP, 24-17-1-3, 52 points
3. Lehigh Valley: 43GP, 20-18-4-1, 45 points
4. Binghamton: 42GP, 17-20-4-1, 39 points
5. Norfolk: 44GP: 17-22-3-2, 39 points

Phantoms Fall For Fifth Time in Last Six

Phantoms have been outscored a combined 9-2 in two games this weekend.

It's gut-check time for the Lehigh Valley Phantoms following a 6-1 loss to division rival Hershey tonight. The team held a bit of a players-only meeting after the game. The players' answers to the media were short post-game, but sincere.

"We're embarrassed," forward Andrew Gordon said, referencing being booed off the ice at home in back-to-back nights. "We want to win. We want to do the right things. We want to show up everyday and win, but we're not doing the things it takes to win."

Taylor Leier mirrored Gordon's response.

"We're trying," Leier said of the team's effort. "We are as good a team as anyone when we play the right way. Right now we are kind of in a rut. Every team goes through stuff like this. It does make you stronger because once you get rolling again you never want to go back to the way it was, the way it is right now."

The Phantoms have now lost five of their last six games, and have little time to sulk about it. The Phantoms look to end their three-game weekend on a high note Saturday night in Wilkes-Barre against a Penguins team that is coming in winners of four straight.

Devils Sweep Season Series With Phantoms

Phantoms need to dig deep amidst some adversity.

The Lehigh Valley Phantoms looked very much like a team that had not skated in five days in a 4-1 loss to the Albany Devils tonight. The Devils took an early lead and with the neutral zone trap-style they play (exactly the same as their NHL club in New Jersey) it's very difficult to come back from.

The Devils got goals from Joe Whitney, Mike Sislo, Ben Thomson and Brandon Burlon while Zack Stortini re-directed in a power play point shot in the third period for the Phantoms' lone goal of the night. Rob Zepp stopped 28 of the 31 shots he faced in net for the Phantoms, but was out done tonight by Scott Wedgewood (35 saves on 36 shots).

The Phantoms (20-17-4-1) are back in action tomorrow night at home versus division rival Hershey, but will continue to be without their top line center Blair Jones. In his post-game press conference, Murray said Jones (lower body - out since 1/16) will be out awhile and will miss up to seven weeks. The news is troubling for a team who dressed 11 forwards tonight and is in the bottom of the barrel when it comes to goals scored.

Post #1000 - Look How Far Things Have Come

One of the first pictures I posted here (still part of the header photo on the website). How many of those guys can you name?

I have to admit I'm pretty surprised how far Highland Park Hockey (HPH) has come since I created it back in the spring of 2011.

I was finishing up my journalism degree at Penn State and being from the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton area, I originally created HPH as a way to keep up with what the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins were doing while on a road trip in Western Canada against the Abbotsford Heat (now Adirondack Flames). I had no idea about the journey I was about to begin.

Weekly Catch Up & Links 1/27

Editor's Note: Usually this is posted on Mondays, but I was on the road in Utica at the 2015 AHL All-Star Classic.

The American Hockey League (AHL) is still on their All-Star break, with league play resuming on Thursday night.

On Sunday night, the Eastern Conference All-Stars took the Skills Competition 15-11. Manchester's Colin Miller stole the show, nabbing both the Fastest Skater and Hardest Shot Competitions. Miller's blast of 105.5 mph broke the league's record set last year by Farjestad BK's Magnus Nygren (now with the AHL's Hamilton Bulldogs).

On Monday, the Western Conference All-Stars responded by taking home the All-Star game 14-12 in what was a AHL record high for total team goals in an All-Star game. There were a total of four hat tricks in the game, three by West's Brendan Leipsic (Mikwaukee), Mark McNeill (Rockford) and Charles Hudon (Hamilton) and one by East's Shane Prince (Binghamton). Hudon and Utica Comets goaltender Jacob Markstrom (16 saves - 18 shots) took home co-MVP honors.

It was a great weekend in Utica and I was very fortunate to be credentialed by the league and get to talk to several of hockey's top prospects. I'll have plenty of player features of guys from all across the AHL on Hockey's Future in the coming weeks, so be sure to stay tuned for that.

This story is the 999th here at Highland Park Hockey - a website I created in March 2011 while finishing my journalism degree at Penn State. I have a little something written up for my 1000th post that I'll publish tomorrow.

After the jump, the state of the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins and Lehigh Valley Phantoms as well as some weekly extra reading links.

Phantoms Head Into All-Star Break With Win Over St. John's

Per Lehigh Valley Phantoms head coach Terry Murray, forward Ryan White will be recalled by the Philadelphia Flyers.

The Lehigh Valley Phantoms enter the AHL's All-Star break on a positive note after a 4-3 win over the St. John's IceCaps tonight.

Andrew Gordon scored his third goal in three games against his former team, Kevin Goumas tallied his second goal in as many nights and Martin Ouellette stopped 23 of the 26 shots he faced in the win for the Phantoms.

The big news coming out of tonight's game came after the final horn sounded. In his post-game press conference, head coach Terry Murray clarified - when asked about the possibility that Jay Rosehill would be a replacent - that forward Ryan White will be recalled by the Philadelphia Flyers.

The Phantoms are now off until Thursday night when they host the Albany Devils. With the win, they keep pace in the East Division with the Hershey Bears and Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins - who both won in overtime tonight. It's six points behind Hershey for first place and five points behind the Penguins (with three games in hand).

There's a meeting with the Pens coming next weekend after the 2015 AHL All-Star Classic this weekend in Utica, New York. After traveling to Syracuse for Friday night's game and Allentown tonight, I'm also very fortunate I'll finish the four-day road trip with two nights at one of the league's premier events.  Be sure to follow along on Twitter -> @H_P_Hockey for both nights of the 2015 AHL All-Star Classic starting Sunday night with the Skills Competition.

Full recap and the latest Lehigh Valley Phantoms roster news/notes after the jump.

Saturday's Morning Skate 1/24

Petr Straka (#24) has tallied goals in back-to-back games this week for Lehigh Valley.

It was another busy Friday night in the American Hockey League (AHL) as teams battle for playoff position heading into this weekend's All-Star break. I'm more than looking forward the 2015 AHL All-Star Classic in Utica, NY - my first as a credentialed working media member - but teams and players alike must not overlook Saturday's final game before the break.

Last night, I was at the War Memorial in Syracuse, New York as the Crunch hosted the Lehigh Valley Phantoms. The Phantoms' 4-2 loss to the Crunch, combined with a win by the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins, puts Lehigh Valley five points behind the second place Penguins in the East Division standings.

Tonight, I'm back in Allentown at the beautiful PPL Center as the Lehigh Valley Phantoms host St. John's IceCaps at 7:05 ET in what is the final game before the break for both teams. I'll have full coverage complete with live in-game updates on Twitter (@TonyAndrock_TCG) and a post-game recap shortly following the conclusion of the game.

East Division Standings (through 1/23's games)

1.  Hershey Bears: 40GP, 22-13-4-1, 49 points
2.  Wilkes-Barre/Scranton: 43GP, 22-17-1-3, 48 points
3.  Lehigh Valley: 40GP, 19-16-4-1, 43 points
4.  Binghamton: 40GP, 17-19-3-1, 38 points
5.  Norfolk: 42GP, 16-22-2-2, 36 points

Phantoms Come Up Short In Syracuse

Vladislav Namestnikov and the Syracuse Crunch hang on for a 4-2 win over Lehigh Valley tonight.

While some untimely penalties prevented the Lehigh Valley Phantoms from staging a comeback against the Syracuse Crunch tonight, there were a lot of positives to take away from tonight's 4-2 loss to the Crunch.

The Phantoms penalty kill was a perfect 8-for-8 tonight, including 4-for-4 in the second period with a stretch of 5-on-3 lasting 42 seconds midway through the hockey game.

Another positive was the play of the bottom-six forwards, particularly the 4th line of Petr Straka, Kevin Goumas and Brandon Alderson. The trio was responsible for both Phantoms' goals tonight and played a quick, steady game.

For the Crunch, Yanni Gourde tallied a pair of goals and if not for a heavy slash in the final seconds of regulation would have netted an empty net goal to complete the hat trick. Not tonight. Rookies Cody Kunyk and Henri Ikonen also tallied goals for the Crunch in the win.

Andrei Vasilevskiy stopped 30 of the 32 shots he faced in the win for the Crunch. Anthony Stolarz stopped 30 of 34 in the loss for the Phantoms.The Phantoms return home tomorrow night and host St. John's in their final game before the AHL's All-Star break.

Thompson's Confidence Revived In Albany

Paul Thompson has a career-high 21 goals this season just 39 games into the 2014-15 season.

What a difference a year makes, especially in the case of former Penguins forward Paul Thompson.

If you recall last season, Thompson got off to a slow start with the AHL Penguins - needing 17 games to score his first goal of the season after tallying 20 goals in 58 regular season games in 2012-13.

"Last year didn't go as I expected," Thompson told me when I caught up with him last Friday. "I felt good coming in and just never really got it going."

Report: Jeff Zatkoff Likely To Miss 2015 AHL All-Star Classic

It looks like Jeff Zatkoff will remain out the rest of this weekend with an undisclosed injury and will miss the 2014-15 AHL All-Star Classic Jan. 25-26th.

While the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins snapped a season-high six-game losing skid with a 5-1 win over St. John's tonight, it wasn't all good news in the post-game press conference with head coach John Hynes.

Penguins beat writer Tom Venesky of the Times Leader in Wilkes-Barre reported that Hynes said "Zatkoff is out until after the break", a likely indication he won't be playing in the 2015 AHL All-Star Classic in Utica, NY on Sunday and Monday nights. Hynes also added that Zatkoff is not expected to miss extended time with his undisclosed injury apparently suffered in Tuesday's practice, per Venesky.

Replacement options in net and a former Penguin I recently caught up with added as an AHL All-Star after the jump.

Special Teams Lift Bears Past Phantoms

Brett Hextall (pictured above) set up the game's first goal, but it was a long night of special teams troubles for the Phantoms tonight.

The Lehigh Valley Phantoms penalty troubles continued in a 7-2 loss to division rival Hershey tonight, as the Flyers top minor league affiliate got behind early and never recovered.

Petr Straka actually put the Phantoms in front 3:15 into the contest on a power play goal, but special teams came back to bite the home team tonight as the Bears tallied three power play goals of their own and added a shorthanded tally in a big win for the East Division-leading Bears.

Tim Kennedy, Stanislav Galiev and Connor Carrick led the way offensively for the Bears with a goal and two assists each. Petr Straka and Brandon Manning tallied goals for the Phantoms in the loss.

The Phantoms have two more games this week before the AHL goes on break for the All-Star Classic in Utica, starting with a Friday night trip to Syracuse for a matchup with the Crunch before hosting St. John's on Saturday.

Prospect Report - Lehigh Valley Phantoms Mid-Season Grades

Who are the Lehigh Valley Phantoms 'Three Stars' of the first half of the season?

The Lehigh Valley Phantoms (19-14-4-1) have completed the first half of the 2014-15 season and are right in the thick of things in the American Hockey League's (AHL) East Division, just four points out of first place.

The format for the mid-season grades post is the same as last week's prospect report on the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins.

After the jump, the three stars of the Phantoms through the first half of the 2014-15 season as well as grades and insights on every player who suited up for the Philadelphia Flyers' AHL affiliate.

Here's some features on Flyers prospects I have done this season:

Hockey's Future

• Phantoms' Hagg Hoping Third Time's The Charm For Sweden At WJC 2015
• Phantoms' Rookie Laughton Off To Strong Start in 2014-15

The Home News

• Successful Road Trip Has Phantoms Eying First Place 
• On The Road Again
• Phantoms Heating Up Heading Into The Holidays
• Fans Filling PPL Center In Phantoms' Inaugural Season Rewarded
• Akeson Adds Offense, Creates Balanced Depth For Phantoms

Monday's Catch Up & Links 1/19

The Phantoms and Bears rematch at PPL Center on Wednesday night.

The 2015 AHL All-Star Classic is just a week away, and three teams in the East Divsion are jostling for first place as the 2014-15 season passes its midway point. The three teams all within four points of each other in the division - Hershey in first, Wilkes-Barre/Scranton in second and Lehigh Valley in third - are all housed in Pennsylvania.

The tri-state rivalry is sure to pick up in the second half of the season, what with the teams so close atop the division standings and seven meetings between the Penguins and Phantoms, for example, still remaining on the schedule.

The Phantoms and Bears clashed Sunday at Giant Center in a 5-2 win for the Bears, with a rematch in Allentown at the PPL Center looming on Wednesday night.

After the jump, a deeper look into the AHL Penguins' recent skid and all the latest roster news/notes including a suspension to Pierre-Luc Leblond and a Phantoms forward re-assigned to a Reading (ECHL).

Penguin Killer Khokhlachev Sends Pens Sixth Straight Loss

Scott Wilson (left) recorded a three-point game in his second game back from an injury. Bryan Rust (right) left the 3rd period of Saturday's loss in Worcester with a lower body injury and did not play Sunday vs. Providence.

The Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins dropped their sixth straight game, a 5-4 decision, this afternoon in Providence against the AHL Bruins. Sometimes when you're in a rut or a losing skid, it takes a lucky bounce or a play to go your way to help you break out of it. The opposite of that happened at the Dunkin Donuts Center.

The Penguins out shot the Bruins 8-4 in the first period and 14-4 in the third, but a Pens' neutral zone turnover with 1:29 left in a tied hockey game proved to be the difference.

The last guy the Penguins want to turn the puck over to in that situation is Penguin-killer Alexander Khokhlachev. Take one guess who picked up the puck in the neutral zone after the turnover. Penguins fans might remember Khokhlachev tallying 10 points (7G-3A) against their team in the second round of the playoffs, including two goals in the wild Game Seven

Khokhlachev sniped one past Zatkoff for his 9th of the season and luckily for Zatkoff, he won't have to face his shots in the All-Star festivities in Utica at the end of the month. Both players will be representing the Eastern Conference.

The ending to this afternoon's game is obviously frustrating, but I think the Penguins are heading in the right direction after a flat performance against Worcester Saturday night. Scott Wilson played a strong game and recorded two goals and an assist, while his linemate also chipped in three points (1G-2A) in the loss. More on the Penguins' recent struggles and why it's not time to hit the panic button tomorrow in Monday's weekly catch up and links feature.

The AHL Penguins have a scheduled day off from on-ice practice Monday, before resuming practice on Tuesday morning. WBS will look to avoid stretching this win-less streak to seven games on Wednesday night when they welcome the St. John's IceCaps to the Mohegan Sun Arena at Casey Plaza.

Cousins' Hat Trick Carries Phantoms Past Binghamton

Nick Cousins tallied the first hat trick on home ice in franchise history tonight with his team leading 11th, 12th & 13th goals of the season.

Tonight was the textbook definition of a bounce back win and a total team effort for the Lehigh Valley Phantoms in a 5-1 win over division rival Binghamton.

Much like when Binghamton came to the PPL Center exactly one month ago on December 17th, the Phantoms jumped out to an early 1st period lead they would never look back on.

Nick Cousins tallied his first of three goals on the night just 14 seconds into the contest, while Zack Stortini and Jay Rosehill also tallied goals for the Phantoms. Brandon Manning tallied three assists and Andrew Gordon added two helpers of his own too. Martin Ouellette was strong in net for the Phantoms, stopping 28 of 29 shots and a third period penalty shot attempt by Binghamton's Alex Guptill. A total team effort.

Phantoms can tie first place Hershey in the East Division with a win against the Bears tomorrow evening at Giant Center, pending the outcome of Sunday afternoon's match up between Wilkes-Barre/Scranton and Providence.

Saturday's Morning Skate 1/17

The Binghamton Senators scored four goals in the first period last night against Syracuse.

Both the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins and Hershey Bears enjoyed a rare Friday night off, while the Phantoms had a chance to gain ground in the East Division standings at home against Albany.

Meanwhile in the Western Conference last night, Lake Erie Monsters goaltender Reto Berra became just the 11th goaltender in the AHL's 79-year history to score a goal himself. Check out the video below to see Berra's goal and celebration after. What are your thoughts? Did he 'celly' too hard or c'mon, a goalie scored a goal. Personally, I'm fine with the celebration. Congrats Reto Berra on your first pro goal!



Last night I was back at PPL Center for the Lehigh Valley Phantoms first home game since December 27th. It was the team's third consecutive sellout as they announced another standing-room-only sellout crowd of 8,701 fans. Tonight's Phantoms game is already sold out and no tickets are available - the 4th straight sellout (8,420 or higher) and 9th overall in 16 home games in the team's first year as an AHL franchise in downtown Allentown.

Tonight, I'm back in Allentown as the Phantoms host the Binghamton Senators at 7:05 p.m. ET with full coverage both on Twitter with live in-game updates and here post-game with a full recap of events as well as player reaction and the latest roster notes and news.

East Division Standings (through 1/16's games)

1. Wilkes-Barre/Scranton (20-15-1-3) - 44 points
2. Hershey (19-13-4-1) - 43 points
3. Lehigh Valley (18-13-4-1) - 41 points
4. Binghamton (16-17-3-1) - 36 points
5. Norfolk (15-20-2-2) - 34 points

Third Period Penalties Prove Costly For Phantoms

With Rob Zepp recalled by Philadephia, Anthony Stolarz is the number one goaltender with the Lehigh Valley Phantoms.

The Lehigh Valley Phantoms had a chance tonight against the Albany Devils to really put pressure on the East Division teams ahead of them in the standings, making up one of four games in hand on division-leading Wilkes-Barre/Scranton. Instead, they see a 1-0 lead slip away in the third period in a loss so frustrating that head coach Terry Murray declined comment post-game.

"Games in hand are a romantic thought," forward Andrew Gordon said. "It's a pillow you can lay your head on and feel good - Ah, we got a few games in hand," Gordon said, "But if you don't win your games in hand, they're nothing."

After a low-scoring, tight-checking affair in the first 40 minutes the flood gates (and the penalty box doors) opened up in the third period. The Phantoms handed the Devils four power plays in the final frame and they scored on two of them. That's your ballgame.

The Phantoms will look to rebound tomorrow night at home against division rival Binghamton in what will be the fourth consecutive sellout at the PPL Center.

Prospect Report - AHL Penguins Mid-Season Grades

Rookies forwards Conor Sheary (left) and Josh Archibald (right) look to continue to develop in the AHL this season.

In years past I did a monthly report card on the prospects in the Pittsburgh Penguins organization playing in the AHL with the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins, but between my increased role at Hockey's Future and also covering the Lehigh Valley Phantoms as well this season I have been reduced to piling my thoughts on these prospects in two (maybe three) posts instead of seven.

I'll also be doing one of these prospect reports on the Lehigh Valley Phantoms sometime next week, as they will reach the halfway point of the season on Sunday night after a three-game weekend this weekend.

The format is just about the same as the report card styled monthly posts on the Pens prospects the last two seasons. Instead of a "Player of the Month" where I recognize one player, below are my three stars of the first half for the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins. 

Through 39 games in the 2014-15 season, the Penguins have a record of 20-15-1-3 good enough for first place in the East Division. Oddly enough, the effect of losing so many players to Pittsburgh hasn't caught up with them until the team started getting bodies back from the NHL. The Penguins have lost their last four games (0-3-0-1) after going 9-4-0-1 in their previous 14 contests.

The multitude of call ups has given several rookies and other young players a chance to gain valuable ice time at the AHL level as well as provided some of the team's top prospects a chance to get their first/second taste of NHL action.

Before I get to the three stars of the first half, some links to extra reading on Pens prospects I have caught up with this season, ranging from development camp this summer to in-season updates on the several rookie forwards and a talk about prospects with Penguins head coach John Hynes.

Player Profiles

• Strong Summer Leaves Jean-Sebastien Dea Closer To His NHL Dream

• Conor Sheary Aims To Make An Impression

• Harrison Ruopp Fighting For AHL Role

• Matt Murray Looks To Make Most of Rookie Season

• Clark Seymour Takes A Step In The Right Direction

• Josh Archibald Looking To Translate Collegiate Success To The Pros

• Reid McNeill A Rare Breed Amongst Penguins Defensemen 

• (Bryan) Rust Never Sleeps

• McGrath A Man On A Mission

Hockey's Future

• Several Rookie Forwards Enjoying Early Season Success With Penguins' AHL Affiliate

Three Stars of the first half of the season and grades/insights on all of the players who suited up for the AHL Penguins after the jump.

Monday's Catch Up & Links 1/12

Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins goaltender Jeff Zatkoff has played solid in net regardless of who the team in front of him is.

Things are really beginning to tighten up in the East Division as American Hockey League (AHL) teams approach the halfway point of their respective 2014-15 regular season schedules.

January is a busy month for most teams, and certainly writers included. Last week, I made a 9 hour round trip to Glens Falls, New York to see the Adirondack Flames host the San Antonio Rampage - some more AHL Western Conference hockey like I took in last month up in Cleveland (Lake Erie hosted Milwaukee).

I also saw first hand the last two losses for the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins at home Friday night against Norfolk and up in Syracuse Saturday night against the Crunch.

The Penguins loss Friday night against Norfolk marked the halfway point of the regular season. In years past I did a monthly grades report on all the WBS Penguins players, but check back tomorrow for a midseason report card with grades for the AHL Penguins through the team's first 39 games. (I'm including Saturday's game, knowing full-well that there are 76 games in the regular season and halfway is technically 38.)

News, notes and thoughts on the AHL Penguins, as well as the Lehigh Valley Phantoms and more weekly reading links to help get you through your Monday after the jump.

Phantoms Win Fourth Straight Road Contest

Photo courtesy @dwancherry.

The Lehigh Valley Phantoms won their fourth straight road contest this afternoon after winning just four road games in their first 16 games away from the PPL Center this season.

The Phantoms dismantled a St. John's IceCaps team that was coming off of back-to-back wins against one of the Eastern Conference's best in the Manchester Monarchs. They pulled away from Newfoundland with a 4-2 win on Saturday night and a blowout 6-2 decision Sunday evening.

The Phantoms (18-12-4-1) continue to get scoring up-and-down the lineup and it really showed today as Lehigh Valley had six different goal scorers - Andrew Gordon (10th), Nick Cousins (9th), Steven Delisle (1st), Blair Jones (5th), Oliver Lauridsen (1st) and Jay Rosehill (2nd). The Phantoms also got two assists each from Taylor Leier, Jason Akeson and Austin Fyten in what was a well-rounded dominant performance.

The Phantoms chased veteran Peter Budaj 10:49 into the first period after tallying three goals on their first nine shots. They put three more in on 25 shots on recently named 2015 AHL All-Star goaltender Connor Hellebuyck in the final 49:11.

With goaltender Rob Zepp called up to the Philadelphia Flyers, Anthony Stolarz got the start in net and stopped 21 of 23 shots to improve to 6-6-1 on the season. Flyers goaltender Steve Mason is expected to be out for two weeks, per Flyers general manager Ron Hextall, leaving the Phantoms to lean on their rookie prospect Stolarz once again for the foreseeable future.

Their fourth straight win, combined with four straight losses by East Division leader Wilkes-Barre/Scranton has the Phantoms returning home just three points out of first place with four games in hand on the Penguins. The Phantoms will catch up on games played this month, starting when they host the Albany Devils Friday night in their first home game since December 27th.

Check back tomorrow for our weekly Monday catch up and links post for the latest roster news and notes.

GAME SUMMARY

1st Period

0:55: LV - Gordon (10) - Cousins, Lauridsen
2:09: LV - (PP) Lauridsen, minor (delay of game)
6:49: STJ - (PP) MacKinnon, minor (tripping)
7:32: LV - PPG Cousins (9) - Leier, Akeson
10:49: LV - Delisle (1) - Comrie, Cousins
18:49: LV - Lauridsen, major (fighting)
18:49: STJ - Riley, major (fighting)
19:26: LV - (PP) Manning, minor (slashing)

2nd Period

3:28: STJ - Blanchard (2) - MacKinnon, MacLean
10:56: LV - Jones, minor (roughing)
13:19: LV - Jones (5) - Akeson
14:29: STJ - Blanchard (3) - MacKinnon, Brouillette
17:29: LV - Lauridsen (1) - Gordon, Fyten

3rd Period

1:42: LV - Rosehill (2) - Fyten, Leier
3:45: STJ - Riley, minor (slashing)
9:59: LV - Comrie, minor (roughing)
9:59: LV - Comrie, 10-minute misconduct (continuing altercation)
9:59: LV - Delisle, major (fighting)
9:59: LV - White, double-minor (roughing)
9:59: STJ - Blanchard, minor (roughing)
9:59: STJ - Blanchard, 10-minute misconduct (continuing altercation)
9:59: STJ - Cornell, minor (roughing)
9:59: STJ - Cornell, 10-minute misconduct (continuing altercation)
9:59: STJ - Hill, major (fighting)

ROSTER NOTES - Phantoms

Anthony Stolarz (21 saves - 23 shots) picked up his 6th win of the season. With Rob Zepp called up to Philadelphia, the Phantoms signed a local 22-year old from the St. John's area to a one-game PTO to serve as Stolarz's backup. *His name is Doug Pippy, and he's a goaltender in a local senior league in Newfoundland called Avalon East Senior Hockey League. Last season in the St. John's Junior League, Pippy led his team - the Avalon Capitals - to a championship.

The change in goal was the only lineup change for the Phantoms Sunday afternoon from Saturday night's game.

Phantoms Scratches

Mark Alt (broken hand), Jesper Pettersson (healthy), Shayne Gostisbehere (ACL surgery), Kevin Goumas (healthy), Derek Mathers (healthy) and Darroll Powe (upper body)

Lines

Jason Akeson - Blair Jones - Brett Hextall
Zack Stortini - Nick Cousins - Andrew Gordon
Petr Straka - Ryan White - Brandon Alderson
Jay Rosehill - Austin Fyten - Taylor Leier

Robert Hagg - Brandon Manning
Adam Comrie - Steven Delisle
Oliver Lauridsen - Brett Flemming

Anthony Stolarz - Doug Pippy*

Penguins Come Up Short In Syracuse

East Division race tightens up with the Penguins' 4th straight loss tonight.

The Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins put forth a better effort tonight through two periods against the Syracuse Crunch, but were overpowered in a third period they started trailing the Crunch 3-2. The Crunch tallied an insurance goal with 5:44 left, before the Penguins tallied a late extra attacker goal to complete the 4-3 final score.

Jayson Megna was the Penguins best player tonight, tallying a pair of 1st period goals and creating consistent offensive chances for much of the night. Jeff Zatkoff kept the Penguins in the game in the third period, as the Pens were out shot 10-1 at one point in the final frame. Zatkoff finished with 25 saves on 29 shots in the loss.

For the Crunch, Johnathan Marchessault led the way with a goal and an assist, while Philippe Paradis, Mike Blunden and Henri Ikonen also tallied goals in the win. Crunch head coach Rob Zettler decided to change goalies between the first and second periods, and rookie Andrei Vasilevskiy came on in relief and stopped 10 of 11 shots to pick up the win.

The Penguins have a week between games, and a rare Friday night off next week before taking to the road for a pair of games in New England starting Saturday night in Worcester against the Sharks.

Saturday's Morning Skate 1/10

William Karlsson enjoyed considerable NHL time in Anaheim to start the season before joining Norfolk Admirals (AHL).

Another busy Friday in the American Hockey League (AHL) saw four of the five East Division teams in action.

Last night, I was at the Mohegan Sun Arena in Wilkes-Barre taking in the Penguins vs. Norfolk Admirals rematch of Tuesday night. Another gritty, tight-checking East Division battle between the top team in the division (Penguins) and last place in the Eastern Conference (Admirals).

Tonight, I'll be in Syracuse for some Penguins road hockey coverage as the Penguins take on the high-flying Crunch at the OnCenter at 7:00 p.m. ET. You can follow all the latest in-game updates and breaking news on Twitter (@H_P_Hockey).

East Division Standings (through 1/9's games)

1. Penguins (20-14-1-3) - 44 points
2. Hershey (18-12-4-1) - 41 points
3. Lehigh Valley (16-12-4-1) - 37 points
4. Binghamton (15-16-3-1) - 34 points
5. Norfolk (14-19-1-2) - 31 points

Penguins Shut Out By Admirals

Penguins fall to Norfolk at home for the second time this week.

The players in the locker room and the coaching staff probably won't admit it, but the Norfolk Admirals - last place in the Eastern Conference - have been a frustrating team to play against for the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins this season, and especially this week in particular.

In five meetings against the Admirals this season, the Penguins are 1-3-1 and have scored a total of just six goals in those five games. Tonight, the Admirals shut out the Penguins 2-0 and really outplayed them for much of the night.

Emerson Etem scored on a shorthanded breakaway and Marc Cantin floated a point shot past Penguins starting goaltender Matt Murray minutes later and that's all Norfolk would need, behind 27 saves from Jason LaBarbera - his first shutout of the season. LaBarbera has been a Penguin-killer this season, going 4-1-0 with a 1.20 goals-against average and a .947 save percentage. Outside of LaBarbera's win for Norfolk on opening night against Hershey on October 11th, the rest of his wins this season have come against the Penguins.

The Penguins (20-14-1-3) look to rebound tomorrow night in Syracuse against the Crunch, while Norfolk (14-19-1-2) travels to Hershey for a pair of games at Giant Center starting tomorrow night at 7:00 p.m. ET.

Penguins Kostopoulos, Pouliot & Zatkoff, Phantoms Manning Named 2015 AHL All-Stars

Tom Kostopoulos is the playing captain for the Eastern Conference All-Stars.

The American Hockey League announced the rosters for the Eastern and Western Conference All-Star teams this afternoon. Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins team-captain Tom Kostopoulos will be the Eastern Conference's playing captain and Penguins defenseman Derrick Pouliot and goaltender Jeff Zatkoff will be joining him. Brandon Manning of the Lehigh Valley Phantoms was also named an Eastern Conference All-Star.

In all, three current Penguins will be represented at this year's 2015 AHL All-Star Classic in Utica, New York, to be held on January 25-26th. The full rosters for both teams are in the league's press release here.

Kostopoulos, 35, is in his 16th pro season and is playing where he began his pro career in 1999-00 with the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins. In 33 games with the AHL Penguins this season, Kostopoulos has registered 17 points (six goals, 11 assists), 11 of which have come in the last 14 games. The WBS team captain is stepping up his game with much of the AHL roster called up and in the NHL with Pittsburgh.

Pouliot, 20, is enjoying success in his rookie season. Currently in the NHL with Pittsburgh, Pouliot has tallied his first NHL goal and two assists so far in 7 NHL games, while tallying 20 points (seven goals, 13 assists) in 23 AHL games with the WBS Penguins. While it's possible that Pouliot may still be in the NHL and miss the festivities, it's also possible that the Penguins could have another player added a replacement for an injured/called up player as well.

Zatkoff, 27, has been one of the keys to the AHL Penguins recent success on the ice. At 11-6-2 on the season, he boasts the league's best goals-against average (1.69 GAA) while also being tied for the best save percentage in the league (.932 SV%). Zatkoff is 6-1-1 in his last eight starts including two shutouts in late December.

Manning, 24, has been the leader on defense for the Lehigh Valley Phantoms this season. In his fourth year of pro hockey, Manning has 23 points (six goals, 17 assists) in 31 games this season playing top-pairing minutes in all situations. Manning served on the East's All-Star team two years ago during the 2013 All-Star Classic.

Monday's Catch Up & Links 1/5

If he clears waivers at noon on Tuesday, Ryan White will re-join the Lehigh Valley Phantoms.

It's the first Monday of 2015, which means the American Hockey League's (AHL) 2015 All-Star Classic in Utica, New York is just around the corner. The AHL announced today that the rosters for the Eastern and Western Conference All-Stars will be released tomorrow afternoon.

The Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins will have at least one representative in the AHL All-Star Classic later this month (January 25-26th) as Tom Kostopoulos was already announced as the playing captain for the Eastern Conference All-Stars last month. It's quite possible that Kostopoulos is the only WBS Penguins All-Star, despite the performance of goaltender Jeff Zatkoff (11-6-2, 1.69 GAA, .932 SV%, 2 SO) as of late.

The Eastern Conference is full of top rookie goaltending prospects such as Springfield's Anton Forsberg (16-4-0, 1.93 GAA, .931 SV%, 2 SO) and Syraucse's Andrei Vasilevskiy (10-3-4, 2.25 GAA, .923 SV%, 2 SO). Second year pro Jean-Francois Berube of the Manchester Monarchs has turned in an excellent start to the season as well, going 19-4-2 with a 1.99 goals-against average and .923 save percentage to go along with two shutouts.

I'm sure there are some Penguins fans who feel Zatkoff was snubbed by the AHL for the Goalie of the Month award for December, given to Vasilevskiy. It's possible Zatkoff is left off the East's All-Stars roster for the three aforementioned goaltenders. We'll find out tomorrow.

After the jump, a look at the Penguins and Lehigh Valley Phantoms as well as the weekly extra reading links for a look around the hockey world.

Saturday's Morning Skate 1/3

The Lehigh Valley Phantoms picked up their 5th road of the season last night.

A pair of East Division opponents squared off last night, while the Hershey Bears used the Friday night off as an extra day to get ready for an important match up with the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins tonight at the Giant Center.

Last night I was live from Wilkes-Barre as the Penguins shutout the Binghamton Senators. Tonight I'll be live from Binghamton (weather permitting, of course) as the BSens look to rebound with home game against their rival from the Northeast Division, the Syracuse Crunch. 

East Division Standings (through 1/2's games)

1. Penguins (20-12-1-2) - 43 points

2. Hershey (16-12-4-1) - 37 points

3. Phantoms (15-12-4-1) - 35 points

4. Binghamton (15-4-2-1) - 33 points

5. Norfolk (12-19-1-1) - 26 points

AHL Penguins Shutout Binghamton, Wideman Recalled By Ottawa

The Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins posted their second straight shutout - a 5-0 win over Binghamton tonight - to increase their East Division lead over the idle Hershey Bears to six points.

The Penguins (20-12-1-2) got a total team effort. They scored three goals in a span of 4:10 in the first eight and a half minutes of the game and rode a 30-save shutout performance from rookie goaltender Matt Murray (7-6-2, 3 SO's) to victory.

Nick Drazenovic led the way with two goals and an assist, while Conor Sheary (1G-1A), Tom Kostopoulos (0G-2A) and Taylor Chorney (0G-2A) all tallied two points each for the Penguins. Rookies Sahir Gill and Matia Marcantuoni also tallied their first career AHL goals in the win for the Pens, who travel to Hershey looking to extend their East Division lead to eight points over their intra-state rival tomorrow night at Giant Center.

For the BSens, head coach Luke Richardson was unsure of which defenseman was going to get called up to Ottawa when I caught up with him post-game, but Chris Wideman appeared to be getting several handshakes and pats on the back from his teammates before exiting with his equipment separate of the rest of the team - an indication he's heading to the NHL to meet up with the Ottawa Senators in Boston for their game tomorrow afternoon against the Bruins.

Richardson did say the plan was to have defenseman Marc Methot in town tomorrow and in the lineup against the Syracuse Crunch tomorrow night. Richardson also said he planned going into the weekend to have Andrew Hammond start tonight and have newly-signed goaltender Peter Mannino (a former WBS Penguin) make his BSens debut tomorrow night at home.