Sports

calder cup playoffs

By Tom Venesky tvenesky@timesleader.com
Sports Reporter
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WILKES-BARRE TWP. – Playoff hockey is like a pendulum.

Consider the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins series against the Philadelphia Phantoms. In Game 2, the Penguins were down 4-1 at the start of the third period and the Phantoms were outplaying them in every aspect.

Then Tim Brent scored, followed by Lucan Caputi and Kurtis McLean and just when it seemed as though the Penguins would be swept at home to start the series, they were now headed to overtime.

A slap shot by Chris Minard won the game, and it sent a Penguins team that could’ve easily given up back to Philadelphia with momentum – and a 1-1 tie in the series instead of a 2-0 deficit.

Tonight, the Penguins will go into Wachovia Arena with a 3-1 series lead and the chance to finish off the Phantoms.

It sure is a change from the first two periods of Game 2.

“This series could’ve been completely different,” said Coach Todd Richards after Thursday’s optional practice. “When we were down 4-1 in Game 2, our guys could’ve easily gone out for the last 20 minutes and went through the motions.”

But when Brent scored, the team started to believe in itself, said Richards. The rest is history.

“Momentum can swing in a hurry,” he said.

Defenseman Alain Nasreddine has a good idea why momentum shifts. The Penguins know their style of game and know how they should be performing, he said. When that doesn’t happen…

“That’s when we get into trouble,” he said.

To prevent the momentum from swinging in the wrong direction, Richards said the leadership and character found in the Penguins locker room are the best preventative measures.

Richards doesn’t know what’s going to happen in tonight’s contest, but he knows what his team, and its leaders, need to do.

“It’s going to be about how we react to certain situations during the game,” he said. “The guys in the room are focused and know what’s at stake. You never want to step off the gas pedal.”

Phantoms Coach Craig Berube is also aware of the momentum swing. His goaltender, Scott Munroe, posted minuscule numbers against Albany in the first round. In Game 4, he gave up five goals to the Penguins and was pulled for the first time in the playoffs.

“There’s been a lot of games where he saved us, too,” Berube said after Game 4. “He’ll bounce back.”

NOTES

• Forward Jonathan Filewich skated during Thursday’s optional practice. Richards said he won’t return during the Philadelphia series, but he is making progress. Filewich hasn’t played since he was injured in Game 2 of the Hershey series.

• Alex Goligoski continues to impress with his offensive ability. He set a Penguins record by scoring in eight consecutive playoff games and is second in the American Hockey League in postseason scoring.

Richards said being named to the All-Rookie team and spending some time in the National Hockey League helped Goligoski.

“A lot of times if you never played up there (NHL), you’re down here wondering what the game is like when you watch it on TV,” Richards said. “When you do go up and get a chance to play, you see that you can do this. That gave him some confidence.”

UP NEXT

Philadelphia (5-6)

at Penguins (7-2)

When: 7:05 p.m. today

Where: Wachovia Arena

Series: Penguins lead 3-1

Last game: Penguins 8, Phantoms 4

Scouting the Phantoms: Facing elimination, the Phantoms are a desperate team. Expect them to throw everything they have at the Penguins right after the opening faceoff. No doubt they have the offensive talent to put points on the board, but the question is will Scott Munroe bounce back after being pulled from the net in Game 4?

Keep an eye on: For the Penguins – Forwards Luca Caputi and Dustin Jeffrey: Both rookies have found the back of the net and provided a spark to an already fired-up Penguins offense. Caputi has two goals and two assists in six games, while Jeffrey has a goal and an assist in four games. They have been skating hard, and now they have confidence. For the Phantoms – Forward Boyd Kane. The Phantom captain has three goals in four games in the series and is one of Philadelphia’s top offensive threats, along with Jared Ross and Stefan Ruzicka.