Sports

Paul Sokoloski

Just before the postseason opened, Dennis Bonvie stood in front of the crowd at Wachovia Arena and talked about Wilkes-Barre/Scranton’s chances in the Calder Cup playoffs.

“We’re going to do it,” Bonvie shouted into a microphone moments after the final game of the regular season for his Penguins, causing another roar from the home crowd.

It wasn’t just a moment of false bravado by the retiring tough guy.

The Penguins are halfway to claiming the Cup now, after dismantling a torrid-shooting Philadelphia team in the East Division Finals the same way they took apart Hershey in the first round of the playoffs.

We are finding out just how self-certain the Penguins have become.

“I think confidence is huge in the game of hockey,” said Wilkes-Barre/Scranton forward Chris Minard, whose goal in the second period proved to be the winner in Friday night’s 3-1 series clincher over the Phantoms. “If we do what we’re good at, things should go in the right direction.”

It’s no accident that the Penguins have found this path.

They got on a late-season roll, winning 15 of their last 20 games to finish the regular season while coming from 10 points behind in mid-March to steal the East from Philadelphia.

Then Wilkes-Barre/Scranton did it again to the Phantoms in the division finals.

The Penguins had already dropped the first game and were behind 4-1 entering the final period of the second when they found the resolve to force overtime with a three-goal, last-period blitz. The Penguins wound up winning that game, and all three games after that.

It was more proof of the trust the Penguins place in one another.

“During the regular season,” Penguins Coach Todd Richards said, “we weren’t an explosive offensive team.”

They are now.

The Penguins set franchise records with eight goals in a game and four in the second period in Game 4 against Philadelphia. And the power play that was practically non-existent for the Penguins during the regular season has turned into a true weapon in the playoffs.

“It’s something I’ve learned this year with this team,” Penguins goalie John Curry said, “no matter where we are on the scoreboard, anything’s possible.”

The Penguins proved that by winning three home playoff games against a Phantoms team they hadn’t beaten on home ice at Wachovia Arena in six tries during the regular season.

And given a chance to close the deal Friday, the Penguins were the hungrier team.

“I think we played at a tempo that was too fast for them,” Richards said.

It carried the Penguins into the Eastern Conference Finals against Portland for a Calder Cup semifinal that opens Wednesday at Wachovia Arena against their old goalie Jean-Sebastien Aubin and the Portland Pirates.

Maybe that grizzly veteran Bonvie sensed the possibility all along. Maybe the Penguins really can do this.

Paul Sokoloski is a Times Leader sports columnist. You may reach him at 790-7109 or email him at psokoloski@timesleader.com.