Penguins

Bears end Penguins’ Hershey win streak - 02/06/2012
HERSHEY – The Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins’ hex on the Hershey Bears at Giant Center finally came to an end Sunday afternoon.

Mormina steps up, nets winner - 02/05/2012
WILKES-BARRE TWP. – Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguin defenseman Joey Mormina had no idea how big his goal in the first period of Saturday’s matchup against the Albany Devils would become.

Penguins always rally for causes - 02/05/2012
As a pro hockey player for the last nine years, Ryan Craig knows what it’s like to have the popularity and recognition that comes with being a professional athlete.

Wheeling Watch - 02/05/2012
Nick Petersen had a goal and an assist to lead the Nailers to a 4-3 shootout win over Elmira on Friday. Since he was reassigned by Wilkes-Barre/Scranton last month, Petersen has four goals and eight points in six games with Wheeli ...

Fantasy GM - 02/05/2012
Cody Wild, shown above, took a backup goaltender to be the starter on his fantasy hockey team. A backup? Yep. But when you think about it, it was really a shrewd Fantasy GM move. After all, th ...

Penguins score 4 in third to prevail - 02/04/2012
WILKES-BARRE TWP. — Hershey goaltender Braden Holtby did Wilkes-Barre/Scranton a favor when he cleared the puck over the glass for a delay of game penalty in the third period of Friday’s contest.

Pens, Bears set to get reacquainted - 02/03/2012
It’s been a while since the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins have seen their biggest rival, the Hershey Bears.

West goalie Bishop shuts down East to notch MVP - 01/31/2012
It wasn’t your typical all-star game. For most of Monday’s 2012 AHL All-Star Classic, goaltending came up bigger than the goal scorers. Sure, there were 14 goals scored in the game, but more than half were tallied in the first per ...

President discusses league’s hot topics - 01/31/2012
On Monday morning AHL president Dave Andrews touched on a number of topics during his State of the League address. Andrews said the AHL is enjoying one of its best years in terms of attendance and revenue. He also said the locatio ...

Enemies to friends on boardwalk - 01/30/2012
ATLANTIC CITY, NJ – Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguin Colin McDonald had an interesting seat in the Eastern Conference locker room before Sunday’s AHL All-Star Skill Competition.

Players put on show for Niedermayer - 01/29/2012
When the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins and Syracuse Crunch faced each other at the Mohegan Sun Arena last Saturday, players from both teams were playing for more than a win.

BINGHAMTON, NY – Coming into Satur - 01/29/2012
BINGHAMTON, NY – Coming into Saturday’s game against the Binghamton Senators, the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins penalty kill was a perfect 22-for-22 in its last five games.

Wheeling Watch - 01/29/2012
Last week, goaltender Patrick Killeen posted his second consecutive shutout as the Nailers beat Reading 5-0. Killeen stopped all 28 shots he faced, while Nick Petersen posted a goal and two assists in his season debut for the Nail ...

Alex Grant - 01/29/2012

Victory comes special delivery - 01/28/2012
Some like the home cooking, but the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins like going out to eat just fine. Jason Williams scored a power play goal with 54 seconds remaining in overtime, giving the Penguins a hard-fought 3-2 road win over ...

Turnover halts win streak - 01/26/2012
The Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins had just completed a two-goal comeback in the third period to tie the Providence Bruins and force overtime on Wednesday. Then the unexpected happened. Just 27 seconds into the extra period, defen ...

Pens special teams click, crunch Syracuse again - 01/23/2012
The friendly competition between the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton special teams kept the Penguins rolling along on Sunday. With the team’s power play continuing to churn out goals, the penalty killing unit stepped up for a pair of crucia ...

Pens’ power play clicks in rout - 01/22/2012
In one game, Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins defenseman Alex Grant catapulted to the team lead in power-play scoring. A five-point night on the man advantage has a tendency to produce such a result. Grant registered two goals and t ...

Raising his game - 01/22/2012
It looked like Paul Thompson hit rock bottom. Last November and December, the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins winger went 14 games without a goal and was a healthy scratch five times. To top it off, he was sent to the ECHL on Dec. ...

Penguins’ Wheeling farm team will go dark if not sold - 01/22/2012
WHEELING, W.Va. — The owners of the Wheeling Nailers hope to sell the ECHL team for something in the mid-six figures within two months.

FANTASY GM - 01/22/2012
Guess who chose their all-time great by the paint scheme on their helmet? Well, it’s obviously a goaltender, and since Brad Thiessen already took his turn at Fantasy GM earlier this season, that leaves one choice – Scott Munroe.

Penguins prevail, score 4 in first - 01/21/2012
Less than a minute into Friday’s game against the Manchester Monarchs, it looked like the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins would continue their struggles at home. Manchester’s Patrick Mullen beat Penguins goaltender Brad Thiessen ju ...

WBS Pens want to put on a road show - 01/20/2012
Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins head coach John Hynes sees no reason why his team can’t replicate their success on the road at their home rink as well.

No holding back for brutally honest Big Mac - 01/19/2012
Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins forward Steve MacIntyre takes the same approach to media interviews as he does handling opponents on the ice: he doesn’t hold back.

Street plays hero in his hometown once again - 01/16/2012
Smiling had to hurt Joey Mormina, but he couldn’t help himself. “Big win. Great win,” said the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins defenceman after his team’s 4-3 overtime victory in American Hockey League action against the St. John’s ...

Family enjoys Street’s big day - 01/15/2012
ST. JOHN’S, Newfoundland — Ben Street had Saturday, Jan. 14, 2012 circled on his calendar ever since the AHL schedule was released. But in all his nervous, excited anticipation, he never dreamed this is how it would turn out.

Keeping the faith - 01/15/2012
The hallway outside of the Penguins locker room at the Ice Rink at Coal Street is a pretty raucous place. After practice, players gather in the hallway for an additional workout of tossing medicine balls against the wall, creating ...

Former Pen having a Wild time in NHL - 01/15/2012
Halfway into his first full NHL season, Minnesota Wild winger Nick Johnson admits he often thinks about his days as a Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguin. Particularly his first season with the club in 2008-09, when Johnson was trying t ...

Short-handed Pens finally sink Admirals - 01/11/2012
What was left of the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins was more than enough Tuesday at Scope Arena. Two goals, scored by Paul Thompson within 16 seconds of each other early in the first period, sent them winging to a 3-2 win over Nor ...

Diverse portfolios - 01/08/2012
Enforcers aren’t the only players who are expected to be able to play the game anymore. The same concept – one in which players are expected to contribute in areas outside of their typical roles – applies to everyone as far as the ...

Fantasy GM - 01/08/2012
Brian Strait had a little trouble choosing just one when it came time to fill out a few spots on his fantasy hockey roster. When you see who he had to decide between, the indecisiveness was understandable.

Thiessen recovers to boost Penguins - 01/07/2012
WILKES-BARRE TWP. — After losing his last three starts and giving up 14 goals in the process, Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins goaltender Brad Thiessen made a play that would’ve doomed most netminders.

Unfamiliar foe just what Pens need - 01/06/2012
It’s been nearly three months since the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins faced the Rochester Americans, so it’s understandable if the memories have faded.

Rookie Conacher scores twice as Admirals sink Penguins again - 01/05/2012
WILKES-BARRE TWP. – Coming into Wednesday’s contest, Norfolk Admirals rookie Cory Conacher scored almost a third of his 19 goals this season against the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins. After Wednesday’s matchup at the Mohegan Sun ...

Streaking Sill looking to continue hot stick work - 01/04/2012
After he scored his second goal of the game last Saturday against Bridgeport, Zach Sill realized something. “Maybe I should shoot the puck a little bit more. Just put it on net,” he said. “You never know what can happen.” Sill’s p ...

Simon Despres was on the plane with his - 01/03/2012
Simon Despres was on the plane with his Pittsburgh Penguin teammates following their game against New Jersey on Saturday when he got the news that he was headed back to Wilkes-Barre.

Penguins find net quickly in victory - 01/01/2012
The Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins finished 2011 on a high note, dominating the Bridgeport Sound Tigers for a 4-2 win at home on Saturday. In the first meeting between the two teams this season, the Penguins set a new franchise re ...

Doing the little stuff - 01/01/2012
During Wednesday’s game against Hershey, a Bears player collided with Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins center Matt Rust at mid-ice. The Hershey player fell while the 5-foot-9 Rust skated away. The same thing happened when the Pengui ...

Manderson plays role in victory over Trenton - 01/01/2012
Denver Manderson had a shorthanded goal and an assist as the Nailers beat Trenton on Wednesday, 5-4. The Nailers power play was a perfect 3-for-3 as was the penalty kill, which killed off all three Trenton chances. Manderson now h ...

FANTASY GM - 01/01/2012
We almost had a case of nepotism with this week’s Fantasy GM. When it came time to pick a head coach for his fantasy team, Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins defenseman Philip Samuelsson quickly said his father, Ulf, who is coach of t ...

Year ends against new faces as Sound Tigers come to town - 12/31/2011
All the ingredients are there for the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins to have a favorable result tonight (5:05 p.m. start) when they host the Bridgeport Sound Tigers. The Penguins are coming off a dramatic 6-5 shootout win against ...

Shootout surprise delivers victory - 12/29/2011
HERSHEY – Usually when a team allows four power play goals to the league’s top offense, the outcome is fairly predictable -- unless it’s a matchup between the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins and Hershey Bears.

Losing skid reaches 3 in mauling - 12/28/2011
WILKES-BARRE TWP. – The Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins returned from their Christmas break hoping to end a losing streak Tuesday against the Hershey Bears.

Bears await returning players - 12/27/2011
WILKES-BARE TWP --- There’s no such thing as a true break for a hockey player. The Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins spent the last six days away from the ice. Many returned home to spend the Christmas holiday with their families, an ...

Still going forward - 12/25/2011
On the surface it seems that Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins forward Ryan Craig has undergone a major career change this season. After spending much of last season, and the majority of his AHL career for that matter, as the team’s ...

Nailers get all Torqued up - 12/25/2011
The Nailers secured a point in a 3-2 overtime loss to Elmira on Wednesday. Zack Torquato had a goal and an assist for a two point night, as did Olivier Dame-Malka. Leading scorer Chris Barton was scoreless in his first game back s ...

Fantasy GM - 12/25/2011
If Ben Street was the general manager of a hockey team, chances are he’d rely on his University of Wisconsin roots to fill the roster. That’s what he did for this week’s edition of Fantasy GM. Not only did Street choose fellow Bad ...

Strait overcomes injury - 12/21/2011
This season Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins defenseman Brian Strait experienced something for the first time in his career: an injury that forced him out of the lineup for an extended period.

Schnell fights to stick - 12/18/2011
With four quick punches, Ryan Schnell sent his opponent to the ice with a broken nose and a concussion. It was 2006 and Schnell was playing with the U.S. National Team in the North American Hockey League. He was just a teenager at ...

Fantasy GM - 12/18/2011
Earlier this month, we issued a waiver for Joey Mormina when he chose a few teammates for his fantasy hockey team. This week we’re going to do the same for Jason Williams, who chose several retired players. The ...

Crunch feel wrath of Munroe - 12/17/2011
SYRACUSE, N.Y. – Considering how his last start against the Syracuse Crunch turned out, Wilkes-Barre/Scranton goalie Scott Munroe was happy to get a rematch.

Penguins are eager to solve Syracuse - 12/16/2011
The last time Scott Munroe was in net to face the Syracuse Crunch, he allowed three goals on three shots and was pulled after the first 10 minutes.

Rookie hopes to make most of call-up to Pens - 12/15/2011
A day after Pittsburgh star Sidney Crosby sat at his locker stall in the Consol Energy Center and told reporters he didn’t feel right, it created a ripple effect that was felt throughout the organization.

Historic win for Pens - 12/14/2011
WILKES-BARRE TWP. — During the first period of Tuesday’s contest between Wilkes-Barre/Scranton and Binghamton, the Penguins’ Zach Sill gave the opposition a scoring chance when the puck careened off his skates and deep into the of ...

Stability leads to quality - 12/13/2011
It wasn’t easy for Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins defenseman Alex Grant to crack the lineup at the beginning of the season. With a blueline corps loaded with veterans such as Alexandre Picard, Robert Bortuzzo and Joey Mormina, alo ...

Tangradi, Lerg lead Penguins over Bears - 12/11/2011
HERSHEY — When Eric Tangradi scored 46 seconds into the third period to give the Penguins a one-goal lead over the Hershey Bears on Saturday, he took over the team lead in goals.

Not one-dimensional - 12/11/2011
Don’t judge Colin McDonald by the AHL-leading 42 goals he put up last season as a member of the Oklahoma City Barons. Disregard the fact that just about every season, dating back to his college days, McDonald has had more goals th ...

Wheeling Watch - 12/11/2011
The Nailers beat Trenton 3-1 on Wednesday to give Clark Donatelli a win in his debut as the team’s interim head coach. Patrick Killeen stopped 35 of 36 shots and Zack Torquato and Mickeal Bedard had a goal and an assist.

Bryan Lerg - 12/11/2011
On the surface it doesn’t seem that Buffalo Sabres goaltender Ryan Miller and Edmonton Oilers defenseman Corey Potter have much in common. But there is a bond – one that Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins center Bryan Lerg used in cho ...

Walker seeks bigger role after answering wake-up - 12/10/2011
Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins forward Geoff Walker spent a lot of time last month watching his teammates while he dealt with adversity.

Depleted blueline a concern as team preps for Senators - 12/07/2011
Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins head coach John Hynes wrapped up Tuesday’s practice at Coal Street with a dilemma. With the team ready to drive up to Binghamton today to face the Senators and with three defensemen in Pittsburgh, th ...

Wild taking advantage of ice time - 12/06/2011
After the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins wrapped up their morning skate last Tuesday before facing the Norfolk Admirals that night, defenseman Cody Wild wasn’t going to be penciled into the lineup.

Penguins feel the Crunch in Syracuse - 12/04/2011
SYRACUSE, N.Y. – The Syracuse Crunch pulled away with two goals in the second period and added two more in the third to handle the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins 5-2 on Saturday at the Onondaga County War Memorial.

Giving a real boost - 12/04/2011
Leaving rural Canada for the Wyoming Valley as a 20-year-old can be quite a culture shock. Heck, starting your first professional job in Northeastern Pennsylvania can be a bit of a challenge if you are coming from New England or M ...

Pens release Dimitrakos - 12/03/2011
WILKES-BARRE TWP. — The Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins announced Friday that they have released forward Niko Dimitrakos from his 25-game professional tryout agreement.

Penguins’ cold slide continues - 11/30/2011
NORFOLK, Va. – The Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins had gotten a gift goal and were tied in the second period when double trouble came. First a slashing penalty on Simon Despres. Then, only 21 seconds later, a hooking penalty on Bry ...

Munroe puts end to losing streak - 11/27/2011
BINGHAMTON, NY – Sprawled on the ice with a scrum in front of the net, Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins goaltender Scott Munroe made a big save when he stuck out his leg to prevent the Binghamton Senators from leveling the score.

Just like dear old dad - 11/27/2011
Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins defenseman Philip Samuelsson is in a unique position as he tries to follow the career path blazed by his father, long-time NHLer Ulf Samuelsson. But he’s not alone. Along the way Samuelsson, 20, has ...

Hotham’s night powers Nailers - 11/27/2011
Defenseman Andrew Hotham, who spent time in Wilkes-Barre/Scranton’s training camp, ha a four-point night Friday as Wheeling defeated Gwinnett, 5-1. Hotham registered two goals and two assists on the night. Chris Barton scored his ...

FANTASY GM - 11/27/2011
Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins forward Brandon DeFazio picked a good friend, some complete strangers and a few familiar faces to be on his fantasy hockey team. In a classy move, DeFazio also gave an honorable mention to a legendar ...

Victorious Hershey leaves bad taste in Pens’ mouths - 11/26/2011
WILKES-BARRE TWP. – This is how rivalries are not merely rekindled, but re-ignited.

5-goal hole too steep to overcome - 11/25/2011
WILKES-BARRE TWP. – Down 5-0 in the early stages of the second period to the Syracuse Crunch on Wednesday night, no one could’ve blamed the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins if they didn’t come back.

Players target of coach’s demands - 11/23/2011
Halfway through Tuesday’s practice at Coal Street, Wilkes Barre/Scranton Penguins head coach John Hynes blew his whistle and brought things to an abrupt halt.

Pens suffer through lost weekend in New England - 11/21/2011
WORCESTER, Mass. – The team that couldn’t lose on the road, now seems to have lost their way, for the moment, anyway.

From bottom to top - 11/20/2011
Mike Bales began laying the groundwork for his career as a goaltender coach in the early 1990’s. Bales was a fifth round draft choice of the Boston Bruins in 1990, and two years later he stepped on the ice with one of his childhoo ...

Goaltender trend shifts to Sweden - 11/20/2011
One of the trends in goaltending over the years has seen certain geographic regions seeming to churn out top netminders in droves.

Hot Chupp and Barton lead the way for Nailers - 11/20/2011
Since being sent down by Wilkes-Barre/Scranton on Nov. 8, Cody Chupp has five points (three goals, two assists) in four games with the Nailers. Chupp has a goal in three straight games heading into this weekend.

Fantasy GM - 11/20/2011
Although Steve MacIntyre was recalled to Pittsburgh last week, he left quite an impression during his short stay with Wilkes-Barre/Scranton. He also left an impression on a few opponents’ faces who were willing to drop the gloves ...

SWB Pens pursuing league road record - 11/18/2011
As the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins begin their three-game road trip at 7 p.m. today in Portland, they hope to chip away at a record.

Munroe will start in net for Penguins tonight - 11/15/2011
WILKES-BARRE TWP. – Last week Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins goaltender Scott Munroe sat down with head coach John Hynes and delivered a message.