Penguins

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November 19, 2009

Depleted by injuries Pens prep for 2 games

The team gets a boost from parent club as Letestu rejoins squad.

By Tom Robinson
Go Lackawanna sports correspondent

The injury-riddled Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins lineup picked up a little help from above and below this week as it prepared for two games in the next three nights.

Mark Letestu, who was re-assigned by the parent Pittsburgh Penguins Tuesday, and two players who were promoted from the Wheeling Nailers of the ECHL could all be in the lineup tonight when the Penguins play the Wolf Pack in Hartford.

The Penguins return for their first home game in 10 days Saturday against the Adirondack Phantoms.

Forward Joey Haddad and defenseman Alex Grant were promoted from Wheeling Sunday, giving them a few days to get ready for their AHL debuts.

“It’s a tough time, but it’s also a great opportunity for some younger players who the organization thought it was their best option to start the season with Wheeling,” Penguins coach Todd Reirden said after Tuesday’s practice, which saw two more players leave the ice early because of an illness and an injury. “I’m excited to see Joey Haddad and Alex Grant in the lineup Thursday.”

Grant is one of just six defensemen on the roster as the team tries to continue a stretch in which it has allowed just 16 goals in nine games. Nate Guenin was called to Pittsburgh Monday as the latest player to try to fill gaps for injuries there.

There are extra forwards, but health issues likely will make several unavailable.

Grant was leading Wheeling in plus-minus at plus-4 and was second in scoring among defensemen with four goals and two assists. The 20-year-old from Antigonish, Nova Scotia was a fourth-round pick by Pittsburgh in the 2007 NHL draft.

Haddad, 20, from Sydney, Nova Scotia, was second on the Nailers in goals (five) and points (11). The 6-foot-2 left wing was a 30-goal scorer each of the last two seasons of Canadian Juniors with the Cape Breton Screaming Eagles of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League.

Letestu joins Chris Conner as the only Penguins averaging a point per game this season. After finishing third on the team with 61 points in 73 games last season, he had eight points in eight games at the time of his recall to Pittsburgh.

The 24-year-old made his NHL debut in Saturday’s 6-5 overtime victory over the Boston Bruins and was scoreless in two games with Pittsburgh.

Conner left practice early Tuesday along with Wyatt Smith, who was sick.

Nick Johnson (ankle) practiced with the team this week and was expected to make the trip to skate with the team before the game.

“Nick’s game was just starting to come around before his injury,” Reirden said. “He’s making progress, but he’s certainly not ready to play Thursday.

“We’ve been short on bodies. We barely had enough to even finish practice.”

Reirden said he will be awaiting medical reports to know when others are ready to return.

Aaron Boogaard (concussion symptoms), Keven Veilleux (shoulder) and Ryan Bayda (knee) all suffered injuries at Hershey Saturday.

The Penguins (8-5-1-1) had won three straight before the loss to the Bears. WBS and Wolf Pack (10-7-0-0) are each in third place in their divisions.

Up next

Penguins at Wolf Pack

7 p.m. today

XL Center in Hartford, Conn.

Radio: WDMT 102.3 FM

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