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The Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins will face the top team in the American Hockey League twice this weekend, so it was imperative that they start things off on the right track.
The Penguins did that with convincing 5-1 win in Springfield on Wednesday, closing out a grueling five-game road trip that had some trying moments. The Penguins opened the trip with an 8-5 loss in Bridgeport, and then suffered a 2-1 overtime defeat to Providence. The Penguins won in Hartford, 4-1, the next night and closed out a three-in-three set with another loss in Providence, 5-2.
So to close the road trip out with a win was a big confidence booster, at the least.
“It was important for us. We didn’t have the performance we wanted on Sunday (in Providence), so this win is something we can build off,” said rookie Sam Lafferty, who leads the team with 12 points in 15 games.
But when the Penguins host the Charlotte Checkers for two games Friday and Saturday, they’ll need all the confidence they can get.
The Checkers have lost just three times in regulation out of 15 games, and with 23 points they are the top team in the league. Charlotte also ranks fourth in the AHL with 56 goals and are second behind the Penguins with 272 penalty minutes, indicating both teams could be in for a physical affair.
“They’re a really good team with a lot of skill,” said head coach Clark Donatelli. “We can’t put them on the power play, we have to manage the puck and we can’t give them any odd man rushes because they can hurt you.”
Making this weekend even more critical is the fact that Charlotte sits atop the Atlantic Division while the Penguins are in fourth place, trailing the Checkers by five points. Two wins by the Penguins could really tighten up the division.
“We know Charlotte has a lot of offense but we need to come out and be the aggressor,” Lafferty said. “These two games will be a good measuring stick for us.”
Notes
Donatelli said Tristan Jarry will start in net on Friday. On Sunday, Jarry became the first goaltender in Wilkes-Barre/Scranton history to score a goal when he shot the puck the length of the ice and into Springfield’s empty net. The Penguins were up 3-1 at the time.
“He can really shoot the puck. I told him if we’re up by two to go for it,” Donatelli said.
Forward Jimmy Hayes is away from the team for family reasons and isn’t expected back for Friday’s game. Joseph Cramarossa will return to the lineup.
