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WILKES-BARRE — The Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins are getting the party started a little late.
A week after they opened the season and after playing a second game on the road Friday night, the Penguins will play their home opener at 7:05 p.m. today against the Utica Comets.
By the time the first puck is dropped at Mohegan Sun Arena at Casey Plaza, 22 of the other 30 AHL teams will have already been introduced to their home fans.
Penguins fans will see many new faces of the squad that will try to return to the postseason after having its league-leading streak of 16 straight Calder Cup Playoff appearances end last season.
One of them will be behind the bench where Mike Vellucci is the new head coach and general manager after leading the Charlotte Checkers to the Calder Cup title and earning AHL Coach of the Year honors last season.
The newest face on the ice is Stefan Noesen. After signing with the team less than 36 hours before the opener, he scored two goals Oct. 4 in Hershey to lead a 4-3 victory over the Bears.
The usual lineup changes already started between the first and second games.
Pittsburgh recalled forwards Andrew Agozzino, Sam Lafferty and Adam Johnson earlier this week as the parent club dealt with early injured issues among its forwards. On Friday, Pittsburgh sent back Agozzino and recalled fellow forward Joseph Blandisi in his place.
Johnson had two assists in the opener and the others played in the win over Hershey.
After beginning the season with two in-state rivals and frequent opponents – the Penguins were in Allentown to face the Lehigh Valley Phantoms Friday night – the home opener represents Utica’s only visit here this season.
Utica also won, 4-3, on the road in its only game of the first weekend. The Comets got two goals and an assist from Reid Boucher in the victory in Binghamton.
Boucher, tied for sixth in the AHL in goals a year ago with 31, scored 56 goals in 101 games for the Comets the past two seasons.
Utica, the top affiliate of the Vancouver Canucks, won both meetings with the Penguins last season. The Comets were off Friday night.
The Penguins complete three games in three days when they return to Hershey Sunday at 5 p.m.