WBS Pens End 2013 With 5-2 Win Over Syracuse

Kuhnhackl (left) and Zlobin (middle) finish off a 2-on-1 to give WBS a 4-2 lead. The goal was Zlobin's first as a Penguin.

The Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins finished off the 2013 calendar year with a 5-2 victory over the Syracuse Crunch. The Pens battled back after trailing 2-1 in the first period, tallying four unanswered goals en route to improving their record to 18-9-1-3. The win puts them in first place in the East Division at the moment, pending the outcome of Binghamton vs. Norfolk.

Eric Hartzell got the start in net, but was pulled after allowing two goals on his first three shots. Jeff Deslauriers came on in relief and got the job done, stopping all 21 shots and possibly giving himself a chance to continue to be the number one goaltender in what head coach John Hynes said is " a very competitive situation" between he and Hartzell. Deslauriers had dropped four of his previous six outings.

Tonight's game was the final game of December, which means Highland Park Hockey's monthly grades will be out shortly! Look for that sometime tomorrow, along with HPH's Player of the Month.

Full recap after the jump.

Pens Re-Assign Dumoulin, Zolnierczyk

To make room for Evgeni Malkin and Kris Letang to make their return to the Penguins lineup, Pittsburgh has re-assigned defenseman Brian Dumoulin and forward Harry Zolnierczyk to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton (AHL). Both should be in the WBS Penguins lineup tomorrow night when they host the Syracuse Crunch.

In Dumoulin's first NHL stint of six games, he tallied one assist, four penalty minutes and a plus one rating. He'll return to the WBS Penguins for their next game against the Syracuse Crunch. At the AHL level this season, Dumoulin has appeared in 22 games, registering six points (1G-5A), 19 penalty minutes and a minus one rating.

Dumoulin's return to the AHL gives the AHL Penguins eight healthy defensemen:

Brian Dumoulin, Philip Samuelsson, Brendan Mikkelson, Scott Harrington, Reid McNeill, Nick D'Agostino, Harrison Ruopp and Barry Goers.

I would expect that Goers will be released from his professional tryout shortly and be re-assigned to the Pens ECHL affiliate Wheeling Nailers.

The Pens also re-assigned Zolnierczyk, who tallied one goal in nine games with the NHL Pens. His return should give the WBS Penguins offense a boost. At the AHL level, Zolnierczyk has 14 points (10G-4A) in 21 games.

Bobby Farnham didn't practice today per Jonathan Bombulie with what head coach John Hynes said was a maintenance day. Since WBS wasn't sure what Pittsburgh was going to do in terms or roster moves, they called up forward Carter Rowney from the Wheeling Nailers as an insurance policy in case Farnham wasn't ready to play. The WBS Pens also sent Dustin Stevenson back to Wheeling (ECHL).

Reinforcements On The Way 2.0

Harry Zolnierczyk is one of three players who could return to the AHL Penguins in the very near future.

EDIT: The Pens, yesterday, put Evgeni Malkin on retroactive IR to when he first was out of the lineup to activate Scuderi and avoid trimming the roster. 

Both Malkin and Kris Letang have been reported as being close to making a return, which still means two players will be on their way down to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton (AHL) as long as other injuries don't arise. Whether either of Malkin or Letang return to the lineup tomorrow night against New Jersey remains to be seen.

So in all, the WBS Penguins should see Brian Dumoulin back and a forward, Gibbons or Zolnierczyk, when Malkin and Letang are ready to return.

The rest of yesterday's post is still intact for a look at the specifics and Pittsburgh's roster overview after the jump. 

Stopped in the Shootout: Pens Fall 2-1 to Bears

The troubles in the shootout continue for the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins as they fall 2-1 tonight in the shootout to the Hershey Bears. The Pens are 0-3 on the season in the shootout and 1-for-13 on shootout attempts. Only Tom Kostopoulos (tonight) has scored on one.

The Penguins pick up a point in the standings and now trail Binghamton by one point for first place in the East Division. Hershey gets the win and climbs out of the East Division basement. The Penguins still lead the season series with the Bears with a record of 5-0-1-1 and look to avoid dropping three straight games when they host the Syracuse Crunch on New Years Eve.

Gibson, Admirals Close Gap On Penguins

Entering tonight's contest, many Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins fans were wondering about the status of former Penguin and current Norfolk Admirals goaltender Brad Thiessen.

I'm sure some of those in attendance left Mohegan Sun Arena tonight with frustrating visions of Admirals goaltender John Gibson, who has twice beaten the Penguins this season in Wilkes-Barre and put together another 26-save out of 27 shots faced performance tonight.  Thiessen is out of the Admirals lineup with a lower body injury and is expected to miss another week or two, by the way.

Pens Hold On For 2-1 Win

Photo credit: @ItsJacki

The Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins grind out a 2-1 win over the Syracuse Crunch tonight. Jeff Deslauriers had his shutout bid snapped with 1:43 left in the game, but he stood tall in the final 103 seconds stopping 25 of the 26 shots he faced for his 12th victory of the season.

Shark Attack: Pens Fall 4-1

The Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins couldn't generate consistent pressure on offense, managing just eight shots through the first two periods. Despite that, the Penguins defense and Eric Hartzell kept them in the hockey game at a 2-0 deficit.

The Penguins didn't have that third period magic in them tonight, although they gave the Worcester Sharks and goaltender Harri Sateri everything they had in the third period, managing 17 shots on goal. 

The Penguins didn't get on the scoreboard until Nick Drazenovic was hooked on a breakaway with 2:30 left in regulation. He converted on the penalty shot and brought the Penguins back into the game at a 3-1 deficit. They pulled their goaltender and peppered Worcester with shots, but Sateri made the saves and the Sharks added an empty goal for a 4-1 final tonight.

Samuelsson & The Defensive Fallout

With the recall of Philip Samuelsson today, the Penguins organizational depth on the blue line is being tested - a position that many at the beginning of the season considered the organziation's biggest strength.

With the injuries to Kris Letang, Brooks Orpik, Paul Martin and Rob Scuderi and the looming suspension for Deryk Engelland, the NHL Penguins will be without five of the eight defenseman that started the season with Pittsburgh.

To replace those mentioned above, the Penguins have called upon Simon Despres, Brian Dumoulin and now Samuelsson from the AHL affiliate in Wilkes-Barre/Scranton (WBS). Samuelsson is set to make his NHL debut tonight paired with his former defense partner he started the season with in the AHL in Despres. Here's what the NHL Penguins defense looks like heading into tonight's game against the Toronto Maple Leafs:

Matt Niskanen - Olli Maatta

Robert Bortuzzo - Brian Dumoulin

Simon Despres - Philip Samuelsson

Samuelsson has come a long way to get to this point in his third season of professional hockey. In his rookie season in 2011-12, Samuelsson saw himself sent to ECHL Wheeling for five games, before returning to the AHL Penguins for their playoff run. He appeared in 10 AHL playoff games that season on the third pairing with sheltered minutes.

Last year in the 2012-13 season, Samuelsson was the most improved player on the team. He appeared in 65 regular season games and 15 AHL playoff games on the shutdown pairing, facing the oppositions top offensive threats game in and game out.

This season, Samuelsson has been a staple on the top pairing for the AHL Penguins. He's played in all situations, excelling on the PK and in defense-first situations. He's not going to impress with his offensive ability, though he can shoot the puck and play well in the offensive zone. Samuelsson isn't an overly flashy player and could go unnoticed more nights than not, but that's not a bad thing for a defenseman.

With all the defensemen heading up to Pittsburgh, the AHL Penguins have had to bring in reinforcements from their ECHL affiliate in Wheeling. They've called up rookie defenseman Harrison Ruopp and added Barry Goers and Dustin Stevenson to the mix. With Peter Merth and Reid McNeill recovering from injuries, here's what the defense looks like at the AHL level:

Scott Harrington - Brendan Mikkelson

Nick D'Agostino - Harrison Ruopp

Barry Goers - Dustin Stevenson

The WBS Penguins didn't practice today and don't play their next game until Friday night when they host the Worcester Sharks.

 

 

Samuelsson, Zolnierczyk Recalled By Penguins

Photo courtesy Amy's WBS Penguins Picture Page.

It appears Philip Samuelsson's chance to make his NHL debut could come as early as Monday night against the Toronto Maple Leafs. Though not yet official, both Samuelsson and Harry Zolnierczyk have been called up to Pittsburgh, a source told Highland Park Hockey on Sunday.

The Pittsburgh Penguins announced this morning that Samuelsson and Harry Zolnierczyk have been recalled to the NHL Pens.

In his third season with the AHL Penguins, Samuelsson has become a solid shutdown defenseman on the team's top pairing this season, eating up big minutes both at even strength and the penalty kill. Samuelsson doesn't light the world on fire offensively, but he's a good skater who sees the ice well and has been been a steady defensive defenseman for the AHL Pens this season. In 26 games this season, Samuelsson has six points (0G-6A), including 35 penalty minutes and a plus three rating.

This will be Zolnierczk's third call up to Pittsburgh this season, as he's appeared in three NHL games with the Penguins already this year. While with the AHL Penguins, Zolnierczyk was a top-line winger that played in all situations and excelled on the penalty kill, while also getting power play time as well. In 21 AHL games this season, Zolnierczyk has tallied 14 points (10G-4A), including 39 penalty minutes and a plus six rating.

The Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins don't play their next game until Friday night at home against the Worcester Sharks, so presumably one or both could be back before then. If not, the AHL Penguins will be down to 12 healthy forwards and five healthy defensemen with Peter Merth, Reid McNeill, Dominik Uher and Adam Payerl currently out of the lineup.

Both Merth and McNeill returned from previous injuries, but both were on the team's injured list in the team's last game on Saturday night against Utica. Dominik Uher should be close to returning after taking a puck to the face on Thanksgiving Eve up in Glens Falls against the Adirondack Phantoms. Uher was originally said to be out about two weeks. Adam Payerl is out long term with an upper body injury.

The AHL Penguins have a week's worth of practice leading up to Friday's game, starting Monday morning at the Toyota Sportsplex, which gives them time to make decisions on their current roster situation.

Hartzell Blanks Utica, Pens Win 1-0

In a scoreless tie in the third period, the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins best period this season, the power play cashed in in a big way. After squandering two separate 5-on-3 power play opportunities midway through the third period, the special teams unit found a way to get the puck to the net.

Nick Drazenovic fed a pass to Anton Zlobin, who found rookie defenseman Nick D'Agostino on the point. D'Agostino's shot eluded Utica Comets goaltender Joe Cannata and gave the Pens all they would need as they win a 1-0 game tonight.

"I kind of saw a little opening and I just fired away," D'Agostino said. "Fortunate enough it went in. I just tried to get the puck to the net."

The goal was D'Agostino's first professional goal, and while he said he wished his first goal would have come sooner, I'm sure D'Agostino is fine with his first tally being a game-winning goal and the only goal in the game.

Eric Hartzell got his second start in as many nights this weekend and shut the door on the Comets early, as the Penguins were out shot 19-9 in the first two periods. The 22-save shutout was Hartzell's 2nd shutout with the AHL Penguins this season.

"The team made it easy on me tonight," a modest Hartzell said, crediting his defensemen and forwards on a total team effort. "We didn't generate a lot of chances in the first two periods, but we kept it tight defensively. The defense did a good job of getting rid of second and third chance opportunities and it made my night a lot easier."

The start of the game was delayed a half due to the playing conditions of the ice at Mohegan Sun Arena not being up to standards after apparently a hockey puck jammed in the zamboni dug a rut into the ice when they were cleaning the ice after the pregame warm up skate.

The first period showed some good chances for both teams, the Pens early in the first and the Comets in the second part of the period. The game was scoreless after 20 minutes, but a late too many men penalty on the Penguins gave the Comets a power play to start the 2nd period.

The second period showed much of the same. Chances for both teams, but limited and few and far between. The Penguins were held to just nine shots through 40 minutes. Eric Hartzell, making his second start in as many nights, saw 19 shots after two periods.

"It was a so-so game," Penguins head coach John Hynes said of tonight's action. "We didn't really play to the identity that we want to have and therefore we didn't get a lot done."

More Hynes:

"We were fortunate enough to get some significant power play time in the third to find a way to win the game, but overall it wasn't the type of effort and identity that we want to have on a regular basis."

Roster Notes

It was Eric Hartzell getting the start in net tonight for the Penguins, getting consecutive starts after playing in last night's 5-3 win over Hershey.

With Peter Merth and Reid McNeill out of the lineup on defense, Barry Goers made his WBS debut on the blue line paired alongside Philip Samuelsson.

C.J. Severyn was the 13th forward and healthy scratch again tonight. Injured list: Peter Merth, Reid McNeill (upper body), Dominik Uher (upper body) and Adam Payerl (upper body).

Lines

Zolnierczyk - Gibbons - Thompson
Zlobin - Drazenovic - Kostopoulos
Farnham - Carman - Leblond
Kuhnhackl - Manderson - Sylvester

Goers - Samuelsson
Mikkelson - Harrington
D'Agostino - Ruopp

AHL Game Preview: WBS Pens Host Utica Comets Tonight 7:05 P.M. EDT

The Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins (WBS) host the Utica Comets (UTI) for the first ever meeting between the two teams in franchise history tonight at 7:05 p.m. EDT. The Pens are coming off a big 5-3 win over division rival Hershey, while the Comets also won last night in a 5-2 showing against Binghamton.

Despite going win-less through their first ten games in their first season as a team in the AHL, the Utica Comets have things going in their favor of late, breaking a three-game skid in an impressive win over a good Binghamton team. 

The Penguins are starting to get healthy up front, as Nick Drazenovic is looking better with each game he's been back, but are taking hits on the blue line with Brian Dumoulin in the NHL and Reid McNeill and Peter Merth going down with injuries this week.Added yesterday to a professional tryout by the WBS Penguins, former Wheeling Nailers defenseman Barry Goers looks to make his WBS debut tonight.

The WBS connection? Forwards Brandon DeFazio (68 games, 2010-12), Benn Ferriero (34 games, 2012-13) and Cal O'Reilly (21 games, 2010-11) are all former members of the AHL Penguins in recent years.

Tune into Highland Park Hockey on Twitter tonight for all the latest in-game updates of tonight's AHL action. The puck drops at 7:05 p.m. EDT. Roster notes, lineups and more after the jump.

Penguins Defeat Bears 5-3

The Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins used a strong first period coupled with a resilient third period to defeat the Hershey Bears 5-3 tonight. Credit the Bears for a strong second period, but they dug themselves in too big of a hole early and they needed to battle back much of the night.

The Penguins came out flying in the first period, scoring three power play goals and taking charge early with a 3-0 lead.

First it was Tom Kostopoulos with a deflection goal off a point shot from Scott Harrington 1:50 into the game. Brendan Mikkelson added a secondary assist.

Then Anton Zlobin set up Paul Thompson for Thompson's second goal in as many nights to give the Pens a 2-0 lead about ten minutes later. Brian Gibbons added the second assist.

Brian Gibbons finished the first period fury with his ninth of the season on the Pens third power play goal of the period. Nick Drazenovic set up Gibbons with a nice backdoor feed and Harrington added his 2nd assist.

In the second period, the Bears responded with some good chances and got on the board with 4:08 left in the middle frame when Ryan Stoa finished off a pass from Nicholas Deschamps. They cut the lead to 3-2 55 seconds later when a Peter LeBlanc point shot was tipped past Hartzell by Deschamps.

The Penguins got things going in the third period, getting a 2nd goal from team captain Kostopolous to increase the WBS lead back to two goals at 4-2. The two goal lead was short lived, however as Deschamps brought Hershey back within one goal with a shorthanded tally moments after Kostopoulos' goal. 

It was Drazenovic who capped the scoring tonight, giving the Pens a third period insurance goal and a 5-3 lead they would hold on to. The goal was Drazenovic's third of the season and first goal since coming back from a lower body injury.

The Penguins win, coupled with a Binghamton 5-2 loss to the Utica Comets, puts the Pens in sole possession of first place in the East Division by two points. The Pens host the Utica Comets tomorrow in the first ever matchup between the two teams.


Roster Notes

The Pens signed defenseman Barry Goers to a PTO. Goers had been playing in the ECHL with rhe Wheeling Nailers. Denver Manderson returned to the WBS lineup for forward C.J. Severyn.

Reid McNeill slammed his shoulder into the boards in the second period and left the ice and later went to the locker room with trainer Kyle Moore.

Lines

Zolnierczyk - Gibbons - Thompson
Zlobin - Drazenovic - Kostopoulos
Farnham - Carman - Leblond
Kuhnhackl - Manderson - Sylvester

Samuelsson - McNeill
Harrington - Mikkelsson
D'Agostino - Ruopp

#AHL Game Preview: #WBSPens Host Hershey

 

Pens and Bears battle at 7:05 p.m. EDT. It's rivalry night!

The Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins (WBS) continue their home stand against East Division rival Hershey (HER) tonight at 7:05 p.m. EDT. 

The Bears prevailed in overtime the last meeting on November 30th at Giant Center despite another strong third period comeback from the Penguins to salvage a point. The win last time out was the first win for the Bears over the Pens in the season series (WBS currently leads 4-0-1-0).

Although the Penguins have had early season success against the Bears, injuries and call ups have taken their tole on the AHL lineup, especially up front. The Pens did get forwards Nick Drazenovic, previously injured, and Harry Zolnierczyk, back from Pittsburgh, in Wednesday night's 3-2 loss to Springfield.

One thing is for sure, and that is no matter the records or rosters on either side, the games between the Pens and Bears have been pretty evenly contested. Both teams have an OT win against each other, while all three of the Penguins other wins were late game one-goal games:

Sat 10/12: Hershey - 1 at Penguins - 3
Fri 11/1: Hershey - 2 at Penguins  - 3 OT  
Sat 11/2: - Penguins - 4 at Hershey - 2
Sat 11/16: Hershey - 1 at Penguins - 3
Sat 11/30: Penguins - 2 at Hershey - 3 OT

Tune into Highland Park Hockey on Twitter tonight for all the latest in-game updates of tonight's AHL action. The puck drops at 7:05 p.m. EDT. Roster notes, lineups and more after the jump.

Pens Third Period Comeback Falls Short to Falcons

The Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins battled back in the third period again tonight, scoring twice and erasing a two-goal third period deficit. Unfortunately for the home team, some untimely penalties proved costly for the Pens as the Springfield Falcons skate away with the 3-2 win tonight.

The third period has been the Penguins period this season, and Harry Zolnierczyk made it a 2-1 game 2:58 into the final frame after a shorthanded penalty shot goal. Zolnierczyk was tripped on a breakaway and went hard into the end boards behind the Falcons net. He got up quickly when he saw the referee had motioned to center ice for the penalty shot. Harry Z's team-leading 10th of the season brought the Penguins within a goal.

Paul Thompson had a heck of a game tonight, and you can tell he's trying to get off of the cold streak he's started the 2013-14 season. He tied the game at 2-2 with some hard work and a bounce to finally go his way. The goal was Thompson's first of the season in his 17th game on the year. Not what last year's 20-goal scorer had in mind for the first two months of the season.

Just as the Penguins started to get the Falcons on their heels, a penalty to Tom Kostopoulos for goaltender interference shifted the momentum. The Falcons quickly scored on the power play to regain the lead at 3-2.

From there, the Penguins got some chances late on Falcons netminder Jeremy Smith but were unable to find the equalizer.

The Penguins are in the midst of a giant home stand where 10 of the next 12 games are on home ice. They get back in action Friday night when rival Hershey comes to town.

#AHL Game Preview: #WBSPens Battle Springfield at 7:05 P.M. EDT Tonight

Last season Nick Drazenovic was #10 on Springfield. This year he's #10 on the Penguins.

The Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins (WBS) host the Springfield Falcons (SPR) tonight at the Mohegan Sun Arena in a big test for both teams as the East and Northeast division leaders, respectively, square off.

For the Penguins, they look to enjoy the presence of healthy bodies up front with Harry Zolnierczyk back from Pittsburgh and Nick Drazenovic eying a return to the lineup against his former team.

For the Falcons, they lost leading scorer and defenseman Tim Erixon to an NHL call up to Columbus and look to continue to trudge on in the 2nd game of a six-game road trip.

Former WBS captain and current Falcons forward Ryan Craig spoiled his former team in the first meeting of the season between these two teams, scoring late in the third period to give the Falcons a 4-3 win last month up in Springfield.
  
Tune into Highland Park Hockey on Twitter tonight for all the latest in-game updates of tonight's AHL action. The puck drops at 7:05 p.m. EDT. Roster notes, lineups and more after the jump.

Penguins Recall Defenseman Brian Dumoulin

News out of Brian Dumoulin's hometown of Biddeford, Maine this afternoon as the WCSH6 in Portland is reporting the defenseman has been called up to the Pittsburgh Penguins per this news release.

In 22 games with the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins this season, Dumoulin has a goal and five assists along with 19 penalty minutes and a minus one rating. It will be Dumoulin's first NHL recall and he will look to make his NHL debut tomorrow night when the Penguins battle the Columbus Blue Jackets.

The potential call up comes after a scary incident saw defenseman Brooks Orpik taken off the ice on a stretcher after an incident with Boston Bruins forward Shawn Thornton.

Deslauriers And The Penguins Grind Out A Win In Newfoundland

Another awesome photo from Highland Park Hockey's WBS source in Newfoundland, the amazing @dwancherry. Thanks again to her for the exclusive photos from Canada!

When you're a team decimated by injuries and call ups like the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins are right now, you need a full 60-minute effort paired with some timely goal scoring from someone who needs to step up, an unlikely hero and some good goaltending. Tonight, the Penguins got goals from Tom Kuhnhackl, Brian Gibbons and Bobby Farnham and a 30-save shutout from Jeff Deslauriers. 

Check, check and check.  Penguins leave Newfoundland with two points, splitting the weekend series with the St. John's IceCaps.

#AHL Game Preview: #WBSPens Rematch #IceCaps at 6:00 P.M. EDT Tonight

The Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins (WBS) are up in Newfoundland for a pair of special 6 p.m. EDT face-offs against the St. John's IceCaps (STJ) and the Pens need a response after a 5-0 loss to the IceCaps last night. This is final of four scheduled meetings between the two teams this season.

The Penguins need to dig deep and hope for a split in the weekend series if they can muster up enough offense to get the job done. The key for the Pens will be staying out of the box, playing structured defense and capitalizing on their own opportunities.

Jarome Samson scored a goal for the IceCaps last night, bringing his total to six points (2G-4A) in his last four games.

Tune into Highland Park Hockey on Twitter tonight for all the latest in-game updates of tonight's AHL action. The puck drops at 6:00 p.m. EDT (7:30 p.m. NDT). Roster notes, lineups and more after the jump.

Penguins Offense Frozen By IceCaps in 5-0 Defeat

Photo courtesy of awesome @dwancherry!

The Penguins couldn't dig themselves out of the hole in the second period, and didn't help their cause by taking penalties late in the second period. They couldn't muster up much offense in a penalty-filled third period either and are shelled by the IceCaps by a 5-0 final score.

With the Penguins already down seven forwards out of their regular lineup, the call from Pittsburgh to take Harry Zolnierczyk, the 8th forward, away from the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins was just too much for the AHL Pens, as they are blown out by the St. John's IceCaps tonight.

#AHL Game Preview: #WBSPens Take On #IceCaps at 6:00 P.M. EDT Tonight

The Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins (WBS) are up in Newfoundland for a pair of special 6 p.m. EDT face-offs against the St. John's IceCaps (STJ) starting tonight. This is third of four scheduled meetings between the two teams.

The Penguins are coming off a 3-2 overtime loss to Hershey last Saturday night, after a two goal third period comeback by the Pens sent the game to the extra session. Pierre-Luc Leblond and Mike Carman scored for the Penguins. The IceCaps, meanwhile finished a six-game road trip with a 4-3 shootout win over the Binghamton Senators last Saturday night. Jarome Samson scored a goal and added an assist for the IceCaps. Samson has eight goals and six assists in 15 games, nearly a point per game on the season.

Tune into Highland Park Hockey on Twitter tonight for all the latest in-game updates of tonight's AHL action. The puck drops at 6:00 p.m. EDT (7:30 p.m. NDT). Roster notes, lineups and more after the jump.

Pittsburgh Area Native C.J. Severyn Ready To Bring "Gritty Scoring" Presence to AHL

The newest AHL Pens forward: Pittsburgh-area native C.J. Severyn. Photo courtesy of the Orlando Solar Bears team page and the ECHL.

When the news broke about the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins signing forward C.J. Severyn to a professional tryout (PTO), many were quick to point out Severyn's hometown and his accolades with the team he has been on this season in the Orlando Solar Bears (ECHL).

The Beaver, Pa native grew up about 45 minutes outside of Pittsburgh near the PA/Ohio border. The former Pittsburgh Hornets and four-year Ohio State University center never put up big offensive numbers in college and played a bottom-six role to add secondary scoring. One thing noticed in his game is his ability to work down low in the corners.

It wasn't until his second season of pro hockey in the East Coast Hockey League (ECHL) that Severyn's offensive game attracted some attention, after a 22-goal season with the Solar Bears last year.
 
This isn't the first time Severyn has put on an AHL uniform, as he played with the Charlotte Checkers for six games in March last season after 44 points (22G-22A) in 65 ECHL games with the Solar Bears. It's also not the first time Severyn has worn a WBS Penguins uniform, as he appeared in a few preseason games for the Pens earlier this season during AHL training camp.  

I caught up with a teammate of Severyn's to get an inside look at what the Penguins should expect when he hits the ice with the Pens this weekend in St. Johns. Current Orlando Solar Bears and former Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins defenseman Cody Wild has been a teammate of Severyn's this season and the first thing he mentioned about Severyn was how good of a shot he has.

"He can bury," Wild said of Severyn, adding,"he's a big shooter and he goes to the gritty areas. A real hard worker that isn't afraid to mix up it with some physical play."

Where Severyn fits into the current battered AHL Penguins forward core remains to be seen, but a bottom-six role won't be anything new for him. If anything, it's his bread and butter.

UPDATE: #WBSPens Monday's Moves

The Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins held an optional skate today, but that doesn't mean there wasn't any news to report on. In fact, it couldn't have been a much busier day for the WBS Pens organization.

The big news coming from head coach John Hynes today is that forward Nick Drazenovic is out indefinitely after missing the last several games with an injury. Also, Dominik Uher is expected to miss two more weeks with an upper body injury after he left last Wednesday night's game after taking a puck to the face.

With four forwards already on recall to Pittsburgh (Jayson Megna, Chris Conner, Andrew Ebbett and Zach Sill), the timing of the news on Drazenovic and Uher couldn't be any worse. To counter that, the Pens were active today, bringing in two more forwards from the ECHL in addition to a new defenseman.

First, they announced the signing of Mike Carman to a standard AHL contract. Carman was previously playing on a 25-game professional tryout (PTO). In 13 games this season, Carman has tallied two goals and three assists, including a game-tying third period goal against his former team Saturday night in Hershey.

The Penguins also called up two players from Wheeling (ECHL) in forward Anton Zlobin and defenseman Harrison Ruopp.

Zlobin had been sent to Wheeling by WBS earlier this month after the Russian forward was ready to return to the ice after having offseason surgery. In nine games with Wheeling, Zlobin tallied four goals and five assists. 

Ruopp was another guy the Pens sent to Wheeling to get in some game action after recovering from an injury. The rookie defenseman has been a physical presence while in the ECHL and looks to compete in the AHL for the first time in his pro career. In nine games with the Nailers this season, Ruopp registered two assists and 21 penalty minutes.

Ruopp takes the spot of Dustin Stevenson in the AHL as the WBS Pens re-assigned Stevenson to Wheeling after he had appeared in four games with the AHL Penguins in November.

The Penguins also signed forward C.J. Severyn to a PTO today. The Pittsburgh area native had been leading the Orlando Solar Bears (ECHL) in scoring with 17 points (6G-11A) in 19 games.

Severyn was at WBS training camp so he's not unfamiliar to the system the Pens play, and with forwards Zlobin, Carter Rowney, Denver Manderson and Cody Sylvester already called up from Wheeling, the Pens decided to spare the Nailers any more depletion from their forward core.

The Penguins are scheduled to practice tomorrow and Wednesday before flying out to Newfoundland , Canada for a pair of games against the St. John's IceCaps this weekend. I'll be at practice tomorrow morning from the Toyota Sportsplex and will have an update on the new guys on the team and more sometime tomorrow afternoon.

Report Card: #WBSPens November Grades

After two months, the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins find themselves tied for first place in the East Division, but feeling the ill-effects of mid season injuries and callups and going forward will need to dig deep and get a full team effort for 60 minutes to earn victories in the near future.

The power play still needs some work and the penalty kill remains pretty good after the first quarter of the season. The AHL Penguins went 7-4-1-1 in 13 November games in large part due to some timely scoring from team captain Tom Kostopoulos and Harry Zolnierczyk.

November's Player of The Month tallied 12 points (6G-6A) in 13 games in November. He's been a leader both on and off the ice and is stepping up at the right time in the midst of callups at the forward position. The player of the month for November is...

Tom Kostopoulos – Grade A+

AHL Stats: 18GP, 8G-9A, +6, 23 PIM

November Stats: 13GP, 6G-6A, +5, 19 PIM

Team-captain Kostopoulos has been a leader both on and off the ice. His five power play goals are more than twice as many as anyone else on the roster (four others tied with two apiece). In November, he's tallied offense at nearly a point-per-game.

Grades for the rest of the team after the jump.