Penguins Shutout By Crunch, Lindback Shines in Return to AHL

The Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins fell behind early and couldn't get one past Syracuse Crunch goaltender Anders Lindback as the Crunch shut out the Penguins 4-0.

Lindback, on a conditioning stint from the NHL's Tampa Bay Lightning, showed why he hasn't played in the AHL since the 2011-12 season with Milwaukee, stopping all 30 shots he faced to pick up the shutout.

"The best part about [Lindback's] game tonight was puck handling in the way he gets out of the net and handles the puck. He calmed everything down for us, especially in the third period," Crunch head coach Rob Zettler said, who added he plans to start Cedric Desjardins in net tomorrow and go back to Lindback on Sunday.

Big win for the Crunch, who have now won three in a row and look to join the race for the postseason. The Penguins loss sets up a big Saturday evening game in Atlantic City against the Albany Devils.

Penguins Snap Six-Game Losing Skid With Win Over Hershey

Andrew Ebbett puts back his own rebound for a third period power play goal. It was Ebbett's ninth goal of the season. Photo credit: @ItsJacki.

The Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins broke their six-game win-less streak and it couldn't have come at a better time, beating the Hershey Bears with a four-goal third period in a 6-5 win. The Penguins win moves them into 6th place in the conference and they also leapfrog the Bears and Norfolk Admirals for 2nd place in the East Division.

Tonight, it was the fourth line pacing the Penguins through the first two periods in a 2-2 game. Mike Carman and Bobby Farnham scored in the first and second period, respectively, and the Penguins special teams got the job done in the third period, scoring a shorthanded goal and two power play goals, holding off the Bears late push.

Spencer Machacek added a pair of goals tonight, his 5th and 6th of the season with the Penguins in just his 7th game in a WBS uniform. His second of the night with 7:36 left in regulation proved to be the game winner.

Interesting move by WBS head coach John Hynes with 9:59 left, pulling Eric Hartzell after he allowed his 4th goal on 14 shots and giving the game to Jeff Deslauriers, who stopped three of four shots in the final half of the third period to pick up the win. Coming off an AHL goalie of the month award for January (which he was formally awarded before tonight's game), Hartzell has now been pulled in four of his last six starts.

The Penguins travel to Syracuse for a Friday night game against another East Division opponent in the Crunch.

#AHL Game Preview: #WBSPens Host Hershey Bears In Final Regular Season Meeting

Denver Manderson (pictured above) along with Barry Goers were added to the WBS roster this week from Wheeling. Photo credit: @ItsJacki.

Certainly a lot on the line in the 12th and final regular season meeting between East Division rivals Hershey Bears (29-18-3-3) and Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins (28-19-3-4) at the Mohegan Sun Arena at Casey Plaza tonight at 7:05 p.m. EST.

After going 5-0-1 in the first six meetings against the Bears, the Penguins haven't fared well against their East Division rival. The Bears have won the last five meetings between the two teams and no matter what side you look at it from (Bears are 6-4-0-1 against the Penguins or the Penguins are 5-3-2-1 against the Bears) its pretty even.

Follow all of tonight's action on Twitter with in-game updates on @H_P_Hockey. Check back shortly following the conclusion of the game for a recap of events on Highland Park Hockey: The Town & Country Gazette's source for American Hockey League Coverage.

A stab at lines, the expected goaltenders and a look at the two teams after the jump.

Penguins Fall to Bruins In Shootout

Penguins let third period lead slip again. Photo credit: @ItsJacki

The Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins let an early 3-2 lead in the third period slip and end up falling 4-3 in a shootout to the Providence Bruins tonight. The Pens pick up a point in the standings and move up to 8th in the Eastern Conference, but are now winless in their last six games (0-3-2-1).

Spencer Machacek has sparked the WBS offense upon his arrival. Machacek scored two goals tonight, including the go-ahead goal 0:33 into the third period, before Providence's Justin Florek tied the game at 3-3 to get it to overtime. Machacek has five points (4G-1A) in six games with the Penguins since coming over in the trade that sent Paul Thompson to the Springfield Falcons.

The Penguins shootout loss, paired with a Norfolk regulation loss to Albany, moves the Penguins into third place in the East Division. The Pens are back in the playoffs at 8th in the conference, but with several games coming up against those in the standings with them, they'll be looking for two points and wins in regulation. Next up for the Penguins is an East Division match up with the Hershey Bears on Tuesday night.

Quick recap of events after the jump.

#AHL Game Preview: Phantoms Host Bridgeport in Philadelphia

The Adirondack Phantoms (22-26-0-3) will look to use a big crowd at the home of the Philadelphia Flyers, Wells Fargo Center, to end a seven game losing skid (0-6-0-1) game skid and make a push toward the Eastern Conference playoff race.

To do so they'll need a victory tonight over division rival Bridgeport Sound Tigers (23-24-1-4), who enters tonight's 7:30 p.m. EST contest four points ahead of the Phantoms in the Northeast Division.

For all the latest on tonight's AHL action from Philadelphia, follow along on Twitter (@H_P_Hockey) and check back here shortly after for a recap of the game. A closer look at the two teams after the jump.

Penalties Prolong Penguins Skid

The Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins lost their fifth straight game tonight, a 4-3 overtime decision to the Binghamton Senators, in a kind of loss that frustrates Penguins fans and players alike.

The Pens held a 3-2 advantage heading into the third period only to take three third period penalties and have the BSens score on two of them, the second coming 30 seconds into overtime to seal the Pens' fate.

The Penguins will look to avoid a sixth straight loss Saturday night against another team in the playoff picture in the Eastern Conference in the Providence Bruins.

Payerl Plays Way To Top Line, Pens Fall 3-1 To Hershey

Adam Payerl's hard skating and good efforts returning to the WBS lineup haven't gone unnoticed. Payerl was on WBS top line tonight.

After a scoreless first 40 minutes of hockey between the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins and Hershey Bears, the two teams combined for four goals in an eventful third period. The Pens have been a third period team much of the season but unfortunately for the Pens, three of the four third period goals went to Hershey, giving the Bears a 3-1 win.

The Penguins entered the weekend in 2nd place in the East Division. They lose three straight games this weekend in regulation for the first time all season and have dropped to 4th place in the East Division and are now one of the bubble teams in the Eastern Conference playoff race. The Pens are winless in their last four games (0-3-1-0) and now sit in 7th in the conference, just one point ahead of 8th place St. John's and 9th place Albany.

Gone In Sixty Seconds: Hershey Holds Off Penguins Late Rally

Tom Kuhnhackl has found himself a healthy scratch in back-to-back games this weekend.

In a game controlled for the most part by the Hershey Bears, the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins comeback falls short and the Bears escape with a wild 5-4 win over the Penguins. With the win, the Bears move up to 2nd place in the East Division.

The loss by the Penguins coupled with a Norfolk Admirals win over Syracuse tonight, drops the Pens from 2nd back to 4th place in the division with a rematch against Hershey tomorrow afternoon in Wilkes-Barre.

Trailing 5-1 with 7:08 left in regulation, Nick Drazenovic to a behind the net feed from Tom Kostopoulos and snapped a puck over Philipp Grubauer's right shoulder to cut the lead to 5-2.

The Bears took consecutive minor penalties 13 seconds apart and on the ensuing two-man advantage Kostopoulos fed a cross-ice pass to an open Brian Gibbons, who one-timed a puck into the back of the net on a set back-door type play to bring the Penguins within two.

Jayson Megna scored a goal from a bad angle on Grubauer with the extra attacker pulled to make it a one goal game with 16.6 seconds left but it was too little too late for the Penguins, who drop their second game of the weekend.

One thing to note: Eric Hartzell appeared to have sustained a lower body injury midway through the third. He stayed in the game initially after he made an awkward save, but later took himself out of then game. Jeff Deslauriers came on to replace Hartzell and finished the game in the WBS net.

BSens Pick Apart Pens Penalty Kill In 6-2 Win

Coming off the AHL All-Star break, the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins put themselves in an early hole against the Binghamton Senators and were never able to recover, dropping a 6-2 decision to their East Division rival on a night where first place was on the line.

The BSens high powered offense picked up where it left off before the break, tallying four first period goals a lopsided victory for the home team. Mike Hoffman tallied three points (2G-1A), while Andre Petersson and Stephane Da Costa each added two assists. Goaltender Andrew Hammond had arguably his best game in a BSens uniform, stopping 33 of 35 shots.

The Penguins have less than 24 hours to get ready for another road game against another East Division opponent in the Hershey Bears at Giant Center. After a game like this, I'm sure the Pens will come out with a chip on their shoulder tomorrow.

#AHL Game Preview: Reloaded/Recharged, #WBSPens Take on Division-Leading Binghamton

A mid-season showdown between the WBS Pens and BSens tonight.

The top two teams in the American Hockey League's (AHL) East Division battle for first place at the Broome County Veterans Memorial Arena tonight when the Binghamton Senators (BSens) host the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins (WBS) at 7:00 p.m. EST.

It's the first game back after the AHL All-Star break, which saw the AHL All-Stars and Swedish Hockey League's Farjestad BK compete in a skills competition and game Tuesday and Wednesday night.

The Penguins are coming off a three game weekend last week which saw them get five out of a possible six points, with wins over Portland and Adirondack on Friday and Saturday and an overtime loss on Sunday to the Hershey Bears.

The Senators come into tonight's game looking for a fresh start post All-Star break, having lost three of their previous four games including a 5-4 overtime loss to the Hamilton Bulldogs in their last game before the break last Saturday.

The Pens (28-16-2-3) trail the BSens (29-15-1-3) by one point for first place in the division, and with a regulation win, could be the top team in the East Division and third best in the Eastern Conference. A regulation loss by the Penguins would put them three points back in the division with one more game played and in a dog fight with six teams battling for the 4-8th seed in the conference. It's a big game for both teams in what you can call the proverbial mid-season showdown.

You can follow tonight's action live with in-game updates on Twitter (@H_P_Hockey or on the left hand column of this page). Check back shortly after the game with a recap of all the action.

A deeper look into both teams, with expected starting goaltenders and lineups, team and individual statistics and more after the jump.

The AHL Puts On "All-Star" Performance in St. John's

WBS Penguins' AHL All-Star forward Brian Gibbons waves to the crowd during his player introduction at tonight's pregame. Photo credit: @dwancherry

The American Hockey League hosted their 2014 AHL All-Star event this season with a twist, bringing in Farjestad BK from the Swedish Hockey League for a skills competition and game. The AHL's best used a strong first period to gain an early lead en route to a 7-2 win over FBK in the first ever international exhibition match between a Swedish pro team and AHL built roster.

Binghamton Senators forward Mike Hoffman (1G-2A) and Rockford Icehogs' Brandon Pirri (2G-1A) led the way for the AHL's All-Stars, connecting three times throughout the game and taking home "Player of the Game" and "MVP" honors, respectively.

Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins forward Brian Gibbons showcased his best attributes tonight, twice forcing turnovers in the FBK defensive zone with his speed and tenacity on the forecheck and setting up Bridgeport Sound Tigers' Ryan Strome for goals. Gibbons finished with two assists and a plus two rating.

The AHL resumes their regular season schedule this weekend, while Farjestad BK travels to Toronto for one more exhibition match this weekend against the AHL's Toronto Marlies.

Some highlights from SendtoNews, which I have recently discovered I can embed onto the website.



Quick recap after the jump.

#AHL All-Star Game Preview: AHL's Best Take On Farjestad BK (SHL)

Photo from the Twitter page of former Farjestad BK and WBS Penguins forward Devin DiDiomete.

I know the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins connection is an obscure one, as Devin DiDiomete played two games for the AHL Penguins and two more for the ECHL Wheeling Nailers back in the 2011-12 season, but DiDiomete did start this season with tonight's opponent for the American League (AHL) All-Stars in an interesting game for one of the league's premier events. I have a better WBS connection further down this post.
 
The AHL All-Stars take on Farjestad BK, a team from the Swedish Hockey League's highest level (SHL) tonight at 6:30 p.m. EST. at the Mile One Centre in St. John's, Newfoundland in northeast Canada.

It is the first time that a team from Sweden has competed against a team from North America and while typical AHL All-Star games usually aren't known for their defense or physical play (and NHL ones for that matter), tonight's game will likely resemble, at least closely, an actual competitive hockey game between two teams that want to win for the pride of being an athlete and a competitor.

That sentiment was mimicked by Syracuse head coach Rob Zettler, who along with Grand Rapids head coach Jeff Blashill, will coach the AHL All-Stars against Farjestad. Zettler's quote comes from the AHL's press release on the event.

“It’s a great opportunity for these kids to showcase their talents, but the biggest thing we want is to go in thinking that this is a competitive game,” said Zettler. “It’s not a typical All-Star game where guys are doing a lot of fancy one-on-one skill stuff. We hope to see some of that, but we hope to see it within the team game.”

That is reason enough for you to be intrigued to watch tonight's game, which will be aired live on numerous television networks across North America. A list of those providing both live coverage and re-airing of the game was provided here on the AHL's official website.

After the jump, a look at the story of the 16-year-old defenseman from Farjestad BK that really impressed me in last night's skills competition, Oliver Kylington, with some insights from a very helpful and passionate FBK fan.

Also, I chatted with former WBS Penguins forward Chad Kolarik about today's All-Star Game and about the AHL's opponent, who Kolarik has played against this season as a member of Linkoping (SHL). A look at three players from Farjestad Kolarik said to keep an eye on besides the 16-year-old Kylington.

AHL All-Stars Take Skills Competition In Thrilling Fashion

A photo of the awards ceremony after tonight's AHL All-Stars Skills Competition. Photo credit: @dwancherry

The American Hockey League's (AHL) best took to the ice at Mile One Centre in St. John's, Newfoundland for the AHL's annual Skills Competition against Farjestad BK (FBK), a team from the Swedish League. If tomorrow's game is anywhere near as competitive and thrilling like tonight's Skills Competition was, get ready for some good hockey to be on display.

While FBK held a two goal advantage heading into the final event of the night, the breakaway relay, hometown favorite and AHL All-Stars captain Jason Jaffray stole the spotlight. Jaffray tied the competition on the last shot of the last event, and later won the Skills Competition in the third round of the sudden death tie-breaker, giving the AHL All Stars the 18-17 win. The AHL All-Star Game is tomorrow night at 6:30 p.m. EST.

A full list of how tonight's events went here. A quick recap of notable highlights below.

The Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins were represented by Brian Gibbons, and the Pens forward did not disappoint. He participated in the fastest skater competition and his time of 14.350 seconds was the third best time overall, and second best on the AHL team to winner Mike Hoffman of the Binghamton Senators (13.990). An interesting note on Hoffman, who's bold strategy of diving forward at the finish line might've tricked the clock.

Other highlights included Magnus Nygren's shot in the hardest shot competition. His shot of 104.6 mph broke the old AHL hardest shot record held by Mark Mancari. Nygren also shared the lead in the accuracy shooting contest, going 4-for-6.

I was also very impressed by 16-year-old Oliver Kylington of FBK, who won a 1-on-1 race in the puck control relay and scored an impressive goal in the breakaway relay. His skating ability and puck handling skills should be fun to watch in a game-setting tomorrow night.

The breakaway relay had some impressive shooters too, most notably Toronto Marlies defenseman T.J. Brennan and FBK's Charles Bertrand. I'll look for a video replay of their shot attempts and post those shortly. Video of Bertrand's goal starts at the 1:03 mark of this highlight package from SendtoNews:



The AHL All-Stars face a tough task in tomorrow night's game against Farjestad BK, as the visitors from Sweden certainly have the edge in team-chemistry playing together as a team this season. I'll be watching tomorrow night's AHL All-Star Game and have some in-game updates/insights/analysis on Twitter.

Penguins Comeback Halted by Hershey

Bobby Farnham tied the game late in the 3rd period, sending this evening's game to overtime.

Bobby Farnham tied the game at 3-3 with 3:11 left in regulation to send it to overtime, but it was Dustin Gazley with the game-winning goal 47 seconds into overtime as the Hershey Bears defeated the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins for the fourth straight time this season. The Bears have now won 11 in a row at home in Giant Center.

The Penguins pick up one point in the standings, moving within one point of East Division-leading Binghamton, heading into the American Hockey League (AHL) all-star break. The Penguins are off until a Valentines Day Friday night showdown with Binghamton.

AHL Game Preview: Penguins Finish Three-Game Weekend in Hershey

The Penguins look to finish the weekend strong with a win over their biggest rival.

The Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins (28-16-1-3) finish off a three games in three nights weekend at the Giant Center in Hershey for a Sunday evening showdown with their biggest rival, the Hershey Bears (25-16-3-3). 

This is the ninth of 12 scheduled meetings between the two teams. The Penguins own the season series at 5-1-1-1, but the Bears have won three out of the last four meetings including the last three played in Giant Center.

Puck drops tonight at 5:00 p.m. EST. For all the latest on today's action from Giant Center, follow along on Twitter (@H_P_Hockey), now conveniently placed on the left hand column of the Highland Park Hockey web page so those who don't use Twitter can still follow the game.

Penguins Edge Phantoms 3-2

Mike Carman scored what proved to be the game-winning goal (pictured above) early in the third period. Photo credit: @ItsJacki

The Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins and Adirondack Phantoms battled down to the final seconds of tonight's game, and a successful penalty kill by the Penguins in the final 1:28 of regulation proved to be the difference in a 3-2 win.

Jayson Megna and Brian Gibbons did not play tonight, but Harry Zolnierczyk did and was a difference maker for the Penguins, tallying a goal and an assist. Nick Drazenovic also tallied a goal and an assist, while Mike Carman's 3rd period goal proved to be the game winner.

This was the final regular season meeting between the Penguins and Phantoms in what could be the last time these two franchises play against each other. The Adirondack Phantoms are re-locating to Allentown and will play as the Lehigh Valley Phantoms in the 2014-15 season.

The Penguins conclude a three-in-three weekend with a 5:00 p.m. EST face-off at Giant Center tomorrow evening with the Hershey Bears.

AHL Game Preview: Penguins Host Adirondack Phantoms

The Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins host the Adirondack Phantoms tonight at 7:05 p.m. EST.

By The Numbers

WBS: 27-16-1-3, 58 points, Second Place East Division (4th - East)
Last Ten Games: 5-5-0-0

ADK: 22-21-0-2, 46 points, Third Place Northeast Division (11th - East)
Last Ten Games: 3-7-0-0

WBS Leading Scorers: Tom Kostopoulos (17G-14A), Brian Gibbons (9G-18A), Harry Zolnierczyk (14G-11A)

ADK Leading Scorers: Jason Akeson (16G-26A), Kris Newbury (12G-18A), Tye McGinn (13G-10A)

Highland Park Hockey's Morning Skate: Friday's Recaps & Saturday's Schedule 2/8

Could Pierre-Luc Leblond and Zach Fitzgerald rematch this fight from earlier this season tonight?

Writers Note: In an attempt to better incorporate a broad scope of the American Hockey League (AHL) in my coverage to increase awareness of notable league-wide happenings moving forward, take a look at a new feature I plan on using on a regular basis in the very near future. Let me know your thoughts in the comments at the bottom of the article.

Friday Night Round Up

Wilkes-Barre/Scranton - 5, Portland - 1

Wilkes-Barre - The Penguins broke open a tied game early in the third period, scoring four goals in the first 8:47 of the final frame en route to a convincing 5-1 win over the Portland Pirates.

Andrew Ebbett, in his first game back with the AHL Penguins, scored two goals and assisted on another in the win. Newly acquired forward Spencer Machacek scored his first goal as a Penguin in his WBS debut. Eric Hartzell, who started his 6th straight game in net for the Pens, stopped 12 of the 13 shots he faced to improve to 10-5-1 on the season.

Next up for the Penguins is a home game Saturday with the Adirondack Phantoms before traveling to Hershey to take on the Bears at 5:00 p.m. EST on Sunday. The Pirates take on Hershey at the Giant Center on Saturday night to finish their weekend.

Strong Third Period Propels Penguins to 5-1 Win Over Portland

Carter Rowney scored his first goal as a Penguin late in the first period to give Pens a 1-0 lead. Photo credit: @ItsJacki

The Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins broke open a tied game early in the third period, scoring four goals in the first 8:47 of the final frame en route to a convincing 5-1 win over the Portland Pirates.

Andrew Ebbett, in his first game back with the AHL Penguins, scored two goals and assisted on another in the win. Newly acquired forward Spencer Machacek scored his first goal as a Penguin in his WBS debut. Eric Hartzell, who started his 6th straight game in net for the Pens, stopped 12 of the 13 shots he faced to improve to 10-5-1 on the season.

Next up for the Penguins is a home game tomorrow with the Adirondack Phantoms before traveling to Hershey to take on the Bears at 5:00 p.m. EST on Sunday.

AHL Game Preview: New Look Penguins Host Portland Pirates

Photo credit: Ron Morin/Portland Pirates

The Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins (26-16-1-3) continue their five-game home stand this weekend, starting tonight with a 7:05 p.m. EST match up with the Portland Pirates (17-19-2-7), top minor league affiliate of the Phoenix Coyotes.

The Penguins (WBS) are coming off back-to-back regulation losses for just the second time this season, including a 4-0 shutout loss to Rochester their last time out. They look to right the ship and pick up two points tonight with their game in hand on division-leading Binghamton.

The Pirates (POR) started off a four-game road trip Wednesday with a convincing 5-1 win over the Binghamton Senators, and look to continue their winning ways against another East Division opponent in the Penguins tonight.

As always, live in-game coverage of tonight's American Hockey League action between the Penguins and Pirates can be found on Highland Park Hockey's Twitter feed, starting with the pregame warm up skate around 6:15 p.m. EST. Don't have Twitter? Follow along on this website now with Twitter updates on the left column of the webpage.

Check back shortly after tonight's game for the recap. More pregame news and notes after the jump.

Penguins Acquire Spencer Machacek from Columbus

Paul Thompson sent to the Columbus Blue Jackets in return for Spencer Machacek. Photo credit: Amy's WBS Penguins Picture Page.

The Pittsburgh Penguins have announced they've acquired forward Spencer Machacek from the Columbus Blue Jackets in exchange for forward Paul Thompson. Machacek is set to become a restricted free agent after this season.

AHL Monthly WBS Penguins Prospects Report - January Grades

The AHL affiliate's attention to team defense is a big reason for their current standing as a playoff team in the Eastern Conference. Photo credit: @ItsJacki

*Editor's Note: For the sake of confusion and taking one game off of every players season totals, the February 1st loss to Rochester is included in every players season statistics when mentioned in this article.

After four months (and one day*) of the 2013-14 regular season, the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins (AHL) have played 46 games. With a record of 26-16-1-3, good for 2nd place in the East Division and 5th best in the Eastern Conference, the Penguins are still in the thick of things heading into the final 12 weeks of the season.

January saw the WBS Penguins start to get some bodies back, with Harry Zolnierczyk and Brian Dumoulin returned from Pittsburgh. Subsequently, it spelled re-assignments of defensemen Peter Merth and Nick D'Agostino and forwards C.J. Severyn and Cody Sylvester.

Nick Drazenovic and Pierre-Luc Leblond got their first NHL recalls of the season in the first month of the 2014 calendar year, each appearing in one game and being held scoreless. January also saw the suspension to goaltender Peter Mannino lifted as he reported to Wheeling in mid-January.

With 30 games left, and the team in the midst of several sets of three game weekends, points in the standings are at a premium with so many teams pushing for the postseason.

Highland Park Hockey's Player of the Month

Every month, I compile a look at how every player on the team performed and offer insights to what each player has done over the course of the month.  I choose one player who has performed well in the last month and feature him on the main page and "tag" him as HP Hockey's Player of the Month.

January's player of the month is...

Penguins Shutout 4-0 By Rochester

Buffalo Sabres prospects in Rochester impressive in tonight's shutout victory.

The Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins fell behind early and couldn't get one past Rochester Americans goaltender Nathan Lieuwen in a 4-0 home loss Saturday night.

With back-to-back losses on the weekend for the Penguins and a pair of wins by Norfolk, who beat Syracuse 3-2 in a shootout tonight, the Admirals leapfrog the Penguins for 2nd place in the East Division standings.

The Penguins continue their five-game home stand on Friday night, when the Portland Pirates come to Mohegan Sun Arena for a 7:05 p.m. EST face-off.