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At the midway point of the season, the Wilkes Barre Scranton Penguins (AHL) are 32-9 and still out in front of the entire AHL in the standings. The Pens played three games in about two and a half days over the weekend and while the road trip got off to a near perfect start, it ended on a sour note - their seven game win streak ended Sunday. But the Pens are 7-1 in games after a loss this season so hopefully the team can get back on track Wednesday when they host the Syracuse Crunch.
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A quick look at the three games played over the weekend after the jump. And be sure to keep an eye out for my WBS mid-season grades coming soon.
- Brad Thiessen earned his 3rd shutout of the season on Friday, while his counterpart Nolan Schaefer made a lot of saves to keep the game close the last two meetings between the teams.
- Geoff Walker and Brett Sterling were the goal scorers for the Pens.
- After recording only one goal in the last eight games of December, Sterling has caught fire in 2011. He's in the midst of a five game point streak, while recording a point in seven of the eight games the Pens have played in January. Sterling has three goals and five assists in that same eight-game stretch.
Saturday 1/15 @ Adirondack Phantoms: 4-2 Win
- John Curry helped the Pens to a win on Saturday and their win streak is up to seven games.
- Four different goal scorers for the Pens, but Corey Potter opened the game with his first goal of the season. Potter now has a goal and 17 assists on the season.
Sunday 1/16 @ Connecticut Whale: 6-3 Loss
- The Penguins and Whale were two teams both in the third game in three straight days, but the Penguins looked the sloppier less prepared team.
- Brad Thiessen was pulled in the first period after allowing four goals on his first 10 shots. In that first period the Whale registered two shorthanded goals, a power play goal and an even strength goal.
- Connecticut's Chad Kolarik scored both of the shorthanded goals, while also adding two assists.
- The Pens made a comeback in the second period to get to 4-3 heading into the final frame, but simply ran out gas in the tank.
Final Thoughts:
- Despite the big loss on Sunday, the Pens are still in control of their division. They lead second place Norfolk by 11 points.
- Hopefully, Andrew Hutchinson will be back in the lineup this week. The power play has struggled without him in the lineup including a 1 for 9 showing with the man advantage Sunday. Hutchinson (knee) has been out since December 17th.