With the injuries mounting, Ray Shero made another call to the WBS Penguins, adding forward Tim Wallace for Sunday's game against the Washington Capitals. Wallace is no stranger to Pittsburgh; he's appeared in 17 NHL games posting two assists and a plus 2 rating in his career. Though he has mostly seen time in the AHL over the past five seasons, he has played all of his pro hockey in this organization. His 287 games with the WBS Penguins ranks him third on their all-time list.
Something not many know is that Wallace led the AHL Penguins in goals last season (27) and his 15 goals in 45 games this season rank fourth best on the team. Sliding a bit under the radar the last two seasons, Wallace has been a keystone to the Baby Pens' success. He's not the biggest guy on the ice at 6-1, 200 pounds, but he plays hard every shift and isn't afraid to take the body. He can score goals and played on both the powerplay and penalty kill. Wallace was a regular wing on Dustin Jeffrey's line in WBS so don't be surprised to see another all-WBS fourth line Sunday afternoon. Hopefully he will be able to play and help out the team much like other call-ups from WBS have done so this season.
On a side note, the WBS Pens are in the midst of their first three game losing streak of the season, falling to Syracuse 4-2 tonight. Without Jeffrey, Wallace, Eric Tangradi and Brad Thiessen it's easy to see what is causing their sudden dry spell in the win column. It will take some time to get back to winning form, but I hope the AHL Pens can find some scoring help to replace their missing gems while they help the NHL club.