PENS DROP GAME FIVE 2-1, ELIMINATED FROM PLAYOFFS

Game Sheet

WILKES-BARRE, Pa. – The Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins found themselves down early in Game 5 of the Eastern Conference Semifinal and were never able to catch up as the Manchester Monarchs took a 2-1 decision to claim the series, 4-1, and move on to the next round of the Calder Cup Playoffs.

Previously 6-0 this postseason when scoring first, the Monarchs found the back of the net just 2:01 into the opening period when Sean Backman intercepted a clearing attempt on the left wall of the Penguins zone and fed Adrian Kempe in the low slot for a quick backhand shot past goalie Matt Murray.

Though Wilkes-Barre/Scranton would have the possession advantage for the remaining time in the first, Manchester wase opportunistic in doubling its lead with 5:03 left until the first intermission.  Gathering a loose puck at center, Sean Backman drove down the far wing before dropping a pass at the faceoff dot that Nick Shore whipped inside the right post. 

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Following the goal, Jeff Zatkoff would come into the game in relief of Murray, who turned aside 4-of-6 shots. 

The 2-0 lead for Manchester held until 1:17 remained in the second as a set face-off play helped the Penguins cut the deficit in half.  After Andrew Ebbett won the draw at the left circle, Brian Dumoulin slid a pass to Conor Sheary for a wrist shot through traffic that got by Monarchs goalie Jean-Francois Berube.

That was as close as Wilkes-Barre/Scranton would get as a frantic final two minutes of regulation in the offensive zone with the extra attacker failed to net the equalizer.    

Berube made 28 saves on 29 shots to help the Monarchs reach the Conference Final for the third time in team history.  Zatkoff stopped all 22 shots he faced in relief.

BLACK AND GOLD BITS - May 12, 2015

Tom Kostopoulos (pictured) picked up his third goal of the postseason on Monday night, giving him 18 career playoff goals with the Penguins.  That goal broke a deadlock with Chris Minard for first place on the team’s all-time goals list.

Conor Sheary picked up an assist in Monday night's contest, giving him a point in each of the Pens' seven playoff games this season (4+7=11).

Sheary now has 22 playoff points (10+12=22) in 22 career playoff games with the team.

Jordan Weal’s three goal game in Game Four on Monday night was the fourth playoff hat trick allowed by the Penguins all-time:

DATE	PLAYER	OPPONENT	GOALTENDER(S)
4/27/01	Mark Greig	Philadelphia	Rich Parent
5/11/07	Scott Barney	Hershey	Nolan Schaefer
6/10/08	Jason Krog	Chicago	John Curry
5/11/15	Jordan Weal	Manchester	Murray (2)/Zatkoff (1)

The Penguins have an all-time mark of 17-8 in Game Five of a playoff series.

The Pens are 10-3 all-time in Game Five on home ice, 7-5 on the road.

The Penguins are 21-13 in elimination games, including a 14-4 mark in Wilkes-Barre.

The Penguins and Monarchs face off in Game Five tonight at 7:05pm in Wilkes-Barre.  Tickets are available at the Mohegan Sun Arena Box Office, by calling the Penguins at 570-208-7367, or online at TicketMaster.com

PENS DROP GAME FOUR, 5-2

WILKES-BARRE, Pa. – Jordan Weal netted his first pro playoff hat trick to lead the Manchester Monarchs to a 5-2 victory in Game 4 of the Eastern Conference Semifinal on Monday night at Mohegan Sun Arena at Casey Plaza.  Wilkes-Barre/Scranton trails 3-1 in the best-of-seven series and will look to stay alive with Game 5 on Tuesday.

Game Sheet

Already leading by a score of 1-0 after one period of play, Manchester broke the game open with three goals in the middle frame.  Looking to even the score with a 5-on-4 advantage in the second, the Penguins instead  found themselves down by two when a turnover in the offensive zone led to a 2-on-1 shorthanded rush that Michael Mersch completed himself at 5:45 of the period.

Weal tallied his second of the game and pushed Manchester’s lead to 3-0 with 6:03 left until the second intermission on a wrist shot from the middle blueline that got through a screen and past goalie Matt Murray.   David Van der Gulik added another marker for the Monarchs four minutes later to make it a four-goal lead for the road team.  Murray would be replaced by Jeff Zatkoff during the second intermission, having made 21 saves on 25 shots over forty minutes of play. 

Midway through the third period with Manchester on the power play, Weal completed his hat trick bid and put his team on top, 5-0, with a wrist shot from the near circle that beat Zatkoff to the blocker side.

Wilkes-Barre/Scranton got on the board at 10:58 of the third when Nick Drazenovic stripped his man of the puck between the hashmarks of the Monarchs zone and fed Tom Kostopoulos in front of the crease for the stuff shot under the pads of Jean-Francoise Berube.

Bryan Rust cut Manchester’s lead down to three just 37 seconds later, driving wide down the left wing before cutting toward the low slot and knocking in his own rebound.  Berube would keep the Penguins scoreless the rest of the way, stopping 27-of-29 shots.

For the second time in this series, the Monarchs were able strike in the opening minute of the game.  Weal was not able to match Nick Shore’s tally 18 seconds into Game 1, but he did put Manchester ahead 1-0 just 42 seconds after the opening faceoff when he swatted in a rebound from a long wrist shot by Mersch.

The Penguins and Monarchs are back on the ice for Game 5 on Tuesday, May 12 at 7:05 p.m.  Children 14 and under get in free with a paid adult ticket.  Individual tickets for all home playoff games are on sale now and available at the Mohegan Sun Arena Box Office, by calling the Penguins at 570-208-7367, or online here.

GAME FOUR BY THE NUMBER

      May 10, 2015

The Penguins have an all-time record of 15-16 in Game Four of a playoff series.
The Penguins are 8-8 in Game Four on home ice, and 7-8 in Game Four away from Wilkes-Barre.

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WHEN TRAILING 2-1
The Penguins have an all-time record of 7-6 in Game Four when trailing 2-1 in a playoff series.
The Penguins have won six of the 13 playoff series in which they have trailed 2-1.
When they have won Game Four when trailing 2-1, they have gone on to win the series five times, and dropped the series just twice.

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WHEN LOSING THE FIRST TWO
The Pens have dropped the first two games of a playoff series 12 times, and have gone on to win the series five times.  Those winning series:
2004 East Division Final vs. Bridgeport (4-3)
2005 East Division Semifinal vs. Binghamton (4-2)
2006 East Division Semifinal vs. Bridgeport (4-3)
2010 East Division Semifinal vs. Norfolk (4-2)
2013 Eastern Conference Semifinal vs. Providence (4-3)

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GAME FOUR AFTER A GAME THREE WIN
The Penguins have a record of 8-7 in Game Four after a Game Three win.

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MISCELLANEOUS NOTES
Tom Kostopoulos recorded his 17^th career playoff goal as a Penguin in the Game Three win against Manchester on Saturday night, tying Chris Minard for first place on the team’s all-time scoring list.
The top five goal scorers in Pens playoff history are:
Chris Minard – 17
Tom Kostopoulos – 17
Eric Meloche – 16
Kris Beech – 14
Milan Kraft – 14

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Conor Sheary, who leads the team with 10 points (4+6) through the first six games of the playoffs this season, has recorded 21 points (10+11) in 21 career postseason games with the Penguins.

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Tickets for Games Four and Five of the East Division Semifinals between the Penguins and Monarchs, scheduled for Monday night and Tuesday night at 7:05pm, are available at the Mohegan Sun Arena Box Office, by calling 570-208-7367, or online at TicketMaster.com.  Once again, children ages 14 and under can get in to Pens playoff games for FREE with a paid adult ticket.

GAME TWO HIGHLIGHTS AND REACTION

GAME TWO HIGHLIGHTS:


JOHN HYNES POSTGAME COMMENTS

IN GAME TWO

A few number for you ahead of tonight’s meeting between the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins and the Manchester Monarchs.

IN GAME TWO…

The Pens have an all-time record of 14-20 in Game Two of a playoff series. 

They are just 3-15 all-time in road Game Twos.

The Pens are 6-13 in Game Two following a Game One loss.

The Pens are 1-10 in Game Two on the road following a Game One loss.

The Pens lone road win in Game Two following a Game One loss came on May 2, 2012 when they defeated the St. John’s IceCaps, 3-1

The Monarchs are 7-10 all-time in Game Two of a playoff series.

The Monarchs are 5-3 in Game Two on home ice.

Manchester is 3-2 in Game Two following a Game One win.

LONGEST GAMES IN PENGUINS HISTORY

Game One on the Eastern Conference Semifinal series between the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins and the Manchester Monarchs turned into a marathon, going into a third overtime for a total game time of 104:13.  That makes the game the second longest in WBS Pens history:

LONGEST GAMES IN WILKES-BARRE/SCRANTON PENGUINS HISTORY

DATE	LENGTH	OPPONENT	GAME #	GWG	SCORE	WINNER
4/25/05	112:26	Binghamton	3	Armstrong	3-2	Penguins
5/6/15	104:13	Mancehster	1	O'Brien	4-3	Manchester
5/7/01	95:43	Hershey	2	Mathieu	2-1	Penguins
5/8/12	92:08	St. John's	5	Despres	3-2	Penguins
5/14/14	86:32	Providence	3	Despres	5-4	Penguins
5/4/07	85:57	Hershey	2	Giroux	4-3	Hershey

POSTGAME REACTION

GREETINGS FROM NEW HAMPSHIRE

Hello Pens fans, and welcome to Manchester, New Hampshire, where YOUR Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins will face off with the Manchester Monarchs in Game One of the Eastern Conference Semifinal tonight at 7pm.

The Pens posted a 3-0 sweep of they Syracuse Crunch in the first round of the Calder Cup Playoffs, advancing to the second round for the fifth consecutive season.

The Monarchs, meanwhile, jumped out to a 2-0 lead on the Portland Pirates, only to see the eighth seed win the next two games, before Manchester took Game Five, 5-3, to move on to the next round.

This is the first and last time these two clubs will meet in the Calder Cup Playoffs, as the Los Angeles Kings will move their AHL affiliate to Ontario, California next season.

Manchester had an extremely balanced attack during the regular season, featuring two of the top three scorers in the AHL (Brian O'Neill - 22+58=80 - first; Jordan Weal - 20+49=69 - third), and a stout defense that allowed just 176 goal on the season.  That's second only to the Pens (163).

Game Ones have not been nice to the Penguins over the years, a the team has gone just 15-19 in the first game of a playoff series, and just 8-11 on the road.  However, the Pens have won each of their past two Game Ones (ECF at St. John's last season; ECQF vs. Syracuse this season), and are 4-1 in their past five first games.

The Penguins carry a three-game playoff winning streak into tonight's contest.  The team record for consecutive playoff wins is six games, set from May 1, 2001 through May 17, 2001.  The Pens won Game Six of the Western Conference Semifinal vs. Philadelphia, swept the Hershey Bears in four games, and defeated the Saint John Flames in Game One of the Calder Cup Final.

REGULAR SEASON SERIES SNAPSHOT

KING PENGUIN

By Brian Coe

He’s known around these parts as ‘Mr. Penguin,’ and rightfully so.  

Tom Kostopoulos has appeared in more games (478), scored more goals (138), put up more assists (206) and recorded more points (344) than anyone to ever pull on a Pens sweater. 

The 204th overall pick in the 1999 NHL Entry Draft, Kostopoulos spent parts of his first five seasons in Wilkes-Barre, while also appearing in 79 games with the Pittsburgh Penguins.  During his first stint with Wilkes-Barre, he recorded 286 points (97+179) in 318 games, appeared in an AHL All-Star Game, led the Pens to the Calder Cup Finals twice, and endeared himself to hockey fans in the area thanks to a blue collar work ethic matched by none.

But for one season, hockey fans in Northeast Pennsylvania had to refrain from cheering for their beloved captain, and pull against the popular Penguin.

Following the 2003-04 campaign, which saw the Pens fall to the Milwaukee Admirals in the championship round, Kostopoulos signed a one-way NHL deal with the Los Angeles Kings.  He figured to compete for a full-time spot with the Kings in 2004-05, but labor unrest between the league and players’ association wiped out the entire NHL season.

But instead of sitting on his comfy contract and waiting for the lockout to come to an end, Kostopoulos asked the Kings if he could stay in game shape by suiting up for their minor league affiliate - the Manchester Monarchs.

“I wouldn’t call myself a legitimate NHL player then,” Kostopoulos said after practice on Monday.  “I was kind of in between [the NHL and AHL].  I didn’t want to be off the ice for that long.”

His short stay in New Hampshire proved to be a successful one - not only for Kostopoulos, but for the Monarchs as well.  With a team packed full of NHL talent, Manchester roared to a 51-21-4-4 mark, good for 110 points, just two fewer than the total recorded by the regular season champion Rochester Americans.

“I think we started the season 22-2 or something like that. We had a lot of talent, a lot of guys who should have been in the NHL if there was no lockout,” Kostopoulos said. 

Individually, Kostopoulos had a career year, recording 71 points (25+46) in 64 regular season games.  He ranked second on the team in assists and third in goals and points.

“We had two lines that were kind of competing with each other to be the top line,” he stated.  “It was fun, every night we would push each other.  I played with Yanick Lehoux and Noah Clarke, they were great players.  We were pushing against (Mike) Cammalleri, (Dustin) Brown and Brad Smyth.  So it was two fun lines.”

The Monarchs entered the Calder Cup Playoffs as the top seed in the Eastern Conference, but came up against a tough Providence Bruins team that featured a hot goaltender in Hannu Toivonen.  The Bruins pulled the first round upset over Manchester, 4-2, and Kostopoulos’ stay in New Hampshire came to an end.  But he has fond memories of his time in the granite state even to this day.

“My wife liked it, I liked it.  We got our dog [Charlie, a yellow lab] from there,” he said.

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The Penguins face the Manchester Monarchs in the second round of the Calder Cup Playoffs.  The series starts on the road in Manchester on Wednesday, May 6 and Thursday, May 7, before moving to Wilkes-Barre for Games 3 and 4 on Saturday, May 9 and Monday, May 11.  Game 5, if necessary, will take place in Wilkes-Barre on Tuesday, May 12.

Individual tickets for all home playoff games are on sale now and available at the Mohegan Sun Arena Box Office, by calling the Penguins at 570-208-7367, or online here.

PENS ADD FOUR FROM WHEELING

WILKES-BARRE, Pa. – The Pittsburgh Penguins have assigned goaltender Eric Hartzell and defenseman Harrison Ruopp to the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins from the Wheeling Nailers (ECHL), it was announced today.  In addition, Wilkes-Barre/Scranton has recalled defenseman Clark Seymour from loan to Wheeling.

Hartzell went 2-0-0 with a 2.92 goals against average and a .882 save percentage in two appearances this season for Wilkes-Barre/Scranton.  Currently in his second season of professional hockey, the 25-year-old also compiled a record of 17-14-1 for the Nailers, while recording a 2.75 GAA, a .914 save percentage and one shutout.  In five games during the 2015 Kelly Cup Playoffs, Hartzell was 2-2-1 with a 2.36 GAA and a .924 save percentage. 

Ruopp, a second-year pro, registered one assist and 58 penalty minutes over 30 games this season with the Nailers, while appearing in seven contests for Wilkes-Barre/Scranton.   The 22-year-old from Zehner, Saskatchewan also played in four games for Wheeling during the team’s North Division Semifinal series versus Toledo. 

Seymour, 21, notched one goal and 72 penalty minutes over 54 games with Wheeling while ranking first among team defensemen with 14 assists.  A first-year professional hailing from Brockville, Ontario, Seymour appeared in 12 contests for the Penguins, posting one assist.  He also skated in two postseason matches with the Nailers. 

In a separate transaction, the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins have signed forward Sahir Gill to a professional tryout agreement (PTO). 

Gill joins the Penguins for the second time this season.  Signed to a PTO on Dec. 4, 2014, Gill played in 12 games for Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, collecting one goal and two assists.  He also dressed for 25 games with the Hamilton Bulldogs (AHL), registering two goals, two assists and six penalty minutes. 

Gill, 23, averaged more than a point per game during the 2014-15 season the Nailers, amassing nine goals and 20 assists in 26 contests.  Gill was third on the team during the playoffs with six points (4G-2A) in seven games. 

The Penguins are in the Calder Cup Playoffs for the 13^th consecutive year – the longest active streak in the AHL – and begin their Eastern Conference Semifinal series versus the Manchester Monarchs on Wednesday, May 6 at 7:00 p.m.

Tickets for Penguins Playoff Home Games C (Saturday, May 9) and D (Monday, May 11) are available now by calling 570-208-7367 or going online to TicketMaster.com.

TALE OF THE TAPE - Pens vs. Monarchs

PENS TO FACE MONARCHS IN SECOND ROUND

WILKES-BARRE, Pa. – The Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins today announced the schedule for their best-of-seven Eastern Conference Semifinal series against the Manchester Monarchs in the 2015 Calder Cup Playoffs.

 

The full schedule is as follows: 

Game 1	Wed., May 6			W-B/Scranton at MANCHESTER						7:00 PM
Game 2	Thu., May 7			W-B/Scranton at MANCHESTER						7:00 PM
Game 3	Sat., May 9			Manchester vs. W-B/SCRANTON						7:05 PM
Game 4	Mon., May 11			Manchester vs. W-B/SCRANTON						7:05 PM
*Game 5	Tue., May 12			Manchester vs. W-B/SCRANTON						7:05 PM
*Game 6	Fri., May 15			W-B/Scranton at MANCHESTER						7:00 PM
*Game 7	Sat., May 16			W-B/Scranton at MANCHESTER						7:00 PM

* - if necessary

This will be the first-ever postseason meeting between the Penguins and Monarchs.

 

The Penguins are in the Calder Cup Playoffs for the 13^th consecutive year – the longest active streak in the AHL.  Wilkes-Barre/Scranton is the only team in the league to have reached the second round in each of the last five seasons.   

 

Tickets for Penguins Playoff Home Games C and D are available now by calling 570-208-7367 or goingonline to TicketMaster.com.

PRACTICE WITH THE PENS

The Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins swept aside the Syracuse Crunch in three games, and not await the outcome of the other Eastern Conference series to see who they will be facing in the second round of the Calder Cup Playoffs.

We may not know when our next home game will be, but we do know when you can see the team in action again.

The Pens will hold two open practices on Saturday (11:30am) and Sunday (11:15am) at the Toyota Sportsplex in Wilkes-Barre (40 Coal Street), and we are inviting everyone to come and watch the team prep for the next round.

We’re hoping that winter conditions will be in effect (inside the rink anyway) as we look to make both practices mini-whiteouts.  Wear your official Pens Whiteout T-Shirt to the practices, or purchase one at our team store, located inside the Toyota Sportsplex.  T-shirts are just $10 for short sleeved versions, or $13 for long sleeves.

And to add to the fun, we’ll have free hot dogs for everyone in attendance while the team is on the ice.

Say hi to the team, wish them well as their quest for the Calder Cup continues, pick up your tickets to second round home games (Pens reps will be on hand to take your orders) and have some fun with us at the Toyota Sportsplex this weekend.

And don't forget, tickets for second round home games are on sale now by calling the Pens at 570-208-7367 or online at http://bit.ly/WBSIndividual