Penguins Breaking The Ice In Win Column

Scott Reinardy
Wednesday, December 15, 1999 Page: 3B

H idden beneath the losses, the ties and hard-working performances were the
victories.

Although they made cameo appearances during the first two months of the
Penguins’ inaugural season, they never really surfaced.
Until last week. Like a phoenix, victories rose from the ashes of what was
quickly becoming a very discouraging season. After winning just two games in
the first quarter of the season, coach Glenn Patrick quipped: “If we keep
winning at this rate, we’ll have eight wins by the end of the year.”

Now we can reconfigure Patrick’s calculations. After posting three
consecutive victories last week, the Penguins could finish with eight
victories this month, and perhaps more.

In just four days, the Penguins evolved from the AHL’s doormat to a door
knocker, banging to get out of the Empire Division cellar. They are one of the
hottest teams in the league after defeating Cincinnati, Albany and Providence.
Of the three, only Albany was on a losing skid with a losing record.

Almost instantaneously, the Penguins are contenders for fourth place in the
Empire. That doesn’t sound like much, but they are only three points out of
third and eight out of second.

Still, you have to ask the question: How does a team change its fortune so
suddenly?

“We’re playing just as hard, but now we’re getting some breaks,” Patrick
says. “We’re starting to believe in ourselves.”

The winning frenzy follows the team’s worst performance of the season, a

streak, and more disappointing was how the Phantoms manhandled
Wilkes-Barre/Scranton on its home ice.

Don’t expect that to happen again when Philadelphia returns Saturday for a
rematch.

As if the Phantoms woke a sleeping giant, the Penguins have outhit,
outscored and outplayed their last three opponents. Only Kentucky has a longer
winning streak at 5-0.

“It just seems like going into every game we think we’re going to win
while earlier in the year we were wondering,” said assistant captain Chris
Kelleher. “Now it’s like, `We’re not going to lose.’ ”

The Penguins saved the best for last, beating Providence – second in the
New England Division with a 15-10-4-1 record – in overtime Saturday, 4-3.

“Against Providence, I felt the whole game that we were going to win,”
Kelleher said. “I just hope we keep it going. We’re playing great and it’s
fun around here right now.”

What might have played the biggest factor in the turnaround is chemistry.
It can’t be statistically measured, but it makes bad teams good, and good
teams great.

Throughout the winless streaks, this unit became a team. If there was
finger pointing, it never seeped into the fabric of the overall purpose of
winning.

“When we were losing, it’s not fun coming to the rink,” said captain
Tyler Wright. “I think if it wasn’t for our good chemistry, we’d still be
struggling. Good teams are made out of good chemistry. I’d take chemistry and
hard work over talent and skill any day.”

The Penguins still trail the AHL with a lousy 6-14-5-1 record. If the
playoffs began today, they would be one of three teams calling for tee times.

But the Penguins aren’t thinking about golf. They have been revitalized by
placing one good shift on top of another. Playing hard for a full 60 minutes
or more has them sitting on a foundation of victories. Now it’s time to
construct a framework that leads beyond the division basement.

“I knew we were a put-on-your-hard-hat-and-go-to-work type of team. Now
it’s starting to pay off,” Kelleher said.

Finally, this is the winning team we’ve expected to see all season.

“I didn’t think there was any reason why we couldn’t contend for the
championship,” Wright said. “All of a sudden you’re 1-13-2 and you say, `Why
are we losing?’

“We have good defense, we have probably the toughest guy in the league, we
have good forwards, and a good mix. But it’s hard to shake that losing
feeling.”

Somehow, the Penguins have. The question remains: How?

“It’s really hard to pinpoint,” Patrick said. “It’s just good that we’ve
turned it around. When you keep losing, it’s hard to turn things around, and
that was a concern.”

The Penguins have a tough three-game test again this week. Albany and
Philly come to the arena Friday and Saturday, and then the Penguins go to
Hershey on Sunday.

At any time, the good run could end, but at least now we know the Penguins
can string a few victories together. It really shouldn’t be a surprise. We had
been expecting it all season.

Scott Reinardy is the Penguins beat writer for the Times Leader. Reach him
at 831-7342 or online at [email protected] .