Penguins ready for weekend trip against Portland
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After an impressive 3-0 road victory against Lehigh Valley on Wednesday night, the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins are flying high as they prepare for back-to-back games on the road against Portland this weekend.
With the win against Lehigh Valley, the Penguins clinched a playoff spot for the 13th straight season, which is the longest current playoff streak in the AHL.
Portland is currently clinging on to the eighth and final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference with just over a week to go in the regular season. Through 70 games, the Pirates have a 37-25-7-1 record with 82 points on the season, as they are only one point up on ninth-seeded Springfield for the final spot.
The Penguins, meanwhile, are currently in the fourth seed in the Eastern Conference through 71 games with an overall record of 41-23-3-4 with 89 points, as they look to improve on their playoff positioning and ensure crucial home ice advantage in their upcoming first round playoff series. The Penguins have won both games in the season series so far against the Pirates, as they won 2-0 at home in November and bested Portland 3-0 on home ice back in February.
Wilkes-Barre/Scranton is getting contributions from all areas, including top prospect, right winger Kasperi Kapanen, who scored a goal and added an assist in his AHL debut on Wednesday.
“It’s a little different out there, just with all the forechecking and knowing where to be, but I think I got the hang of it and played really well in my first game,” Kapanen said. “I think the second game might be a little easier just knowing where to be and all the guys and coaches were really helpful out there, so I’m really grateful for that.
“I feel good and I’m really excited to play Portland in my first road trip and a chance to play back-to-back games.”
Another standout star going into the road trip is record-breaking rookie goaltender Matt Murray, who on Wednesday night notched his 12th shutout of the season, and is now only one shutout away from tying the AHL record for shutouts in a season.
Penguins coach John Hynes said he plans to split the goalie duties between Murray and Jeff Zatkoff for the two games against the Pirates this weekend.
“I think it will be a challenge facing Portland,” Murray said. “They are probably a little more desperate then we are right now, so I think that’s the challenge to try to play with more desperation then a team that is more desperate then you are.
“They’re going to be coming out hot, they are in a tight playoff race, they have a lot to play for, and we have a lot to play for with playoff positioning and we are playing for home ice.”
Hynes said he believes it will be a tough test and a good challenge playing this weekend as the Penguins look to ready themselves for playoff hockey with only five games to go in the regular season.
“We’ve had two real tough games with them this season,” Hynes said. “I think they have a very good team, tight defensively, they’re stingy, if you look how they have played of late they have a really good mix of guys. They have played solid and they’re a team that is looking to make a push not only to get into the playoffs but stay in for seeding.
“So it’s going to be a competitive weekend, tight checking, not a lot of time and space on the ice. So we’re going to have to make sure we are ready to play a real hard game.”
On the injury front, Hynes is looking forward to his top scoring rookie forward Conor Sheary, who has 20 goals this season, to returning to the active lineup this weekend. The other key Penguins who are still dealing with their injuries are not expected to be ready to be back in the lineup in Portland.
