AHL Game 2 Preview: Hershey @ WB/S

7:05 at Wachovia Arena
TV: AHLLive.com
Probable Goalies: Curry (WBS), Holtby (Her)

The contest begins at 7 o’clock, and can be purchased and streamed live on www.AHLLive.com.

The Pens were eliminated last season in the second round of the AHL playoffs by this very team.

Hershey’s line-up is bolstered by last year’s leading scorer Alexandre Giroux, veteran Keith Aucoin, and sophomore power forward Oskar Osala.

They also have a young goalie making his way through the system, Braden Holtby who was drafted by the Washington Capitals in the 4th round of the 2008 NHL Entry Draft. He was spectacular in his professional debut, with 23 saves on 24 shots.

The grit factor still remains within their checking lines as the likes of Steve Pinizzotto and Greg Amadio will be in the line-up as well.

For the time being, W-B/S has three possible heavyweight fighters signed – Wade Brookbank, Aaron Boogaard, and Jesse Boulerice. They have decided to go with Brookbank as their every day guy, and is the right candidate in my opinion.

Penguins head coach Todd Reirden is rotating the assistant captaincy around the room until he gets to know the group of guys a little bit better. In the home opener, Deryk Engelland, Wyatt Smith, and Chris Conner wore the A’s. Engelland is the leading candidate to receive the captain’s ‘C’.

Fun Fact: In a recent radio interview with defenseman Robert Bortuzzo, he shared that when he was a kid, his Thunder Bay team made it all the way to the Little League World Series.

John Curry is expected to start in goal for Wilkes-Barre, with Brad Thiessen backing him up from the bench.

Projected Lines…

• Tangradi – W. Smith – Conner
• Bayda – Jeffrey – Veilleux
• Caputi – Vitale – Johnson
• Brookbank – Sill – Wallace
   
• Engelland – Guenin
• Lee – Bortuzzo
• Strait – D’Aversa
   
• Curry
• Thiessen