AHL Game 1 Preview: Syracuse vs. WB/S

Eric Politowski | WBS "Baby" Penguins

Oct 3, 01:50 PM | Hype this story!
Syracuse Crunch
Series – 0 GP
W L OTL Pts.
0 0 0 0
 
W-B/S Penguins
Series – 0 GP
Pts. W L OTL
0 0 0 0

7:05 at Wachovia Arena
TV: AHLLive.com, My Network (WQMY-Wilkes-Barre)
Radio: 102.3, The Mountain
Probable Goalies: Curry (WBS), LaCosta (Syr)
 
Inside The Game
“Where Champions Are Born.”

Wilkes-Bare/Scranton is where you want to be if you’re playing in the AHL. It is considered around the league as the closest comparison to an NHL environment as there is. And this is where the future Pittsburgh Penguins will develop. This season brings a whole new attitude, replacing career AHL’ers with young, poised, promising prospects.

The Baby Pens open up their regular season play tonight against the chippy, gritty Syracuse Crunch team (affiliate of the Columbus Blue Jackets).

You can tune in to the game via online radio at 102.3, The Mountain or you can watch a live video stream online via www.AHLLive.com. If you are attending the game, the first 5,000 fans will receive a Pens logo car magnet.

Unlike the parent Pittsburgh squad, the Baby Pens have a very new look throughout their line-up. Gone from last year’s team are Janne Pesonen, Jeff Taffe, Chris Minard, Connor James, Tommy Goebel, Adam Henrich, Dave Gove, J-M Daoust, Bill Thomas, J-P Cote, Joey Mormina, Andy Wozniewski, and Dave Brown. The Penguins brass had hopes of returning fan favorite tough guy Paul Bissonnette to North Eastern PA, but the Phoenix Coyotes have claimed him on waivers. It has been noted that he will be given the role of their fourth line NHL enforcer.

Returning from last year’s roster are Mark Letestu, Luca Caputi, Dustin Jeffrey, Ben Lovejoy, Nick Johnson, Jon D’Aversa, Tim Wallace, Deryk Engelland, Joe Vitale, Aaron Boogaard, John Curry, and Adam Berkhoel.

They will be joined with the new faces on the team – Number one prospect Eric Tangradi, Wyatt Smith, Chris Conner, Wade Brookbank, Zach Sill, Keven Veilleux, Joey Haddad. To add, Konstantin Pushkarev and Jesse Boulerice have signed 25 game PTO’s with the team.

Projected Lines…
  • Tangradi – W. Smith – Conner
  • Caputi – Jeffrey – Johnson
  • Pushkarev – Vitale – Wallace
  • Brookbank – Sill – Veilleux
     
  • Engelland – Guenin
  • Lee – Bortuzzo
  • Strait – D’Aversa
     
  • Curry
  • Thiessen
 
2009 Team Leaders
  Stat Penguins   Stat Crunch
Goals 34 Minard* Goals 22 Picard, MacKenzie
Assists 50 Taffe*, Pesonen* Assists 47 York*
Points 82 Pesonen* Points 58 York*
+/- +42 Lovejoy +/- +13 Sigalet
PIMs 176 Bissonnette* PIMs 227 Mirasty
Wins 33 Curry Wins 19 LaCosta
GAA 2.38 Curry GAA 2.79 LaCosta
Sv% .916 Curry Sv% .913 LaCosta

*Notifies not part of the current team
 
Injuries/Suspensions
Penguins Injury Status
Berkhoel, DTD
Bayda, DTD
Lovejoy, IR
Letestu, IR		 Knee
Nagging injuries
Shoulder surgery
Knee surgery		 Doubtful
Questionable
Out indefinitely
Out indefinitely
Crunch Injury Status
- - -
     
Note: Info up-to-date as of 12:44 pm, Saturday, October 3, 2009.

Comments

  1. bag o' pucks

    Oct 3, 03:49 PM

    I’d prefer to see Veilleux and Wallace switched but, hey, Reirden didn’t ask me. I know, shocker.

  2. Eric Politowski

    Oct 3, 04:44 PM

    those lines aren’t set in stone. I’m sure they’ll be different..

  3. Matt Bodenschatz

    Oct 3, 05:47 PM

    Eric, very nice! I hope you’ll keep with this all season!

  4. Eric Politowski

    Oct 3, 07:08 PM

    thanks Matt, between Zach B and I we should be able to cover all the games..

  5. Dabich

    Oct 5, 09:22 AM

    Great job. I’m late commenting, was busy all weekend. These guys are the Pens’ future. Keep up the good work, Eric!

Commenting is closed for this article.