PENGUINS WEEKLY – 1/7/25

Streaking Penguins hit the road for Canada

Wilkes-Barre/Scranton (18-8-3-0) has points in six-straight games after shutout win on Saturday

Weekly Rewind

Friday, Jan. 3 – PENGUINS 2 vs. Charlotte 3 (OT)
Another tight battle between the Penguins and Checkers ended in heartbreak for Wilkes-Barre/Scranton. The Black & Gold took a 2-0 lead on goals from Ville Koivunen and Nate Clurman, but the visitors rallied with three unanswered to steal the win.

Saturday, Jan. 4 – PENGUINS 5 vs. Hartford 0
Filip Larsson made 33 saves to record his fourth shutout of the season. Rutger McGroarty scored the team’s first two goals of the game, with Vasily Ponomarev picking up his 100^th AHL point with an assist on the latter. Ponomarev tallied a goal of his own late in the second period, followed by a pair of third-period strikes from Emil Bemström.

The Week Ahead

Wednesday, Jan. 8 – PENGUINS at Toronto
Wilkes-Barre/Scranton’s excursion to the Great White North begins with another Gruden Bowl. Last month, John Gruden’s Marlies came to NEPA and blanked the Penguins, 3-0. However, his son, Jonathan Gruden, walked away with victory when he and the Pens made their only visit to Toronto last season.

Friday, Jan. 10 – PENGUINS at Belleville
The Penguins clash with the Senators for the first time this season. Wilkes-Barre/Scranton is 3-1-0-0 all-time at CAA Arena. Belleville is only 5-6-1-2 (.464) on home ice this season, being out-scored 38-52.

Sunday, Jan. 12 – PENGUINS at Belleville
The Pens and Sens clash again on a Sunday afternoon in Ontario. This weekend serves as a mini-homecoming for Penguins forward Boko Imama, who played 53 games for the Senators last season, and Penguins head equipment manager Matt Mitchell, who spent seven seasons in Belleville.

Ice Chips

– Wilkes-Barre/Scranton is on a four-game point streak (4-0-2-0), its longest streak of the season.

– Filip Larsson is tied for the league lead with four shutouts, but he has the fewest starts among that group (10).

– Boris Katchouk has 12 points (5G-7A) in his last nine games.

– Ville Koivunen is tied for the second among rookies in power-play points (11).

– At least one rookie has scored in eight of the Pens’ last 10 games.

– Emil Bemström has four three-point games this season.

– The Penguins have out-scored opponents 29-15 (+14) in first periods this season, the best first-period goal differential in the league.

DIVISION STANDINGS

TEAM LEADERS

* = rookie
x = not on current roster

UPCOMING GAME SCHEDULE

DATE                    OPPONENT              LOCATION                                TIME        

Wed, Jan. 8        Toronto                    Coca-Cola Coliseum              7:05 p.m.

Fri, Jan. 10           Belleville                CAA Arena                                7:00 p.m.

Sun, Jan. 12         Belleville                CAA Arena                                3:00 p.m.

RECENT TRANSACTIONS

DATE                  PLAYER                                                              TRANSACTION

Sun, Dec. 29     (D) David Drake                                     Released from PTO

Wed, Jan. 1       (D) Nate Clurman                                   Reassigned by PIT

Thu, Jan. 2        (D) Chris Ortiz                                                 Signed to PTO

Fri, Jan. 3          (LW) Jagger Joshua                            Traded to Rochester

Fri, Jan. 3          (D) Colton Poolman                                   Assigned by PIT

Sun, Jan. 5        (D) Chris Ortiz                                       Released from PTO

Sun, Jan. 5        (D) Mats Lindgren                               Reassigned to WHL

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