WILKES-BARRE, Pa – The Wilkes-Barre Scranton Penguins are dreaming big, with some fresh faces and some old veterans the Penguins started this season with one thing in mind the Calder Cup. The Penguins are certainly looking to avenge their season ending second round loss to Hershey in the Calder Cup Playoffs. Right now they sit just 2 points out of first place in the always competitive east division.
The Penguins opened their season with nine prospects starting their first full professional season. They are ready to take on the AHL and should have terrific first seasons as Penguins, as long as they can get together and work as a team. Inexperience can have its problems and the Penguins can ill afford any mistakes when facing teams such as Hershey, Bridgeport, and the rest of the competitive east division. The nine players starting their first professional season are Keven Veilleux, Eric Tangradi, Casey Pierro-Zabotel, Joey Haddad, and Joe Vitale, along with, Alex Grant, Robert Bortuzzo, and Brian Strait and finally Jon D’Aversa.
The Penguins forwards are a young and energetic group that has a mix of returning players as well as new prospects, which should have no problem with secondary scoring. However the lack of experience up front can prove costly if they do not gel together. The Defense features the same mix of players that should have no problem clearing the front of the goal for the Penguins goaltending. But again experience is lacking as most of the returning starters are not there due to trades and call ups or injuries.
Goaltending is strong with the return of John Curry to the lineup for the third year and he is expected to start over thirty games for the baby Pens this year, he will be backed up by Brad Thiessen, in his first year with the organization The goaltending is strong but if injuries or call ups could easily go the way of inexperience and instability.
Another aspect of the Penguins chances is coaching after taking over for Dan Bylsma, Todd Reirden finished the 2008-09 season with a record of 14-11-1 and led the Baby Penguins to an upset victory over the Bridgeport Sound Tigers in the East Division Semifinals. The Pens also hired former coach of the US Under-18 National Team Development Program John Hynes as an assistant coach. This is the third head coach in as many years and that certainly leads to different systems, different preferences in styles, and making it harder to get it together especially younger new prospects.
The Penguins are in the always difficult east division with teams like Hershey, Bridgeport, and the like. The Penguins if they can stay healthy, and play to their potential they have a good chance to win the east and earn another trip to the Calder Cup finals and potentially win the franchise’s first Calder Cup However the season is longer than a month and the Penguins need to maintain this style until April, to see anything happen.
Contact John.Merchlinsky@prohockeynews.com
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