Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins Ride Five-Game Heater into AHL All-Star Break
The Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins couldn’t have asked for a better sendoff into the AHL All-Star break. Winners of five straight and sitting at 32-12-2-2 on the season, the Penguins are surging at just the right time. And with a pair of home games looming post-break, they’ll look to keep the momentum rolling.
Let’s rewind the week that was - and what a week it was.
Weekly Rewind
Wednesday, Feb. 4 - Penguins 4, Hershey 1
This one was a goaltending clinic through 40 minutes, with Sergei Murashov slamming the door shut on Hershey in the first two periods. The game was scoreless heading into the third, but that’s when the floodgates opened. Wilkes-Barre/Scranton rattled off four unanswered goals, including a milestone moment for Tanner Howe - his first as a pro.
Friday, Feb. 6 - Penguins 6, Lehigh Valley 5
If you like offense, this one had it in spades. The Penguins outlasted Lehigh Valley in a wild one thanks to a monster night from Matt Dumba.
The veteran defenseman put up four points, including a hat trick - not something you see every day from the blue line. Ville Koivunen matched Dumba’s point total with a goal and three assists, while rookie Melvin Fernström made his AHL debut and chipped in two helpers.
Saturday, Feb. 7 - Penguins 4, Hershey 3 (OT)
Avery Hayes is making a habit of stealing the spotlight. Fresh off his NHL debut, Hayes returned to the AHL and promptly torched Hershey with a hat trick, including the overtime winner. The 19-year-old Fernström also found the back of the net for his first AHL goal, capping off a breakout week for the Penguins’ newest faces.
All-Star Break and Beyond
Wednesday, Feb. 11 - AHL All-Star Classic (Rockford, IL)
The league’s best gather in Rockford for the annual All-Star festivities, and the Penguins will be well represented. Forward Tristan Broz and goaltender Sergei Murashov earned the nod for the Atlantic Division squad. Murashov’s recent play - especially that lockdown performance against Hershey - makes him a name to watch in the Skills Competition and the main event.
Looking Ahead: Post-Break Matchups
**Saturday, Feb. 14 - Penguins vs.
Syracuse (6:05 p.m.) **
Call it a Valentine’s Day rematch. The Penguins already got the better of the Crunch at home two weeks ago, and they’ll look to do it again in front of the Mohegan Arena faithful. Historically, the Pens are 4-3-1-2 on Valentine’s Day - not exactly dominant, but trending in the right direction.
**Sunday, Feb. 15 - Penguins vs.
Cleveland (3:05 p.m.) **
This one’s got a little extra flair. It’s the Penguins’ second-ever Kids Takeover game, and it also marks their first meeting of the season with the Cleveland Monsters.
Cleveland’s been hot lately, going 6-1-1-0 over their last eight. Expect a fast-paced, high-energy matchup between two teams playing some of their best hockey of the year.
Ice Chips: Streaks, Standouts & Stars
- Wilkes-Barre/Scranton has been red-hot, posting an 8-1-1-0 mark in its last 10 games. During the current five-game win streak, they’ve poured in 24 goals - that’s 4.8 per game. The offense is humming.
- Avery Hayes was named Howie’s Hockey Tape/AHL Player of the Week after tallying four goals in two games - including two game-winners and that OT dagger in Hershey.
- Hayes is riding a four-game goal streak and has points in seven straight (7G, 2A). He’s playing with confidence and a scorer’s touch that’s hard to ignore.
- Gabe Klassen is quietly putting together a career-best six-game point streak of his own (2G, 5A), providing steady production in the middle of the lineup.
- Matt Dumba, last week’s AHL Player of the Week, is still cooking. He’s racked up 12 points (4G, 8A) over his last five games. That’s elite-level production from the back end.
Roster Moves Recap
The Penguins were busy leading up to the break, with a flurry of transactions:
- Melvin Fernström was assigned from Pittsburgh and made an immediate impact with two assists and his first AHL goal.
- Avery Hayes bounced up to Pittsburgh and back down again - and didn’t miss a beat.
- Rutger McGroarty also returned from Pittsburgh, adding more offensive punch to the lineup.
- Several young players, including Brayden Edwards, Zach Urdahl, and Daniel Laatsch, were reassigned to the WHL to continue their development.
The Penguins are rolling, plain and simple. With stars shining, rookies stepping up, and the team clicking on both ends of the ice, Wilkes-Barre/Scranton is poised to make noise in the second half of the season. If the first 48 games were any indication, this group isn’t just winning - they’re building something special.