Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins

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Saturday, January 31, 2015

Kostopoulos, Penguins ground Falcons

Staff report Citizens Voice
January 31, 2015
Earlier this week, Tom Kostopoulos captained the Eastern Conference in the
highest-scoring AHL all-star game in league history.
On Friday, he brought a little bit of that high-octane offense back to the
regular season with him.
Kostopoulos had a goal and an assist before the game was 15 minutes old,
leading the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins to a decisive 5-0 victory over the
Springfield Falcons.
Conor Sheary and Bryan Rust also had a goal and an assist for the Penguins,
who did not let a four-day all-star break stop their momentum. Theyve now
won four in a row.
Rookie goalie Matt Murray continued his strong play as well, stopping 28
shots to win for the sixth time in his last seven starts. Since Dec. 28, Murray
has a 1.17 goals-against average, .956 save percentage and two shutouts.
The Penguins were particularly sharp in the first period, especially on the
power play, finishing three chances on Springfield goalie Oscar Dansk.
They scored on their first power-play chance of the game when Rust took a
shot from the right point, Kostopoulos tipped it in on net and Jayson Megna
backhanded in the rebound at 6:54.
They upped their lead to 2-0 on a quick transition play less than seven
minutes later. Taylor Chorney and Sheary made quick passes to set up Nick
Drazenovic and Kostopoulos for a two-on-one break. Kostopoulos finished it
at 13:19.
Finally, the Penguins converted again on their second power-play chance of
the game when Chorney scored on a shot from the top of the right faceoff
circle past a Tom Kuhnhackl screen at 17:20.
Buoyed by a three-goal first period, the Penguins turned on the skill to score
twice more in the second.

First, all-star Derrick Pouliot threaded a long cross-ice pass from the left wing
to Sheary at the bottom of the right faceoff circle for a shot and a goal at
8:55.
Less than two minutes later, Rust took a pass as he crossed the blue line,
flew past defenseman Nathan Oystrick and beat Dansk to make it 5-0.
Dansk was pulled having stopped 12-of-17 shots and was replaced by former
Penguins goaltender Scott Munroe.
He fared better than Dansk, stopping all 10 shots he faced, but the outcome
had been decided by that point.
In the third period, all that was left to determine was whether Murray would
get his fourth shutout of the season. He did, stopping all nine shots he faced
in the final period.

Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins stay hot in 5-0 win over Springfield

Falcons
By Fran Sypek For Times Leader
January 31, 2015
SPRINGFIELD, Mass. Playing with the same measure of confidence they
displayed before the All-Star break, the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins
picked right up where they left off.
The Penguins won their fourth straight game, a 5-0 American Hockey League
decision over the slumping Springfield Falcons Friday night at the
MassMutual Center.
A pair of power-play goals sparked a first-period surge that saw the Penguins
vault to a 3-0 lead over the Falcons, who are winless in their last five games
(0-4-1-0). The Penguins were sharp defensively and received outstanding
goaltending again from Matt Murray.
We had a strong work ethic against a strong Springfield team, Penguins
coach John Hynes said. We struggled prior to the break (before winning
three straight) and we felt we had to get back to a foundation of the way we
want to play. The last two days we spent a lot of time working on why we had
success.
Murray, who has filled in admirably for the injured Jeff Zatkoff, finished with
28 saves for his fourth shutout. Depth at such a key position has been key for
the Penguins and Murray has collected all four victories during the streak.
Another plus was the way the Penguins attacked rookie goalie Oscar Dansk.
With Anton Forsberg on recall to Columbus, the Falcons are without a player
who was instrumental in their first half success.
The Penguins made things difficult for Dansk by jamming the front of the net.
They were relentless on the power play and set up screen shots.
Murray was at his best during the second period when he stopped all 13
Springfield shots.

They put some hard pressure on us and Matt made some good saves,
Hynes said. This is the second time this season hes had a chance to carry
the load and hes done a good job.
Zatkoff has been cleared to play and could return either tonight or on
Tuesday for the rematch with Springfield.
Murray is just happy to make the most of whatever opportunity comes his
way.
I just want to play well whenever Im out there, he said.
The Penguins negated both Falcons power plays.
Killing off that four-minute power play was key, Murray said. If they
scored, they could have been right back in the game
The third goal came when former Falcon Taylor Chorney flicked a shot
through a maze of players that Dansk never saw. The Penguins have scored
four power-play goals in their two wins over the Falcons.
The Falcons did produce some scoring chances as they desperately tried to
climb back into the game. But Murray wouldnt let them.
Moments after he denied Marko Dano on a point blank bid, Conor Sheary,
who played collegiately at the University of Massachusetts, provided the
Penguins with a 4-0 lead. If that wasnt enough, the Penguins delivered the
knockout punch 1:13 later after Bryan Rust broke in alone and beat Dansk.
That was it for Dansk, who was replaced by Scott Monroe. The Penguins have
torched Dansk for 10 goals in 90:09 of play this season.
Jason Megnas power-play goal triggered the three-goal first period. He was
parked in front of the crease when he fought off a check and jammed the
puck past Dansk for his 13th goal.
Tom Kostopoulous raised the lead to 2-0 at 13:19 when he completed a 2-on1 break with ex-Falcon Nick Drazenovic.

The Penguins made it 3-0 with 2:40 remaining in the first period. They
crowded the front of the net and Chorney scored on a well-placed shot
through a screen.
Sheary and Rust scored a pair of quick goals to provide the Penguins with a
5-0 advantage. Rust skated right through the defense and was alone in front
when he connected for his 11th goal.
Were a confident group right now and it kind of goes hand in hand with the
way this team is very committed to defense, Murray said. Its great to see
the guys block shots and you can just see the dedication to defense.
Penguins finally break through, defeat Devils at Prudential Center
By Jason Mackey Tribune-Review
NEWARK, N.J. The Penguins' patience paid off.
Facing the New Jersey Devils at Prudential Center, against a team and in a
building that has given them fits, the Penguins generated a high volume of
shots for much of Friday's game before getting one to go.
Once one did Chris Kunitz forced overtime with a late goal Simon
Despres finished off a needed 2-1 win with a marker at 2:21 of overtime.
That's the way it works, center Sidney Crosby said. You don't ask how. You
just take it and get out of there.
Despres might not be bragging about this winner, just his second goal of the
season, but the Penguins will take it.
The goal came when Despres wristed a wobbling puck past Devils goaltender
Cory Schneider (41 saves) with help from a Kunitz screen in front.
Was Despres aiming low-glove? Not quite.
I just tried to put it on net, Despres said. I got fortunate.
The come-from-behind win comes on the heels of a not-so-stellar effort
Wednesday at Washington.

It was just the sixth win for the Penguins (28-13-8) at Prudential Center,
where they're 6-12-3 since it opened in 2007.
They had been 1-8-1 in their previous 10 games at the arena.
The Devils (18-22-9) dropped to 4-1-2 in their past seven games at
Prudential Center, 3-1-1 in their past five overall.
Trailing 1-0 late in the game after a Steve Bernier goal early in the third
period, the Penguins applied pressure and finished with 20 shots in the
frame.
Forward David Perron fed Crosby for a golden chance midway through.
Defenseman Kris Letang rang one off the post a little later. Finally, Kunitz tied
it with a rebound on the power play at 16:49 of the third.
The Penguins improved to 19-3-1 when scoring a power-play goal.
It was one of those nights, Perron said. We knew we'd have to stick with it
no matter what the score was.
Bernier capitalized on a Robert Bortuzzo turnover near his own blue line at
6:08 of the third.
Bernier started the play the other way, the puck deflected off linesman Ryan
Galloway, and Bernier finished a wrap-around before Scott Harrington could
apply pressure.
Penguins goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury was lonely for most of the night but
stopped 13 of 14 shots to earn the win, his first since Jan. 13.
The Penguins, who are a point shy of the New York Islanders in the
Metropolitan Division, talked at the gameday skate about wanting to be
responsible against New Jersey and avoid the Devils' trapping game. They
did.
They broke out of their own zone cleanly. They also didn't get trapped, using
short, safe passes up the boards and staying out of the middle of the ice.
Obviously they can't trap if we're playing in their end, Crosby said.

Steve Downie and Maxim Lapierre took minor penalties at 6:39 of the first
period, but the Penguins successfully killed New Jersey's five-on-three
opportunity.
Fleury delivered the highlight with a sparkling glove stop on Devils
defenseman Marek Zidlicky.
That was huge, coach Mike Johnston said.
So was staying patient long enough for two of the Penguins' many scoring
chances to sneak past Schneider.
I thought our team was very resilient, Johnston said. They stuck with the
game plan.
Penguins' Ehrhoff being tested for concussion
By Jason Mackey Tribune-Review
NEWARK, N.J. Penguins defenseman Christian Ehrhoff traveled back to
Pittsburgh and missed Friday's game against the New Jersey Devils at
Prudential Center because of a possible concussion.
We'll see how Ehrhoff is when our doctors give us a report (Saturday), but
we knew he wasn't going to be able to play (Friday), Penguins coach Mike
Johnston said. It hasn't been deemed a concussion, but he's going through
the protocol.
Ehrhoff tried to hit the Washington Capitals' Alex Ovechkin with about six
minutes to go in Wednesday's 4-0 loss at Verizon Center.
After making contact, Ehrhoff fell down and hit his head on the ice, and he
appeared to be shaken.
Emergency medical personnel were outside the Penguins dressing room after
the game.
He hit his head on the ice, Johnston said. Reviewing that, what happens is
the standard protocol. Our doctors review the hit. Once they see there's any
head contact with the glass or head contact with the ice, then they go
through the typical protocol.

Johnston said he expects a report Saturday, when the team is scheduled to

practice at Southpointe at 11 a.m.
If Ehrhoff has a concussion, it would be the Penguins' third this season.
Forward Patric Hornqvist and defenseman Kris Letang also missed time with
head injuries.
Ehrhoff is tied for the team lead among defensemen with a plus/minus rating
of plus-9. He has three goals all game-winners and 13 points in 43
games. He missed five games this season with a lower-body injury.
Scott Harrington took Ehrhoff's lineup spot and played on a pairing with
Robert Bortuzzo.
He'll be missed, defenseman Paul Martin said. That was tough to see him
out of the lineup.

Penguins notebook: Bennett a healthy scratch

By Jason Mackey Tribune-Review
NEWARK, N.J. Beau Bennett said his New Year's resolution was to play 10
games in a row without getting hurt.
He did. Twelve straight. Yet he missed Friday's game at the New Jersey Devils
because he was a healthy scratch, a not-so-subtle message sent by coach
Mike Johnston.
As with every other game, when you have 13 forwards, you're always
making decisions to what you think can help you with a particular game,
Johnston said. Depending on what's happening with your lineup, that's a
decision we made for (Friday).
Bennett had two goals and three assists during those 12 games but
managed just one goal over his past eight. He finished with a total of four
shots his past three games.
I just thought his last couple of games could be improved, Johnston said.

Sill fighting more

Forward Zach Sill fought twice over his first 30 games this season but has
dropped the gloves three times in the past four contests.
It's all about comfort, Sill said.
I didn't do it a whole lot in the first half, trying to get comfortable with my
playing style and guys around me, stuff like that, Sill said. Maybe you're
thinking about too many things at once, or you're not sure when to go. I'm
starting to feel a bit more comfortable in my style of play.
Despres has chest cold
Defenseman Simon Despres has been dealing with a hereditary chest
condition he said occurs usually twice a year and makes it difficult for him to
breathe.
He missed the two games before the All-Star break but returned after. Heavy
coughing has been frequent.
Still there a little bit, Despres said. Getting better every day, though.
Martin on Martin
When Paul Martin made his NHL debut with the New Jersey Devils in 2003-04,
Martin Brodeur was his goaltender. A few years later, he realized how special
playing with Brodeur was.
When you first come in and you see the way that he plays and the team
that you're on, you just assume that's the way it is, that that's supposed to
happen anywhere you play, Martin said. As the years go by and you play
against other goalies and other guys, you see how special of a player he was,
how he conducted himself and how he made the young guys feel
comfortable, how he was able to be an extra defenseman out there. I'm a lot
more healthy today because of Marty Brodeur.
Odd arrangement
Devils general manager Lou Lamoriello fired Peter DeBoer the day after
Christmas and created a coaching triumvirate that includes himself, Adam
Oates and Scott Stevens.

The Devils went 6-5-1 over the next dozen games and were 5-2-1 over their
past eight before Friday's game against the Penguins.
With the way that we were playing, it was for me to get a better perspective
of exactly what was going on and why maybe some of our players weren't
performing the way we thought they should perform, Lamoriello said.
It's the third time behind the bench for Lamoriello. He coached 50 games
during the 2005-06 season and three more the following year.
Ryder remains out
The Devils made forward Michael Ryder a healthy scratch for the fourth time
this season and the second game in a row.
Ryder, who has five 20-plus-goal seasons on his resume, including three of
30 or more, scored 18 goals last season. He has six goals and 12 assists in
42 games this season.
Lamoriello painted it as a numbers thing.
It was having to make a choice, he said.
But Ryder has not been thrilled with his lack of opportunities.
You want to play, he said. That's pretty much it.

Penguins snag overtime victory from New Jersey Devils, 2-1

By Dave Molinari / Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
NEWARK, N.J. The Penguins threw 43 shots at New Jersey goalie Cory
Schneider Friday night.
Plenty of them looked more dangerous than the one Simon Despres lofted
toward the net from the high slot at 2:21 of overtime.
None, however, turned out to be more deadly.
Despres shot eluded Schneider and gave the Penguins (28-13-8) a 2-1
victory, ending a run of five consecutive losses at Prudential Center and
lifting them to within one point of the first-place New York Islanders in the
Metropolitan Division.
It was a pretty nice payoff for a shot that even Despres didnt expect much of
when it left his stick.
I just tried to put it on net, he said. It wasnt the hardest shot, but it went
in.
Schneider had done a pretty fair impersonation of Martin Brodeur for much of
the game the Penguins couldnt beat him until Chris Kunitz converted a
Sidney Crosby rebound on a power play at 16:49 of the third but, unlike
what happened in many previous trips here, the Penguins did not get
frustrated or lose their focus when they failed to score.
Or, for that matter, after Steve Bernier gave New Jersey, which had been
severely outplayed to that point, a 1-0 lead.
A lead that had proven to be insurmountable for the Penguins more than a
few times here in recent years.
Weve had games in this building where we really havent given ourselves
much of a chance and still lost close ones, Crosby said. This one had a
much different feel.

The Penguins 43-14 edge in shots was a fairly accurate reflection of play,
although the Devils held an advantage in the only stat that really matters
the score for about half of the third period.
Bernier had broken a scoreless tie with a great individual effort at 6:08,
beating goalie Marc-Andre Fleury on a wraparound.
Although falling behind after dominating play would have been deflating for
the Penguins on some previous visits to Newark, that spasm of adversity
didnt appear to faze them.
Our team was very resilient, coach Mike Johnston said. They stuck with
the game plan. They didnt flinch when we were down.
Even so, Schneider stopped everything that came his way until Kunitz scored
18 seconds after the Penguins had been awarded their third power play of
the game.
Weve been on the wrong side of those 1-0 [games], those close games,
Crosby said. To tie it up and give ourselves a chance was a good feeling.
The Penguins did some of their finest defensive work when the Devils had a
two-man advantage for a full two minutes in the first period. New Jersey
managed just two shots on Fleury while Steve Downie and Maxim Lapierre
were in the penalty box.
It was a huge momentum swing in the game, Johnston said. Thats tough
to kill.
The Penguins did it well, however. As they did most things on this night.
Nonetheless, until Despres long-distance shot sailed past Schneider, there
was no guarantee they would get a couple of points to show for one of their
better efforts this season.
Sometimes, the best team might not win every night, Kunitz said. But, if
you play the right way the majority of the time, the percentages say youre
going to come out on top.

If we play more games with that effort and that level of putting pucks to the
net and keeping them away from our net, were going to win quite a few
games.

Bennett's lackluster play leads to benching

By Dave Molinari / Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
NEWARK, N.J. -- Beau Bennett's ironman streak is over.
Made it all the way to an even dozen games.
This time, however, it was lackluster play, not an injury, that knocked
Bennett out of the Penguins lineup.
He was a healthy scratch for a game Friday night against New Jersey at
Prudential Center after contributing just one point -- a goal -- in the previous
eight games.
"With Beau, I just thought his last couple of games could be improved,"
coach Mike Johnston said.
While he clearly wasn't happy with Bennett's recent work, Johnston
suggested other factors went into his decision to give Bennett's spot in the
lineup to Mark Arcobello.
"When you have 13 forwards, you're always making decisions as to what you
think can help you for a particular game," Johnston said. "Sometimes, it's not
only what [scratched players] don't offer, it's about your competition, it's
about what you're trying to do that particular night."
The Penguins also played without center Evgeni Malkin, who missed his
fourth consecutive game because of an unspecified injury, and defenseman
Christian Ehrhoff, who is being checked for a possible concussion.
Ehrhoff was injured in a run-in with Washington winger Alex Ovechkin in the
Penguins' 4-0 loss Wednesday night at Verizon Center.
Ehrhoff landed head-first on the ice, and the decision was made to send him
to Pittsburgh to be examined.
"Our doctors look at the hit," Johnston said.

"Once they see there's any head contact with the glass, any head contact
with the ice, they go through the typical [concussion] protocol.
"With him landing on the ice the way he did, they thought, 'He's going to be
out for [Friday] night's game, so let's get him back to Pittsburgh, where he
can be evaluated, rather than dragging him on the road trip.' "
Scott Harrington took Ehrhoff's spot in the lineup against the Devils.
Johnston, who stressed that Ehrhoff's injury "hasn't been deemed a
concussion," said he expects to get a "good update" on him today.
Getting a better look
New Jersey general manager Lou Lamoriello moved behind the bench after
he fired coach Peter DeBoer a month ago, and hasn't decided when he will
leave.
"There's no timetable," he said Friday. "Hopefully, it's not too long."
Lamoriello has taken over as coach on a temporary basis several times after
getting rid of coaches and says he did it this time to get a feel for why some
players were underachieving.
The objective, he said, was "for me to get a better perspective on exactly
what was going on and why maybe some of our players weren't performing
the way we thought they should perform.
"Some of our better players, and maybe some of our younger players."
A Brodeur beneficiary
Martin Brodeur, who retired Thursday, might have been the best puckhandling goaltender in NHL history.
Penguins defenseman Paul Martin, who spent his first six NHL seasons with
Brodeur in New Jersey, figures that particular talent had significant benefits
for those who played in front of him.
"I'm a lot more healthy today because of Marty Brodeur," Martin said.
"It was a pretty special deal to play with him."

Despres' OT goal rallies Penguins over Devils 2-1

By TOM CANAVAN (AP Sports Writer)
NEWARK, N.J. (AP) -- The struggling Pittsburgh Penguins could have given up
against the New Jersey Devils.
They trailed by a goal in the third period, and goalie Cory Schneider was
stopping everything and getting bailed out by some pings off the posts.
But the Penguins hung in and pulled out a much-needed win.
Defenseman Simon Despres scored 2:21 into overtime, and the Penguins
rallied to beat the Devils 2-1 on Friday night.
''The way things have been going lately, we could have just accepted this as
a loss, but we all stayed with it,'' said Chris Kunitz, who forced overtime with
a power-play goal with 3:11 left in regulation. ''That was the key. We stayed
with it, stayed focused, kept the pressure on.''
The loss spoiled a magnificent performance by Schneider, who made 41
saves.
The winning goal came after Schneider made a close-in stop on Brandon
Sutton. The Penguins kept the puck in the zone, and Despres' shot from
inside the blue line beat a screened Schneider.
''I didn't get a great look at it,'' Schneider said. ''I think he came one way and
shot it back the other through a screen. It just got a piece of the post and
went in. It was a nice shot.''
Devils president and general manager Lou Lamoriello said Schneider's
performance was one of the best he has seen by a goalie in a while.
''He gave us a chance to win, more than a chance to win,'' Lamoriello said.
''It's a shame he didn't get the win. Certainly the team would get the win, but
he deserved a better fate.''

Marc-Andre Fleury made 13 saves for the Penguins, who fell behind 1-0 when
Devils forward Steve Bernier scored on a wraparound 6:08 into the third
period.
New Jersey failed to tie its season-best, three-game winning streak.
Pittsburgh won for the second time in seven games (2-3-2).
''We talked about that, the last couple of days, that most importantly, we had
to stay with it,'' Penguins coach Mike Johnston said. ''We were playing our
game. We played a good game. We didn't flinch after they scored. We did
whatever it took to get the game-tying goal.
''But when (Kris) Letang's shot hit the post (with 7 minutes left), you have to
wonder whether it's going to be our night.''
Schneider stopped the first 37 Pittsburgh shots and seemed on the verge of
his third shutout of the season when Peter Harrold took a high-sticking
penalty with 3:29 left in regulation.
The Penguins needed only 18 seconds to tie it 1-1. Sidney Crosby, who had
been stopped point blank earlier in the period by Schneider on a nice setup
by David Perron, took a shot from the right circle that hit Schneider in the
chest. Defenseman Adam Larsson couldn't clear the puck, and Kunitz fired
the rebound into the net for his 15th goal.
''They kept coming,'' Schneider said. ''You have to give Pittsburgh credit.
They put a lot of pressure on and took advantage of their opportunities late.
We just couldn't get that extra goal or keep them at bay long enough.''
Bernier had given the Devils the lead with a goal that was aided by the leg of
linesman Ryan Galloway.
Bernier's dump-in into the Penguins zone hit Galloway, allowing Bernier to
retrieve the puck. He skated past defenseman Robert Bortuzzo, went behind
the net, came out the other side and banked the puck into the net off
Fleury's skate.
Schneider kept the Devils in the game in the opening two periods, stopping
20 shots, including a breakaway by Sutter in the first and a backhander by
Crosby after a sweeping move from the corner in the second.

''We have to be way better, we can't keep relying on Schneids and the other
goalies to keep us in there the whole game,'' Devils forward Patrik Elias said.
''We're not taking charge. We're not skating well. We're just sitting back. We
have to be hungrier tomorrow.''
NOTES: Evgeni Malkin of the Penguins missed his fourth straight game with a
lower-body injury. ... Penguins F Chris Kunitz played in his 700th NHL
game. ... New Jersey's Andy Greene played in his 196th consecutive game,
tying Scott Stevens for the second longest streak by a Devils defenseman. ...
The Devils are 5-2-2 in their last nine games. ... The Penguins snapped a fivegame losing streak in New Jersey. They have won four of their past 18 games
there. ... The Devils' 14 shots were their second fewest of the season, one
more than they had against Detroit on Dec. 31. ... The 14 shots allowed were
a season-low by Pittsburgh, four fewer than Buffalo recorded on Nov. 1.

Hershey has Phantoms' number on Friday night

By Gary R. Blockus
When you look back at a full 76-game season in the AHL, there are swings
you can point to that change its course.
This one is bordering on ridiculous.
For the Lehigh Valley Phantoms, the current three-games-in-three-nights
weekend may be one of those negative swings that put a crimp in their postseason hopes.
The East Division-leading Hershey Bears collected their 20,000th goal in
franchise history en route to a 6-1 thumping of the host Phantoms in front of
a sellout, standing-room-only crowd of 8,743 at the PPL Center on Friday
night, sending Lehigh Valley to its second straight loss and fifth loss in the
last six games.
Hershey has won five of the eight games in the 12-game season series so far
and has outscored the Phantoms 29-16 overall, 22-7 in the last four.
The three-in-three weekend winds up 7 p.m Saturday, Jan. 31today in WilkesBarre against the Penguins, who are second place in the East. The Phantoms
are in third and missing the opportunity grab critical points in the standings
after having first place in the division within their grasp on Jan. 17.
Since then, the Phantoms have been outscored 29-12 in six games.
Rookie Anthony Stolarz got earned the start against the Bears. He entered
the game 6-9-1, and is 1-7 in his last nine games, with one no-decision,
having been injured in a Dec. 26 game. after having his head smacked off
the goalpost and crossbar in a Dec. 26 loss at Hershey. Stolarz is 1-6 since
that game.
Phantoms coach Terry Murray gave Stolarz the hook with 4:31 left in the
second period after the rookie gave up his fourth goal of the night on 22
shots. Veteran Rob Zepp didn't have a chance on the first shot he faced, just
33 seconds later in a two-on-one with Dustin Gazley getting the goal for a 51 lead with 3:58 left in the period.

"I think we're talking about the turnovers and giveaways" Phantoms coach
Terry Murray said. "Certainly the team in front is part of the concern. The
other part is we need both goalies to be really good right now.
"We're going through a tough time. We have a lot of players on the sideline
[injured] and with the Flyers. Whenever you go through that, and we're
coming off the [All-Star] break like that, you've got to be good in net. You
have to stand on your head. You have to win some games. We're putting too
much pressure on our goalies right now with the play in front of them, so bad
things happen."
The giveaways started early when defenseman Adam Comrie passed directly
to Hershey's Liam O'Brien in the right circle, and the Bear converted a wrist
shot for his first goal of the season just 3:30 into the game.
Chris Conner made it 2-0 with his 10th goal of the season, scoring stickside
through Stolarz's leg pad from a left wing odd-man rush with 9:49 left in the
first period.

Rookie Taylor Leier got the Phantoms back into contention just 46 seconds
after Murray called his lone timeout of the game. With his back to Philipp
Grubauer, Leier took a right boards feed from Nick Cousins on his forehand,
then spun to deposit the puck for his 10th goal of the season with 7:58 left in
the period on the team's third shot of the game.
"I think everyone can guess what he said," Leier said of the huddle before
the goal. "I think we needed it. We just talked about it [after the game]. It's
embarrassing for us. We got booed off the ice pretty much three games in a
row."
Jay Rosehill and Liam O'Brien squared off on the ensuing faceoff with Rosehill
easily winning the bout to incite rousing cheers from the home crowd.
Connor Carrick made it 3-1 on a second-period power play goal, driving one
from the high slot past Stolarz for the get this 20,000th goal in the history
of the Hershey Bears. The Bears have played 5,641 games in franchise
history.

Hershey defenseman Jon Landry made it 4-1 Hershey with a shot from the
slot on a defensive turnover. That's when Murray pulled Stolarz. to give
Stolarz the hook after surrendering four goals on 22 shots.
Connor Stephenson made it 6-1 with a walk-in and stop goal with 8:37 left in
the game.
Phantom Lines: Winger Petr Straka scored his first NHL point with an assist in
the Philadelphia Flyers' 6-2 win over Winnipeg on Thursday night, the same
night the Phantoms took a 4-1 loss to Albany.
Transcripts of Straka's reaction were released by the Flyers.
"It's something you dream about for a long time," Straka said in postgame
interviews. "I felt like I should've scored the goal myself. I had the rebound
there. It was unfortunate that I couldn't get the rebound above the glove.
Fortunate that Shultzy [defenseman Nick Schultz] was there to bury it for
me."
meLVin's birthday party: The Phantoms celebrated mascot meLVin's birthday
Friday. His age is unknown. More than a dozen other mascots, including Tux
from the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins and Cocoa, the Hershey Bear,
Slapshot form the Reading Royals, Hat Trick from the Norfolk Admirals, FeeFe
and Ferrous from the IronPigs and crowd favorite Philly Phanatic attended.
Intermissions were 20 minutes instead of the customary 15 due to betweenperiod mascot festivities.

Flyers' Voracek, Simmonds to join 500 club tonight, together

By Frank Seravalli Daily News Staff Writer
Jake Voracek is a slob.
Or, so says his roommate on the road, Wayne Simmonds.
"That's all right," Simmonds said. "I can be a bit of a slob at the same time.
I've got my mess on my side of the room, and he's got his mess on his side.
It's not that bad."
In their hotel room, supremacy isn't determined by points, dollars, or even
age. Voracek, 25, and Simmonds, 26, both have enough years of NHL service
to demand their own room. They choose to room together.
The rule of the roost - or who controls the television remote in this odd
couple - is instead governed by games played.
Tonight against the Maple Leafs, both Voracek and Simmonds will hit their
500th-game milestone, a freaky occurrence for two players who broke into
the league on opposite side of the country in 2008.
"No one wants to get hurt because of the remote," Voracek said, laughing.
The last time either one suited up for the Flyers without the other was Feb. 7,
2013, a streak of 170 consecutive games, including tonight. They also hit the
400th game mark on the same day last season.
"It's a little bit weird," Simmonds said, "but it's really cool, at the same time. I
remember when I got my concussion during the lockout year, I missed three
games. He had three games on me. Then, 2 weeks later, he got hurt for
three games. I wasn't wishing it on him, but I was happy the remote went
right back to the middle."
Why do two teammates, who are around each other enough to be brothers,
pick to share a room over privacy?
"We enjoy each other's company," Simmonds said. "We do a lot of the same
things. We're on the same time schedule. I think, since we've been traded

here, we just clicked. It's definitely an honor to hit my 500th game with a guy
like Jake."
Of course, there are predictable hijinks that occur over an 82-game season
that you might expect from two men in their mid-20s. Just recently, Voracek
was pranked by teammate Michael Raffl, who usually bunks with Zac Rinaldo.
"I asked 'Raff' for a charger," Voracek explained. "He told me he left the door
open, to go in and grab it. I walked it, it was dark. I saw the charger, so I
went to go get it. He jumped out of the closet and I almost [soiled] myself.
He scared the [bleep] out of me. I hate that stuff. That was just one recent
memory. There are so many stories, just being around the guys, dinner, bars,
jokes, having fun with them."
Over the course of 8,664 minutes on the ice together, indelible on-ice
memories have been forged, too. The Flyers are 133-100-29 since Simmonds
and Voracek arrived in separate trades on June 23, 2011. They have won one
Stanley Cup playoff series, lost two, and are likely to miss the playoffs twice
in four seasons. They've endured a coaching change and an entire
managerial coup.
"There's so many memories, so many things that go through my mind,"
Voracek said. "My first game, my first shift, my first goal. Making the playoffs
for the first time. The trade. That playoff series with Pittsburgh. The way we
played, the way we came together, it was uneblievable. Those 2 weeks and
that hockey were the most spectacular that I've ever been a part of."
These milestones, though, have roots in other places, too - from
Scarborough, Ontario, and Kladno, Czech Republic, to Columbus and Los
Angeles - where both began their careers.
"It's kind of surreal," Simmonds said. "I remember getting drafted and, 7
years later now, you kind of stop and think. It's unbelievable the life we live
and the opportunities we get. I guess it's a good time to stop and look back
and not take anything for granted and appreciate what we have."
There are tolls to pay physically, too. Five hundred nights of pounding - plus
22 grueling Stanley Cup playoff games - will do that to you.

"When I get on the ice, I'm fine," Voracek said. "When I'm off the ice,
sometimes my body feels like [bleep]. I wish I felt like I was 50. I feel like my
dad's age somedays, and he's 58. Everybody has those days, though, right?"
Simmonds is signed to earn at least $29 million in his career. Voracek is
inked to bring in at least $17 million - and he'll be due a bigger windfall if he
continues to lead the NHL in scoring. Both players are on pace to reach the
silver stick 1,000-game plateau before their 32nd birthdays, something
Simmonds said is "an ideal for any hockey player."
"The money is something that sometimes doesn't make you feel good,"
Voracek said. "You're almost embarrassed. I'll never forget why I started
playing hockey to begin with - because I love the game. Sometimes, I think
we don't realize what we have as hockey players. It's not that we take it for
granted, but we don't always realize there are people that are doing way
worse. They have health issues, or they are homeless, or something like that.
Sometimes, I am bitching about being tired or today's practice. I need to
think about other things. Being in the NHL is a privilege. I've been very
fortunate. This is the best job in the world, as far as I'm concerned."
Slap shots
Tonight also will be goaltender Steve Mason's 100th appearance as a Flyer.
He is 47-32-13 with a .921 save percentage and 2.43 goals-against average
since his April 3, 2013, trade . . . The Leafs are 1-8-1 since replacing Randy
Carlyle with interim coach Peter Horacek . . . In a bigger picture, the Maple
Leafs have won only three times in their past 20 games (3-16-1), picking up
only seven of a possible 40 points. The Flyers thumped them, 7-4, in Toronto
on Dec. 20 . . . Craig Berube said Nick Grossmann (right shoulder) is getting
closer to a return, which could come tonight. Scott Laughton (concussion) is
ruled out.