Game Preview - Admirals at Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins
Game Date: February 15, 2012
Venue: Mohegan Sun Arena at Casey Plaza, Wilkes-Barre Township, Pennsylvania
NORFOLK ADMIRALS
W-B/SCRANTON PENGUINS
Standings
30-18-1-2, 63 points 3rd East Division 5th Eastern Conference
29-14-2-5, 65 points 1st East Division 2nd Eastern Conference
Power Play
50/240 (20.8 %, 6th)
42/225 (18.7 %, 11th)
Penalty Kill
193/238 (45 GA, 81.1 %, 18th)
192/237 (45GA, 81.0 %, 19th)
ADMIRALS AND PENGUINS BATTLE FOR FIRST PLACE With a regulation victory tonight, the Norfolk Admirals will move into a tie with Wilkes-Barre/Scranton for first place in the East Division. The Admirals are 3-0-0-0 on the road vs. Wilkes-Barre/Scranton this season and with a victory tonight, would set a franchise record with their fourth road victory against the Penguins.
Through 51 games, the Admirals stand in third place in the AHL’s East Division, just two points behind the first-place Penguins. Standing between the Admirals and the Penguins are the Hershey Bears with 64 points. However, both the Penguins and the Bears have played one fewer game than the Admirals.
After tonight, the Admirals have three games remaining vs. the Penguins. Norfolk returns to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton for the final time this season on Sunday, Feb. 26, before hosting the Penguins on March 14 and April 3 at Scope.
SEVEN STRAIGHT INSIDE THE DIVISION Tonight’s showdown in Wilkes-Barre/Scranton begins a stretch of seven consecutive games within the East Division for the Admirals. After the contest, the Admirals will bus back to Norfolk for home games on Friday and Saturday night against the Syracuse Crunch.
Norfolk will then return to the road for three games in three nights. On Friday, Feb. 24, the Admirals visit the Binghamton Senators for the first time since early December, prior to traveling to Hershey on Saturday, the 25th. The Admirals will conclude the road trip on Sunday, Feb. 26th with a rematch in Wilkes-Barre/Scranton.
LOOKING AHEAD After tonight's game, the Admirals will host the Syracuse Crunch at Scope on Friday and Saturday nights. For more details on these games, please click here to read the Admirals Weekly Release.
ONE-TIMERS
The Admirals recorded their 30th victory of the season in their 51st game of the season on Sunday night. Norfolk did not pick up its 30th victory of 2010-11 until its 60th game on March 2, 2011.
Friday night’s 2-0 shutout of the Phantoms was Dustin Tokarski’s third shutout of the season and first since November 6th at Providence.
Tokarski has started 15 consecutive games vs. the Penguins, dating back to Feb. 19 of last season.
The Admirals tied an AHL season high with 25 shots in the first period on Saturday night. The Admirals franchise record for shots in a single period is 26, set in the first period on March 17, 2007 vs. Bridgeport.
After scoring three goals last week, Cory Conacher is once again atop the AHL leader board for goals. His 28 goals in 2011-12 are one more than Springfield's Cam Atkinson and two more than Syracuse's Kyle Palmieri.
Conacher recorded the game-winning goal for the Admirals on Saturday vs. Adirondack and Sunday at Charlotte. Conacher is now tied atop the AHL leader board with six game-winning goals this season.
