Prospects Of The Week
Big Game By Kral Helps Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Beat League-Leading Hershey Bears
After going four games without a point, Filip Kral recorded four points–two goals and two assists–in a 5-4 win over the Hershey Bears on Saturday night. Kral opened the scoring just 55 seconds into the game, recorded a primary assist on a power play goal to give Wilkes-Barre/Scranton a 2-1 lead in the second and added a secondary assist later in the period, and scored again in the third period to give the team a brief 4-3 lead. Kral, a Czech defenseman signed as a free agent at the end of last season, led blueliners on the Lahti Pelicans, and ranked fourth among all blueliners in the Finnish Liiga, with 37 points in 46 games in the 2023-24 season.
Vasily Ponomarev Scores First Goal Of 2024-25 Season
After dealing with injury at the beginning of the 2024-25 season and a brief stint in Pittsburgh, Vasily Ponomarev finally scored for the first time with the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins. Acquired as part of the Jake Guentzel trade with the Carolina Hurricanes last season, the 2020 second round pick managed 29 points in 39 AHL games with the Chicago Wolves last season. Ponomarev looks to build off the goal and start building some consistency with Wilkes-Barre/Scranton.
Emil Pieniniemi Continues Producing From The Blueline For Kingston
Emil Pieniniemi opted to move to North America and join the Kingston Frontenacs in the OHL after recording six points and struggling to find ice time in 38 games in the Finnish Liiga last season. The 2023 third round pick recorded four assists in three games last week, including two in a 5-4 shootout loss to the London Knights on Friday night. Pieniniemi leads Kingston blueliners with 28 points in 27 games–one of only eight blueliners in the league averaging over a point per game.
Down On The Farm
Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Win Three In A Row Last Week
The Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins found a way to win 5-3 over the Laval Rocket on Friday night despite being outshot 32-20, including 27-11 through the first two periods. Samuel Poulin, Ville Koivunen, and Joona Koppanen all scored and added assists. Emil Bemstrom and Mac Hollowell both finished with two helpers. Boris Katchouk and Nikolai Knyzhov scored the other Wilkes-Barre/Scranton goals, and Dan Renouf and Rutger McGroarty recorded assists. Joel Blomqvist made 29 saves in the win.
Four point, including two goals, from Filip Kral powered Wilkes-Barre/Scranton past the Hershey Bears 5-4 on Saturday night. McGroarty scored with 1:15 remaining in regulation to give the Penguins the win and and recorded a helper on the first goal of the game. Bemstrom scored and added a helper, and Vasily Ponomarev scored the other Wilkes-Barre/Scranton goal. Tristan Broz recorded three assists. Hollowell, Koivunen, and Valtteri Puustinen added helpers. Sergei Murashov–recalled from Wheeling on Friday–made 30 saves in the win.
Wheeling Nailers Extend Winning Streak To Seven Games With Three Wins Last Week
The Wheeling Nailers won a Thanksgiving Eve game 4-1 over the Toledo Walleye thanks in part to 36 saves by Sergei Murashov. Mats Lindgren scored twice in the first period with Jordan Martel and Atley Calvert combining for assists the goals. The Walleye cut the lead in half in the second period, but Louie Roehl and Bennett MacArthur added empty net goals in the third period to secure the win for Wheeling. Gabe Klassen recorded with a helper.
Wheeling won again on Friday, beating the Cincinnati Cyclones 5-1. Klassen scored twice and added a helper, Chris Ortiz and Kyle Jackson scored and recorded assists, and Martel recorded three helpers. Matthew Quercia scored the other Nailers goal, and Roehl, Philip Waugh, Lindgren, and Mathieu De St. Phalle recorded assists. Luke Richardson made 19 saves in the win.
Taylor Gauthier returned to the Nailers net on Saturday night and made 31 saves in a 7-1 win over the Cyclones. Jackson score twice and added two assists. Calvert and De St. Phalle scored and recorded assists, and MacArthur, Sam Houde, and Roehl added goals. Klassen and Jack Beck recorded two assists, and Logan Pietila, Lindgren, Waugh, Ortiz, Matthew Koopman, and Quercia recorded assists.