Wilkes Weekly: A very bad weekend in Cleveland

The AHL Penguins lose two crucial games on the road

The Wilkes-Barre Penguins had a big opportunity with two important road games in Cleveland and it ended up not going well, to put it mildly. WBS was out-scored 10-1 in the aggregate of what ended up being two resounding losses. As such, they’ve fallen behind in the race for second place in the AHL’s Atlantic Division.

Finishing in second place is so important due to the wacky playoff format the AHL uses. The top two teams in the division earn a bye in the opening round and then No. 3 from the division plays No 6 while No. 4 faces No. 5 in just a three-game series. It was and is a tight race between Wilkes, Charlotte and Providence to earn that second spot and now the Penguins have given up valuable positioning with little time remaining in the AHL’s 72-game regular season to get back into it. They’re not out of it yet but this weekend was a serious blow.

Below are the lines from their last game. Wilkes is missing two of their top players all season long in Rutger McGroarty and Ville Koivunen, but young players growing and graduating to the NHL is a challenge that minor league teams inherently face. WBS has gotten Emil Bemstrom back and their defense/goalie personnel shouldn’t be losing a 7-1 game at this time of year no matter who has departed the lineup.

Beyond the obvious absences of McGroarty and Koivunen, the AHL Penguins have been thinned out further on the illness and injury front. The team was without Sam Poulin (illness), Joel Blomqvist, Marc Johnstone and Mathias Laferriere over the weekend. The multiple absences in the forward group led to the AHL debut of 21-year old Jack Beck over the weekend. Beck earned it by being one of Wheeling’s top players this season by producing 36 points (8G+28A) in 36 games this season down in the ECHL.

The AHL Pens stopped in Cranberry for a practice at the NHL team’s facility while making the motorized trip across the state and over to Ohio. That gave some of the local media a chance to catch up with the minor leaguers, including the rising prospect Avery Hayes getting some camera time with SportsNet Pittsburgh.

WBS head coach Kirk MacDonald spoke briefly about 18-year old prospect Harrison Brunicke getting his first taste of AHL action. Brunicke has one assist and eight penalty minutes in four games so far as a lineup regular on the third pair since his junior season ended.

The Penguins remain active in signing players to AHL contracts, adding three more former NCAA players to the ranks in moves to help add depth within the organization.

As mentioned in the tweet, Breazeale headlines these signings as the only player in this group ramping up this spring. Breazeale, 24, went undrafted but is listed by the University of Maine as a 6’3” 215 pound left shot defender. His point totals weren’t high, he recorded 3G+10A in 38 games as a senior in 2024-25, but he seems to be a player who takes care of his own end with blocked shots and responsible defensive play.

Huglen, 24, is notable from being a fourth round draft pick of Buffalo’s back in 2019. His collegiate career didn’t take off over four years at the University of Minnesota but he was able to find an AHL contract to turn pro.

Urdahl, 23, finished up his senior season at Nebraska-Omaha after starting his career with his native Wisconsin Badgers. The 6’1, 193 pound forward is said to have good wheels and recorded 22 points (12G+10A) in 33 games this season.

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Up next is another huge weekend for Wilkes that features the daunting three games in three days schedule. The team is at home to meet division leader Hershey on Friday and potential first round foe Springfield on Saturday before Wilkes makes a visit to last place Bridgeport on Sunday.