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Stefan Scalleat and Hazleton Area still in boys track and field title race

Crestwood notches big win with emergency goalie

Last season Barry Goers played in the AHL playoffs for the first time in his career. He suited up for 16 games and was a steadying force - just like he was this season, on the Penguins blueline.It&#8217;s a role he hopes to replicate for another long playoff run this year.&#8220;Our team was first in goals against and as an individual I take great pride in that,&#8221; Goers said after Tuesday&#8217;s practice at the Toyota Sportsplex. &#8220;As D corps, that&#8217;s our bread and butter.&#8221;But Goers isn&#8217;t just a steadying presence on the ice. The fifth-year pro is a leader in the locker room too, and head coach John Hynes said that role is just as valuable.&#8220;He has that presence about him. He&#8217;s a veteran guy that has the experience and you want those guys in your room,&#8221; Hynes said. &#8220;He&#8217;s also a guy we want to rely on to play in important situations.&#8221;There will be quite a few important situations when the Penguins face a Syracuse Crunch offense that finished tied for fifth in the Eastern Conference with 218 goals. Considering that all four of the regular season meetings between the Crunch and Penguins were decided by one goal, Goers expects a tight contest every night.&#8220;With our style of hockey you&#8217;re going to see a lot of close games,&#8221; he said. &#8220;Being a top defensive team that&#8217;s something we expect.&#8221;With a few AHL playoff games under his belt, Goers now has an idea of what to expect when the postseason opens.He knows the level of play will be elevated but Goers now has an added bit of confidence that comes from having playoff experience.It&#8217;s something he&#8217;ll need considering an injury forced him out of the lineup for several weeks in late March, only to return for the final three games of the season.&#8220;That was definitely on my mind and I really wanted to get back before the playoffs started to get the feel for the game again,&#8221; Goers said. &#8220;Coming back during the playoffs can be a difficult task, so it was great to get that three-in-three in there quick.&#8221;NOTEBOOK- With a full week of practice before Friday&#8217;s series opener, Hynes will make his final decisions about who&#8217;s out and who&#8217;s in for the playoff lineup. Goaltending will be decided today, he said, but other decisions will take health into account. On the injury front, winger Kasperi Kapanen is healthy and good to go, Hynes said. Defensemen Harrison Ruopp and Reid McNeill - who practice with the red &#8220;no-contact&#8221; jersey, should be cleared this week but Hynes will see how they respond to practices before deciding if they will play. Bryan Rust and Nick Drazenovic are still considered week-to-week and will be out for the weekend.&#8220;Over the next couple of days it&#8217;s important to see who&#8217;s healthy and who&#8217;s going to be ready when he come up with our best group,&#8221; Hynes said. &#8220;Some guys have made it difficult, which is a good thing. If you&#8217;re making tough decisions, guys are playing well and you&#8217;re healthy.&#8221;

Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins’ Barry Goers looking forward to anchoring blueline for playoffs