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More Saturday games and better travel make this season&#8217;s Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins schedule one of the best in the franchise&#8217;s 16 years.That&#8217;s the impression that Wilkes-Barre/Scranton CEO Jeff Barrett had when the AHL released the 2015-16 regular season schedule on Thursday.The Penguins open the season on the road with an Oct. 9 contest in Providence against the Bruins, and then travel to Bridgeport to play the Sound Tigers the following day before heading back to Wilkes-Barre for the Saturday, Oct. 17 home opener against Lehigh Valley.Unique to this year&#8217;s home opener is a 4:05 p.m. start. Barrett said the early start time was to allow fans to come to the game and be out in time to watch the Penn State-Ohio State football game which kicks off at 8 p.m.&#8220;We wanted to try something different and we think it will be a good change of pace,&#8221; Barrett said.The 2015-16 schedule includes contests against every team in the Eastern Conference along with 54 games against division foes. They&#8217;ll play the customary 12 games against Hershey and Lehigh Valley (six home, six road), and six games against the rest of the Atlantic Division (Bridgeport, Hartford, Portland, Providence and Springfield). Binghamton, which moved to the North Division and has been a familiar rival, will face the Penguins six times as well. New faces include Rochester, Toronto and Utica.In addition to familiar opponents, the schedule also keeps the traditional New Year&#8217;s Eve game intact. On Dec. 31, the Penguins will host Syracuse for a 5:05 p.m. contest.&#8220;The fans that come to that game really like it and look forward to it, so I&#8217;m happy we can have it again this year,&#8221; Barrett said.As far as travel, the Penguins play four of their first five games on the road then return home for a seven-game stretch.Other lengthy road trips include a four-game stint through Connecticut and New York in November, six games to face St. John&#8217;s, Syracuse, Portland and Providence for two weeks in January and a five-game trip beginning in New England and culminating with a game in Hershey in late-February and early-March.&#8220;A lot of the road trips are based on building availability and Brian Sipe (Mohegan Sun Arena manager) really worked with us to come up with something favorable,&#8221; Barrett said, adding going on the road early in the season is beneficial from a team-bonding standpoint.The Penguins&#8217; schedule could get interesting at the end of the season as the team plays Hershey in three of the last five contests. The final 10 games of the season will be against division opponents, which will be critical when it comes to jockeying for playoff position.&#8220;We usually play Hershey earlier in the season so it&#8217;s kind of exciting to see so many games against them later,&#8221; Barrett said. &#8220;Those last games of the season against Hershey and other division opponents could be the best hockey of the year with plenty of pivotal games.&#8221;`Date `Time `OpponentFriday, Oct. 10`7:05 p.m. `at ProvidenceSaturday, Oct. 10 `7 p.m. `at BridgeportSaturday, Oct. 17 `4:05 p.m. `Lehigh ValleySunday, Oct. 18 `5 p.m.` BridgeportFriday, Oct. 23 `7 p.m. `at SpringfieldSaturday, Oct. 24 `7:05 p.m.`SpringfieldWedneday, Oct. 28 `7:05 p.m. `BinghamtonFriday, Oct. 30`7:05 p.m. `HartfordWednesday, Nov. 4, `7:05 p.m. `St. John&#8217;sFriday, Nov. 6 `7:05 p.m. `St. John&#8217;sFriday, Nov. 13 `7:05 p.m. `HersheySaturday, Nov. 14 `7:05 p.m. `RochesterSunday, Nov. 15 `4 p.m. `at HartfordFriday, Nov. 20 `7:05 p.m. `at BinghamtonSaturday, Nov. 21 `5 p.m. `at AlbanyWednesday, Nov. 25 `7:05 p.m. `at BinghamtonFriday, Nov. 27 `7:05 p.m. `ProvidenceSaturday, Nov. 28 `7:05 p.m. `HersheyFriday, Dec. 4 `7:05 p.m. `Lehigh ValleySaturday, Dec. 5 `7:05 p.m. `HartfordSunday, Dec. 6 `5 p.m. `at HersheyWednesday, Dec. 9 `7:05 p.m. `SyracuseFriday, Dec. 11 `7:05 p.m. `at Lehigh ValleySaturday, Dec. 12 `7:05 p.m. `AlbanyWednesday, Dec. 16 `7:05 p.m. `at Lehigh ValleyFriday, Dec. 18 `7:05 p.m. `TorontoSaturday, Dec. 19 `7 p.m. `at SyracuseSaturday, Dec. 26 `7 p.m. `at HersheySunday, Dec. 27 `4:05 p.m. `Lehigh ValleyThursday, Dec. 31 `5:05 p.m. `SyracuseSatursday, Jan. 2, 2016 `7:05 p.m. `SpringfieldSunday, Jan. 3 `3 p.m. `at HartfordTuesday, Jan. 5 `7:05 p.m. `BinghamtonFriday, Jan. 8 `7:05 p.m `at Lehigh ValleySatursday, Jan. 9 `7:05 p.m. `UticaTuesday, Jan. 12 `7:30 p.m `at St. John&#8217;sWednesday, Jan. 13 `7:30 p.m `at St. John&#8217;sSatursday, Jan. 16 `7 p.m `at SyracuseFriday, Jan. 22 `7 p.m `at PortlandSatursday, Jan. 23 `7 p.m. `at PortlandSunday, Jan. 24 `3:05 p.m. `at ProvidenceWednesday, Jan. 27 `7:05 p.m. `HartfordFriday, Jan. 29 `7:05 p.m. `at Lehigh ValleySaturday, Jan. 30 `7:05 p.m. `Lehigh ValleyFriday, Feb. 5 `7 p.m. `at SpringfieldSatursday, Feb. 6 `7:05 p.m. `BridgeportTuesday, Feb. 9 `7 p.m. `at UticaFriday, Feb. 12 `7:15 p.m. `at HartfordSaturday, Feb. 13 `7:05 p.m `PortlandSunday, Feb. 14 `4:05 p.m. `PortlandFriday, Feb. 19 `7 p.m. `at TorontoSunday, Feb. 21 `5:05 p.m. `at RochesterTuesday, Feb. 23 `7:05 p.m. `HersheyFriday, Feb. 26 `7 p.m. `at PortlandSaturday, Feb. 27 `7 p.m `at SpringfieldSunday, Feb. 28 `3:05 p.m. `at ProvidenceFriday, Mar. 4 `7:05 p.m `at Lehigh ValleySaturday, Mar. 5 `7 p.m `at HersheySunday, Mar. 6 `4:05 p.m. `HersheyWednesday, Mar. 9 `7:05 p.m. `Lehigh ValleySaturday, Mar. 12 `7:05 p.m. `BridgeportSunday, Mar. 13 `5 p.m. `at BridgeportSaturday, Mar. 19 `7:05 p.m. `HersheySunday, Mar. 20 `5 p.m. `at HersheyWednesday, Mar. 23 `7:05 p.m. `BinghamtonFriday, Mar. 25 `7:05 p.m. `at BinghamtonSaturday, Mar. 26 `7:05 p.m. `ProvidenceTuesday, Mar. 29 `7:05 p.m. `SpringfieldSaturday, Apr. 2 `7:05 p.m. `BridgeportSunday, Apr. 3 `4:05 p.m. `PortlandFriday, Apr. 8 `7:05 p.m. `Lehigh ValleySatursday, Apr. 9`7 p.m `at HersheySunday, Apr. 10`4:05 p.m `HersheyFriday, Apr. 15 `7:05 p.m. `at Lehigh ValleySaturday, Apr. 16 `7:05 p.m. `ProvidenceSunday, Apr. 17 `5 p.m. `at Hershey<style>
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<div class="metaInfo"><bylineMeta>By Tom Veneskytvenesky@www.timesleader.com</bylineMeta></div><div class="metaInfo"><factboxMeta>Tickets for the 2015-16 season of Penguins hockey are on sale now and available by calling the Penguins directly at 570-208-7367.</factboxMeta></div><div class="metaInfo"><shirttailMeta>Reach Tom Venesky at 570-991-6395 or on Twitter @TLTomVenesky</shirttailMeta></div>

Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins schedule released