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DA’s office petitions for bail to ensure appearance of material witness at murder trial

<p>In his first game in nearly a month, Harrison Ruopp managed to put every aspect of his game on display in last Wednesday&#8217;s 5-0 win over Binghamton.</p><p>The 23-year-old blueliner set up a goal by Jean-Sebastien Dea by joining the rush and making a nice cross-ice feed. Later, Ruopp dropped the gloves with Senators&#8217; forward Buddy Robinson. And throughout the night he played stellar defense, throwing several big hits and finishing the game with a plus-1.</p><p>It was a nice return for Ruopp, who had been a healthy scratch since he was recalled from Wheeling on March 6.</p><p>&#8220;It was a little bit of an adjustment but I felt like I was ready,&#8221; Ruopp said after Monday&#8217;s practice at the Mohegan Sun Arena. &#8220;This is where I want to be playing.&#8221;</p><p>Ruopp&#8217;s first game back led to a regular spot in the lineup in the next two games, and while the offensive contribution on Wednesday was nice, he knows it&#8217;s other parts of his game that will bring more ice time.</p><p>&#8220;If the offensive time is there I&#8217;ll go for it, but I try to play it safe in the D zone first,&#8221; Ruopp said. &#8220;I try to play as physical as possible and make it hard on the other players.&#8221;</p><p>That&#8217;s what head coach Clark Donatelli expects from Ruopp, and it&#8217;s an aspect he has seen plenty of times when he coached him at both Wilkes-Barre/Scranton and Wheeling over the last three seasons.</p><p>Donatelli said Ruopp&#8217;s physical play adds an edge to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton&#8217;s blueline, and any offensive contribution is a bonus but something that could become more frequent.</p><p>&#8220;He&#8217;s been able to make those plays and get his shots through,&#8221; Donatelli said. &#8220;The offensive skills are coming along, and it has to do with confidence and getting more ice time.&#8221;</p><p>Ruopp hopes that he not only gets more ice time in the remainder of the season, but also becomes a regular in the lineup for the playoffs.</p><p>And if he has to sit out again from time to time, Ruopp knows what he needs to do to get back in.</p><p>&#8220;When I was sitting out I just took it in stride and didn&#8217;t think negative thoughts. I&#8217;ve been through it and you just deal with it,&#8221; he said. &#8220;Practices are huge to help you stay ready, and every time I do get in the lineup I&#8217;m just trying to make a good impression to stay there.&#8221;</p><p>NOTES</p><p>- Tom Kostopoulos didn&#8217;t practice on Monday for a &#8220;maintenance day,&#8221; Donatelli said.</p><p>- The Penguins host Springfield on Tuesday, a team the Penguins have beaten in four of five meetings this season. Donatelli said he&#8217;s leaning toward starting Tristan Jarry in net, but it&#8217;s not 100 percent.</p><style>
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<div class="neCaption">Harrison Ruopp hopes his successful return to the Penguins lineup will lead to a regular spot during the playoffs. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo0>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/web1_Ruopp.jpg</photo0><caption0>Harrison Ruopp hopes his successful return to the Penguins lineup will lead to a regular spot during the playoffs. </caption0><photoCredit0>KDP Photography </photoCredit0></div></div>
<div class="metaInfo"><bylineMeta><p>By Tom Venesky</p><p>tvenesky@www.timesleader.com</p></bylineMeta></div><div class="metaInfo"><factboxMeta><p>Up next&#8230;</p><p>Springfield Falcons (23-35-3-5, .409, 8th place in the Atlantic Division) at Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins (40-22-4-1, .634, 2nd place in the Atlantic Division)</p><p>7:05 p.m. Tuesday at the Mohegan Sun Arena</p><p>Listen live on 103.2FM-WILK</p><p>Players to watch:</p><p>Springfield - Craig Cunningham has three goals and five points in four games against the Penguins this season.</p><p>Penguins - In his only game against the Falcons (Feb. 27), Tristan Jarry allowed four goals in a 5-2 loss.</p></factboxMeta></div><div class="metaInfo"><shirttailMeta><p>Reach Tom Venesky at 570-991-6395 or on Twitter @TLTomVenesky</p></shirttailMeta></div>

Ruopp battling to stay in WBS Penguins lineup