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Letter to the Editor: Senior citizens can find loyal companion at SPCA or Blue Chip Farm

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Letter to the Editor: Republican lawmakers provided better budget for schools, with less pain for Pa. taxpayers

<p>Prior to the start of Monday&#8217;s Game 4, Tom Sestito and Liam O&#8217;Brien exchanged words during warmups.</p><p>After the game, they exchanged tweets.</p><p>The back-and-forth has been anything but complimentary, but as the Penguins prepared to travel to Hershey on Tuesday, Sestito downplayed the exchange and directed the focus elsewhere.</p><p>&#8220;It&#8217;s all in good fun,&#8221; he said. &#8220;We&#8217;re ready to play Game 5, and I&#8217;m sure it will be a physical battle out there.&#8221;</p><p>Game 4 sure was, and if the physical play continues in Game 5 on Wednesday it fits right into Sestito&#8217;s style. The rugged winger is enjoying his first AHL postseason action since 2008 when he was with Syracuse. In four playoff games, Sestito has three assists and has been a dominant physical force on the ice.</p><p>&#8220;He&#8217;s playing extremely hard and doing his job,&#8221; head coach Clark Donatelli said. &#8220;He definitely brings a different element to our team when he&#8217;s in the lineup. He&#8217;s a presence out there.&#8221;</p><p>And Sestito is cherishing the opportunity to play in the postseason to the point that when Pittsburgh sent him back to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton on Sunday, he really didn&#8217;t mind.</p><p>It&#8217;s an interesting dilemma as Sestito wants to be in the NHL, but at the same time wants to help his teammates in Wilkes-Barre/Scranton as well.</p><p>&#8220;I never really wanted to get sent down as bad as I did to come help the guys down here,&#8221; Sestito said. &#8220;I knew there was a chance I could play in Pittsburgh, but you battle so hard with the guys down here it feels like that&#8217;s where your home is. As much as I like being up there, I was kind of happy to come down and get to battle with these guys.&#8221;</p><p>Now that he has a playoff game against the rival Bears under his belt, and a few verbal exchanges with his opponents, Sestito&#8217;s presence is clearly being felt.</p><p>&#8220;I want to make a physical impact on every game. Whether that deters (Hershey) from playing a different way who knows,&#8221; Sestito said. &#8220;Maybe it helps our guys play a little easier and they don&#8217;t have to worry about other things.&#8221;</p><p>NOTES</p><p>- Daniel Sprong was used sparingly in the third period of Monday&#8217;s game. Donatelli said the rookie winger, who is tied for the AHL lead with five goals, is healthy. &#8220;We just shortened the bench,&#8221; Donatelli said.</p><p>- D Niclas Andersen left Monday&#8217;s game with an injury and is a game-time decision for Game 5. D Harrison Ruopp is also a game-time decision and F Dominik Simon, who was suffered a concussion after a hit from O&#8217;Brien in Game 1 is getting closer to a return, Donatelli said.</p><p>- Tristan Jarry made his first postseason start on Monday and stopped 22 of 23 shots. Still, Donatelli said he hasn&#8217;t decided if Jarry or Casey DeSmith will start Game 5.</p><p>- Tom Kostopoulos, who said before the playoffs began that there&#8217;s a &#8220;90 percent&#8221; chance he&#8217;ll retire at the end of the postseason, said the thought of playing his last game at the Mohegan Sun Arena has crossed his mind before Monday&#8217;s contest.</p><p>&#8220;The last few years it has crossed my mind, and definitely this year. You never know when you&#8217;re going to be done,&#8221; Kostopoulos said. &#8220;Right now I&#8217;m taking it as each series is my last one.</p><p>&#8220;It motivates me but I&#8217;m also just trying to have fun. Trying to enjoy it in case it is my last one.&#8221;</p><style>
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<div class="neCaption">Penguins Tom Sesitito punches Hersheys Liam O'Brian during a fight after a puck drop in the first period ----------------Fred Adams|for Times Leader 3-19-16</div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo0>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/web1_pens_her3_faa.jpg</photo0><caption0>Penguins Tom Sesitito punches Hersheys Liam O'Brian during a fight after a puck drop in the first period ----------------Fred Adams|for Times Leader 3-19-16</caption0><photoCredit0></photoCredit0></div></div>
<div class="metaInfo"><subheadMeta>Penguins winger prepares for Game 5 in Hershey</subheadMeta></div><div class="metaInfo"><bylineMeta><p>By Tom Venesky</p><p>tvenesky@www.timesleader.com</p></bylineMeta></div><div class="metaInfo"><factboxMeta><p><strong>Up next&#8230;</strong></p><p>Game 5 of the Atlantic Division Finals (series tied 2-2)</p><p>Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins (5-2) at Hershey Bears (5-4)</p><p>Wednesday, 7:05 p.m. at the Giant Center in Hershey</p><p>Listen live on 103.1FM-WILK</p><p>Players to watch:</p><p>Hershey - Liam O&#8217;Brien. His exchange with Sestito before Game 4 and afterward on Twitter could spill over.</p><p>Penguins - Tom Sestito. The rivalry with O&#8217;Brien only heightens the intensity of the series.</p></factboxMeta></div><div class="metaInfo"><shirttailMeta><p>Reach Tom Venesky at 570-991-6395 or on Twitter @TLTomVenesky</p></shirttailMeta></div>

Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins winger Tom Sestito shifts focus from words to action vs. Hershey Bears