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<p>WILKES-BARRE &#8212; Casey DeSmith tried to be diplomatic when asked how he likes playing three games in three days.</p><p>This weekend will mark the second of three consecutive three-game sets for the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins, and no matter how they tried to spin it, the concept isn&#8217;t too popular.</p><p>Especially when there are so many so late in the season.</p><p>&#8220;If I had to choose, we&#8217;d have them earlier,&#8221; DeSmith said. &#8220;Your legs slowly wear down over the course of a season, so a three-in-three in March is a bit harder than in October.&#8221;</p><p>But it&#8217;s not all that bad.</p><p>DeSmith pointed out that, as a goaltender, he usually plays two of the three games so the weekend isn&#8217;t as much of a grind. He also said that the three-game weekends are a good way to prepare for the hectic pace of the postseason.</p><p>Daniel Sprong takes a workman-like approach when it comes to three-game weekends. He played plenty of them in juniors and said the approach is simple - prepare and then recover for the next night.</p><p>&#8220;For me it&#8217;s nothing new. I had a lot of them in the Quebec league so I&#8217;m used to the bus rides,&#8221; Sprong said.</p><p>One player who had to re-acquaint himself with the three-in-three is Joseph Cramarossa, who was acquired in a trade last week. He spent the last two seasons playing in the Western Conference with San Diego and Stockton, where teams play fewer games in a season (68) and don&#8217;t need to cram three games into a weekend.</p><p>Cramarossa, who played in all three games with the Penguins last weekend, said the three-in-three is the biggest difference between the two conferences.</p><p>&#8220;It&#8217;s little demanding on the body, but we&#8217;re professionals so you have to work with that,&#8221; Cramarossa said. &#8220;It keeps you mentally involved.&#8221;</p><p>After coming away with just one point in all three games last weekend, DeSmith said there will be a bit of desperation among the Penguins when they open the next three-in-three at home on Friday.</p><p>An atrocious start last weekend - a 12-3 loss in Rochester - doomed the Penguins for the next two games, DeSmith said.</p><p>&#8220;We need to get the three-in-three off to a good start. Last weekend a bad start carried through the rest of the way,&#8221; he said.</p><p><strong>Rumors don&#8217;t bother Sprong</strong></p><p>With the Feb. 26 NHL trade deadline approaching, Sprong&#8217;s name has been mentioned in several rumors. He said he&#8217;d like to remain with the Pittsburgh organization, but he isn&#8217;t letting the rumors bother him.</p><p>&#8220;It&#8217;s the first time I&#8217;m in this situation with all the rumors and media asking about it,&#8221; Sprong said. &#8220;Everyone&#8217;s talking about it, but we all try to clear it out and just play the game.</p><p>&#8220;If it happens it happens. Hopefully it doesn&#8217;t. It&#8217;s a great organization here and I like it here.&#8221;</p><p><strong>Hot start for the new guy</strong></p><p>Cramarossa availed himself well in his first three games as a Penguin, registering a goal and three points. Donatelli said it he could tell Cramarossa spent time in the NHL (59 games last season with Anaheim and Vancouver) and he plays a physical style that can frustrate opponents.</p><p>&#8220;He aggravates people because he plays hard. It&#8217;s a good addition to our team,&#8221; Donatelli said.</p><p>After playing three games last weekend, Cramarossa went through his first two practices with the Penguins this week and said he&#8217;s settling in.</p><p>&#8220;The first couple days it was a transition. Now, with a few practices and getting the equipment fitted right, I feel like I&#8217;m at home here,&#8221; Cramarossa said.</p><p><strong>Goaltending splits</strong></p><p>Donatelli said it&#8217;s likely that DeSmith will play two games this weekend and backup Anthony Peters will get one start. DeSmith started all three games last weekend, but his work on Friday was cut short when he was pulled early in the second period in the loss to Rochester.</p><p>Peters has allowed 13 goals in his last two games after holding opponents to two goals or less in eight of his previous nine starts. On Wednesday, the Penguins signed Peters, 26, to an AHL for the remainder of this season and next year. He has been with the club on two separate professional tryout agreements and played in 16 games with Cincinnati of the ECHL this season.</p><p><strong>Injury update</strong></p><p>Players with a chance to return this weekend include captain Tom Kostopoulos, Tom Sestito and Chris Summers, who will all be game-time decisions, according to Donatelli.</p><style>
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<div class="neCaption">Penguins winger Daniel Sprong (center) is getting used to the hectic AHL schedule. Will he be with the team after Monday&#8217;s NHL trade deadline? </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo0>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/web1_pens_am4_faa.jpg</photo0><caption0>Penguins winger Daniel Sprong (center) is getting used to the hectic AHL schedule. Will he be with the team after Monday&#8217;s NHL trade deadline? </caption0><photoCredit0>Fred Adams file photo | For Times Leader </photoCredit0></div></div>
<div class="metaInfo"><subheadMeta>This weekend marks the second of three consecutive three-in-threes for the Penguins.</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</strong></p><p>Rockford IceHogs (26-22-3-3, 58 points, 6th place in the Central Division, Western Conference) at Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins (30-15-4-1, 65 points, 2nd place in the Atlantic Division)</p><p>Friday, 7:05 p.m. at the Mohegan Sun Arena</p><p>Listen live on 103.1FM-WILK</p><p>Players to watch:</p><p>Rockford - Rookie Matthew Highmore leads Rockford with 20 goals and 34 points in 54 games.</p><p>Penguins - Jean-Sebastien Dea has a point in each of his last four games.</p></factboxMeta></div><div class="metaInfo"><shirttailMeta><p>Reach Tom Venesky at 570-991-6395 or on Twitter @TomVenesky</p></shirttailMeta></div>

WBS Penguins face another three-game weekend