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WILKES-BARRE TWP. — Most of the time teams want to look ahead to the next game and put the previous action, no matter how things turned out, in the past.

But it’s understandable if the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins want to take a second to bask in their success last weekend taking two of three games, highlighted by a dramatic overtime win in Hershey.

Even more impressive was a defensive corps that allowed just three goals in those three games, coupled with a penalty kill that went 15 for 16 during that span and is an impressive 18 for 19 on the season.

“It was a pretty good weekend for us defensively,” blueliner Reid McNeill said. “It’s something we take pride in and we want to continue to focus on it.”

On Wednesday, the focus will expand to the Albany Devils, a team that has yet to lose this season and leads the AHL with five wins.

The Penguins are motivated to be the team that gives the Devils its first loss.

“We want to do that. We want to show them our best game,” captain Tom Kostopoulos said. “We have to come out with our strongest game and not sit back and see what they have.”

Kostopoulos’ words carry even more importance considering the Devils have scored first in four of their five games, and they also outscored opponents 10-2 in the first period.

Clearly, a hot start is needed to rival Albany’s strength in the first period.

“We know we have to be ready to go right off the bat. It’s our culture to start out fast also,” head coach Clark Donatelli said. “We’re at home, so we should be ready to go.”

Bonds formed on defense

McNeill said the Penguins new defense group has developed chemistry quickly, thanks in part to an injury to Stuart Percy in the second game of the season. When Percy exited the game, the Penguins were left with five defensemen.

“With Stu out, everybody got a chance to play with everyone and we were all comfortable with each other,” McNeill said.

Friends briefly become foes

During Saturday’s game against Syracuse, former Penguin Pierre-Luc Letourneau-Leblond dropped the gloves with McNeill. During Leblond’s two seasons with Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, he and McNeill were close friends and he took the young defenseman under his wing.

For McNeill, dropping the gloves with his old mentor was a challenging experience.

“I was a little nervous getting into that one. I have a ton of respect for that guy and I owe a lot of the success in my career to him. He’s really expanded my game with showing me how to fight,” McNeill said. “I’m pretty happy with how it turned out and I’m lucky to be alive. One is enough for me.”

When they were teammates with the Penguins, Leblond and McNeill used to spar after practice. Leblond said he noticed McNeill implementing some of the things he taught him years ago.

“The first thing he did is something I taught him. He pushed me against the glass to try and take me out that way,” Leblond said. “I was really impressed.”

Still, Leblond said he didn’t hold back and added he didn’t expect McNeill to drop the gloves.

“I saw him pushing guys so I yelled at him. He did it again so I went over and I never thought he’d drop the gloves,” Leblond said. “I wasn’t going to hold back. I was just warming up. He’s a strong kid.”

Leblond had to exit the game after getting cut in the fight, and he joked that McNeill “dodged a bullet.” He also offered high praise for his former teammate.

“Reid is a great guy who is super respectful and works very hard. He’s what I want everyone of my teammates to be,” Leblond said. “The two years we spent together, I feel like I did my job as a veteran.”

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By Tom Venesky

[email protected]

Up next…

Albany Devils (5-0-0-0, 10 points, 1st Place in the North Division) at Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins (3-1-0-0, 6 Points, 2nd Place in Atlantic Division)

Wednesday, 7:05 p.m. at the Mohegan Sun Arena

Players to watch:

Albany: Rookie forward John Quenneville has a goal and four points in five games.

Penguins: Dominik Simon has goals in back-to-back games.

Reach Tom Venesky at 570-991-6395 or on Twitter @TLTomVenesky

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Tristan Jarry talks about the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins defense.

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