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WILKES-BARRE — Cameron Gaunce didn’t get frustrated while he was a healthy scratch for Pittsburgh’s first-round playoff series against the Columbus Blue Jackets.

It was a situation that he couldn’t control, so why get upset, he reasoned.

Still, it wasn’t easy to watch and not play.

“You do want to get out there more. You start to miss the competition, the camaraderie,” he said.

Now that Gaunce is back with the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins, the team he began the season with, and logging playoff minutes in their series against Providence, his season has come full circle.

The 27-year-old split time this season between Wilkes-Barre/Scranton and Pittsburgh. He appeared in 49 AHL games and 12 with Pittsburgh after his first call-up in January.

While the seven-year pro cherishes his time in the NHL, he admits to feeling at home with Wilkes-Barre/Scranton for its playoff run.

“I feel like I’ve been pretty involved with this team on and off the ice. This is something we started in October,” Gaunce said. “I’m happy to go through the process with all of them.”

Going through the playoffs is nothing new for Gaunce. He’s been in the AHL postseason each of the last four seasons with Portland and Texas and saw plenty of playoff action during his three years in juniors.

In fact, Gaunce has been on a playoff team for all but one season during his time as a pro and in juniors.

He feels his consistent appearances in the postseason can help the Penguins.

“It’s something I take pride in. I might not show up on stat sheets, so what I try to bring is something that sometimes can’t be measured – an attitude, work ethic and something that breeds winning,” Gaunce said. “We have an excellent team here and I’d like to think I had a part in it.”

No magic formula

Gaunce said there isn’t one perfect mix for a team to win a championship. If there were, every team would try to replicate it, he said.

But he added that Wilkes-Barre/Scranton has a lot of the components of a championship team. Topping the list?

Consistency.

“That’s the most important thing this time of year,” Gaunce said, referring to last year’s Calder Cup champion, Lake Erie. “They were the most consistent. That’s what was able to get them to the final and win it.”

Stay out of the box

Through the first two games of the series, Providence is 3 for 9 on the power play. The Penguins have spent the week tightening up the penalty kill in response.

Tom Sestito said the Penguins need to be more disciplined on the ice as well.

“You have to take punches. You have to eat bad hits,” he said. “The power play and penalty kill are the difference in the playoffs.”

Reunited

After having success earlier in the season before being broken up by call-ups and injuries, the line of Garrett Wilson-Oskar Sundquist-Josh Archibald is happy to be back together for the postseason.

“We had a solid regular season together. It’s been a while since we’ve all been back together. We’re starting to click again,” Wilson said. “We still know the tendencies and hopefully we’ll get the chemistry going like it was earlier in the year.”

Happy to be home

“It’s nice to have home ice advantage. We played well at our rink all year,” Wilson said. “I hope the fans are loud and we can feed off their energy and finish this off at home.”

Game 2 not the norm

After winning Game 2 6-5 in overtime, Donatelli believes the rest of the games in the series will revert back to low-scoring affairs. “I don’t think it’s going to be high-scoring. Both teams are very good defensively,” he said. “I thought that was an untypical game.”

Injury update

D Frank Corrado is listed as day-to-day with a lower body injury, while F Zach Aston-Reese (upper body) appears less likely to play in the opening round. “It’s not likely he’ll be back for the series. Not a 100 percent (ruling him out),” head coach Clark Donatelli said.

For other sports stories, click here.

Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins’ Cameron Gaunce returns to the squad after his call-up to Pittsburgh in January.
https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/web1_pensspringfield02CMYK.jpg.optimal.jpgWilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins’ Cameron Gaunce returns to the squad after his call-up to Pittsburgh in January. Times Leader file photo

By Tom Venesky

[email protected]

UP NEXT …

Game 3 of the Calder Cup Atlantic Division Semifinals

Providence Bruins (1-1) at Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins (1-1)

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

Listen live on 103.1FM-WILK

Players to watch:

Providence — D Tommy Cross had a goal and three points on Sunday in his first game back from Boston.

Penguins — David Warsofsky has two goals and five points in two playoff games against his former team.

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

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Tom Sestito discussed WBS Pens playoff series against the Providence Bruins.

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