Despres And Penguins Moving On

Simon Despres and the Pittsburgh Penguins are moving on.

Brooks Orpik scored in overtime to give the Penguins a 4-3 victory over the New York Islanders on Saturday night. The goal also gave Pittsburgh a 4-2 series win, advancing them to the Eastern Conference Semi-Finals where they will play the Ottawa Senators.

Despres had 12:59 minutes of ice time in the win, registering one hit, two blocked shots, and a +1 rating. He also came close to accidently slicing Casey Cizikas open. Yikes.

This was the third playoff game Despres has played in this post-season.

Elsewhere on Saturday night…

• On the opening day of the RBC Cup, the Brooks Bandits defeated the Truro Bearcats 7-1 in Summerside. Truro features former Sea Dogs Grant West, Dylan McGuigan, and David Mosher, all of whom were held pointless on this day.
• In the second game at the RBC Cup, the host Summerside Western Capitals beat the Minnesota Wilderness 5-1. Former Sea Dog Danny Chiasson had two goals for the Caps while Jason Seed had two assists and Spencer MacDonald one helper.
• Alex Grant and the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins are down 2-0 in their second-round Calder Cup Playoff series against the Providence Bruins following a 4-2 loss tonight. Grant had two shots.
• Tomas Jurco opened the scoring for the Grand Rapids Griffins tonight but fell 4-2 to the Toronto Marlies. That series is now tied 1-1. According to the AHL website, Jurco also had eight shots (!), two penalty minutes, and a +1 rating.
• In the ECHL, the Reading Royals advanced to the Kelly Cup Final with a 3-1 victory over the Cincinnati Cyclones. The Royals won the series in five games. Former Sea Dogs defensemen Charles-Olivier Roussel and David MacDonald each had two shots as their seasons came to an end.
• And the OHL Final will require a Game 7. The London Knights blew a 4-0 third period lead but managed to defeat the Barrie Colts 5-4 in overtime. Game 7 is on Monday in London with the winner advancing to the Memorial Cup.