Hello everyone! Jason Iacona here covering the game for Michael tonight on press row at Mohegan Sun Arena in Wilkes-Barre, PA as the Adirondack Phantoms (15-17-1-1) take on the host Wilkes-Barre / Scranton Penguins (16-17-2-1) as warmups just completed. It will be Scott Munroe (9-8-1, 2.59 GAA, 0.918 SV%) squaring off against his old team and ex-teammate Brad Thiessen (5-7-1, 3.03 GAA, 0.894 SV%) - Thiessen is coming off of a 23 save shutout of the Hershey Bears last night. The Penguins offense has been sputtering of late, only scoring six goals in their last five games. In one of those games vs. the Connecticut Whale, they were shutout.

It is also a homecoming for Shane Harper, who has family in the area. Phantoms play-by-play man Bob Rotruck posted on Twitter earlier this evening that Harper took a cab from the hotel here in Wilkes-Barre today to visit his 94 year old grandmother, and had lunch with her. This will be Harper’s fourth game.

This is the first of four meetings between the clubs. 

Feels a bit like a preseason game for both clubs even though the teams are in the thirty-somethings in games played this AHL season. A few guys up from Wheeling, Wilkes-Barre's affiliate and a handful of guys up from Trenton, Adirondack's AHL club. Should be an exiting affair with players on both sides looking to advance their careers in the AHL.

I will be providing in-game updates for everyone who has a Twitter account and would like to follow along tonight. You can find me over on Twitter @nafsnep.

Referee: Darcy Burchell. Linesmen: Scott Adams, Mike McNulty.

A sell-out crowd is anticipated tonight as there are a lot of Flyers fans in the area as well as your requisite Penguins fans. Or maybe it’s the giveaway item. It’s a Tom Grace talking bottle opener. Grace is the long time play-by-play voice of the Wilkes-Barre / Scranton Penguins.

More after the game.