Empty Netter Assists - 10-29-12
Penguins
-"Some days are tougher, when you don't necessarily have a good game plan or you don't know how many guys are going to show up." - The great Joe Vitale (right) on the Penguins' players staging informal workouts at Iceoplex.
-Jeff Zatkoff made 13 saves for the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins who lost to rival Hershey Bears, 3-2. The Penguins' next game is on the road against the Manchester Monarchs, Friday, 7 p.m.
-The Penguins had a potential game-tying goal in the third period by Phil Dupuis waved off after video replay showed Dupuis kicked the puck into the net.
-Dustin Jeffrey scored a goal for Medvescak Zagreb which beat EC VSV, 5-1, in Austria's EBEL.
-Deryk Engelland scored Rosenburg's only goal in a 5-1 loss to Sparta Sarpsborg in Norway's GET Ligaen.
-Ex-Penguins forward Matt Hussey has joined the Straubing Tigers of Germany's DEL.
-Happy 68th birthday to former Penguins forward Stan Gilbertson. Acquired midway through the 1975-76 season in a deal which sent Harvey Bennett, Jr. to the Capitals, Gilbertson spent parts of two seasons with the Penguins. He finished 1975-76 by appearing in 48 games and scoring 21 points. In the 1976 postseason, he played in three games and scored two points. His final NHL season was 1976-77. He saw action in 67 games and contributed 15 points. In the 1977 offseason, he lost his leg in an automobile accident in Rostraver. In 115 regular season games with the Penguins, Gilbertson scored 36 points.
Northeast Division
-Montreal forward Lars Eller has joined JYP of Finland's SM-liiga for the duration of the lockout.
-Canadiens defenseman Andrei Markov suffered an "upper-body" injury while playing for Vityaz Chekhov of Russia's KHL.
Southeast Division
-Jets forward Blake Wheeler (right) has joined EHC Red Bull Munchen of Germany's DEL for the duration of the lockout.
Northwest Division
-Wild defenseman Ryan Suter backed off comments from earlier in the week when he questioned Minnesota owner Craig Leipold's motivations to pay him his entire contract.
Smythe Division
-Coyotes forward Martin Hanzal, Senators forward Milan Michalek and Blue Jackets forward Vaclav Prospal have joined HC Ceske Budejovice of the Czech Extraliga for the duration of the lockout.
-Cody Gylling had two goals and two assists for the Johnstown Tomahawks who defeated the Kalamazoo Wings, 6-2.
(Photos: Vitale-Bruce Bennett/Getty Images; Wheeler-Paul Bereswill/Getty Images)