The Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins haven’t won a game in nearly a week.

And they have a good excuse.

They haven’t played since Feb. 7.

The American Hockey League is in the midst of its All-Star break and that is the only thing that has put a halt — albeit a temporary one — to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton’s ongoing five-game winning streak.

That hot surge this month has helped offset a somewhat room-temperature January in which the team struggled with various absences. As it emerges from the break starting Saturday with a home contest against the Syracuse Crunch, Wilkes-Barre/Scranton has the AHL’s third-most points (68) thanks to a 32-12-2-2 mark.

That success has come while using a league-high 47 different players this season.

“We joke a lot, we’ve used as many players as we’ve played games this year,” Wilkes-Barre/Scranton coach Kirk MacDonald said. “We’re at 47 players we’ve used in 48 games. It’s a credit to the guys, their mindset. In the room, we never talk about it. We just line up and play with whoever we’ve got. It speaks to the depth that we have and the leadership that we have in the room.

“We were really short-staffed the last month since Christmas. We went 6-4-1 in January and that was a bad month. I think there’s a lot of teams in the league that would love to go 6-4-1.”

Much of that player movement is based on the typical recalls an NHL affiliate requires to fill in for gaps created by injuries or other absences.

But there have also been several other transactions in which established and productive players have simply been traded away. Forwards such as Danton Heinen and Sam Poulin — each was Wilkes-Barre/Scranton’s leading scorer at various times this season — were jettisoned as part of larger trades geared for the benefit of the NHL club.

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Coach Kirk MacDonald has guided the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins to a 32-12-2-2 record this season. (KDP Studio).

“If the organization is doing things right, you’re probably going to end up with guys who shouldn’t be here,” MacDonald said. “They’re probably too good for the league and their time here is going to be limited, as it was. And that’s fine. It’s just another opportunity for other guys. If you look around our team, I think we went six or seven games where we didn’t have an NHL-contract guy playing center for us. It just speaks to the depth (and) the guys that stepped up and contributed in those situations.”

Wilkes-Barre/Scranton has qualified for the playoffs in each of the past two seasons, but on both occasions, they were meekly swept away in best-of-three first-round series by the rival Lehigh Valley Phantoms.

Securing a bye for the first round and avoiding the keyhole-narrow room for error in a best-of-three series appears to be a baseline goal for MacDonald and company over the final months of the regular season.

The Penguins are chasing the Providence Bruins (35-8-1-0, 71 points) for first place in the division. Meanwhile, the Charlotte Checkers (26-15-2-0, 55 points), who have played four fewer games than the Penguins, are mounting a pursuit from third place.

In the AHL’s playoff format, the top two teams in the Atlantic Division receive byes.

“Whether you win the division or not, I think is inconsequential,” MacDonald said. “You need to get the bye. We want to finish in the top two. … The mindset is to get the bye. We’re going to make the playoffs. We know that. And that’s not I don’t think (being) arrogant. The stats say that.

“To me, we’re not as far ahead of Charlotte as it may look because of the games in hand. We have to keep the pedal down and keep working because we know they’re a really good team. And they’ve kind of had our number this year. To put ourselves in the top two where we can get a bye and have home ice for, at least, that first best-of-five series is huge.”

MacDonald addressed a number of topics via a phone interview on Thursday.

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Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins goaltender Sergei Murashov. (KDP Studio)

• Goaltending has been a foundational piece of the team’s success. Sergei Murashov has been Wilkes-Barre/Scranton’s top goaltender with an 18-5-0 record, 2.11 goals-against average, .924 save percentage and two shutouts in 24 games, earning a spot in the AHL’s All-Star event this week.

Joel Blomqvist, an AHL All-Star in 2023-24, has rebounded from a preseason injury that lingered into November. Platooning with Murashov, Blomqvist has appeared in 15 contests and posted an 8-4-3 record, 2.43 GAA, .916 save percentage and one shutout.

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“Just look at their numbers. They’ve done a great job for us,” MacDonald said. “Sergei’s got a couple more starts here, but (Blomqvist) has been outstanding as well. (Blomqvist) is maybe the 1B right now but it’s still pretty tight. They’re both No. 1 goalies at this level. It’s a no-brainer. Probably us and Providence are the only ones that have a goaltending tandem like this, where if either guy starts, we’ve probably got the best goalie in the game. They both do a good job, they work really, really hard.

“It makes everybody’s life a little bit easier. You can play a little bit more free knowing your goalie is going to make the save.”

• Forward Avery Hayes enjoyed quite a handful of days entering the All-Star break.

On Feb. 4 (a Wednesday) he scored a game-winning goal for Wilkes-Barre/Scranton in a 4-1 victory against the rival Hershey Bears.

By the next morning, he was recalled to the NHL club for the first time in his career and embarked on a wild adventure through rural Pennsylvania and New York to get to Buffalo on time. In his NHL debut, he scored two goals in a 5-2 win against the Sabres.

Back on the AHL roster one day later, he rejoined Wilkes-Barre/Scranton’s lineup Feb. 7 and recorded a hat trick — including the winning goal — in a 4-3 road win against the Bears.

“The way he got (the recall) was great,” MacDonald said. “(Hayes scored) the game winner Wednesday night. He found out about 11:45 (Thursday) morning that he was going up, then it was a mad dash to get to Buffalo. Got there in time and obviously the rest is history. Came back Saturday night, right off the hop, he was great. A lot of the stuff that he does that doesn’t get recognized on the scoreboard, I think maybe goes unnoticed by people on the outside, it’s kind of the reason that he does have the success on the scoreboard. His habits are really good.”

Undrafted, Hayes earned an NHL contract last season after initially joining the organization on an AHL deal in 2023.

“Coming in here last year, (Hayes) didn’t know the group and he’s on an (AHL) contract,” MacDonald said. “He’s in and out of the lineup to start and he forced his way into a situation where we couldn’t take him out. Then forced his way into a situation where he earned an NHL entry-level deal. He just continued to force people to make decisions and earned an opportunity.”

His success serves as a template for players currently on AHL contracts, such as forward Atley Calvert and Gabe Klassen, each of whom has contributed to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton’s success this season, particularly as the center depth has been thinned out.

“(Hayes) is a great example that if you put in the time and the work, you’re going to get an opportunity,” MacDonald said. “I would say now (Calvert) and (Klassen) are great examples for guys in Wheeling (of the ECHL) this year. It continues to build on itself. It’s great because it also shows when you’re trying to recruit free agents, all these guys are great examples. They’ve done the work, seized the opportunity when it’s come. They’re being rewarded for it. Hayes is a great example for (Klassen) and (Calvert) and it just trickles down the food chain.”

• One player getting his first taste of professional hockey is forward Tanner Howe.

A second-round draft pick (No. 46 overall) in 2024, the 20-year-old Howe is one of the Pittsburgh Penguins’ top prospects. But he is still working his way back from a lengthy layoff following a severely injured right knee that required surgery in April.

Making his debut Feb. 1, Howe has two points (one goal, one assist) in three games, including a goal against the Bears on Feb. 4.

“(Howe) has done a good job,” MacDonald said. “Not playing for nine months and he was itching to get back. He’s played to his identity. He’s played hard. He’s done a great job killing penalties. He’s getting a bit of a look on the power play as well. He knows what he is. He plays really hard. He plays smart, gets to the blue paint. The offense he has created is just by getting to the net. Great goal last week against Hershey right off the faceoff. His detail there prior to the goal was great. He does a great job of getting to the net front to get that tip.

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“He does a lot of the little things as a 20-year-old that a lot don’t do. You can see that. As he gets in better game shape, he’s only going to get better. There’s so much there. It’s so early, but he’s done a great job.”

• Another forward prospect seeking a fresh start is Melvin Fernstrom.

Acquired just over a year ago in a trade that sent defenseman Marcus Pettersson and forward Drew O’Connor to the Vancouver Canucks on Jan. 31, 2025, Fernstrom enjoyed a strong 2024-25 season with Orebro of the Swedish Hockey League, winning that league’s rookie of the year award.

This season, he struggled with Orebro, totaling only four points (three goals, one assist) in 36 games.

In need of a course correction, the 19-year-old Swede was assigned to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton on Feb. 3 and was thrown into a demanding role right away as he was placed on the left wing of the top line with two other prized prospects, Tristan Broz at center and Ville Koivunen on the right wing.

So far, so good. In two games, Fernstrom has three points (one goal, two assists).

“You can see he’s got great offensive instincts,” MacDonald said. “Strong on the puck. He’s only 19. He’s done a great job in the two games that he’s been here. He had three points on the weekend. Playing with (Broz) and Ville, I thought they were a great combo. They played in the (offensive) zone a lot, created a lot of offense. Nowhere to go but up for him. Great debut. He’s come as advertised of what we expected.

“There’s a lot of room to grow (as) a young kid. But when you can step in like that with a new team, a new environment, new culture, everything and just kind of roll with the punches, I thought he did a great job.”

• Koivunen appears to be doing his job with the AHL club after experiencing limited success with the NHL Penguins this season.

In 20 AHL contests, Koivunen has been potent, posting 25 points (six goals, 19 assists). As of late, Koivunen has been productive with eight points (one goal, seven assists) in his past four games.

“Since we’ve gone on this five-game winning streak, his play has been a big part of it,” MacDonald said. “And not just the offense. He’s taking care of the pucks really well. He hasn’t turned any pucks over five on five. He’s done a great job of driving pucks, driving possession. He’s going to make plays here because he’s better than most of the guys at this level. But just recognizing the things that he needs to get better to continue to improve and get to the next level and stay there is important.

“He’s doing a lot of good things, he’s working his (backside) off. He’s just putting the work in that he needs to do for the next time the opportunity comes.”

• Another of the team’s more prominent prospects, defenseman Owen Pickering, has offered steady play in MacDonald’s estimation after an unremarkable four-game stint with the NHL club in late October and early November.

A first-round draft pick (No. 21 overall) in 2022, Pickering has already established career highs at the AHL level with five goals and 19 points in only 45 games. But offense isn’t the keystone of his game.

“(Pickering) is doing a really good job for us, on and off the ice,” MacDonald said. “The offense is great, but (Pickering) continues to do a really good job defending for us, killing penalties, moving pucks, transferring pucks out of the (defensive) zone. That’s like his bread and butter. The offense is gravy for him. When he does all those really good things, we end up playing in the (offensive) zone and he gets rewarded for it. But he’s got to continue to defend hard, take away time and space, get into people.

“He wants to get better. It’s a process for all these guys and everybody’s timeline and path is different. But I think (Pickering) has been outstanding for us. Even from a leadership standpoint, he’s kind of elevated himself in the room where guys are looking to him. And he’s only 21. That speaks volumes about his character.”

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• Another presence on the blue line has been 31-year-old veteran Matt Dumba.

After clearing waivers Dec. 13, Dumba, who carries a salary of $3.75 million, was assigned to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton and was largely dormant in his first 15 games with that club, generating only five points (one goal, four assists).

But as of late, he has been prolific with 12 points (four goals, eight assists) in his past five games, including his first career hat trick as a professional during a 6-5 road win against the Lehigh Valley Phantoms on Feb. 6.

“No different than when (veteran defenseman Ryan Graves) spent time with us or (Heinen),” MacDonald said. “They don’t want to be here. They’re NHL players. They’ve all spent significant time at the highest level and rightly so. They’re great players. (Dumba) is also a great player. He’s got 748 games in the (NHL). I don’t have to assume that it’s a big adjustment. It (stinks).

“But I think he’s done a great job. And since he got with us, a great teammate, great in the room, the boys love him. It’s an adjustment. Everything is up in the air, and I think he’s done a great job kind of sticking with it. The points have come. When he moves pucks quick and he’s decisive with this decision-making, our team is really good. Being part of the group, his play has taken off. I don’t know how long he’s going to be with us. That’s not my concern.

“But he’s done a great job lately. He creates a lot of offense. His offensive touches are great. … But when you look at his defensive play, he’s done a great job breaking pucks out and making good reads, getting pucks going north toward the (offensive) zone for us the last five games, which, in turn, has led to that success because he’s spending more time in the (offensive) zone. That’s a big reason for it.”

• Defensive prospect Emil Pieniniemi is under something of a microscope, at least externally. In October, he was suspended by Pittsburgh management after declining to report to the ECHL’s Wheeling Nailers in a dispute with management over his development plan.

Once he agreed to join Wheeling in December, he was recalled to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton in January and has appeared in four games and contributed two assists while largely playing on the third pairing.

There is legitimate hope that Pieniniemi, a third-round draft pick (No. 91) in 2023, has a significant NHL future. But the 20-year-old Finn is still getting used to the professional game in North America.

“He’s doing a good job,” MacDonald said. “I think he defended a lot better than I expected him to. He does a really good job on the power play. His offensive instincts are good. Makes a really good first pass. … He’s done a great job for a young kid. Another one of those guys where there’s room to grow and it’s our job to help him with that.”