Portland Pirates left wing Dustin Penner said if University of Maine assistant coach Grant Standbrook hadn’t discovered him one summer and enticed him to attend the University of Maine, “I’d probably be working at a gas station in [hometown] Winkler, Manitoba, right now.”

Instead, he is a second team American Hockey League All-Star and one of several former Black Bears involved in either the NHL or AHL playoffs.

His Portland Pirates faced the Providence Bruins on Thursday night in the first game of their best-of-seven playoff series.

Penner went from collecting 28 points in 77 games for Cincinnati (AHL) last year to racking up 84 points (39 goals, 45 assists) in just 57 games with the Pirates this season. He was called up by the parent Anaheim Mighty Ducks where he collected four goals and three assists in 19 games.

“I never would have guessed this [would have happened]. I was just looking for improvement from last season,” said the 6-foot-4, 240-pound Penner.

He said his dramatic improvement can be traced to ” a combination of things. There were new coaches in Anaheim and Portland and that was very beneficial. I also had a chance to play with some very good players [in both places] and every time I got called up [by Anaheim], I kept building confidence.”

Being chosen to the AHL All-Star team was “definitely a nice surprise,” he said.

“It’s kind of a tribute to the hard work I’ve put in the last couple of years and the people around me who have helped me develop my skills,” said Penner, who is considered a “force” by Pirates assistant Bruce Crowder.

Penner said his decision to transfer from Minot State University-Bottineau (N.D.) to Maine played a major role in his development.

“Having the opportunity to play for Maine, which is one of the top hockey schools in the country, really helped my career,” said the 23-year-old Penner, who had 11 & 12 in 43 games in his only season at Maine (2003-04).

He feels he has to “improve my quickness and foot speed” to stick in the NHL because the pace of the game in the NHL is a lot faster than the AHL.

As for the other ex-Bears involved in the playoffs, Penner will be squaring off against two of them in Ben Guite (22 goals, 30 assists) and Michael Schutte (4 & 25).

Also in the AHL, Prestin Ryan (11 & 12) and his Manitoba Moose face Syracuse; Greg Moore (1 & 1 in two games) had an assist as Hartford knotted up Manchester with a 3-2 win in Game 2 on Wednesday; and AHL all-rookie team goalie Jimmy Howard (27-6-2, 2.58 goals-against average, .908 save percentage) will lead Grand Rapids against Toronto.

As far as the NHL is concerned, Paul Kariya (31 & 54) will lead the Nashville Predators against San Jose in their best-of-seven series; Niko Dimitrakos (9 & 16) and the Philadelphia Flyers will take on Buffalo, which called up Doug Janik from Rochester (5 & 19) on Thursday; Brett Clark (9 & 27) and the Colorado Avalanche will meet Dallas; and Mike Morrison (11-4-3, 2.95 GAA, .882) will back up Ray Emery, who is replacing the injured Dominik Hasek, as Ottawa faces Tampa Bay.

Tampa Bay is coached by former Black Bear winger John Tortorella.