Chirps from Center Ice

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What are you doing Saturday?

You’re going to be sweating, like me, in a winner take all Game 5 after the Springfield Thunderbirds shutout the Wilkes-Barre / Scranton Penguins team 2-0 in Game 4 on Thursday.

All due respect to Springfield, but they do not quit. They are hard to kill. Ask any Charlotte Checkers or Providence Bruins fan.

The Thunderbirds see an early Penguins goal in the first period come off the board and that wildly swings momentum in their direction, the Penguins play shellshocked the remainder of the game, manage just six shots in the second period and three shots in the third before pulling Sergei Murashov for the extra attacker and put up an additional four desperate bids to run the total to seven in the period.

Without a doubt, this is Wilkes-Barre / Scranton’s best chance to win a Calder Cup in franchise history. No pressure from an eliminated Pittsburgh and a bevy of players ready to make the jump to full time NHL work next season. Mess this up, and it’s a setback of 5-7 years again to relevancy. Sure, they may contend and all, but it’s a different animal in playoffs.

Springfield doesn’t care though.

I also firmly believe that whichever team wins Game 5 will make it to the Calder Cup Finals, with all due respect to the Cleveland Monsters and Toronto Marlies.

Let’s just hope we still have something to talk about come Memorial Day.

Here’s how they lined up…

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Lineup Notes: No changes to any personnel from Game 3.

First Period: Story of the period was this disallowed goal by Harrison Brunicke which was ruled initially good but after discussion from referees Stephen Hiff and Alex Lepkowski with linesmen Dylan Blujus and Brandon Grillo, it was ruled no goal.

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I mean you can’t get mad at these calls because no one knows what goaltender interference is or isn’t. Did Georgii Romanov sell it a bit? Maybe? But that’s gamesmanship.

Ice was tilted Springfield’s way all period but Sergei Murashov was dialed in.

Boko Imama had a fight.

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But there was no scoring.

Second Period: Wilkes-Barre does not score on two power play attempts in the period, Springfield scores on their only attempt via Dillon Dube.

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First lead in 16 days for the Thunderbirds and it broke a 0-9 streak the Thunderbirds had on the power play in the series.

Sergei Murashov was dialed in the period otherwise, stopping Marc-André Gaudet and Zach Dean point blank on two different opportunities in the period. Aidan McDonough draws iron and Rutger McGroarty misses on the rebound chance on the first power play for the Penguins.

Third Period: Springfield gets an early goal when Gaudet scores on a weird play that doubles the Thunderbirds lead.

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Murashov continued to keep his team in it, stopping Zach Dean with the pad to keep it 2-0.

Springfield smothered the Penguins in all zones and hung on and with Sergei Murashov pulled the Penguins were not able to solve Georgii Romanov.

Three Stars: 3) Marc-André Gaudet (goal) 2) Dillon Dube (goal) 1) Georgii Romanov (20 save shutout)

The Good: I have no idea. Nobody got hurt? We get the privilege of attending another AHL hockey game we all really don’t want to go to on Saturday? Would a Hershey Bear or Bridgeport Islanders fan like to attend a game this weekend? Probably.

The Bad: After the goal was taken off the board they looked like a totally shellshocked team. Hey, newsflash, the teams get tougher each series. If you can’t get past this sixth place cockroach team, you probably aren’t winning it all, jack.

Turning Point: The Brunicke disallowed goal gets it here.

Video Highlights: 

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See you Saturday for all the marbles, this round.

Let’s Go Pens!

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So we had the, “where would we be without Aidan McDonough?” question in the regular season as the Penguins owe a large part of their regular season success to the Penguins forward.

Now, especially in this best of five Atlantic Division Finals series against this never say die Springfield Thunderbirds team, the question becomes where would we be without Bill Zonnon?

Another goal for the 19 year old in this series stands as the game winner as the Wilkes-Barre / Scranton Penguins win Game 3 2-1 and have a 2-1 series lead and can advance to the Eastern Conference Finals with a win in Game 4 on Wednesday.

You know that the Thunderbirds will be playing with fire in their pants and will not go away quietly, so dial in and hope you don’t have to prepare for a clench your butt deciding Game 5 Saturday in Wilkes-Barre.

Here’s how they lined up….

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Lineup Notes: Boko Imama for Raivis Ansons was the only change on the fourth line.

First Period: Had a Game 1, Period 1 vibe that I picked up early on with the two teams seemingly feeling each other out or at the very least reacquainting themselves since last playing last Thursday.

Both teams killed each others power plays then Springfield went on a late power play and then Rutger McGroarty capitalizes here…

Second Period: Wilkes-Barre outshoots the Thunderbirds 12-4, Rutger McGroarty has another breakaway, but Georgii Romanov denies all comers in a period where it felt like the Penguins threw the kitchen sink at the Thunderbirds and it was still a one goal lead.

One thing I noticed was that we have a ton of smooth skating defensemen that can wheel around guys like they are standing still, but refuse to shoot when they have an open lane. Why not? Is it fear of a big rebound caroming the other way? Maybe. I still find it mildly annoying however.

Third Period: Wilkes-Barre was up 3-0 heading into the third period in Game 2 and coughed it up and the Thunderbirds rallied and won the game.

I didn’t see those same mistakes in the third period of this game, and largely in part to the fact it was just a 1-0 game.

Enter Bill Zonnon.

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So this should cement Kirk MacDonald’s lines for the remainder of this series at least. I think he made a bit of a mistake going with Raivis Ansons in Game 2, and I kind of feel sorry for Ansons as he’s like the odd man out. Boko Imama put it on a platter for the Penguins neophyte, and he buried it.

It ended up being a big goal, as Springfield would get another fluke late goal when Juraj Pekarcik’s shot somehow finds its way in.

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I don’t know how, but as has been the case in these Calder Cup Playoffs, Springfield finds a way.

The teams traded a pair of late goaltender interface calls and with Thunderbirds goaltender Georgii Romanov pulled, Springfield was not able to find the equalizer.

Three Stars: 3) Juraj Pekarcik (goal) 2) Rutger McGroarty (goal) 1) Bill Zonnon (goal)

The Good: Methodical road victory for Wilkes-Barre / Scranton who were dialed in from the drop, faced late adversity but didn’t break and can exterminate their opponent on Thursday.

The Bad: Nitpicking your goaltender not getting a shutout in a game where he kind of deserved one with the way he and his team played is a stretch.

Turning Point: Wouldn’t know it at the time, but the Zonnon goal early in the third gets it here.

Ice Chips: It was in the low 90s in Springfield and I thought they were giving the appearance of skating in sand for stretches in the period….refs Ben Betker and Mike Sullivan stayed out of the way for the most part, I didn’t like the late goaltender interference penalty on Gabe Klassen and felt it was take it or leave it but it set the table for Dylan Peterson’s goaltender interference penalty on Murashov at 17:08, so what was good for the goose was good for the gander.

Video Highlights: 

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Pens can play Orkin men (or Terminix, or Ehrlich, you get the idea) on Thursday and can put this pesky Thunderbirds team away for good with a solid sixty minutes.

More Thursday with a shot to advance to the Eastern Conference Finals.

Let’s Go Pens!

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I still like my chances in this series.

Despite a 3-0 lead after two periods, the Springfield Thunderbirds mount a furious third period comeback with a shorthanded goal at :55 and two extra attacker goals within a span of 1:34 late in the period to force overtime and it’s Akil Thomas’ fluke goal that goes off the end wall and off of Sergei Murashov and in to give the visiting Springfield Thunderbirds a 4-3 overtime win to tie this Best of Five Series at a game a piece with Game 3 ready to go Tuesday in Springfield.

That all said, I am off till Tuesday going camping and my weekend is ruined already.

It’s 11:10 p.m. on a Thursday, let’s see how quick we can get through this…

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Lineup Notes: Raivis Ansons for Boko Imama on the fourth line was it.

First Period: Wilkes-Barre withstands a Springfield push to open, but then the floodgates open and Bill Zonnon scores his second goal in as many games on a power play at 8:32 and the Penguins were off and running….

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That was about as orchestrated a power play that I have witnessed in some time.

Shots ended 14-4 Penguins in the period. Officials missed Gabe Klassen getting busted open with a high stick but the very next shift call another high sticking penalty that put the Penguins on the power play that gave them the lead.

Second Period: They absolutely dominated the Thunderbirds from top to bottom, left to right and side to side.

:16 into the frame, Tristan Broz scores here to double the Penguins lead….

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More tomfoolery from referees Liam Maaskant and Austin Rook, who I thought were average at best, missing a blatant trip on Springfield on one side, but calling Joona Koppanen for a blatant one on our side.

But they navigated clean to even strength again, go back on the power play and Avery Hayes scores to make it 3-0.

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Shots were 30-14. Write it how you want, it was one way traffic. The Penguins could do no wrong and Springfield couldn’t do anything. At five a side they were getting throttled. Two power play goals in your nets? Short series, buddy.

Third Period: But that’s what the casuals think.

Dillon Dube is whistled for delay of game at :31. Penguins power play. Get another one here and bury them.

Nope.

Hugh McGing, at :55, shorthanded.

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Shorthanded goals and the inability to say the word die is what Springfield Thunderbirds hockey is about in these Calder Cup Playoffs.

But they persisted, persisted, persisted and persisted some more until Head Coach Steve Ott summoned Georgii Romanov to the bench with 3:42 left. Vibes told me why not, they were hemming in the Penguins the whole period. Shots? Try 20-8 for the Thunderbirds in the period.

They score. Not one, but two. Same guy, too. Dillon Dube.

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I thank the Springfield media team for the economy tweet there showing both extra attacker goals.

It was off to…

Overtime: Didn’t like the vibes. Felt like they were shellshocked and just holding on. Shots 11-4 for Springfield here until Akil Thomas gets sprung on a breakaway, shoots, misses the net, but the hard shot caroms off the back boards back off of Murashov and in.

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A penalty was being called there, so if they fluke goal didn’t beat them, the power play most likely would have.

Three Stars: 3) Mikhail Ilyin (two assists) 2) Dillon Dube (two extra attacker goals) 1) Akil Thomas (game winning overtime goal)

The Good: Well, the first forty minutes we looked like a special team that couldn’t be stopped.

The Bad: Outshot 31-12 in the third period and overtime against a team that doesn’t know any better, probably doesn’t belong, but has home ice now and a 1-1 series heading back for a pivotal Game 3 Tuesday.

Turning Point: The shorthanded goal by Hugh McGing lit the fuse that propelled the Thunderbirds to this improbable comeback, considering how the first two periods went.

Ice Chips: I know I am writing these words for casuals who will never read them, but for the love of god your team is clinging to a 3-1 lead late in the third and you idiots want to start the wave? Like, what the hell? Is this your first hockey game? (yes, probably)

But that’s the dope in me that has never won the big one telling people who bought the ticket I didn’t pay for how to act.

Video Highlights: 

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Is it Tuesday yet? No? Just 11:30 p.m. when this goes up? Damn, I type fast.

Let’s Go Pens!

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I had this tweet after the end of the second period where the Penguins were leading 2-1.

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They say that the put away game is the hardest to win. The Wilkes-Barre / Scranton Penguins play their most concise game of the series and oust the Hershey Bears in four games in the Atlantic Division Semifinals and win 4-1. Sergei Murashov with a dazzling 37 save performance. Murashov is undefeated in Hershey.

The Penguins will take on the Springfield Thunderbirds in the Atlantic Division Finals, after the Thunderbirds dispatched the Macgregor Kilpatrick Trophy, 54 win Providence Bruins in four games 1-0 in overtime.

More on those fools in due time though.

Here’s how they lined up:

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Lineup Notes: Rafaël Harvey-PInard was injured in Game 3. Aaron Huglen took his spot up front. Finn Harding was in for Sebastian Aho on defense.

First Period: In an elimination game, if you are leading the series and want to put your opponent away, you better start on time.

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75 seconds in, that’s starting on time and Joona Koppanen is a punctual human being.

Boko Imama and Dalton Smith fought here with Imama swinging wildly, and Smith. getting the takedown. I don’t think anyone landed any punches.

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Hershey scores with 5.1 seconds left on a power play when Ivan Miroshnichenko ties the game at one.

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Second Period: Off the hop, Rutger McGroarty was denied at 1:18 on the breakaway while the teams were 4-on-4 after some end of first period shenanigans.

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Harrison Brunicke would make it 2-1 for the Penguins via a shorthanded goal.

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Here’s the setup. Avery Hayes and Rutger McGroarty come in on a two on one and don’t get the shot off, then Andrew Cristall works a give and go on a two on one for the Bears the other way but hits the post. Then Gabe Klassen works up the ice, puts a shot on which is stopped but there’s Brunicke for the rebound.

Whew.

It’s a developmental league for a reason folks. Harrison Brunicke was a mess in my opinion when he was here for his developmental stint earlier in the year but since he’s been back after his junior team was eliminated, he has grown leaps and bounds. He’s a wizard with the puck.

Wilkes-Barre has a late power play come and go but kept the pressure on.

Third Period: Ville Koivunen finishes off a beautiful play with Tristan Broz and Mikhail Ilyin to make it 3-1.

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Penalty filled period that favored Hershey. Wilkes-Barre didn’t do itself any favors with the penalties, albeit some were tacky tack. The Penguins get through it all okay however.

Then late, with Clay Stevenson pulled for the extra attacker, Gabe Klassen scores from about 175 feet an empty net goal that seals it.

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Three Stars: 3) Sergei Murashov (37 saves) 2) Harrison Brunicke (goal) 1) Aaron Ness (ceremonial, played a lot of playoff games for the Bears)

The Good: Buried their rival in four games. We don’t have to go to a Saturday game with our butts clenched. They are rounding into form, too. They came into the game prepared with an early goal, smothered their opponent and never looked back.

The Bad: This space for rent.

Turning Point: I want to give it to the collective penalty kill in the third period but that’s lame. The Koivunen goal gets it here.

Next Up: I’ll post the Atlantic Division Finals schedule once it’s finalized by the teams in a separate post. Sleuths on Twitter tell me it’s home in Wilkes-Barre Tuesday and Thursday, but it’s not official until it is.

Video Highlights: 

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Weekend Preview will be up Friday which I will riff on this past series, give you my thoughts on Springfield, and provide you with more NASCAR and soccer hot takes.

Let’s Go Pens!

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I had this tweet at some point during Game 3.

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That was because the Penguins jumped to a 2-0 lead only to see it evaporate and Hershey takes the lead. Hayes, who just had an empty net goal albeit an important one in Game 1, along with Rutger McGroarty, were no where to be found.

Fast forward to the final three minutes of regulation, and Avery Hayes scores to tie the game and force overtime.

Fast forward to 4:57 of the overtime frame and Rutger McGroarty’s goal has the Hershey Bears on the brink of elimination. Wilkes-Barre / Scranton wins 4-3. The Penguins can eliminate the Bears in Game 4 on Thursday.

My alternate headline was “Milk Cartons” if McGroarty and Hayes didn’t show up in the way that they did late. Milk does a body good.

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Here’s how they lined up:

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Lineup Notes: They shuffled the top three lines and left the Imama line untouched and took Finn Harding out of the lineup for Chase Pietila.

First Period: Phil Kemp pounced on a loose puck left in the slot and scored at 3:15 to give the Penguins a quick 1-0 lead.

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Then the Penguins played some Harlem Globetrotters with a series of passes that ended on the tape of Mikhail Ilyin who scored at 6:16 to make it 2-0 Penguins.

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But here come the Bears.

Ivan Miroshnichenko scores right at the halfway point of the period and it’s a 2-1 game.

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But I think this play was offside.

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You are looking at the puck at the top of the screen and the Bears skater in the middle of your screen. Looks offside to me by parallax is a funny thing.

Hershey would get the only power play of the period and the Penguins would kill it, but Hershey would keep the momentum. Bogdan Trineyev scores to tie the game at two.

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Second Period: Last thing you want to do is see the opponent score in the first minute.

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Brett Leason is developing into a stone in the shoe.

Penguins had the only power play in the period and were not able to score on it. Avery Hayes was open near post and had a gaping net to shoot into and the pass came to him in the skates.

Wilkes-Barre outshot the Bears 10-7 in the period but it would have been 5-2 Hershey if it weren’t for Sergei Murashov’s efforts in net.

Third Period: Avery Hayes had a bit of an eventful period. He hit the post early on and at full speed it looked like a goal but the in house replays clearly showed low iron and no goal.

Wilkes-Barre had to sweat through a penalty kill with one of their best killers Joona Koppanen in the box but got through it cleanly.

They were chasing, and chasing, and chasing, and chasing a goal and out of a time out with a hair over 3 minutes remaining and Sergei Murashov vacated for the extra attacker the aforementioned Avery Hayes scored to tie the game.

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A few spikes of hairiness to the final whistle but it was off to…

Overtime:

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(I got tired of waiting for Coal Street to post the video on a work night so I did it myself)

The Bears fans in attendance were irate at the fact that the goal was not reviewed. Hershey has literally every angle covered with multiple angles for replays, but what they don’t have (or show) is the overhead. The fans in attendance were sure that the goal should not have counted.

Enter Hershey play by play man Zack Fisch.

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So there’s that, and this….

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Three Stars: 3) Ivan Miroshnichenko (goal) 2) Brett Leason (goal) 1) Rutger McGroarty (overtime game winning goal)

The Good: Snatched victory from the jaws of defeat. I mean I realize it’s not supposed to be easy, but don’t make it harder if that makes any sense.

The Bad: I’m starting to question who the better team is here and I wasn’t at the start of the series.

Turning Point: The McGroarty goal is the obvious answer here.

Video Highlights:

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Ice Chips: Game 4 goes Thursday from Hershey and you can expect the best from the Bears in the hopes they force the decider here Saturday at 6:05….I still don’t think Wilkes-Barre has played its best game of the series yet….they don’t give MVPs this early in but Sergei Murashov gets my vote here. He’s literally dragging them through the series….I would still try to find room for Raivis Ansons if I am Kirk MacDonald but as I have say for years, I don’t coach them, I just blog about them.

Talk to you Thursday.

Let’s Go Pens!

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Well, now it’s a series.

Hershey takes Game 2 by a 2-1 score Saturday night in Wilkes-Barre.

I told you in the Weekend Preview that Herhsey goaltender Clay Stevenson had the potential to steal a game if not the series. He stopped 36 of 37 shots, including 21 in the third period after an all out barrage by the Penguins in the third period after trailing 2-0, and now it’s an even series heading to a pivotal Game 3 Tuesday in Hershey.

Wilkes-Barre did not start on time, with just three shots on goal in the first period and in a period where they were awarded a very early 4:00 double minor power play.

Hershey scored in the first period on their power play off of a Brett Leason goal and then Bogdan Trineyev scored after a big stop by Stevenson on Aidan McDonough moneys before. McDonough would extract his pound of flesh in the third at 1:12 to jump start what ended up being a too little, too late onslaught by the home team.

That’s basically it. The game teetered on the brink of an all out mess but in the end I think that Ben Betker and Adam Tobias did a good enough of a job to not turn it into a slop fest.

Here’s how they lined up:

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Lineup Notes: Aaron Huglen and Raivis Ansons out for Boko Imama and Tanner Howe up front and Chase Pietila out for Finn Harding.

Here’s the goals starting with Leason’s power play marker than made it 1-0.

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Came off of a Finn Harding high stick call.

Penguins take two silly penalties to open the second period, get the kill but the Bears started to run down hill and Stevenson was dialing in. Finally he comes up with a huge blocker stop on Aidan McDonough and then Bogdan Trineyev scores to make it 2-0.

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The Penguins get exactly what they needed in the third period with a McDonough goal at 1:12 to bring the Penguins to within one.

But that is as far as they would get. With Sergei Murashov pulled late, they would never find the equalizer.

Three Stars: 3) Clay Stevenson (36 saves) 2) Ilya Protas (two assists) 1) Bogdan Trineyev (goal)

The Good: Play like they played in the third period and the series is theirs.

The Bad: Play like they played in the first two periods and the series is Hershey’s.

Turning Point: The 4:00 double minor early set the tone. They didn’t score, Herhsey kills it off easily and then starts to roll a bit and shut down the Penguins in the first period offensively, get a goal and then Stevenson locks down the rest.

So Kirk MacDonald pretty much has to go back to Ansons and Huglen for Game 3. Imama and Howe are nice, but they are one dimensional and essentially the same player. For whatever reason I didn’t like Sebastian Aho’s game either, but the line with Howe and Imama really stood out. Maybe keep Howe in and swap Imama for Ansons.

Video Highlights: 

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Talk to you Tuesday for Game 3.

Let’s Go Pens!

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Wilkes-Barre / Scranton takes Game 1 of the Best of Five Atlantic Division Semifinals by a 4-2 score Thursday night. Game 2 is set for Saturday at 6:05.

If you watched, you likely walked away thinking that the Penguins were the better team. I can’t fault you for that, but the 20% that they weren’t the better team the visiting Hershey Bears took advantage and scored. The Penguins tooth and nailed it for a large portion of the third period before an Avery Hayes empty net goal finally sealed the deal.

Sergei Murashov was dialed in. They scored a power play goal off the stick of Owen Pickering. Aidan McDonough, as he has done throughout the season, scored a goal. Atley Calvert got the party started with an early first period goal.

I didn’t think they played a full sixty minutes Thursday but they still managed to win a Calder Cup Playoff game, their first playoff win since 2022. What will Game 2 bring Saturday? Were they happy with their effort in Game 1?

I guess we find out in less than 48 hours.

Here’s how they lined up…

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Lineup Notes: Tanner Howe and Boko Imama served their one game suspensions. I thought Kirk MacDonald did a great job in swapping in Aaron Huglen and Raivis Ansons. Tough lineup decisions for him here come Saturday. What I didn’t agree with was on defense, where Finn harding took warmups but didn’t dress. Alex Alexeyev took his spot, but that’s deserved. You find room for a guy like Harding in my opinion.

First Period: Just 3:01 in, Atley Calvert scored on this snipe that made at 1-0 early for Wilkes-Barre.

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Rutger McGroarty missed a breakaway chance when his shot went off the post.

I didn’t like the final five minutes at all from Wilkes-Barre’s perceptive. Sergei Murashov was dialed in, though.

Second Period: Aidan McDonough passed on his first chance to shoot but didn’t on his second and scored at 5:17 to extend the lead to 2-0.

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I sound like a broken record, but where would we be without Aidan McDonough?

Mikhail Ilyin was hit up high by Ivan Miroshnichenko and on the ensuing power play for the Penguins, Owen Pickering scored to make it 3-0.

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If you are thinking that the Penguins would turn into a runaway train at this point, think again.

A minute and change later, Ilya Protas scores through a screen and it’s 3-1 as Hershey gets on the board.

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The Penguins sweated through a power play and Sergei Murashov again was pressed into action and came up big with some timely stops.

Third Period: Said this at the time…

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1:09 later, Henrik Rybinski on a breakaway and it’s a one goal game.

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How, in the hell, does that happen?

Bears, the next shift come in two on one but don’t score.

Teams trade power plays, no dice.

With time dwindling, I didn’t like whatever strategy they were employing in protecting the lead. Not a lot of offense, but enough defense I suppose to keep the Bears from tying the game.

With Clay Stevenson vacated, Avery Hayes scores an empty net goal.

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Bingo.

Three Stars: 3) Sergei Murashov (31 saves) 2) Alex Alexeyev (two assists) 1) Owen Pickering (goal)

The Good: Bend but not break against an opponent I think they are better then top to bottom. If the Bears would have somehow won the game after the Pens were up 3-0, that’s a momentum killer and a totally different series. Didn’t happen though. Up 1-0 with a chance to put the Bears in a deep, deep hole come Saturday.

The Bad: For the love of god can we get competent linemen that can drop the puck the proper way? John Rey was battling it all night. Anyway, they have to tighten up. If they are to last past this round, the competition only gets tougher. Would this effort work in a Conference Final? I’m not so sure.

Turning Point: It’s the Pickering goal that gets it here. You cannot overcome a 3-0 hole against a team that had 101 points in the regular season.

Video Highlights: 

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Game 2 goes Saturday. See you then.

Let’s Go Pens!