Chirps from Center Ice

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A complete flip of the script from Friday where the Penguins all pulled in the same direction sees the Checkers get revenge on Wilkes-Barre and win 5-1 on Saturday night.

It’s the first win for the home team in this series.

Here’s how they lined up:

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Lineup Notes: Rafaël Harvey-Pinard was recalled to Pittsburgh this afternoon as Bryan Rust is day to day. This meant that Brayden Edwards got back into the lineup for the Penguins up front. David Breazeale for Finn Harding on defense.

First Period: Seemed like a slow start for the Penguins and the Checkers took advantage.

Michael Benning crashes the net, the puck pops up in the air and Jack Devine was the last player to touch it which gave the Checkers a 1-0 lead.

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Later, on four on four, Nolan Foote ripped a shot past Blomqvist that made it 2-0 Checkers.

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Bit of a dreary start.

Second Period: Alex Steeves like he did Friday, scores from out of no where that makes it 3-0 Charlotte.

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The Penguins had a few power plays that looked really bad and were just awarded on here and you got the sense that they needed to get one here as this seemed like a turning point.

Enter Ryan Graves.

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But that turning point I was telling you about? Yeah, well not that turn, but this turn, a few seconds later where Jack Devine nets his second of the game, makes it 4-1 Charlotte and re-establishes the Checkers three goal lead.

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Collectively they were flat and to have a guy like Devine just. floating in the slot unmarked there for the goal is just bad.

Third Period: I am not going to talk about how bad and out to lunch the officials both on and off the ice were, the list of penalties in the second period should do that for you.

Nothing going for the Penguins and it’s always a sign of desperation when the head coach pulls the goalie for the extra man with about eight minutes to play. I mean you are a bad team on the man advantage to start with, why do that?

Nate Smith scored an empty netter that made it 5-1. I am not going to post a video of that.

Three Stars: 3) Kirill Gerasimyuk (23 saves) 2) Jack Devine (two goals) 1) Ben Steeves (goal, two assists)

The Good: Overall I thought Zach Urdahl and Brayden Edwards were probably the best players on the ice on both ends. Finished checks, played hard, et cetera.

The Bad: When I say a flip of the script, Dumba was a -2, Ryan Graves a -3 along with Valtteri Puustinen and Ville Koivunen. Tristan Broz was frustrated overall, taking 12 minutes in PIMs.

Turning Point: Gave it to you above, the second Devine goal.

Around the Division: I will probably jump in an edit these in later, but here’s the finals as this goes up around 8:45 on Saturday night…Bridgeport wins 4-2 against Utica…Lehigh Valley beats Springfield 3-2. Hershey beat Cleveland 3-2 and Hartford beat Providence 5-1.

Standings: Penguins and Bruins 49 — Lehigh Valley 42 – Charlotte 40 – Hershey 35 – Springfield 32 – Bridgeport and Hartford 29

Wheeling Update: Nailers hosted the Trois-Rivières Lions and shut them out 5-0. Max Pavlenko with 26 saves.

Video Highlights: Hard pass, thanks.

Big game to kick off the second half of the season coming Wednesday when they travel up to Providence. Weekend Preview will be out Wednesday afternoon. Stay warm.

Let’s Go Pens!

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5                            1

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I guess I spoke it into existence in the Weekend Preview when I mentioned that Tristan Broz’s dry spell was concerning. A goal and two assists in the last ten games for Broz.

Friday night in Charlotte, though, a completely different story.

Broz records a goal and three assists, and the Wilkes-Barre / Scranton Penguins rout the Charlotte Checkers 5-1. Sergei Murashov had 21 saves. Matt Dumba led the defensemen with a +3 rating in his best game as a Penguin. Just an overall fantastic night and a hell of a way to snap a three game losing skid.

Here’s how they lined up:

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Lineup Notes: Gabe Klassen returned from injury. Ville Koivunen returned from Pittsburgh and Zach Urdahl made AHL debut. Max Graham, Brayden Edwards and Raivis Ansons were out. D pairings were exactly the same from Saturday in Syracuse.

Raivis Ansons was injured in Syracuse and is week to week with an upper body injury. The rest of them are status quo. Daniel Laatsch week to week lower. Aidan McDonough day to day upper. Sebastian Aho week to week lower. Alex Alexyev day to day upper. Avery Hayes week to week upper. No word on why Joel Blomqvist isn’t backing up.

First Period: At the expiration of a power play, Tristan Broz scores a goal that gives the Penguins a 1-0 lead.

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Great back check, steal and snipe by Broz. Well overdue.

Zach Gallant trucked Cooper Black late in the period with help on a back checking Jack Devine. All hell broke loose after that and Gallant was assessed a penalty. I thought that this action had a direct affect on the next thing I am about to describe to you that happened in the…

Second Period: Matt Dumba ripped a shot that beat Cooper Black, but Zach Gallant was in the crease of the Charlotte goaltender. Referee Damian Figueira washed the goal out immediately.

No one knows what goaltender interference is and you are lying to yourself if you know what it is. But I thought that was interesting that Gallant’s hijinks in the first may have had some bearing on whether Figueira let the goal stand or not.

Boko Imama ripped a shot that left no doubt…

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Big goal for the Penguins who get some breathing room and it’s always fun like a guy like Boko Imama scores on the opposition.

Third Period: The Penguins jump out to a four goal lead and Tristan Broz led the charge.

He sets up Gabe Klassen for this goal here that makes it 3-0.

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Good to see Klassen pick up where he left off before his injury with the hot stick.

Broz then set up Valtteri Puustinen who scored on a backhander and it was 4-0….

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Off the face-off, ok sure whatever Alex Steeves scores to spoil the. would be Murashov shutout.

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But then Broz picks up a secondary assist on an Atley Calvert goal that came of off a rebound of a Valtteri Puustinen shot.

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Three Stars: 3) Valtteri Puustinen (goal, assist) 2) Atley Calvert (goal, assist) 1) Tristan Broz (goal, three assists)

The Good: Great to see them all pulling the same rope in this game, which resulted in a rout of their opponent.

The Bad: 0/5 on the power play. What was once a power play in the top half of the AHL in efficiency, has fallen all the way down to 31st out of 32 teams.

Turning Point: It’s the Imama goal that gets it here. Close game on a razors edge and here’s Imama like a bull in a china shop trucking his way in and scoring a goal. This opened the game up a bit and Broz took advantage.

Around the Division: Providence beats Bridgeport 4-1 and Springfield smokes Hartford 7-4.

Standings: Penguins and Bruins 49 – Lehigh Valley 40 – Charlotte 38 – Hershey 33 – Springfield 32 – Hartford and Bridgeport 27

Wheeling Update: Nailers with a nice 4-3 win at home against Trois-Rivières. Brent Johnson and Tommy Budnick with goals, Taylor Gauthier stopped 24 of 27.

Video Highlights: AHL VideoCenter is your best bet.

Back at it Saturday at 6 in Charlotte. Fun fact for you, the home team has yet to win in this series. We will see if that changes tomorrow. Talk to you then.

Let’s Go Pens!

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0                            6

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Is it a good thing or a bad thing that this was the only game of the weekend for the Wilkes-Barre / Scranton Penguins?

It can be both.

It can be both good and bad that they don’t have to go out there and embarrass themselves again this weekend after a lifeless effort in Syracuse where they were down 3-0 before the game was even five minutes old, didn’t record a shot until the thirteen minute mark of the period and were down 5-0 after the first period where they only recorded four shots on goal.

It’s bad, sure, that they lost 6-0, but they are missing a bunch of regulars and can use this time in between games together those bodies healed.

That’s the hope.

Here’s how they lined up:

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Lineup Notes: Egor Zamula, acquired in a trade for Philip Tomasino, didn’t report to the team and was suspended. Max Graham and Brayden Edwards drew in up from for the traded Tomasino and the released William Dufour. Ryan Graves and Finn Harding, returning from injury, replaced David Breazeale and Scooter Brickey on defense.

First Period: I have time since I do these in between intermissions when they are on the road, so let’s kick off this disaster of a period.

More pylon work by Matt Dumba, Syracuse scores on it’s first shot of the game when Tristan Allard scores on the Crunch’s first shot of the game:

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Then the Penguins take a penalty and Syracuse makes quick work of the man advantage and score with a Dylan Duke goal that gives the Crunch a 2-0 lead.

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Then, on a delayed penalty against the Penguins, ex-Penguin Jared Tinordi lays into one and it’s 3-0.

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This is 4:34 into the game!

The Penguins didn’t record a shot on goal until Matt Dumba, who was a -4 in the period, took a shot that was saved by Brandon Halverson.

A turnover by Ryan Graves and Jakob Pelletier scores.

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Conor Geekie just blows past Matt Dumba and blows one past Sergei Murashov with under a minute to play and it’s 5-0.

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They were collectively bad, but that was a shot that Murashov should have had.

It would be the last shot he would see.

Second Period: Enter Filip Larsson. I don’t know if the Crunch let off at all after that ass kicking in the first period or what, but he was miles better than Sergei Murashov.

The Penguins took some penalties which killed any scant momentum that they were trying to build down five, but there was no scoring in the period.

Third Period: The Crunch score :45 into a carry over penalty from the second period with a goal by Nick Abruzzese.

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The game devolved into a penalty slop fest after that. One of the hurdles not mentioned is Brandon Halverson has the Penguins number whenever he tends net for the Crunch so you really have to be good to beat him. Down a zillion with two orange pylons acting as defensemen with a bunch of ECHL slop acting as forwards while all of your good players are either hurt or sitting in Pittsburgh press boxes is going to make easy work for the defending Hap Holmes winner.

Three Stars: 3) Jakob Pelletier (goal, assist) 2) Conor Geekie (goal, two assists) 1) Jared Tinordi (Goa, two assists, fight, 27 PIMs)

The Good: This space for rent.

The Bad: I’d sit Murashov next Friday in Charlotte. He’s been as bad as the team playing in front of him. Mix in a save, pal. He maybe could have had the Pelletier and Geekie shots and letting the first one in is a bad look. I’d also leave Matt Dumba off in Binghamton on the way back home to Wilkes-Barre, but you can’t do that.

Around the Division: Hartford beats Springfield 4-1….Lehigh Valley beats Belleville 3-1…Cleveland beats Charlotte 6-3 (finally some good news) and Hershey beats Rockford 5-4.

Standings: Penguins 47 – Providence 45 – Charlotte and Lehigh Valley 38 – Hershey 31 – Springfield 30 – Hartford and Springfield 27

Wheeling Update: Nailers win 4-1 at home against the Bloomington Bison. Half of their team is here and yet they are having better results with guys up from the SPHL and Federal Leagues. Taylor Gauthier stopped 31.

Video Highlights: No thanks!

They will have a week of practice to heal, regroup, and hopefully have a better, more competitive effort in Charlotte for a pair. They are in a gauntlet right now with their next three games against Charlotte twice, and Providence the following Wednesday, all on the road.

My pool is a block of ice, so I will be here for all of it, good or bad.

Let’s Go Pens!

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6                               2

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Another throttling by the Charlotte Checkers to the Wilkes-Barre / Scranton Penguins on Tuesday night. 6-2 was the final. The Checkers didn’t look like a team playing in its third game in three days in three different cities at all. The Penguins had a great start, but let the Checkers settle in and take control and a 2-0 lead after one turned into a 5-1 lead after the second before settling on 6-2.

But for a handful of players, basically the third and fourth line, David Breazeale and Scooter Brickey, they sucked from the arse out Tuesday against an opponent that is good, and possibly better than they are as well as Providence.

Matt Dumba may be one of the worst players to ever come through here. The guy does not care. He doesn’t want to be here and it shows in laughable, glaring ways.

Dumba was a -4, or just about a million (he makes $3.75M / year I believe) per defensive lapse.

I’m not going to pile on because it’s a work night and at its base it ain’t that deep.

Here’s how they lined up and then we will get into the recap…

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Lineup Notes: Add Gabe Klassen and Aiden McDonough to the injured list. I didn’t listen to Nick Hart pregame so I can’t tell you what he didn’t as far as injuries go. Coal Street recalled Max Graham from the Wheeling Nailers earlier in the day. The annual erosion of the team due to injuries, call-ups or trades has begun.

Aaron Huglen returned from his upper body injury. He was wearing a bubble so if I had to guess a fractured orbital bone or jaw.

On the waivers front, Danton Heinen cleared but was traded to Columbus. He’s with AHL Cleveland now. Ryan Graves is now on waivers.

Sccoter Brickey and Matt Dumba were in on defense for Brent Johnson and Tommy Budnick.

First Period: Lots of shots by the Penguins who tried to bury Cooper Black and the Checkers early but no dice.

Sergei Murashov goes to cover a puck, misses and Hunter St. Martin puts it in for a 1-0 Checkers lead.

(on a work night with the Penguins giving up six, you’ll excuse me if I don’t post the oppositions goals. The fine folks at the Charlotte Checkers Twitter feed have them all if you really want to see them)

:55 later, Sandis Vilmanis scored after a failed clear by the Penguins.

Usually the run of the team goes that if they can’t clear and get scored on, its’ going to be one of those nights.

Second Period: Owen Pickering and Phil Kemp caught napping as Brett Chorskie scores at 3:04. Whatever was said in the first intermission didn’t resonate.

Wilmer Skoog then scored unabated in the slot. 4-0 Checkers.

Ever see a chicken with its head cut off? Watch this!

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No idea what Dumba is doing there, what he is watching or what he is reading. Perhaps wishing he was anywhere but here, watching the pretty girls walking by on the concourse or reading a road map to the nearest beach.

Welcome back Aaron Huglen! He tips in this Owen Pickering shot and the Penguins are on the board.

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Late, :32 into a power play, Robert Mastrosimone scores and it’s 5-1.

Third Period: Enter Filip Larsson, who stopped 14 of 15 shots.

More defensive masterclass by Mr, Dumba, who loses Robert Mastrosimone who finds Brian Pinho and it’s 6-1 Checkers.

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(I know I said I wouldn’t but Dumba sucked tonight and I want you to see why)

Raivis Ansons finds Joona Koppanen and it’s 6-2.

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Penguins made a bit of a late push but couldn’t muster anything else.

Three Stars: 3) Sandis Vilmanis (goal, assist) 2) Brett Chorskie (goal, assist) 1) Robert Mastrosimone (goal, two assists)

The Good: I can’t think of anything. If you can, use the comment section below.

The Bad: Matt Dumba will probably be in the lineup on Saturday in Syracuse.

Turning Point: The Mastrosimone goal that made it 5-1 sealed their fate. There was no way a good team like Charlotte was giving up four goals in the third period.

Around the Division: They all watched us.

Standings: Penguins 47 – Providence 43 – Charlotte 38 – Lehigh Valley 34 – Hershey 29 – Springfield 26 – Hartford and Bridgeport 25

Games in Hand: Providence now with six, will burn off one Wednesday in Springfield and another in Hartford on Friday. The Checkers have four games in hand. Every team in the division does because the Penguins have played the most games so far (33)

Wheeling Update: Nailers were off.

Video Highlights: No thanks!

Programming Note: With one game this weekend we return to the retro “Gameday” setups I used to run here in lieu of a Weekend Preview. I may mix it up with who all is playing who, but look for that Saturday morning.

Have a safe New Years.

Let’s Go Pens!

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3                             4

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I think I found the weakness with this team.

It’s the shootout.

Another shootout loss, this time to the Lehigh Valley Phantoms on Sunday afternoon. The Wilkes-Barre / Scranton Penguins get a point, but fall in the shootout round 2-0 and lose the game 4-3 via shootout.

They were tenacious all day, but the lack of leveraged scoring like you saw Saturday against Hershey wasn’t there. They get a pair of goals from Rafaël Harvey-Pinard and David Breazeale gets his first AHL goal, and Lehigh Valley chips away and gets the game to a shootout and wins.

Them’s the brakes sometimes. You want to get points when you are giving away games in hand to Providence, who now has five games and will have six after Tuesday.

Here’s how they lined up ⬇️

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Lineup Notes: I am just going to leave this here…

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Partridge in a pear tree.

Coal Street recalled Tommy Budnick and Brent Johnson, who both slotted in for Laatsch and Aho.

Good news? Danton Heinen is on waivers again and if no one claims him he should get re-assigned back to Wilkes-Barre which could help Tuesday against Charlotte.

First Period: I mean you can break all of the defensemen really, it doesn’t matter. The structure is there and the goaltender’s are otherworldly. I tried to watch specially in the period to see if there were any holes and didn’t see any. Anything that made it through was stopped by Joel Blomqvist.

Rafaël Harvey-Pinard scored off a very nice pass from Valtteri Puustinen to give the Penguins a quick 1-0 lead.

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Gabe Klassen dropped to Harvey-Pinard who passed to Puustinen and went straight back to Harvey-Pinard for the goal.

I am telling you this is a guy I am dying to see break out.

With the assist, Puustinen passes Kris Beech in assist and makes it to 5th place and is 11 points away from 2nd in team franchise points.

Shots were 10-10 after the first period.

Second Period: Ask, and you will receive…

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They kind of needed it, because they fell into penalty trouble again. Despite getting away clean Saturday at home against Hershey, Lehigh Valley nipped them twice on the power play.

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Lane Pederson there. Nice play, drawing the attention away from Pederson. Pass needs to be true and it was. Great goal.

The Penguins lost Aidan McDonough to injury after he took a shoulder / elbow from Devin Kaplan. No call on the play and McDonough didn’t return.

Tucker Robertsson tied the game on a nice shot that tied the game on the power play in the final minute of the period.

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Third Period: Lehigh Valley didn’t wait long before taking the lead on an Oscar Eklind goal.

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Unfortunate series here. Blomqvist drops a saves me makes 99 times out of a 100 and there’s Eklind waiting like a rat looking for the loose crumbs.

The Penguins didn’t wait long for an instant response off of the stick of David Breazeale, for his first AHL goal that tied the game :31 later….

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No other scoring and it was off to…

Overtime: Penguins had the games last 1:09 of overtime on the power play and failed to score after a timeout.

Shootout: Tucker Robertson and Cooper Marody scored in the top of the first and second, Valtteri Puustinen hit the post and Phil Tomasino was not successful in the bottom of the first and second and that was it.

Three Stars: 3) Rafaël Harvey-Pinard (two goals, assist) 2) Tucker Robertson (goal, shootout goal) 1) Lane Pederson (goal, assist)

The Good: I can’t complain about the point, in the scope of things. But they left a lot out there, I thought.

The Bad: Besides losing another player to possible injury, the lack of any kind of guaranteed scoring is a problem here. Tomasino and Broz have been quiet, and you can’t rely on Calvert, Klassen and Ansons lighting up the score sheet like they have been. Getting Heinen through waivers and here Tuesday would be a decent offensive boost. You hope!

Turning Point: The failure to score on the power play in overtime gets it here.

Around the Division: Springfield beats Bridgeport in overtime 4-3. Hershey is hosting Charlotte in a game that started at 5. That box is here.

Standings: Penguins 47 – Providence 43 – the rest of the standings are here. Check this out if you want after the Bears / Checkers game goes final.

Wheeling Update: Nailers were off.

Video Highlights: AHL VideoCenter is your best bet.

More Tuesday after the Penguins host the Checkers in their last game of 2025.

Let’s Go Pens!