Chirps from Center Ice

A fan blog about the AHL's Wilkes-Barre / Scranton Penguins

We Got Cooked — Pens LOSE 5-4 (OT) – Lehigh Valley Wins Series 2-0

Leave a comment Posted by on April 26, 2024

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Playoffs are a different animal man.

The Penguins, 20 points better than the Lehigh Valley Phantoms in the regular season, are swept in the First Round of the Calder Cup Playoffs on Friday night 5-4 2:11 into overtime on a Jacob Gaucher game winning goal.

The Phantoms will advance to the Atlantic Division Semifinals where they will face the Hershey Bears. The Pens will go home.

Wilkes-Barre had a 3-1 lead in the third period, then disaster struck. I don’t want to spoil the story for you, so please read on.

Lines were…

Lineup Notes: Marc Johnstone returned from injury, replacing Matt Filipe. On defense, Scooter Brickey from THEE Ohio State University was in for Dmitri Samorukov.

First Period: Wilkes-Barre seemed a step quicker than the Phantoms with their backs against the wall facing elimination. They kind of needed a quick start and got one 2:17 into the game when Valtteri Puustinen deflected a Jack Rathbone shot that put the Penguins ahead 1-0.

Penguins had three power plays in the period to the Phantoms one. Corey Andonovski had a shorthanded bid and, like he attempted in Game 1 on similar circumstances, tried to go five hole on Cal Petersen but Petersen read the play well then and read the play the same way in Game 2.

Second Period: Theme this period was the Penguins power play and inability to score on same. They had a carry over power play to open the period and didn’t score. They got another crack at 2:30 and didn’t score. Then the scales tipped into the favor of the home team. Lehigh Valley gets a chance on the power play and didn’t score but the Pens survive a scare of sorts when the red light comes on behind Blomqvist but the puck didn’t even enter the crease. Wilkes-Barre navigates out of this, but then the Phantoms get another crack at another power play and Ronnie Attard cashes and ties the game at one at 9:19.

Joel Blomqvist spills a rebound of the initial Attard shot there, bodies bussing in front and Attard picks the near corner.

Deflating, yes, as the Phantoms started running downhill and got some momentum back. But then Louie Belpedio puts a puck over glass for a delay of game and six seconds into the ensuing power play which followed, Radim Zohorna did this…

Big goal here on a rebound off a shot from Hinostroza from the point, and the Wilkes-Barre re-establishes the lead.

2:52 later and Ville Koivunen finds a streaking Jack Rathbone in the slot and Rathbone wires one home that gives Wilkes-Barre a two goal advantage.

I ragged on Jack Rathbone earlier in the year. I will admit that he has come into his own and has scored big goals late down the stretch for the Penguins.

Third Period: So the Phantoms have eight comeback wins this season.

The Penguins hit a disaster stretch of 2:43.

First, Jonathan Gruden was called for a check to the head when the replay clearly didn’t show contact.

Then on the power play in a scrum, Xavier Ouellet legitimately cross checks Rhett Gardner in the back and that put the Phantoms on a five on three for :38.

:16 into that, Emil Andrae scored.

But :22 after that, Tanner Laczynski tied the game at three on the back end of the two man advantage. There was some debate as to whether the shot was directed in legally with a high stick, but after a conference between linesmen Ryan Jackson and Jud Ritter, referees Jack Young and Jordan Deckard allowed the goal to stand. You be the judge.

Scoresheet credited the goal to Laczynski, not Brink as Bob Rotruck gleefully indicates above.

The Penguins gave up another power play but Wilkes-Barre navigated clean out of that.

Radim Zohorna to the rescue?

That was a hell of a pass by Valtteri Puustinen there that reestablished the Penguins lead with 3:48 to play. All five Penguins touched the puck on the play.

But, :34 later, Tanner Laczynski scored again to tie the game at four. Sam Poulin was tripped behind the play, no call. Marc Johnstone tackled in the corner, no call.

Suffice to say that Jordan Deckard and Jack Young shouldn’t see another playoff game this season. They will, but they shouldn’t.

No one else scored. It was off to…

Overtime: The Penguins didn’t record a shot, the Phantoms had a quick start and a hot finish.

Defensive zone face-off win. Brandon Furry with the initial shot, Joel Blomqvist with the save, but Jacob Gauthier there for the rebound to put the Phantoms through and the Penguins to the offseason.

Three Stars: 3) Emil Andrade (goal, assist) 2) Tanner Laczynski (two goals) 1) Jacob Gaucher (game winning overtime goal)

The Good: Overall positive season. They finished third, got better as the season wore on and got a playoff spot.

The Bad: Another early playoff exit. Will they ever win the big one? Faceoffs were an issue all series. They got killed in the dot in Game 1, and as you just saw they lose a face-off in the offensive zone which ultimately ended their season.

Turning Point: The 2:43 of madness that they seem to find themselves in the postseason sees Lehigh Valley score a pair of goals in :22, steals all the momentum and they ride the rail to overtime, where they can’t win a face-off and lose on a rush and a rebound that ends their season way too early.

Listen, I didn’t like their chances against the Providence Bruins if they got there. What we are doing is meaningless, because Hershey is the overwhelming favorite in the posteseason, but then sometimes these underdog teams like the Phantoms go on runs and upset everything in their way. Can the Phantoms beat Hershey? I don’t think so. But I’m also the guy that said the Penguins would sweep the team that just swept them.

So that’s it. Thanks for following along again for another season. Lots of woody banter with most of you which I appreciate.

I’ll be around, I may do a player grade thing like I did at the end of last season here and will be around on Twitter and will still pay attention to the Calder Cup Playoffs here to see the Colorado Eagles win the Calder Cup.

Talk to you soon.

Let’s Go Pens!

Postgamer

Cooked? — Pens LOSE 2-1 (LV Leads 1-0)

2 Comments Posted by on April 24, 2024

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I guess the easiest thing going for me is that for as long as the Penguins are on the brink of elimination, I am going to whip out this headline because the theme for this postseason from Coal Street is, “Let ‘Em Cook” – just so you know.

A lot of chemists out there all of a sudden.

I say that because of the 2-1 setback the Lehigh Valley Phantoms dealt the Wilkes-Barre / Scranton Penguins in Game 1 of their First Round series Wednesday night and all of the chemists out there saying that due to “chemistry” it was one of the reasons the Penguins are already facing elimination.

Game 2 goes Friday from Allentown.

So, by these peoples logic, they would allow Raivis Ansons to play over Valtteri Puustinen because Ansons has been on the team all season here in the AHL and Puustinen hasn’t. All of these new players and this influx is allegedly messing with the “chemistry” all of a sudden. They complain when Pittsburgh takes the players then blame it on chemistry when they return them.

Going a step further, the Penguins would have about 24 points this season and would have only won 12 games if the chemistry argument was to believed, what with the constant lineup changes and recalls and injuries.

No, tonights game was a game of inches.

About midway through the first period in a then scoreless contest, Jonathan Gruden fed Matt Filipe on a two on one rush. Filipe received the pass, shot it into a wide open net but Cal Petersen was there for a diving save, knocking the puck out of the direction of the net with the backside of the glove.

Lehigh Valley strikes at 14:37 of the first when Adam Brooks sneaks in a shot through the right armpit of Joel Blomqvist and it was 1-0 to the visitors.

Inches.

Then, just :58 into the second period and the Penguins desperate for a response after getting run over in the last 10 minutes of the first period, Rhett Gardner, a Penguins killer, sweeps in a pinballing puck off an uncorralled rebound from Blomqvist and it’s 2-0.

There were multiple problems facing the Penguins in Game 1. None of it had anything to do with chemistry.

  • Want. Phantoms played hungrier and a perfect road game, taking the fans out of it early after the first TV time out, dominating possession time.
  • Bodies. Wilkes-Barre was manhandled below the dots in Game 1. The Phantoms played the game from the bottom up and it seemed to work.
  • Joel Blomqvist was shaky. Remember he’s a rookie and this is his first playoff series. A lot of brass in the building tonight as well. He’s human and pressure busts pipes.

Ville Koivunen scored his first North American pro goal off a deft feed from Sam Poulin far side late in the second which gave Wilkes-Barre life.

He was acquired in the trade for Jake Guentzel and early returns on him were positive. He skated on a line with Poulin and Puustinen.

Nothing doing in the third for either side. I counted three posts that the Phantoms rang in the game, two in the second and one in the third. Evenly played period for the most part with a lot of play and not many whistles. It seemed at times that referees Jim Curtin and Riley Brace threw out the AHL rulebook because I counted a few blatant cross checks and trips that went uncalled that three weeks ago puts a team on a power play. They were fine. The Penguins did not lose the game because of the officiating.

Here’s how they lined up…

Lineup Notes: Jonathan Gruden (injury return) Tristan Broz and the aforementioned Ville Koivunen made their season debuts for the Penguins. No changes defensively from the last regular season game.

I, for one, didn’t particularly like the play of Dmitri Samorukov or Ryan Shea Wednesday. The Phantoms owned the ice from the dots down and Samorukov and Shea were a part of that, in part. I saw chatter about Taylor Fedun having a poor night, I didn’t notice him much which is a good thing in my book, your mileage may vary.

Three Stars: 3) Ville Koivunen (goal) 2) Cal Petersen (21 saves) 1) Rhett Gardner

The Good: Future is bright it would seem with Koivunen. He comes from overseas where they play on bigger ice but didn’t look out of place at all.

The Bad: I don’t know what defensive adjustments J.D. Forrest has at his disposal. I’m not advocating for placing Owen Pickering or Emil Pieniniemi in there for Game 2 with the season on the line. He may be in a box here.

Turning Point: I think it’s below…

Here’s your highlights…

The Petersen save on Filipe is right around the minute mark of the video. An argument can be had that if that goes in, it’s a different result for the Penguins maybe because it completely would turn the tide in the game. Since it really was just a save on just a shot, if you want to give it to Gardner and his goal :58 into the second period that made it 2-0, I am not going to stop you.

Game 2 is Friday with the season on the line. They better be ready.

I really am not looking forward to a Sunday at 5 p.m. start in Wilkes-Barre with both teams seasons on the line. Que será, será.

Let’s Go Pens!

Postgamer

2024 Calder Cup Playoffs Preview

1 Comment Posted by on April 23, 2024

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Everyones favorite time of year, it’s time to see who loses to Hershey for the Calder Cup Playoffs!

I jest, kind of, with that last statement, but don’t see how the Bears are troubled and see a repeat in Hershey’s future. A baker’s dozen, thirteen Calder Cups.

But in order to get there, the Bears will need to navigate four rounds.

Now, I expect these to be wrong in parts and right in parts. Of course the Penguins fan in me wants to see Hershey lose in the first round via sweep and for the Penguins to win every playoff game by fifteen goals. That just isn’t going to happen. But let’s do it anyway.

Before we do, a moment of silence for the Bridgeport Islanders, Springfield Thunderbirds, Utica Comets, Laval Rocket, Iowa Wild, Chicago Wolves, Henderson Silver Knights, San Diego Gulls and San Jose Barracuda. For the Barracuda, this is the third season they have missed the playoffs under this extended format. Every other team has qualified at least once. That is pretty bad. So if you think you have it bad, just be happy you aren’t a Barracuda fan.

Here’s how the concept works, the first round is best of three, division semifinals and finals best of five then best of seven for the conference finals and Calder Cup Finals.

Let’s start in the Pacific Division and work our way east.

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First Round Bye: Coachella Valley Firebirds

First Round, Best of Three

(2) Tucson Roadrunners vs. (7) Calgary Wranglers: Because of distance all three are being played in Arizona. The Coyotes loaded up the Roadrunners with talent for the push. Early returns are positive, Roadrunners in three.

(3) Ontario Reign vs. (6) Bakersfield Condors: Gotta go with the hotter team in the moment in these best of threes. Strap in, because it’s going to become a theme here. I’ll give Bakersfield the benefit of the doubt here, but it’s the 8-2 in their last ten Ontario Reign advancing in three.

(4) Colorado Eagles vs. (5) Abbotsford Canucks: Another series played at one place (Colorado) – matchup doesn’t favor one over the other, but Abbotsford has been on a tear of late (8-1-1-1) and I think that’s enough to get them across and through to the next round, but this is the weakest and least confident First Round pick I am making here. Canucks in three.

Division Semifinals, Best of Five

(1) Coachella Valley Firebirds vs. (5) Abbotsford Canucks: Really impressed by Coachella Valley’s body of work here this season. It’s like they didn’t miss a beat and were the only other team not named Hershey to go over 100+ points in the season. Coachella Valley went 7-0-1 against the Canucks here and that trend continues, Firebirds in three.

(2) Tucson Roadrunners vs. (3) Ontario Reign: Matchup was dead heat in regular season. I think Tucson may be legit but this very well be because I don’t see enough of either team, Ontario especially. Follow your gut, Jason. Tucson in five.

Division Finals, Best of Five

(1) Coachella Valley Firebirds vs. (2) Tucson Roadrunners: Both teams ended up 4-3-0-1 against each other. It’s something you expected Hershey to do that they never did but I think the “running out of steam” part clips the Firebirds here and it’s Tucson in five, advancing to the Conference Finals.

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First Round Byes: Milwaukee Admirals, Rockford IceHogs, Grand Rapids Griffins

First Round, Best of Three

(4) Texas Stars vs. (5) Manitoba Moose: Go with the hotter team in the moment of a flashpan series such as this. Texas was 4-6 in its last ten, 2-4-1-1 against the Moose. Manitoba is 6-4 in their last ten and 6-2 against the Stars. I could see it go three because of the home ice in Texas factor, but let’s not overthink it and select Moose in two.

Division Semifinals, Best of Five

(1) Milwaukee Admirals vs. (5) Manitoba Moose: I debated this one longer than I should have because I think I am picking too many favorites in this, but Milwaukee finished 26 points better than the Moose this season and aren’t going out to a team they beat by 25+ points in their first playoff action. Milwaukee in four.

(2) Grand Rapids Griffins vs. (3) Rockford IceHogs: Both teams played each other in a dead heat for the most part and Grand Rapids’ 86 points was just one better than Rockford’s 85. Some series scream going the distance, this is one of them. Toss a coin, because neither team gets out of the next round. Heads Griffins, Tails IceHogs. It’s Heads. Grand Rapids in five.

Division Finals, Best of Five

(1) Milwaukee Admirals vs. (2) Grand Rapids Griffins: Any other year I think I would like this matchup more for Grand Rapids and maybe I am wrong and I likely am, but I really can’t see any scenario where the Admirals are really in any danger. I think it’s a methodical takedown for Karl Taylor’s Admirals, who advance in four.

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First Round Bye: Cleveland Monsters

First Round, Best of Three

(4) Belleville Senators vs. (5) Toronto Marlies: So I like the lunchpail mentality of the B-Sens here and expect them to win this division. It starts here. Toronto gives them a ride, but it’s the Belleville Senators moving on in three games.

Division Semifinals, Best of Five

(2) Rochester Americans vs. (3) Syracuse Crunch: These two teams were in contention for the North Division crown on the last day with Cleveland. Syracuse could have wrapped things up the day before but didn’t. That cost them home ice too, but I don’t think it matters here. You have to go with the hotter team in the moment and that is the 8-1-1 Rochester Americans, who advance via sweep.

(1) Cleveland Monsters vs. (4) Belleville Senators: It’s a bad matchup for Belleville, who went 1-3 against Cleveland, but there’s something about a team getting hot at the right time in any given point in the season. Cleveland is the weakest division winner out of Hershey, Coachella Valley and Milwaukee and I smell upset, Belleville in five.

Division Finals, Best of Five

(2) Rochester Americans vs. (4) Belleville Senators: Should be a knock down, drag out, multiple overtime type of series that is won on a razor’s edge. No stopping them now, Belleville in five.

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First Round Byes: Hershey Bears, Providence Bruins

First Round, Best of Three.

(3) Wilkes-Barre / Scranton Penguins vs. (6) Lehigh Valley Phantoms: I don’t see any scenario where this doesn’t end in a sweep for the Penguins. The Penguins were 8-1-2-1 against the Phantoms this season. I mean sure, you can argue that the Phantoms steal a game, but Joel Blomqvist is too good in goal and the defenders and reinforcements from Pittsburgh have played the system all season long. Penguins in two.

(4) Charlotte Checkers vs. (5) Hartford Wolf Pack: Because of distance, all three games are being played at Charlotte, with Hartford being the “de facto” home team in Game 2, but that just means last change. Checkers will be sleeping in their own beds and all that but I still don’t think that matters. Hartford stumbled big down the stretch, turned it on a bit late, but it’s Charlotte advancing in three.

Division Semifinals, Best of Five.

(1) Hershey Bears vs. (4) Charlotte Checkers: I think it’s a good matchup for the Checkers who push the Bears and scare them a few times. This could be one played on a razors edge, but it’s Hershey moving on in four.

(2) Providence Bruins vs. (3) Wilkes-Barre / Scranton Penguins: I could see this going five and will stick with that. Penguins don’t lead at all in the series, tie it in games two and four but Providence is built for this and overcome in five and advance.

Division Finals, Best of Five

(1) Hershey Bears vs. (2) Providence Bruins: Bad, bad matchup for the Bruins, who went 1-3-1-1 against Hershey this season. Todd Nelson works out any bugs that were there in a too tight for his liking Charlotte series and Hershey sweeps it’s way into the Conference Finals.

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Eastern Conference Finals, Best of Seven

(1) Hershey Bears vs. (4) Belleville Senators: So let me stop here and say that I think that no matter who comes out of the Atlantic, that team is going to advance to the Calder Cup Finals because I can’t see any team in the North beating any team in the Atlantic capable of getting to this point four times in a series. Spin it any way you want with however many teams you want, but since it’s me behind the keyboard it’s Hershey in five here.

Western Conference Finals, Best of Seven

(1) Milwaukee Admirals vs. (2) Tucson Roadrunners: A lot of people predicted a while ago that it would be Hershey and Milwaukee in the Calder Cup Finals, in a rematch of the 2005-06 Calder Cup Finals. Those people are wrong. It’s Tucson as the de facto Cinderella team that has the right ingredients to make a run all the way to the Finals. Roadrunners in six.

Calder Cup Finals, Best of Seven

The Hershey Bears set record after record this season. The Bears bested records that other Bears teams set, some really good Bears teams from long ago, quite easily. There hasn’t been any stopping this team all season. Take it from someone who watched them play his favorite team twelve times. They force errors, they capitalize and feast on those errors. They have two really good goaltenders in Clay Stevenson and Hunter Shepard playing goal. Combined, they have an astonishing 12 shutouts and a 51-14-5 record with a 1.91 save percentage. Giant Center is an impenetrable fortress seemingly for the opponents, the Bears went 29-7 at home this season. On paper, there’s no stopping them. But they don’t play these on paper, they play them on ice.

(1) Hershey Bears vs. (2) Tucson Roadrunners: I can see the Roadrunners giving the Bears a scare, like the Firebirds did last season with Hershey but the story ends the same way it did last year for the defending champs. Todd Nelson makes adjustments, Hershey repeats for back-to-back Calder Cups and they switch to the other side of the ice at Giant Center and hang their thirteenth Calder Cup banner this Fall opposite the twelve they have on the other side. Hershey in five.

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That’s how it plays out in my head. I am probably way off base here and will probably shoot 40% or lower on my picks. Congrats on the Calder Cup, Condors fans!

The AHL

LudNOvic — Pens WIN 2-0

Leave a comment Posted by on April 20, 2024

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21 saves by Ludovic Waeber and the Wilkes-Barre / Scranton Penguins seal the third spot in the Atlantic Division with 87 points and a First Round date with the team that they defeated Saturday in the season finale in the Phantoms with a 2-0 win.

Here’s the First Round schedule.

For gods sake I hope it ends in a sweep because the last damn thing I want to do is come to a Sunday home game that starts at 5. And if there is overtime? On a Sunday? Which is a work night?! Egads!

Here’s how they lined up…

If some of those names on the Phantoms don’t sound familiar, it’s because they aren’t, Lehigh Valley, locked into the six seed, dressed a greener lineup and rested regulars.

Lineup Notes: Evan Vierling and Isaac Belliveau were sent to Wheeling Saturday afternoon. Scooter Brickey and Matt Quercia also yielded for the Pittsburgh reinforcements.

First Period: No scoring. No penalties. Slow start. Moving on…

Second Period: Teams traded penalties. Sam Poulin scored on a nice feed from Valtteri Puustinen and that gave the Penguins a 1-0 lead.

Great vision by Puustinen to find a streaking Poulin and better finish by Poulin for the goal.

Third Period: Penguins carried a penalty kill into the period but on the expiration of that Radim Zohorna finished off a tic tac toe play with Vinnie Hinostroza and the aforementioned Puustinen again that made it 2-0 Penguins.

My initial thought was Hinostroza was going to shoot there and it looked like he kinda did, but it was a pass to the front for the redirect by Zohorna and in.

Really it’s about uneventful hockey and just getting out clean, and that’s what they did here. Waeber, facing a more inexperienced lineup, only faced six Phantoms shots in the third.

Three Stars: 3) Alexei Kolosov (22 saves) 2) Sam Poulin (goal) 1) Ludovic Waeber (21 save shutout)

The Good: 87 points is about 10-15 points higher than I thought they would finish. They surprises all of us, and are getting hot at the right time. Maybe, just maybe…

The Bad: Not found. They sewed up the three seed and their backup goaltender got a shutout.

Turning Point: The Zohorna goal that made it two gets it here.

Around the Division: Charlotte beats Hershey 4-1. The Bears will not finish with the best points percentage in AHL history, that dubious distinction remains with our friends on the Southern Tier of New York and the Binghamton Rangers. Bridgeport beats Providence 4-1….Hartford beats Springfield 6-4.

Standings: Hershey 111 – Providence 91 – Penguins 87 – Charlotte 85 – Hartford 78 – Lehigh Valley 71 – Springfield 65 – Bridgeport 59

Wheeling Update: The Nailers needed a win in Game 2 and got one in a big way winning 7-1 in Indy over the Fuel. That series is tied 1-1. Justin Addamo had four assists. Evan Vierling had a pair of goals.

Video Highlights: Aren’t up yet. To the AHL VideoCenter you go.

I will have a generalized Calder Cup Preview from start to finish for you likely Tuesday here and we will just roll into Game 1 from there. I like their chances in the First Round against Lehigh Valley. Not so much against Providence in the next round. Explained more in depth Tuesday for you.

Let’s Go Pens!

Postgamer

Wolfed — Pens LOSE 3-2

Leave a comment Posted by on April 19, 2024

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Depending on your view of this one, a 4-3 Penguins loss in Hartford on Friday, the Penguins…

…sleptwalked through two periods and found themselves down 2-0 but then used a pair of goals in short order to tie the game, but got bit late on a 5-on-3 power play goal from the hosts.
…took way too many penalties (seven) in the contest and with the combination of a slow start crippled with having to kill 14 minutes of penalties ion a 60 minute hockey game, the results are what they are.

So it could have been way worse, but it wasn’t.

The bad news is that Providence beat Springfield and the Penguins cannot get to the second seed and first round bye. So they will be in the first round playing a best of three, we just don’t know against who, because they still haven’t nailed down the three seed yet.

Let’s get to that later.

Here’s how they lined up. Hartford didn’t post lines:

Lineup Notes: From Sunday in Hershey, it was Jagger Joshua for Logan Pietila up front and Owen Headrick for Isaac Belliveau on defense. Ryan Shea cleared waivers at 2 thus making him eligible for assignment to the AHL and the Penguins released Emil Järventie and defenseman Kalle Kangas from their ATOs.

First Period: Wasn’t good. It’s a good thing Joel Blomqvist is as decorated as he was this past week because he was busy in the first, stopping all 12 shots faced and stymying the Hartford power play three times. Wilkes-Barre had just a paltry three shots on goal.

Second Period: Bryan Yoon, playing in his second AHL game, breaks the deadlock with a rebound of a Bobby Trivigno shot that made it 1-0 Hartford.

Shots at the end of the second were 21-9 Wolf Pack. The Penguins could not get out of their own way.

Third Period: It continued into the third period. Nik Brouillard scored just :43 in to make it 2-0 Hartford.

But then, two goals in :39 for the Penguins had them tied and the Wolf Pack stunned.

First Jack Rathbone floated to the slot and snapped a shot home that made it 2-1 Pens.

Then Austin Rueschhoff, skating in his 200th AHL game, scored against his former team and tied the game at two.

But the Penguins continued to battle penalties and found themselves on the wrong end of a 5-on-3 and it was Nic Petan that scored to make it 3-2.

The Penguins, with Blomqvist pulled for the extra attacker, had a power play late but could not find the equalizer.

Three Stars: 3) Jack Rathbone (goal, assist) 2) Nikolas Brouillard (goal, assist) 1) Nic Petan (goal, assist)

The Good: I liked the scoring in flashes. They went down swinging.

The Bad: Gotta clean up the penalties and I didn’t like the fact that Hartford couldn’t win to save their arse two weeks ago, look like a well oiled machine and are getting hot at the right time all of a sudden.

Turning Point: The Petan gets it here.

Around the Division: Lehigh Valley takes the final spot in the Atlantic and qualify for the playoffs with a 3-0 shutout win in Bridgeport….Providence beats Springfield and earn a first round bye with a 4-2 win.

Standings: Hershey 111 – Providence 91 – Penguins 85 – Charlotte 83 – Hartford 76 – Lehigh Valley 71 – Springfield 65 – Bridgeport 57

Wheeling Update: Nailers lose Game 1 of Kelly Cup Playoffs in Indy 5-2. Dillon Hamiluk had a goal for the Nailers in the loss.

Video Highlights: AHL Video Center is probably your best bet for you sickos.

They wrap the regular season tomorrow in Allentown. Talk to you then.

Let’s Go Pens!

Postgamer

Weekend Preview — The Reinforcements…

Leave a comment Posted by on April 19, 2024

Sorry about the lack of coverage last weekend. These camping trips I do with my family are made months on advance. One thing about campgrounds is that they always tout Wi-Fi access but when it’s you and 75 other campers and their families, and those families have kids, it’s tough to get a good connection.

That’s why I have cats.

Anyway.

The Pittsburgh Penguins won’t be playoff bound, so Valtteri Puustinen, Ryan Shea, Jack St. Ivany and Radim Zohorna are all be Wilkes-Barre bound.

Things are still up in the air for the Wilkes-Barre / Scranton Penguins as far as seeding goes. Put it this way, if Providence finds a way to get one more point, the Penguins cannot catch the Bruins for second and the Bruins will have the first round bye. Also, the Penguins have to win out. If the Pens win out and the Bruins lose out, the Pens and Bruins would be tied in points, but since Wilkes-Barre has more ROW (regulation or overtime wins) they would get second place.

How do you feel about the Penguins and the bye? I am split. They can use the time to heal up key guys. But, you don’t want rust or any of those things creeping into the team.

I ultimately think the scenario of the Bruins losing out is more unlikely than the Penguins winning out. I will get to that in a minute.

Music to Set the Mood…

Once again this is another one of those, “type the headline for the blog post this week in youtube.com and see what happens. Here’s what I found.

Edinburgh based rock band with an exciting live presence, who write and perform their own material and at the time of writing , are looking to tour anywhere and everywhere in the next few months, before dropping a load of new songs via Infinite Hive.

I let it play a bit in the background when I was writing it. Not really my thing, but I played it longer than I would have.

A Quote…

Let ’em Cook
— Wilkes-Barre / Scranton Penguins 

That’s your playoff theme this year. The puns if they don’t go all the way would be “cooked” or, “well done” among other things.

The Setup…

Hartford on the road Friday and Lehigh Valley on the road Saturday.

The Penguins ran the win streak to seven games with home wins over Bridgeport, 5-2 on Friday and Hershey, 4-1 on Saturday before losing in Hershey on Sunday 4-1. That was a bit of a bad loss for the Penguins because both Providence and Charlotte lost on Sunday.

Hartford snapped out of their funk with a pair of wins over Springfield, 5-3 on Friday and Charlotte, 5-2 on Sunday. The Wolf Pack clinched a playoff spot last weekend and will likely be the five seed.

Lehigh Valley lost 4-1 to Hershey in Hershey on Friday then beat Bridgeport 5-4 in overtime on Saturday. The Phantoms will be in Bridgeport on Friday.

Records

Penguins are 38-23-8-1 with 85 points and are third in the Atlantic.

Hartford is 32-27-7-3 with 74 points and are fifth in the Atlantic.

Lehigh Valley is 30-30-6-3 with 69 points and are sixth in the Atlantic.

Accomplishments

This happened Wednesday…

This is notable because Blomqvist plays in the same division as fellow rookie Clay Stevenson of the Hershey Bears who has an astonishing seven shutouts.

This happened on Thursday…

Oh, and this too.

It’s good to have a future in goal for the organization.

Check Your Surroundings…

Alright so Providence has a three in three weekend where they play a hapless but scrappy Springfield team at home Friday, a straight up hapless Bridgeport team on Saturday and host a not really much left to play for stuck in fifth place Hartford Wolf Pack team on Sunday. Remember that any point gained by Providence (or lost by the Pens) seals up a first round bye for the Bruins. That said, the records don’t really matter.

Charlotte is still buzzing around the face of the Penguins. The Checkers played Hershey own Wednesday and lost their game in hand on the Penguins with a 4-3 defeat to the Bears. They will rematch against the Bears on Saturday and then conclude their regular season against the Phantoms on Sunday.

Charlotte cannot get to second now and if the Penguins amass two more points, they can’t get to third either. If they tie, the Pens have one more ROW than the Checkers.

The Checkers are 38-25-7-0 and have 83 points in fourth place. The Checkers have 37 ROW also.

What can we learn about the Penguins this week?

The kids are alright, aren’t they? Avery Hayes has turned it up, Evan Vierling too. Beau Jelsma made his AHL debut last weekend and didn’t look out of place. When you are young, talented and hungry, you can go places. These kids may not know any better.

The issue for them this weekend is that a lot of their seeding fate is out of their hands. It’s unlikely they get the second seed. All they need is two more points out of their final two games and third is theirs, so there is some work to do. Alternatively, if Charlotte loses two points in any form or fashion over their next two games, third place is the Penguins.

Also, the reinforcements from Pittsburgh will likely push out some guys in the lineup. Here’s who I would bounce if I was J.D. Forrest.

Ryan Shea and Jack St. Ivany for Taylor Fedun and Isaac Belliveau. Let Belliveau eat minutes for Wheeling in ECHL playoffs.

Valtteri Puustinen and Radim Zohorna for Matt Filipe and Matt Quercia. Same story with Quercia, let him eat minutes in the ECHL in the playoffs.

Jonathan Gruden for Raivis Ansons once Gruden is healthy.

Eventually Marc Johnstone for Lukas Svejkovsky, etc. I would keep Mathieu De St. Phalle, Evan Vierling, Avery Hayes and Beau Jelsma in the lineup for asd long as possible and only replace them if you need to.

We may have a special team here. There’s scuttlebutt about a late 2000’s early 2010’s vibe about this team. Who knows. Gotta beat Hershey in Hershey, something they haven’t done all season.

Who’s Up? Who’s Down? Who’s Out?

Puustinen, St. Ivany and Zohorna were sent back from Pittsburgh Thursday. Ryan Shea needed waivers, so he will likely clear and be officially assigned Friday afternoon.

Out: Peter Abbandonato, Marc Johnstone, Sam Houde, Vasily Ponomarev, Joona Koppanen, Taylor Gauthier and Jonathan Gruden were unavailable this past weekend due to injury. The news on Ty Smith wasn’t positive, longer term lower body. The hope is that Johnstone and Gruden are back sooner than later and you see Ponomarev, Abbandonato and maybe Koppanen in a few weeks, if they are still around. I think some combination of those five are vital if they were to have a prayer against Hershey.

Who’s in Goal?

No reason to start Blomqvist in back to back games. I would get Ludovic Waeber in there Friday against Hartford and let Blomqvist go against the Phantoms.

Old buddy Louis Domingue for the Wolf Pack Saturday and Felix Sandstrom for the Phantoms if you make me guess, which you have all season.

Who’s Running the Show?

Mathieu Menniti and Austin O’Rourke are the referees Friday with Jeremy Faucher and Ryan Jackson on the lines. Saturday sees Chad Ingalls and Jake Kamrass as the referees with Shawn Oliver and Kirsten Welsh on the lines.

Looking Ahead…

They are in the playoffs, but won’t know until likely Sunday night who and when they are playing, so look for something here Sunday evening.

Give us a bold prediction…

They will end up as the three seed and will have a first round date with the Phantoms. Penguins in two.

Weekend Preview

Weekend Preview — Where the Roads Lead…

Comments Off on Weekend Preview — Where the Roads Lead… Posted by on April 12, 2024

As things stand, the Wilkes-Barre / Scranton Penguins are just four points away from the second place Providence Bruins. Yes, the Bruins have a game in hand on the Penguins and the Charlotte Checkers are tied with the Penguins in points with the same amount of games played. The Penguins, winners of five straight, seem to be heading in the right directions, all of them positive.

Wait, what’s that I smell? Chocolate. Oh, boy.

The reigning, defending, undisputed 12 time Calder Cup Champions are back on the Penguins schedule this weekend. And they are there twice.

The division and soon the entire AHL will need to run through Hershey, as the Bears locked up the Atlantic Division Championship early last week and are just three points away from winning the regular season title ensuring they have home ice against every playoff victim opponent the Bears may face this postseason.

For the Penguins, second place in the division is calling to them. The only issue is that the voice may be a wolf in sheep’s clothing which is actually a bear.

Music to Set the Mood…

Let’s hope that our road leads to a first round bye.

A Quote…

“Fire Forrest”
— a lot of us

There’s a reason we are fans and that decision makers are decision makers. No matter what happens here in the next month, month and a half if we are lucky, you got to hand it to J.D. Forrest and the coaching staff of the Wilkes-Barre / Scranton Penguins. He’s navigated choppy waters all season long in losing his top two leading scorers in Rem Pitlick and Alex Nylander to trade and possibly his current leading scorer in Ty Smith to injury.

I don’t think the Penguins are where they are under the tutelage of anyone else other than Forrest. I was wrong, you were too, and we gotta hand it to the guy.

The Setup

Another three in three weekend with Bridgeport here Friday then a home and home with the Hershey Bears Saturday here and Sunday in Hershey.

For the Penguins, they got all six points last weekend in a three in three. An OT thriller against Cleveland on Friday, a 6-3 drubbing of the last place Islanders on Saturday then a 5-1 beatdown of the Lehigh Valley Phantoms on Sunday. Newcomers Evan Vierling, Mathieu De St. Phalle and the regulars like Avery Hayes and Xavier Ouellet all stepped up huge and got this team all six points and at the doorstep of a possible first round bye.

The Islanders on Sunday lost in a shootout to the resurgent Rochester Americans 5-4. Hershey thumped the Iowa Wild 7-2 on Friday then beat the Wild in a shootout 3-2 on Saturday to continue to rack up points and get closer to the regular season title, a meaningless accomplishment for a franchise that measures itself on Calder Cups.

Records

Penguins are tied for third in the Atlantic with a 36-22-8-1 record good for 81 points and have 67 games played.

Bridgeport is last in the Atlantic with a 24-36-6-2 record good for 56 points and 68 games played.

Hershey is an astonishing 50-12-0-5 with 105 points and 67 games played.

Check Your Surroundings…

Providence is second in the Atlantic with a record of 38-19-6-3 with 85 points and 66 games played.

The Bruins came away with just two overtime loser points thanks to losses handed to them by Lehigh Valley and Rochester. The Bruins have a scrappy Utica Comets team twice at home Friday-Saturday and a flailing Springfield team in Western Massachusetts on Sunday.

The fourth place Charlotte Checkers have a 37-23-7-0 record and 81 points with 67 games played.

The Checkers swept the Hartford Wolf Pack this weekend by an aggregate score of 8-1. Old buddy Magnus Hellberg had a 20 save shutout for the Checkers on Saturday. Charlotte is in Springfield and Hartford Saturday and Sunday respectively, so on account of playing Friday, the Penguins will be in arrears to a game for the Checkers when the dust settles Sunday evening.

What can we learn about the Penguins this week?

I think this weekend is really the last stand they have against chasing down the first round bye because as I said Providence and Charlotte will have a game in hand on the Penguins heading into the start of next week. I think the guys in the room realize it is a very important weekend to get all six points again if they want to be contenders for the bye but playing the Category Five Superteam known as the Hershey Bears makes for a tall task.

That means Ludovic Waeber will likely see a start for the Penguins because I can’t see a scenario where Joel Blomqvist plays back to back with a travel day in between to Hershey on Sunday afternoon. Perhaps I am wrong. I very well may be.

You need to play a perfect game against the Bears if you want to have hope you are in contention at the end. They have done that back when they were toiling and we were calling for a change at the head coach position. That means limiting power play opportunities given to the Bears and limiting turnovers and general errors made. Hershey forces a ton of that, their record and run of play shows that of late. You just have to execute and keep it close in the end.

Who’s Up? Who’s Down? Who’s Out?

Out: Peter Abbandonato, Marc Johnstone, Sam Houde, Vasily Ponomarev, Joona Koppanen, Taylor Gauthier and Jonathan Gruden were unavailable this past weekend due to injury. We don’t know the status of Ty Smith yet, injured Sunday.

Up: Ryan Shea, Jack St. Ivany, Valtteri Puustinen. Radim Zohorna went up Wednesday, Vinnie Hinostroza went up Thursday.

Sam Poulin was returned back to Wilkes-Barre Wednesday.

Down: Justin Addamo, Dillon Hamaliuk are in Wheeling.

Max Cajkovic, Matthew Quercia were released on Wednesday. Cajkovic was loaned to the Slovakian national team.

Lukas Svejkovsky and Taylor Gauthier are up from Wheeling and on the Coal Street roster.

More ATO’s: Emil Järventie, Kalle Kangas, Beau Jelsma were signed at various parts of this past week.

Who’s in Goal?

I think we see Ken Appleby for the Islanders and that two headed monster combo of Hunter Shepard and Clay Stevenson for the Bears. My gut says Ludovic Waeber Friday and Joel Blomqvist on Saturday and Sunday but my heart says otherwise.

Who’s Running the Show?

Jordan Deckard and Jordan Watt are the assigned refs Friday with J.P. Waleski and Tyler Loftus joining them on the lines.

Watt sticks around and has Taylor Burzminski join him with Bill Lyons and Jud Ritter on the lines.

Alex Łepkowski and Jordan Deckard are the assigned referees Sunday in Hershey with Justin Johnson and Richard Jondo on the lines.

A Note About Me…

I will not be at either home game this weekend due to a pre-planned camping trip to Lancaster this weekend. I’m likely not going to be able to watch Friday’s game on AHLTV, so I will do my best to cobble something together. I should have something Saturday and Sunday, though. I’ll be back for playoffs.

Looking Ahead…

Final weekend of the regular season with a stop in Hartford Friday and the season finale in Allentown against the Phantoms on Saturday.

Give us a bold prediction…

No reason to believe that they can’t run the win streak to eight and be a point or two off Providence for second. I think that if not, the Bruins and Checkers falter also and it all gets decided next weekend.

Weekend Preview

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