Chirps from Center Ice

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2                             4

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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!

         vs.        

0                              8

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I’m in.

Last year, and the year before, the Wilkes-Barre / Scranton Penguins shutout their opponent on the last regular season game.

They were bounced by the Lehigh Valley Phantoms in the First Round the following week.

Not this year.

Not only is Lehigh Valley not going to be their first round opponent, the Penguins have a first round bye and the Phantoms were eliminated from playoff contention.

An 8-0 win over a Rochester team that needed to win in order to punch the final playoff ticket in the Calder Cup Playoffs? This game meant more to the Americans than it did to the Penguins. Sure, a 100 points on the season would have been cool, but it’s about keeping your nose clean and not getting anyone hurt or suspended.

More on that in a minute, but the Penguins absolutely curb stomped a listless Americans team that had no answer for anything that essentially nine forwards threw at them for sixty minutes.

Avery Hayes was lost due to injury in the first. I think it’s precautionary, but you be the judge here…

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Boko Imama (abuse of officials) and Tanner Howe (5 and a game for a cross check to ex-Penguin Jack Rathbone) were given game misconducts.

So it’s nine forwards and an avalanche of goals.

I’m a believer.

They finish the season with 101 points which just two other teams, Providence and Grand Rapids, can lay claim to and maybe Ontario, depending on a later game. The Penguins have been the class of the league consistently from the jump. There isn’t a team in the Eastern Conference that can touch them five on five. This was evident Saturday against Rochester.

That makes them favorites in any series.

We will know tomorrow who plays who 3 through 6 in the Atlantic, but I don’t think it matters. The Penguins will be favored until they aren’t.

I’ll put my predictions together Sunday evening and fine tune things for a debut probably Tuesday or Wednesday, depending on the schedule but if there’s one thing that they got out of me after a showing like this Saturday it’s this.

I like their damn chances.

Here are all the goals, cause why the hell not. But first, they lined up like this…

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Lineup Notes: Aidan McDonough, Gabe Klassen and Boko Imama for Aaron Huglen Daniel Russell and Ryan Miller up front. On defense it was the same as Friday, but the pairings shuffled.

I think it’s the lineup, or close to it, you see Game 1.

Okay here are the goals.

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McGroarty was FLYING all night. They go as he goes, I get the feel of.

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Power play humming or is Rochester’s penalty kill just that bad?

Avery Hayes was hit at around the 7:19 mark. Beau Halkidis and Cole MacDonald completely lost control of the game. What did I tell you about Halkidis Friday? Pair him with a guy like Morgan MacPhee and they look great. Put him in charge as head ref and you have this dogs breakfast of a penalty slop fest.

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I don’t think you get any lower of an angle there for a goal. Again, McGraorty was FEELING it.

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You get Tristan Broz running down hill and it’s curtains for the other team.

Here’s your turning point….

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Tanner Howe assessed a 5:00 major for cross checking which carries an automatic game misconduct. Rochester power play looking to get back into it. Owen Pickering just crushes what little life they had in them and it’s a runaway train after that.

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Harvey-Pinard has stayed healthy and is an underrated asset this team has that makes them dangerous.

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Koivunen too. This is a ten headed monster of a hockey team. Again, they were right there in front of me and I refused to buy in. I’m in already.

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This was at the goal that did it. Harvey-Pinard from his stomach, deflects a goal. I’m in.

The only question was whether Sergei Murashov, who seemed like a non-factor, would get a shutout.

Rochester only put two shots on him in the third. He got his shutout. 27 saves.

Three Stars: 3) Rafaël Harvey-Pinard (two goals) 2) Rutger McGroarty (two goals, assist) 1) Sergei Murashov (27 saves)

The Good: 101 points. Testament to Kirk MacDonald and his coaching strategy. He pressed the right buttons, the team stayed overall healthy and they have a bye. Shutout their opponent on the final regular season game is a cherry on top of an almost perfect regular season.

The Bad: Beside the health of Avery Hayes, my percentages with predictions suck, but we will talk to you Tuesday or Wednesday with them anyway. Blind guesses are Four, Five, Six and Five. Caveat Emptor.

Around the Division: Providence does not set the AHL record for best ever regular season team after Utica beat them 4-2. Utica is done at 71 points, tied with Rochester now who head to Hershey Sunday. The Amerks need just one point to claim the final spot. If not, then Utica gets in. Hershey loses 2-1 to Bridgeport dropping the Bears to the sixth spot. They cannot catch Bridgeport at fourth and that means the Islanders are locked in at four. Springfield is also done, winning 4-3 over Hartford. Hershey needs a point to bump Springfield to the six. More on this tomorrow. I may pop in with a Sunday blog.

Lehigh Valley shutout Charlotte 2-0 in other action.

Standings: Providence 110 – Penguins 101 – Charlotte 91 – Bridgeport 76 – Springfield 72 – Hershey 71 – Lehigh Valley 68 – Hartford 60

Wheeling Update: The Nailers lose 4-3 to the Indy Fuel. The Nailers, much like the Penguins, didn’t have anything else to play for this weekend. Kelly Cup Playoffs start next week.

Video Highlights: 

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Talk to you soon. Maybe Sunday. If not, early next week with the Calder Cup Playoff Prediction.

Let’s Go Pens!

         vs.        

1                              4

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So they dressed as good a lineup I think that you will see save for one or two guys and beat Bridgeport 4-1 in the franchises final regular season meeting but I don’t think that was the headline of the evening.

It’s the play of Joel Blomqvist.

Now the sixth win in a row for Blomqvist, and Kirk MacDonald I think has some real decisions ahead of him. Who starts Game 1 of the Atlantic Division Semifinals in a few weeks? A case can be made for both Blomqvist or Sergei Murashov. I think it will be Murashov but I have more confidence in Blomqvist, if that makes any sense.

All the heavy hitters for Wilkes-Barre scored Friday. Avery Hayes on the power play, Ville Koivunen, Finn Harding and a returning from injury Tristan Broz.

Blomqvist stopped 25 shots.

Here’s how they lined up. Bridgeport didn’t post lines. I hope Hamilton next year does.

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Lineup Notes: Aidan McDonough, Gabe Klassen, Raivis Ansons, Atley Calvert and Boko Imama were out for a returning Tristan Broz (injury) Rutger McGroarty, Avery Hayes, Rafaël Harvey-Pinard, Ville Koivunen and Joona Koppanen (NHL recalls) as they went back to 12 forwards / 6 defensemen. On defense Alex Alexeyev, Broten Sabo, Quinn Beauchesne and Scooter Brickey came out for Phil Kemp, Owen Pickering and Sebastian Aho.

First Period: Out of the gate they took two penalties, but navigated them clean. Finn Harding made a move around a guy and scored to put them on the board at 8:27, then Avery Hayes scored a power play goal on a full five on three called against the Islanders for two separate penalties that happened concurrently and then Ville Koivunen scored with :18 left in the period to make it 3-0.

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Second Period: There was a proposal during a stoppage and I am coming around to the belief that these are staged. They have to be. You are proposing to your girlfriend in an arena / ballpark full of strangers for attention, when it really should be about her and her only. I for one, just don’t know.

Anyway, future AHL Hall of Famer and Bridgeport legend Chris Terry stabbed one across the line in an overall sleepy period for both teams as the Islanders got on the board.

(no GIF here, heard the social media team was packing up for the move to Canada)

Third Period: Tristan Broz scored in his return that made it 4-1 and that means free coffee!

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No penalties after the first period. Beau Halkidis sometimes makes it about him but Morgan MacPhee is a good ref, so it’s a great pairing. Halkidis will be here Saturday.

Three Stars: 3) Joel Blomqvist (25 saves) 2) Tristan Broz (goal, assist) 1) Ville Koivunen (goal, two assists)

The Good: I don’t know if it was a message sent, but the Islanders are a favorite I think in my book to make it out of the first round, and it’s possible that they see the Penguins again at some point.

The Bad: I didn’t like the Broz penalty just :15 in and the Aho hold a few minutes after that. I’m waffling on how far I think the Penguins go in the playoffs. 5 on 5 there’s not a team in the AHL that can touch them, at least over here in the East. I’ll get into the numbers probably Sunday, but if you get into a special teams battle with this team you can beat them. It’s the same thing all the time with this team but I suppose if you boat race your opponent to the tune of three goals in the first, a lot of the warts are covered up.

Turning Point: I think the Koivunen goal gets it here.

Around the Division: Hartford comes back and beats playoff bound Springfield 7-5….Utica beats a resting Providence Bruins team 4-1. The Comets must win out and Rochester must lose out for the final playoff spot in the North Division. That means Rochester’s playoffs start tomorrow in Wilkes-Barre, if they already didn’t start tonight at home in Cleveland (where they lost 2-1) so get ready. The Penguins want 101 also. No, not the amount of players that have played for them this season (although it seems) but 101 points, which is what they can max out at.

Standings: Providence 110 – Penguins 99 – Charlotte 91 – Bridgeport 74 – Hershey 71 – Springfield 70 – Lehigh Valley 66 – Hartford 60

Wheeling Update: The Nailers lost 5-2 in Toledo.

Video Highlights: 

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More tomorrow for the regular season finale then the real fun begins.

Let’s Go Pens!