Chirps from Center Ice

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A few seasons ago, Alex Nylander ended the Hershey Bears season in an overtime playoff game playing for the Wilkes-Barre / Scranton Penguins.

Sunday night in Game 6, he did it again, but this time he was playing for the opposing Toronto Marlies.

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Wilkes-Barre loses 2-1 in overtime and their season is over in the Eastern Conference Finals in six games. The Marlies, a four seed in the North Division, will advance to the Calder Cup Finals.

Don’t get it twisted, this was their best chance to win a Calder Cup in 27 years. They had it all. They had hot shot prospects at forward, they have a goalie that will be in the NHL next season and they had a solid defense that was tested and next man up. They had no pressure from in front with Pittsburgh making a recall either.

All that goes away when Avery Hayes, Rutger McGroarty, Harrison Brunicke and Sergei Murashobv graduate to full time NHL work next season. My knee jerk reaction is that they are lucky to be a playoff team next season but there’s a whole ECHL team that lost in their Easter Conference Finals that are loading, so all may not be lost.

Still, a disappointing end to a promising postseason ends in heartbreak and disappointment. Again.

Saw a younger fan, maybe in his 20s, utterly gutted and distraught and weeping after the game. I felt like going upon to him and saying, “get used to it kid.”

But that would be rude.

So we have, albeit a shorter summer, to wonder what might have been for this team and this franchise.

Aidan McDonough scored for Wilkes-Barre just six seconds into a power play to give the Pens an early 1-0 lead.

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Where would we be without Aidan McDonough?

In the second, an Easton Coawn goal at 9:11 tied the game.

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The teams stayed cool and Beau Halkidis and Mike Sullivan let them decide it on their own which is admirable, but some things got let go where maybe they shouldn’t have. In Game 6 of an Eastern Conference Finals game is no time to be trying to settle scores on teams full of fake fighters.

In the third, it seemed like the Penguins were on the front foot the entire period but were stymied time and  time again by Artur Akhtyamov in net for Toronto.

In overtime, Sergei Murashov bailed his club out twice, but couldn’t save them deep in overtime after an offensive face off from the Marlies which ended up on the tape of Alex Nylander and into Murashov’s net to end the season.

Three stars were Easton Cowan with a goal, Artur Ahktyamov with 39 saves and Alex Nylander with the series clincher in that order Thanks for the fish.

For posterity and old times sake, here’s how they lined up:

Alex Alexeyev returned from injury. They also swapped Tristan Broz and Gabe Klassen at center.

Here’s the highlights…

101 points and a first round bye is good and all and playoff wins over Hershey and Springfield are fun times, but running into a “hot team” at the “wrong time” always seems to happen here for the Penguins.

I don’t want to complain, because when I complain I start to get sour and when I get sour I question why I do it all. I don’t want to do that. Congrats to the Marlies, the were the better team. Congrats to the Pens on a hell of a season. Them’s the breaks sometimes.

Thanks for reading and following along this season as always if you have been for a while or for the first time. I’m just trying to capture the spirit of the thing.

Talk to you next month on the schedule release, sooner if there is news on realignment which is worth noting and we will do this all again in the fall.

Where’s my bathing suit? I’m jumping in the pool.

Let’s Go Pens!

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1                           5

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The last time the Wilkes-Barre / Scranton Penguins were in the Calder Cup Finals, all the way back in 2008, they needed seven games to advance past the Portland Pirates.

They won those games at home.

They will need to do the same starting Sunday in Game 6 and hopefully in Game 7 on Tuesday after the Toronto Marlies race out to two quick goals in the span of 4:14 in the third period to boat race the Pens and take game Game 5 5-1 for a 3-2 series lead with a chance to end the series Sunday.

These two teams hate each other, coming unglued in the third with the game already out of reach for the away team. The Penguins will need to convert those pugilistic emotions into goals come Sunday with their season on the line.

Here’s how they lined up:

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Lineup Notes: Sebastian Aho and Phil Kemp, who were absent in the third period in Game 4, were indeed out and replaced by David Breazeale and Emil Pieniniemi on defense. No changes to the forward pairings.

First Period: Basically a staring contest. Both teams killed the others penalties. There were general post whistle scrums. Nothing really to write home about.

Second Period: Offense opened up a bit in the period, with Mikhail Ilyin getting the scoring going with a power play goal that gave the Penguins a 1-0 lead.

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But the lead lasts just :50 as Lanson Sim tips in a Ben Danford shot through a sea of bodies to tie the game at one.

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The Penguins penalty kill would continue to struggle against the Marlies power play as :27 into  Scooter Brickey hold at 13:54, Bo Groulx would score at 14:21 to put the Marlies up 2-1.

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Both Sergei Murashov and Artur Ahktyamov would trade ten bell saves late, but there would be no further scoring.

Third Period: Easton Cowan. who’s turnover late in Game 4 led to Rutger McGroarty’s heroics, scored at 2:57 to make it 3-1 Marlies and then Logan Shaw swept a puck which squeaked past Sergei Murashov 1:17 later to make it 4-1 and the rout was on.

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Game devolved into a 2 and 10 festival for referees Stephen Hiff and Liam Maaskant.

Avery Hayes, Rafaël Harvey-Pinard, William Villeneuve, Scooter Brickey, Tanner Howe, Landon Sim, Michael Pezzetta  and Easton Cowan were all dismissed at various points after the scoring with 10 minute misconducts. The Penguins had a 4:00 power play at one point and, with Murashov pulled in the hopes of an 85 yard Hail Mary touchdown, Marshall Rifai would score an empty net goal to make it 5-1.

No further penalties or shenanigans.

They sure as hell aren’t making it easy.

Three Stars: 3) Marshall Rifai (goal, assist) 2) Artur Ahktyamov (32 saves) 1) Landon Sim (goal)

The Good: Didn’t exactly want to see the home team in Game 5 of a 2-2 series deadlock win the game, but the Marlies popped that cherry.

The Bad: I don’t do either. but if you smoke or drink, how many packs and cases are you going through between now and 6:05? I quit drinking and started walking to shed about 40 pounds. I may walk to the Arena Sunday in lieu of my normal daily walk.

Turning Point: The Shaw goal gets it here as it was a multi goal lead late for the home team, with the away team boiling over with emotions.

Video Highlights: 

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Bring all the good mojo and channel your Connor James and Tim Brent energy for the next two games, hopefully.

To the end…

Let’s Go Pens!

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4                           3

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Stop me if you have heard this before, but the Toronto Marlies scored another  pair of fluke-ish goals in this series.

In Games 1 and 2, they used those goals to win the game.

In Game 4? Not the case.

Wilkes-Barre / Scranton scored three unanswered goals in the second period to carry a 3-2 lead into the third where the Marlies score another controversial goal to tie the game but it’s Rutger McGroarty picking the pocket of Marlies sensation Easton Cowan to score the go ahead goal late and the Penguins hang on to win Game 4 4-3 and tie the best of seven series at two games a piece.

The ‘no holes’ explanation in the headline? The Penguins absorbed several punches in the game and still came out on top. This team is playing some unshakable hockey at present.

Oh, and Scooter Brickey, a Game 2 insertion in the series for Finn Harding, has been gangbusters in the series and scored a goal. If or when either Finn Harding or Alex Alexeyev may be healthy enough to play again, head coach Kirk MacDonald will have some impossible lineup decisions to make if the time comes.

Here’s how they lined up:

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Lineup Notes: No changes for the Penguins from Game 3 here in Game 4.

First Period: Wilkes-Barre to an early power play and goaltending adventurism from Sergei Murashov leads to this shorthanded goal from Bo Groulx.

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If you watched Game 3, this is the umpteenth time that this net has given Murashov problems. He narrowly averted disaster in Game 3 a few times, but here early in Game 4, it bit him.

On the same power play, Mikhail Ilyin made a move and beat Artur Ahktyamov, but the puck was kicked out by Dakota Mermis.

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Wilkes-Barre is later caught with too many men and :08 into the power play that followed for Toronto, Vinni Lettieri makes it 2-0 for the home team.

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The Penguins, despite the luxury (or lack thereof, given the score line thus far) trailed 12-8 on the shot board heading to the…

Second Period: Wilkes-Barre / Scranton storms back to the tune of three goals after an initial opening face-off breakaway from Vinni Lettieri. That would be the last shot that the Marlies would register because the come back was on.

Scooter Brickey scores at 3:14 to get the Pens on the board.

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A lotta noise in front of the crease there, but it’s playoffs. Goals aren’t supposed to be easy to come by.

Penguins get a power play and it felt like a, “not a must have but a good to have” type of power play.

Well, they didn’t score on the man advantage, but :14 later Chase Pietila let one fly from the blue line and scored to tie the game at 9:00.

Tertiary scoring. You love to see it.

Toronto woke up after that, being outshot 10-2 by the Pens after the Lettieri initial breakaway, and even had a power play.

Well, Wilkes-Barre killed that one decently enough but Toronto was still on the front foot.

But then Joona Koppanen throws a shot at Ahktyamov that goes off the pads and Gabe Klassen goes deep into the forest amongst the timbers to chop in the rebound to edge the Penguins ahead 3-2.

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Hell of a way to respond and a night vs. day effort for Wilkes-Barre / Scranton that period.

Third Period: For a long part of the period, the Penguins were missing defensemen Phil Kemp and Sebastian Aho. I don’t think I saw Aho at all in the third period and only Kemp in parts. He was favoring his shoulder early on, went off and returned late. I don’t know if it was matchup or what.

Toronto was playing fast and loose in their defensive zone. Avery Hayes, who has been offensively snakebit recently, had a chance but was stopped.

Here’s where Toronto scored on yet another controversial goal. This was on a power play.

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Here’s what I saw:

• Referee Graedy Hamilton in excellent position, as he should be.
• Way too much noise outside (emphasis added) of Murashov’s crease.
• Hamilton points, to signal Murashov is interfered with, then waves off.
• Goal is scored.
• Hamilton waves it off.

Hamilton was joined by his colleague Mike Sullivan and linesmen Luke Pye and Shawn Oliver and the overturned goal is awarded.

I don’t know. They don’t know. You don’t know. You can argue for or against till you’re blue in the face. Unless or until they clearly define what it is and what it isn’t they will never get it right and it’ll always be a guess.

Video review I don’t think will change this, it’s coming next season (I think) and they have it a league down in the ECHL where you can review. But if they review and let it stand, does it make you feel any better if you get jobbed on a call? I don’t know. I guess we find out next year, maybe.

Undeterred, the Penguins pressed on.

Enter Rutger McGroarty.

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Hoo hoy!

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Miss you in these parts, JB!

After a timeout and with Ahktyamov pulled, the Marleis were not able to find the equalizer.

Series tied.

Three Stars: 3) Vinni Lettieri (goal) 2) Scooter Brickey (goal, assist) 1) Gabe Klassen (goal, assist)

No love for McGroarty? Bollocks!

Video Highlights: 

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More Friday after Game 5. One of these teams will be heading to the brink, with Game 6 looming and now necessary in Wilkes-Barre Sunday at 6:05 p.m.

Let’s Go Pens!

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5                           3

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The AHL has a Morning Skate feature that they put up every morning on their website. They have general information about the series that are on going. You should check it out, like I do, whenever possible.

One of the stats that I found befuddling was the following:

Under Marlies Head Coach John Gruden, the Marlies have beaten the Penguins every time they have been in Northeastern Pennsylvania (they are 5-0) but, coming into Monday’s Game 3, Toronto is 0-3.

Well, make it 0-4 buddy as the Wilkes-Barre / Scranton Penguins have a huge third period and hang on to win 5-3 and now trail the best of series two games to one with Game 4 coming Wednesday.

Two players I called out after Game 2’s disappointment, Bill Zonnon and Aidan McDonough, had huge games, with a goal and an assist each, but McDonough’s fingerprints were all over this one especially early, as the Penguins were pressing on.

They weren’t getting the breaks in Game 1, they had no puck luck in Game 2 but were the better team in each game. In Game 3, they grabbed the game by the scruff of the neck, absorbed a few blows, but still managed to win.

But they aren’t here to just spend now a week in Toronto (Game 5 will be Friday) they want to force this series back to Wilkes-Barre by hook or by crook.

More to come on that. For now…

Here’s how they lined up…

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Lineup Notes: Swap Avery Hayes and Tanner Howe at wing, Owen Pickering returned form injury and Finn Harding joined Alex Alexeyev in the “undisclosed injury” territory. Coal Street called up David Breazeale from Wheeling earlier in the day.

First Period: There were 31 shots in the period and two sets of four on four. But the goal for the Marlies came at even strength and the goal for the Penguins came on the power play.

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The Penguins needed a big response and got one :40 later as Michael Pezzetta tripped Harrison Brunicke.

A few moments after that, 1:42 to be exact, Aidan McDonough finally broke through for his first goal of the series for a power play goal that tied the game at one.

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It was looking like another tight one heading into the…

Second Period: Penguins started on time with a goal at 2:04 by Bill Zonnon.

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This angle doesn’t show Zonnon tapping the puck across the line, but this one does…

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Wilkes-Barre limited the Marlies to just one shot for about the first ten minutes of the period.

Then Penguins found themselves in trouble when they essentially had to kill back to back penalties but navigated out of it okay.

The game opened up a bit in the final five minutes with Tanner Howe missing a breakaway chance. Later Luke Haymes has a shot broken up by a great back check by Chase Pietila but stayed with it, threw the puck back at the net front where it deflected off of Owen Pickering and in to tie the game yet again.

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Third Period: Wilkes-Barre withstands another penalty kill and then at four on four, Tristan Broz and Ville Koivunen took over.

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That’s two elite players just taking over a play and scoring a professional hockey goal. It’s a beautiful thing to see.

But you kind of got the sense that just one goal, with this much time on the clock, wouldn’t be good enough.

Enter Atley Calvert.

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Wilkes-Barre continued to draw time off of the clock, stayed clean on the side of the officiating (Riley Brace and Beau Halkidis were the referees, not the best but okay, I thought) and with time dwindling, down two, Artur Ahktyamov was vacated, Harrison Brunicke hit the post on an empty net and then old buddy and former Penguin Marc Johnstone scored at the doorstep that made it 4-3.

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There was no panic from the Penguins. The Marlies used their time out after the goal, but again, there was no panic from Wilkes-Barre. Tanner Howe skyhooked this one in to ice the game away.

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Ballgame.

Three Stars: 3) Luke Haymes (goal, assist) 2) Aidan McDonough (goal, assist) 1) Sergei Murashov (36 saves)

The Good: Nice to bounce back in a pretty much must win huge pressure Game 3. They recalibrated over the weekend, withstood the shots from the opponents but grabbed the game by the horns, established control, especially in the third, and won the game. Now, replicate this again in under 48 hours.

The Bad: This would be nitpicking, I think.

Turning Point: I think the back to back second period kills and the kill early in the third get it here. Wilkes-Barre was 3/3 on the kill in Game 3.

Video Highlights:

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Jobs not done, more after Game 4 Wednesday.

Let’s Go Pens!