Chirps from Center Ice

The Penguins announced today their Black Aces squad from Wheeling, West Virginia. Chris Barton, Cody Chupp, Andrew Hotham, Patrick Killeen, Peter Merth and Ryan Schnell are your group.

Here’s Bombulie’s Thursday update. Check out the opening paragraphs. Hopefully it’s a case of live and learn this go around.

Elsewhere in the division and kind of a big deal, Emerson Etem was assigned by Anaheim to Syracuse today. Etem scored SIXTY goals in the Western Hockey League for the Medicine Hat Tigers. Crunch beat writer Lindsay Kramer has more if you want to click on.

I’ve learned over the years not to make a big deal out of kids from juniors joining an AHL squad this late in the year and being a lifesaver, but sixty goals isn’t anything to sneeze at. Syracuse looks like it’s in the dance this year, we’ll see how Etem fairs playing against men this Spring.

Finally, it’s down to the Bears or Whale for the five seed. The Sound Tigers are out of it because if they get one more point they win their division and slot in at the three seed.

Gameday for tomorrows tilt vs. Binghamton here Friday afternoon at 3 p.m.