Chirps from Center Ice

The Penguins closed out the season with a 3-2 loss to the Bridgeport Sound Tigers yesterday and a 44-25-2-5 record good for 95 points, second place in the East Division and slotted fourth in the Eastern Conference Finals where they will open Friday night in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Quarterfinals against the Hershey Bears.

The Penguins, for the most part, were pretty much undented this year with major injuries or massive call-ups. In the rough times when they had to call in guys from outside the organization (see: Henningson, Dan) they weathered the storm. Would things had been different if Norfolk didn’t win 28 in a row to close out the season for the Division lead? Who knows. That Admirals team looks unbeatable right now and the odds on favorite to win the Calder Cup in June.

But it’s a new day. All 16 teams in the Calder Cup Playoffs are 0-0, with a magic number of 15.

Before we look ahead to the Playoffs opening this weekend, it’s time to pass out final regular season grades. As has been the case all year long, anyone who played in a game this season gets a grade. Here we go… after the jump:

Ryan Craig: I have said this all season long, but this is the player that you want with the “C” pinned on his chest.If playoffs are a war, Ryan Craig is who you want leading your team into battle. Grade: A

Brandon DeFazio: Grinder with an offensive flair. 104 PIMs second on the team while 11 goals puts him in a four way tie for seventh. Could be someone who scores a big goal this Spring. Grade: B+

Brian Gibbons: Finished 11-19-30 for the season. If you told me he would get this at the beginning of the year, I’d take it. Gibbons will be another body who may score a big goal this season. Grade: B

Bryan Lerg: Lerg scored 27 goals this season. He’s probably the most underrated player with 25+ goals in the East Division with who Syracuse, Hershey and Norfolk have filling their nets. Grade: A+

Colin McDonald: Hit a cold streak this quarter and went thirteen games without a goal before scoring Saturday night vs. Bridgeport. I had someone tell me that when McDonald plays with a snarl, he scores goals. Well, he better start getting mad now, cause Wilkes-Barre is going to need him to score goals if they want to advance on in the Calder Cup Playoffs. Grade: B-

Cal O’Reilly: He never shoots. I went back to some articles with his days with the Milwaukee Admirals and this “pass first” mentality has been his forte his whole career. Did not score a goal playing for WBS and only took 29 shots which is lowest amongst regular forwards. He obviously blooms when he has guys which can finish. A leopard never changes his spots, but I still want him on this team to get a big faceoff win in a playoff game. Grade: C+

Nick Petersen: Nick is warming up, finally. Was lost out there at times but now, sometimes the best player on the ice. Found right combination being linemates with Ben Street and Geoff Walker. Grade: B

Matt Rust: Not on the Clear Day list, has been scratched of late. May not see playoff ice the rest of the year. When he was out there he never was a liability, so there is that. Grade: C

Ben Street: Co-MVP with Bryan Lerg. For the casual AHL fan, is the 27-goal scorer you have never heard of. Centers a dynamite line with Nick Petersen and Geoff Walker flanking him. For a team in playoffs past which lacked a true scorer, the Penguins will be leaning hard on Street to fill the nets this Spring if they want to be successful. Grade: A+

Zach Sill: Rounding into a fan favorite in these parts winning his second consecutive fan award at Saturday’s Award Night. Always a steady player who will stand up to anyone and defend his teammates. Grade: B+

Paul Thompson: With 67 games played, this rookie had a solid year going 10-15-25 with a -1 rating. With DeFazio and Gibbons before him, will probably score a big goal from time to time. Grade: B+

Eric Tangradi: Remained up with Pittsburgh all quarter. If Pittsburgh loses Wednesday, will be back this weekend. He will need to contribute immediately if he sees Calder Cup Playoffs action or else his tenure in Pittsburgh is over. Grade: Incomplete

Steve MacIntyre: Scored a goal Saturday. Involved in a fracas in Springfield which put this blog on Yahoo’s! Puck Daddy which resulted in the most active amount of reads since my blogs inception. Outside of that, may not see him in playoffs because the goonery is dismissed when your season is on the line night after night. But, MacIntyre has won me over as a deterrent for any other thug on the other team looking to stir stuff up. No one wants to fight MacIntyre and woe to the one that does. Grade: A

Geoff Walker: Not a matter of if he scores a big goal in the playoffs but a matter of when. In 68 games for WBS produced 18-26-44 and a +6. Grade: A

Jason Williams: Ran a power play which sputtered depending on the day but still managed to be in the top third of the league for efficiency. Depending of his game is either a savior or a goat. Grade: B

Chris Barton, Cody Chupp, Devin DiDiomete, Niko Dimitrakos, Dustin Jeffrey, Adam Payerl, Ryan Schnell: Perhaps you remember some names in this group, perhaps you don’t. Payerl showed some upside in the last two games he played and will be more of a mainstay next season. The rest? Well, yeah. When were they here? Grade: Incomplete

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Defense

Robert Bortuzzo: Will be relied heavily on this Spring to shut down the other teams top gunners. Did time in Pittsburgh, had an okay year here with 3-9-12 and a +9. Grade: B

Simon Despres: May be graduated to Pittsburgh next year. Still may need to fine tune a few things on the defensive end but that is why he is here in the AHL. Grade: B+

Alex Grant: Teams Most Improved Player. Get out of the way when he shoots. If our power play gets going in the playoffs, watch out. Was our highest scoring defenseman with 10-27-37 and a +5. Grade: A

Peter Merth: Wheeling call-up but Wilkes-Barre was 9-2 when he was in the lineup in the 11 games he played here. You could, if you wanted, make a case that he should have been up with Samuelsson in Wheeling. Grade: Incomplete but the record with him in the lineup mandates his own capsule.

Joey Mormina: Most productive offensive year as a Penguin. Will be needed in a shutdown situation in playoffs. Had a -11 which was team worst, but is not a liability on the defensive end at all. Grade: B+

Alex Picard: The fun fact on Picard was that he won a Calder Cup with Philadelphia as a rookie coming out of juniors. So he’s been there and knows what to do. (or should) The younger guys will learn from his actions out on the ice this postseason. Grade: B+

Philip Samuelsson: Was a trial by fire all season for Samuelsson. He may not see postseason ice. He will continue to develop. Grade: C

Carl Sneep: Hurt his shoulder. Done for the year with surgery. When he was in the lineup was a steady defensemen. Thankfully, WBS has a plethora of steady D-men to fill the role or else his presence would be sorely missed. Didn’t score a goal this year. Grade: C+

Brian Strait: Is a passenger with Pittsburgh right now and will be back if the Philadelphia Flyers win one more game in the series with Pittsburgh. If that happens will be leaned on heavily to shut down the oppositions offensive threats. Grade: B-

Cody Wild: If Strait comes back, may be shuffled to the stands. Finally got a goal in Connecticut. Never was a liability defensively. Funfact: Likes to golf. Hopefully doesn’t see a course until June. Grade: B

Dan Henningson, Andrew Hotham, Boris Valabik: Henningson was a rental from the ECHL who caught on with Binghamton. Hotham spent all year in the ECHL and was hurt or else it would have been him here over Henningson and Valabik started the year hurt then got hurt in his third game here. Grade: Incomplete

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Goaltenders

Brad Thiessen: May not be the number one in Wilkes-Barre in the postseason. Had what many could agree on as an off year. I could probably make a blog post out of why he was off this year. I’m still confident though, if Hynes names him Game 1 starter for Friday, that he can take this team to glory. Grade: B

Scott Munroe: I don’t want to talk out of both sides of my mouth but don’t be surprised if Hynes names him Game 1 starter vs. Hershey and he is the one that takes this team far. Had a better year side-by-side than Thiessen, but he didn’t face the pressure of one day being Marc-Andre Fleury’s backup. So he is playing with house “money” (pardon the pun) Grade: A

Patrick Killeen: Was called up when Brent Johnson went down in Pittsburgh thus necessitating Thiessen’s recall. Showed he was a 22 year old rookie at times. He will be the #1 in Wilkes-Barre one day. Only 5 games played. Grade: Incomplete

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So there you have it. If I’m an idiot and missed something and have someone graded too high or to low the comments are open for business.

Content the rest of the week runs with a Western Conference Playoff Preview tomorrow, Eastern Conference Playoff Preview Wednesday, a look at the Pens – Bears Playoff series Thursday which leads to the Friday 3 p.m. Gameday post.

Let’s Go Pens!