Chirps from Center Ice

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Yikes.

Shutout. Again. Just when you think that the season couldn’t get any worse, they are shutout in back to back games.

They scored eight goals in Bridgeport last Saturday. Nothing in two games since. Shutout in 121:05 of action. Shutout in Laval last Monday. Back to back 4-0 losses when they lose Friday night in Hartford, who have won eight straight games.

Like two trains passing in the night. Here’s a fun fact about me, sometimes I like to watch videos of fright trains at night to help me fall asleep. Shoutout Wide World of Trains.

Anyway, one more game for the Wilkes-Barre / Scranton Penguins Saturday against the Charlotte Checkers before they are put to bed for the 2022-23 season.

Here’s how they lined up…

(Hartford didn’t post lines)

Lineup Notes: So Svejkovsky was injured, which explains his absence. I was in the Virginia backwoods so didn’t see / listen to the last game agains Laval, so I don’t know who replaced who. Taylor Fedun and Jamie Devane were not in the lineup. Mitch Reinke, too.

Other News: Pittsburgh cleaned house this morning, firing GM Ron Hextall, Brian Burke and AGM Chris Pryor. I’m quite surprised that the coaching staff didn’t get the boot but I would assume that they are on short leashes. Nothing yet on what will happen with the staff here in Wilkes-Barre. GM Erik Heasley keeps his job (which is baffling to me) and will actually assist in the search of the new regime in Pittsburgh.

First Period: Both teams didn’t do jack shot wise at five on five, the Penguins didn’t have any shots on their only power play in the period, Hartford scored on their second attempt on the power play when Tim Gettinger fired one off Ty Smith and past Blomqvist and in for a 1-0 Hartford lead at the end of the period.

Second Period: Pens get a bit of puck luck when Joel Blomqvist makes a fantastic save, Anton Blidh takes a whack at the loose puck, it gets behind Blomqvist and in the no mans land between he and the inside of the net. The puck flutters but Justin Lee is there to sweep the puck away and out of the Penguins net.

But later Turner Elson woulds score to double the Wolf Pack lead and make it 2-0.

I don’t know what any of them are doing here. Elson is left alone in a prime area of the ice and just picks a spot and scores. A player of Elson’s quality will score there unmarked like that 9 times out of 10. Just a mind boggling loss of a man in front which costs you a goal.

Jagger Joshua and Louis Domingue got into a scuffle. Joshua was out at the top of the crease near Domingue. Louis didn’t like some of the antics and actually was called for holding (which is hilarious to me) and they scuffled a bit. Joshua was given an extra penalty for unsportsmanlike conduct. I dunno, just doing your job out of the blue paint and then to get held and rushed by the goaltender of the other team seems unsportsmanlike to me, but who am I.

Third Period: So a 2-0 lead isn’t insurmountable, but getting the next goal is vitally important.

They did not, in fact, find that next goal. Sadly, the opponent did.

Turner Elson again.

And here’s the kicker, there isn’t anything they could have done different there I don’t think. Just a great setup by a Wolf Pack team that just can’t lose.

Later, salt in the wound when Adam Edström turns Josh Maniscalco into a pylon and scores to make it 4-0 and that essentially salts the game away.

Microcosm of the season for the Penguins here.

Three Stars: 3) Adam Edström (goal) 2) Turner Elson (two goals) 1) Louis Domingue (28 save shutout)

The Good: Joel Blomqvist looked fine. Nothing he could have done differently on the goals he allowed. The team in front of him played like crap.

The Bad: Going 0/6 on the power play. Dare I say they missed Mitch Reinke’s puck moving prowess on the power play?

Turning Point: Elson’s second goal, the only goal you can’t really pin on anything bad (the first goal went off Ty Smith, the second goal there was no one around Elson and the fourth goal was an embarrassment) was the back breaker here. You needed a response coming into the third, down two, and you have that goal by Elson that nips you.

Around the Division: Charlotte beats Lehigh Valley 5-2…Bridgeport beats Hershey 5-1…Springfield blows out Providence 7-2.

Standings: Hershey 95 – Providence 94 – Charlotte 84 – Springfield 82 – Hartford 81 – Lehigh Valley 80 – Bridgeport 76 – Penguins 65

Wheeling Update: Nailers are out in Iowa taking on the Heartlanders. Box here.

Back at it for the home and season finale against Charlotte. More then. Let’s Go Pens!