Chirps from Center Ice

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Here’s a hot take for you, Springfield and Wilkes-Barre are a lot alike.

I got that sense after watching about 40 minutes of these two teams battling Saturday night in Wilkes-Barre in a game that the Penguins would win 3-1, their home opener.

No score after the first, 1-1 after the second, the two teams couldn’t separate from one another until a Rem Pitclick power play goal put the Penguins ahead for good and a Jansen Harkins empty netter sealed it late.

Here’s how they lined up:

Lineup Notes: After that effort last night, Alex Nylander was a scratch. So too were Corey Andonovski and Austin Rueschoff. In were Sam Houde, Jansen Harkins (making his WBS debut) and Matt Filipe. For Filipe and Houde, it was their season debuts.

No changes to the defense or the pairings from Friday in Hartford.

First Period: Another scoreless first. After seeing him on the road on AHLTV and now seeing him in person, Marc Johnstone busts his ass every shift. Like every shift he’s methodical in his positioning and gives 100%. Early fan favorite in my opinion. Give me a team full of Marc Johnstone’s.

Penguins failed to score on two power plays, so they have gone 0-for-15 to open the season.

Second Period: Vinnie Hionostroza opened his account with a breakaway goal to open the middle frame.

Nice little cueball pass there by Rem Pitlick, setting up the breakaway for the veteran Hinostroza. He shouldn’t miss these and didn’t. Big goal.

A little over a minute and a half later, Xavier Ouellet is in his defensive zone and goes to rim a puck around the wall. Valtteri Puustinen was closely and assumed that the puck would do it’s thing and goes where he thought it would go.

You know what happens when you assume, right?

I enjoy the use of the pun there.

Third Period: Things got chippy about halfway through. Will Bitten was caught with his head down and needed help off. A few minutes later Penguins get a power play and it’s Marc Johnstone (that man again) setting up Rem Pitlick for a power play goal (a what?!?!?) that gives the Penguins a 2-1 lead.

A few more heart in your throat moments however as Wilkes-Barre would get tagged with too many men putting Springfield on the power play and with starting goaltender Vadim Zherenko pulled for an extra attacker for the power play, Springfield would not find the equalizer and indeed Jansen Harkins would seal the victory for the Penguins with an empty net goal.

Three Stars: 3) Joel Bloimqvist 31 saves (first AHL win) 2) Vinnie Hinostroza (goal) 1) Rem Pitlick (goal, assist)

The Good: Don’t make any lineup changes. Roll with this for the Wednesday game against Hershey, J.D. Please, I beg you. Sam Houde had two assists, hasn’t played yet.

The Bad: I you had to make one move though, J.D., I’d scratch Valtteri Puustinen cause the guy doesn’t play any defense and thinks he’s Superman out there when he has the puck.

Turning Point: Wilkes-Barre’s special teams in the third period. They scored a power play goal and came up with a huge stop late to deliver the win.

Around the Division: Hershey wins their third straight, taking down and sweeping Providence 5-4 in a shootout….Charlotte wins 3-2 in Toronto….Bridgeport beats Utica 2-1 in overtime and Hartford earns the 1,000th goal in franchise history with a 5-1 win over Lehigh Valley 5-1.

Standings: Hartford 8, Hershey 6, Charlotte, Lehigh Valley, Penguins, Providence and Bridgeport 4 and Springfield 2.

Wheeling Update: Nailers started an hour and a half later then the Pens, she they are finishing up what should be a season opening with against the Cincinnati Cyclones. Box here. Taylor Gauthier in net. Lukas Svejovsky with a goal and assist. Nailers have three power play goals! 🤯

Video Highlights: 

Hershey Wednesday. Notes as they come if I have time, etc.

Let’s Go Pens!