Chirps from Center Ice

@

4                                   1

–

Joel Blomqvist is going to be an NHL starting goaltender one day.

Sooner rather than later at this rate.

A 44 save performance by Blomqvist and the Wilkes-Barre / Scranton Penguins salvage their week with a 4-1 win in Charlotte.

Not much else I don’t think can be written about the kid at this point, none better and finer in the first period of this contest with the Penguins seemingly on cruise control when Blomqvist was making really difficult saves from very difficult positions.

After another period of solid Blomqvist play and a power play goal by the Penguins, it was auto pilot from there.

Here’s how they lined up:

Lineup Notes: I like when the team tweets the lineup changes from the night before so I don’t have to. Pens went 11 forwards and 7 D. Taylor Fedun played in his 600th professional game.

First Period: Three quick goals in seven minutes of action for the Penguins sees Valtteri Puustinen, Joona Koppanen and Raivis Ansons find the back of the net.

Couple things, Charlotte had three power plays in the period and couldn’t score. The setup by Marc Johnstone and this guys overall hockey sense is something really to behold, setting up Ansons for his goal the blew the game open.

Second Period: Evan Cormier’s night was done, enter Ludovic Waeber in goal for the Checkers.

This time it was the Checkers taking the parade to the penalty box, taking all three penalties doled out in the period. Jonathan Gruden cashes on one of the power plays.

Nice pass by Jack Rathbone there to get it to Gruden for the easy tap in. I like Rathbone’s vision on the ice.

Third Period: Checkers pepper Blomqvist with 19 shots and one of them goes in when noted Penguin killed Will Lockwood scores to break up the shutout bid and allow for the teddy bears to fly and hit the ice and get the Checkers on the board.

This came at the end of a power play.

Three Stars: 3) Jonathan Gruden (goal, assist) 2) Valtteri Puustinen (goal, assist) Joel Blomqvist (44 saves)

The Good: Nice response by the Penguins to salvage what looked like an overall disappointing weekend.

The Bad: This is another one of those pause for a sec typing this up and watch the cursor blink type entries. Let’s just move on.

Turning Point: I think the Ansons goal really put things out of reach for the Checkers, considering how the game was going at that point and the frustration which was mounbtying every time they tried something on Blomqvist.

Around the Division: Providence beats Bridgeport 2-1….Hershey beat Iowa 2-1….Lehigh Valley beat Rochester 5-4….Springfield plasters Utica 7-0….Hartford beats Belleville 4-3 in overtime.

Standings: Hershey 28 – Hartford 26 – Lehigh Valley and Springfield 21 – Penguins 20 – Charlotte 20 – Providence 19 – Bridgeport 11

Wheeling Update: Nailers hosted the Iowa Heartlanders and lost 6-2.

Video Highlights: 

Back at it against Hershey on Wednesday. More then, before I set the week up for you with the Weekend Preview.

Let’s Go Pens!