Chirps from Center Ice

The Wilkes-Barre / Scranton Penguins will be taking the three teams left in the State of New York head on this weekend, so it’s only fitting…

Music to Set the Mood…

Ol’ Blue Eyes. They don’t make music like they used to. That’s for sure.

Also, yes. I am keenly aware as New York Mets fan that this song is played after Yankee home game wins. Yankee scum.

Regardless, New York City is the greatest City in the world. You can’t change my mind so don’t even try.

A Quote…

I can make it there, I can make it anywhere.
— Frank Sinatra

Sinatra was referring to New York City. I’m referring here to the North Division and the AHL teams Syracuse Crunch, Utica Comets and Rochester Americans. Syracuse is neck and neck with the division leading Cleveland Monsters, just beat the Hershey Bears on Friday ending the Bears nine game winning streak, Rochester is a team full of a bunch of really good prospects and Utica seems like they suffer from the same problems that befell the Penguins in that they are consistently inconsistent.

The Setup

I kind of just gave it to you in the last paragraph, but slightly out of order. Syracuse at home Wednesday, Utica on the road Friday and Rochester at home on Saturday.

The Crunch stopped the Bears nine game winning streak and beat the Bears clean 4-1 on Friday then came back the next night and laid a dud against Utica (sound familiar?) and in the home and home rematch against the Comets in Utica they lost again 4-1, so it was a sweep by the Comets which probably didn’t sit well with the Crunch and their fans. Think Penguins and Bears fans don’t get along? Ratchet that up to ten with Comets and Crunch fans.

Utica beat Bridgeport Friday which isn’t saying much because the Islanders are terrible. They swept their biggest rivals in Syracuse this past weekend, detailed above.

Rochester split in Belleville Friday and Saturday, winning in shootout Friday and losing clean Saturday. The Americans will be in Springfield Wednesday and Hartford on Saturday.

The Penguins had last Wednesday off, beat the Cleveland Monsters decisively and then let one line beat them handily Saturday when the Providence Bruins came to town and spoiled Teddy Bear Toss Night and won 5-1.

Records 

The Penguins are 11-9-3-0, good for 25 points and fifth in the Atlantic.

The Crunch are 13-7-0-2, good for 28 points and second in the North.

Utica is 10-8-3-0, good for 23 points and sixth in the North.

Rochester is 11-7-2-0, good for 24 points and fifth in the North.

Who’s Up? Who’s Down? Who’s Out?

Pittsburgh: Jansen Harkins, Vinnie Hinostroza, Marc Johnstone and Valtteri Puustinen. P.O. Joseph was recalled from his conditioning stint on Sunday.

Dmitri Samorukov was returned back to Wilkes-Barre after clearing waivers.

Up from Wheeling: Justin Addamo, Raivis Ansons, Lukas Svejkovsky, Tanner Laderoute.

Injured: Avery Hayes, Sam Poulin and Sam Houde. Colin White returned from injury Saturday against Providence.

What can we learn about the Penguins this week?

How do they fare against a high flying Syracuse team they shutout then lost 6-3 in a home and home back in November and how do they fare against a brand equal in Utica and Rochester? How do they fare against a Crunch team who was swept by Utica and a Utica team that swept the Crunch? After they navigate through all that, how do they play against Rochester?

I honestly was expecting a reversal of fortune last week, that is a loss against Cleveland and a win against Providence. The opposite happened. They handled Cleveland, who I think is dealing with injuries and callups to key guys and straight let one line score all the goals against them on Saturday. It’s frustrating because there is potential with this team, and I think we all know it. The pattern of being consistently inconsistent is going to be with them for some time and as a result the inability to surprise (winning a game I don’t think they should have won Friday against Cleveland) and a clunker against a division rival they will be at pace with into 2024 and into the Spring.

I keep trying to remind myself that they are who we thought they were, that they aren’t going to get any better and can only marginally get worse and that the bottom can fall out at any time and they are out of playoff spot with how tight things are save for Bridgeport.

They have shown they can run with and beat Syracuse. They have yet to play Utica and Rochester yet but if early returns are to believed, this consistently in consistent team should find some consistency and beat all three teams, provided they do things the right way.

It should be simple to know what works vs. what doesn’t. Don’t let one line beat you. Get a couple power play goals. Stay out of the penalty box. Easy right? We shall see.

Who’s in Goal?

I thought it was Blomqvist’s world that we are are all living in but after these last couple of games I am not so sure.

Blomqvist is 6-4-2 and has lost his last three against Hershey (loss) Springfield (OT loss) and Providence. What was once a sure lock isn’t looking like that so much presently. But this is the AHL and a development league. This is adversity he has to battle through and I think that the skill set is there. The use has to be executed on.

Also being hung out to dry like Tuesday’s laundry like his team let him in parts against Hershey and Springfield and a lot against Providence needs to stop.

I’d go Blomqvist with both home games, Garrett Sparks in Utica.

For the opposition, Hugo Alnefelt for the Crunch, Nico Daws for Utica and don’t be surprised to see old friend Dustin Tokarski out first for the Americans on Saturday.

Who’s Running the Show?

Justin Kea and Jack Young are the scheduled referees on Wednesday against Syracuse with linesmen Patrick Dapuzzo and J.P. Waleski on the lines. On Friday up in Utica, Andrew Bell and Chad Ingalls are the referees and Jeremy Faucher and T.J. Dockery are the scheduled linesmen. Saturday in Wilkes-Barre sees Andrew Bell again with Peter Schlittenhardt and Chandler Yakimowicz and Patrick Dapuzzo on the lines.

Looking Ahead…

Penguins head north of the border for a Thursday game against Belleville and a Friday game in Laval before breaking for Christmas.

Give us a bold prediction…

They shock us all and win all three games by multiple goals.