So they are 6-3-1 in their last ten but lost their last game in Laval in what I called a scheduled loss, but now the doubt starts to creep back in as the Wilkes-Barre / Scranton Penguins are now going back into divisional play with a game in Hershey on Wednesday before hosting Charlotte for a weekend set of games Friday and Saturday.
The Bears are a machine. It looks like they will get stronger. Their coach is already headed to All-Stars. Do you smell that? It’s the scent of a repeat.
We will get to that in a minute.
Music to set the Mood…
Happy New Year, one and all.
A Quote…
What are little boys made of? What are little boys made of? Snips, snails And puppy-dogs’ tails That’s what little boys are made of
What are little girls made of? What are little girls made of? Sugar and spice And everything nice That’s what little girls are made of
— Nursery Rhyme
The Setup
So getting back to Hershey, they have been destroying everything in their path. They are 24-6. No OT losses. No shootout losses. They have 48 points, an .800 winning percentage and a machine. A wagon. An absolute beast of a hockey team. You need to be perfect, as in, you cannot make any mistakes, in order to beat this team.
And it just isn’t the Penguins. They beat everybody. Everybody.
So is it a measuring stick if you are the Penguins and can compete with the Bears? If you beat them are they crowning you the next Calder Cup Champions? Hardly. Go in with low expectations. Hope for the best, expect the worst, especially coming off of a Christmas break and after an ugly loss in Laval.
Charlotte is the other team on the schedule this week for the Pens. They hosted Bridgeport two weeks ago and split, a shutout win and an OT loss then split with Lehigh Valley with an OT loss and a shootout win.
Seems like they spill points all over the place and play fast and loose. I think the bigger tell on what type of team the Penguins are is told against Charlotte then it is against Hershey.
Records
The Penguins are 15-10-3 and have 33 points and sit third in the Atlantic with 33 points, two off Hartford for the two spot, but also two points out of a playoff spot altogether. It’s razor thin.
The Bears are in their own stratosphere. 24-6, 48 points and the number one team in the AHL.
Charlotte is 14-10-3, 31 points and in sixth in the Atlantic.
Who’s Up? Who’s Down? Who’s Out?
Pittsburgh: Jansen Harkins, Vinnie Hinostroza (he cleared waivers last week, was assigned but is still with Pittsburgh?) and Valtteri Puustinen.
Up from Wheeling: Owen Headrick, Raivis Ansons.
Injured: Avery Hayes and Sam Houde.
What can we learn about the Penguins this week?
If they want to get anywhere, they have to go through Hershey. Are they going to play well enough to just be a playoff team only to be obliterated by Hershey en route to back to back Calder Cups? The Penguins are one of the few teams to have beaten Hershey. It was frustrating watching them play Hershey the last time out. But, it’s still December (January soon) and there is still a lot to figure out. Are the Penguins a team playing two points out of second place or two points from out of a playoff spot? Depends on who you ask.
Personally I think they will be fine. I think.
They should beat Charlotte. Charlotte plays like an average to above average North Division team, in my opinion, for comparison sake. They should beat Charlotte, but I have a feeling that the Checkers lull you into playing fast and loose and then all of a sudden you find yourself in overtime or in a shootout.
Who’s in Goal?
Interesting conundrum in my opinion. I think they were shifting away from Joel Blomqvist as the stone cold lock number one but I don’t know now. I think it’s Blomqvist Wednesday and Saturday with Magnus Hellberg going Friday.
I don’t think it matters for Hershey. Clay Stevenson and Hunter Shepard are the Bears 1A-1B. If the Bears have a weakness, it isn’t in goal. Either one of these two goaltenders will be tough nuts to crack.
Toss a coin for Spencer Knight and Ludovic Waeber Friday or Saturday for the Checkers.
Who is running the show?
Mason Riley and Peter Schlittenhardt are the referees Wednesday with John Rey and Bill Lyons on the lines.
Friday sees referees Beau Halkidis and Laura White and linesmen Jud Ritter and Chandler Yakimowicz.
Saturday sees Casey Terreri and Adam Tobias in orange, black and white with Bill Lyons from Wednesday and Jud Ritter from the night before on icings, offsides and face-offs.
Looking Ahead…
A trip to Springfield next Friday, then a Saturday and Sunday (💆♂️) home game against Lehigh Valley for the first time all season on Saturday and then Hartford at 3:05 on Sunday. It’s the first three in three of the season.
WBS News
Chirps from Center Ice 