Chirps from Center Ice

So the way that the season is shaping up for the Wilkes-Barre / Scranton Penguins, they should aim high for third place in the Atlantic Division.

I don’t have any music to set the mood, but here’s the best 50 three pointers in the 2018-19 NBA season. When you type in “famous three pointers” in the YouTube search bar, you get this…

So let’s take a look at the Atlantic Division and see what we have right now.

Hershey – 64 points: Absolute class of the division, conference and league. Not only is it a foregone conclusion that the division is playing for second, but I think it’s a Hershey repeat.
Providence – 51 points: I think they benefit from playing more of Bridgeport and Springfield and less of the Penguins and Bears. I think they are lucky if they finish second.
PENGUINS – 47 points: Are they punching above their weight? No. It’s a sneaky good team.
Hartford – 45 points: Started good, battling inconsistency and teams have tape on them now.
Charlotte – 44 points: I think they are the most underwhelming team in the division. Jobs may be on the line at some point soon.
Springfield – 41 points: Dealing with a lot; some of Hartford (inconsistency) a bit underwhelming (they have been battling injuries) and are in serious danger of missing playoffs.
Lehigh Valley – 40 points: Still can’t figure this team out. Is Ian Laperriere a better coach than J.D. Forrest?
Bridgeport – 27 points: Thanks for playing, Bridgeport. Don’t forget your parting gift at the door.

I am not considering tie breakers or games in hand yet.

Yet.

(Let’s skip the quote this week, I can’t find anything good on finishing third)

The Setup

Hartford Wednesday, the first trip to Allentown Friday then a Saturday home game against Hershey.

That thing about games in hand? Hartford has five of them on the Penguins. That’s ten (possible) points. They have five on the Pens, six on Providence and five on Hershey. Only the Bakersfield Condors out in the Pacific Division have played fewer games (32) than the Wolf Pack.

A reasonable expectation is that the Penguins finish third in the division, but they can still play for second. Let’s focus on third for a minute. If they want to finish third, they have to deal with Hartford at this point. Discount Charlotte on back at this point. Beat Hartford in a head to head Wednesday and you put four points between third and fourth. You inch closer to Providence who have cupcakes for the rest of the month (two more with Bridgeport, one with Charlotte)

So it’s an important Wednesday game for both teams.

The Penguins managed to salvage two points out of the week after going up 2-1 Wednesday at home against Providence but losing 3-2. Then they went to Hershey, played a really, really good against the Bears and lost 1-0 on a 5-on-3 goal against. They beat a downtrodden Springfield team 2-1 on Sunday.

The power play sucks again. Offense doesn’t look there. Defense and goaltending is carrying them.

Hartford lost 4-2 Friday at home against Hershey and shut Bridgeport out on the road on Saturday.

Lehigh Valley had a Lake Erie trip last week, losing 6-0 in Rochester Wednesday and splitting a series in Cleveland.

I gave you Hershey’s body of work above. They rested guys Saturday and still managed to beat the Penguins. There’s no stopping this team. The Bears will host Springfield Wednesday.

Records

Hershey is a league best 31-7-0-2

The Penguins are 21-14-5-0

Lehigh Valley is 17-15-5-1

Points and standings above.

Who’s Up? Who’s Down? Who’s Out?

I didn’t think we would see Radim Zohorna back with the Penguins but here we are, he was assigned last week after clearing waivers.

Jansen Harkins, Colin White and Valtteri Puustinen remain up in Pittsburgh with Ryan Shea.

Owen Headrick and Raivis Ansons are up from Wheeling with Dillon Hamaliuk.

Jordan Frasca was reassigned to Wheeling Monday. Don’t be surprised to see him up, down, up and back down again when we do this again next week.

Injured: Avery Hayes, Sam Houde and Raivis Ansons. Add Jonathan Gruden who missed Saturday and Sunday with an upper body designation he’s classified as day to day with. Hope for him Wednesday, expect him Friday or else he’s week to week and they are lying.

What can we learn about the Penguins this week?

I said last week that the two games against Providence nd Hershey would spin a tale on how they do in playoffs because I said that I expect them to make playoffs. They lost both games close, but clean. Maybe the pressure adjusts a bit in April vs. January, but they lost. It really should be them working to solidify third place and push or at least maintain pace for second and a first round bye.

Answer the question but change the response. If they want to finish third, they have to beat Hartford on account of the amount of games in hand they are in arrears to the Wolf Pack.

Last week I was talking about putting distance on third and now I am talking about finishing third. Life comes at you fast.

They should get points out of Lehigh Valley. Who knows about Hershey. Should be a decent Saturday crowd as the January Saturday games usually are, last change…etc., who knows. They are one of a few teams in the AHL who have beaten Hershey and can beat Hershey.

Who’s in Goal? 

Has to be Blomqvist Wednesday, Hellberg Friday and Blomqvist Saturday, right?

Louis Domingue, Felix Sandstrom and Clay Stevenson for Hartford, Lehigh Valley and Hershey, respectively, if you made me guess which you kind of are.

Who’s Running the Show?

Andrew Bell and Jim Curtain are here Wednesday with Patrick Dapuzzo and Tyler Loftus working the lines.

I don’t have the weekend crews yet. Sometimes the league populates the box scores weeks in advance and stop. This is that point.

Looking ahead…

Toronto stops by for their only visit of the season next Wednesday, then it’s five straight on the road with Hartford on Friday and back to Allentown on Saturday.

Give us a bold prediction…

They figure out the power play and score three goals in each game, beating Hartford and Lehigh Valley clean but then losing in a seven round shootout to Hershey Saturday.