Chirps from Center Ice

The Magic Number for the Wilkes-Barre / Scranton Penguins is in the single digits. Seemingly, it’s not a matter of if the Penguins will clinch a 2024 Calder Cup Playoffs spot, but when.

Well, it won’t be this weekend, at least.

The magic number coming into Saturday’s game against the Lehigh Valley Phantoms is eight so, like I said at the top, getting closer.

Music to Set the Mood…

I don’t know. I just type in random stuff that tries to fit the theme, and this is what YouTube gives me this time.

A Quote…

I’m such a dope because I forgot to add this in.
— Jason Iacona

I can’t tell how long it has been since I last added in a quote with these. What sparked my reminder? I was looking at some older Weekend Previews and reminded myself that I used to run quotes here. I have to write stuff down to remember apparently.

The Setup

Just one this weekend with the Lehigh Valley Phantoms.

Last week, the Penguins played in a three in three weekend and salvaged the weekend with a Sunday win in Allentown after getting shutout at home against Utica and losing up in Syracuse. Question I would have for the masses would be which do you remember most about the weekend past, the win in Allentown or the two losses the night before?

For me, it’s an in between. You expected them to beat a last place Utica team but they didn’t. You expected them to stay competitive with a good Syracuse team and they did and you expected them to be hungry against a Lehigh Valley team and they dominated. I think at this time of year it’s all about just getting to playoffs. The Penguins are walking a fine line of trying to chase down second place Providence and fend off Charlotte, Hartford and the rest trying to protect third place and balance chemistry with a seemingly whirlwind amount of call ups to Pittsburgh and Wheeling this we will get to in a minute.

For the Phantoms, in addition to losing to the Penguins last week, they lost to the Bridgeport Islanders 2-1 on Saturday. They were in Syracuse just yesterday and won 6-4. They remain in the sixth and final spot in playoffs positioning in the Atlantic.

Records

That thing I said about protecting third? Well, during the week the Penguins were passed for third by Charlotte, who shutout Hartford Wednesday. The Checkers made that game in hand they had on the Penguins count.

The Checkers played Friday against the Islanders and won 4-1 and are now in third ahead of the Penguins by three points, with 76 points.

The Penguins are 32-22-8-1, good for fourth in the Atlantic with 73 points.

The Phantoms are 28-26-5-3, good for sixth in the Atlantic with 64 points.

Check Your Surroundings…

Moving this up a few spots because I think moving from the records to this jives.

Providence beat Hershey this past Tuesday 4-1 and then traveled to Utica on Friday and won 7-4. They have Syracuse on Saturday. The Bruins have 83 points and are on even games played with the Penguins and both the Bruins and Wilkes-Barre have a game in hand on Charlotte. Providence also qualified for a playoff spot yesterday, making them the second team behind Hershey who have qualified out of the Atlantic.

The Checkers have soared to third thanks to their 8-2 in their last ten run. They have 76 points and have one more game played than the Penguins (64 to 63).

Hartford is on the other end of the spectrum with a 1-7-1-1 run and have fallen off. They hosted Springfield on Friday and lost 6-2 and have 63 games played and 69 points.

Providence is in Syracuse Saturday.

Charlotte is in Bridgeport on Saturday.

Hartford has Hershey at home Saturday, then host Bridgeport Wednesday.

Who’s Up? Who’s Down? Who’s Out?

Sam Poulin was recalled Tuesday, Jonathan Gruden was recalled Tuesday but sent back Friday, Ryan Shea was recalled Friday. So it’s Shea and Poulin up to Pittsburgh with Jack St. Ivany and Valtteri Puustinen.

Up from Wheeling are perpetuals Justin Addamo, Raivis Ansons, Owen Headrick and Lukas Svejkovsky. Scooter Brickey played in his AHL debut on Sunday in Allentown after completing his education at The Ohio State University.

Transactions this week from Wheeling were a quartet. Taylor Gauthier and Matthew Quercia on Wednesday, Max Cajkovic and Evan Vierling on Thursday.

No idea on the Gauthier recall. I don’t think Blomqvist or Waeber are sick or injured. I don’t think it would be wise to “save” Blomqvist for playoffs, so I don’t know.

Peter Abbandonato, Marc Johnstone and Sam Houde remain out with injuries. Newly added are Jagger Joshua, who missed all three games last week and Vasily Ponomarev, who missed the last two.

And that’s the only ones we think we know.

What can we learn about the Penguins this week?

If they get back to third and Lehigh Valley squeaks in, it’s Pens-Phantoms in the First Round of the Calder Cup Playoffs. Or, should they dip to fourth, they get a stumbling Hartford team.

Ideally, they can get to second and have a first round bye, but that ship I think has sailed barring a Providence collapse.

They should have the same vim and vigor and “empty the tank” attitude they had Sunday in Allentown and keep that with them Saturday in Wilkes-Barre.

They know they are close to sewing up a berth. Every game at this point is a battle with every point so important with the balancing act that I mentioned in the open.

Who’s in Goal?

Barring a surprise, Joel Blomqvist for the Penguins and Parker Gahagen again for the Phantoms.

Who’s Running the Show?

Austin O’Rourke and Mason Riley are the assigned referees Saturday with Chandler Yakimowicz and Robert Peterkin on the lines.

Looking ahead…

April! Yes!

Home against Cleveland Friday, a trip to Bridgeport Saturday and a Sunday home game (no comment) Sunday.

I am camping the following weekend, so that Sunday home game will be my last regular season home game. See you all in playoffs, hopefully.

Give us a bold Prediction….

Penguins are a playoff team by the time the clock strikes midnight next Saturday.