So the Wilkes-Barre / Scranton Penguins always historically rake in points in October, November, and December. Just like raking leaves in your backyard, you pile them up and dispose of them. Only for the Penguins, they rake in points and use them to secure playoff spots.
I think they are fine. I liked the way they came out on Saturday night when they had a slim lead against the Wolf Pack, played like they were losing and came away with a big win.
Music to Set the Mood…
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Get out there and rake the leaves!
A Quote…
Procrastination is like a credit card: it’s a lot of fun until you get the bill.
— Christopher Parker
Staying with the amassing credit so you are there for a good payoff. Fun fact about me, I always pay my credit cards (I only have two) in full.
The Setup…
A couple more games with our $5M / year NHL All Star goaltender who is 3-0 on this conditioning assignment. A home and home with a surging Phantoms team Wednesday – Friday and Rochester drops in for their only visit this season on Saturday.
I don’t think Jarry will be on the bus headed to Allentown Friday but I am usually wrong about those things. Who knows.
Phantoms beat Hershey clean midweek last week and then beat up a depleting Springfield team so they are riding pretty high. As they should be. I think it’s a good club, I just don’t like their coach.
Rochester obliterated a very, very bad Utica team 8-2 Friday then 3-2 in a shootout Saturday. You think your club is bad? The Comets don’t have a win yet. The Americans are in Cleveland Wednesday then host Hartford Friday before having to bus 4+ hours to Wilkes-Barre for a 6 o’clock game.
Records
Penguins are 6-2, good for 12 points and third in the Atlantic. Phantoms are 3-3-1-1, on 8 points and fifth in the Atlantic and Rochester (coming into the week) are 5-3 and on 10 points, good for fifth in the North.
Who is Up? Who is Down? Who is Out?
They got Vasily Ponomarev back from Pittsburgh last week but their defensive corps is depleted. That’s causing a lot of the younger guys to step up and it’s a trial by fire. They are getting by OK because they have an NHL goaltender moonlighting in the AHL again, but that honeymoon is concluding.
My roster page is your best bet for up to the day-ish updates.
What can we learn about the Penguins this week?
The question becomes what happens when Jarry goes back up and the goaltending goes back in mortal hands?
That really becomes the bigger issue / question. Can they get three more wins this week? Sure, they can. But they are likely looking at having Filip Larsson in goal for them likely Friday and/or Saturday. How does that spell for a depleted defensive corps?
I guess that’s why you buy the ticket.
I see them as an above average team at this point, but you are obviously grading on a curve because Jarry is on a 3-0 heater heading into the last week of his AHL conditioning stint. They have Lehigh Valley, Bridgeport twice, Laval and Hershey to close out November. No pushovers. Something about that Bridgeport game last week makes me think the Islanders matchup better then you think. Laval may be better then Hershey, and Hershey won back to back Calder Cups.
Do they run the November table? No. That doesn’t happen in the AHL. Will they be competitive in all the games? Yes.
Who’s in Goal?
Tristan Jarry Wednesday, Filip Larsson on Friday in Allentown and maybe Taylor Gauthier? He’s on the roster, I don’t think he’s hurt, so why not?
For the opposition, some combination of Eetu Makiniemi and Cal Peterson for the Phantoms Wednesday / Friday and Michael Houser probably on Saturday for the Americans.
Who’s Running the Show?
Patrick Hanrahan and Samuel Heidemann dole out the discipline Wednesday with Josh Cleary and John Rey on the lines.
Friday sees Liam Maaskant and Casey Terreri doling out the penalties and Brandon Grillo and Jud Ritter on the lines.
Saturday sees Terreri and Grillo head north on the Turnpike and meet up with John Lindner (referee) and Chandler Yakimowicz (linesman)
Looking Ahead…
Another Phantoms game Wednesday in Allentown, then another Friday off (I will never complain) and then Bridgeport stops in Saturday night.
Give us a bold prediction…
5 out of a possible 6 points. Power play goals in every game and Tristan Jarry plays in Allentown on Friday.
WBS News
Chirps from Center Ice 