Chirps from Center Ice

The Wilkes-Barre / Scranton Penguins played just nine games in the month of November. Lots of time in between games but buddy, that’s about to change. There are 11 games on the schedule in the month of December and three of those will be played this week alone starting at home Wednesday against the Hershey Bears.

Music to Set the Mood…

–

I kind of had to. Not really a fan of the song. Not really a fan of December in general, despite it being my birthday month and my favorite holiday (Christmas)

A Quote…

December, being the last month of the year, cannot help but make us think of what is to come.
— Fennel Hudson

Come to think of it, there is a lot of weight in that quote with this team and I will continue to explain.

The Setup

A rematch Wednesday with the Hershey Bears and a Friday off (you will never hear me complain) then a Saturday in Hartford and a Sunday afternoon in Providence.

The Penguins faced a big test against the North leading (at the time) Laval Rocket, fell down big and struggled with the Rocket’s speed, adjusted, scored a few power play goals and won.

Then the next night they went on the road to Hershey, a place they struggle at and won a heavyweight contest against the back to back champs and beat them clean 5-4. They scored a couple power play goals in that one too.

I had someone mention to me the other day that coaching may have a hand in it and I agree. Do we think that a J.D. Forrest coached team adjusts Friday at home against Laval and on the fly Saturday in Hershey? It may be kicking the guy when he is already out the door, but I don’t really know.

Back to the quote, yeah, it is December but you can’t help of what is to come with this team.

For the opponents, it was a rough week for the 13 time champs. They beat Laval 5-3 Wednesday, lost in overtime Friday in Allentown against the Phantoms and then Saturday’s result.

Hartford lost in overtime against the Phantoms 5-4, and got smoked in Springfield Saturday 4-1. The Wolf Pack will be in Bridgeport Wednesday and host the Rockford IceHogs. (Western teams, must be nice) on Friday.

Providence were swept in a home and home with an all of a sudden really good Utica Comets team 5-3 and 3-0 respectively and then hosted Springfield Sunday and lost 3-2. Yeah, the Bruins lost all three games. They are uncharacteristically bad right now.

The Bruins will have a road trip in Utica again Friday and will host Bridgeport Saturday before welcoming in the Penguins.

Records

The Bears are 14-5-3-0 and lead the Atlantic Division with 31 points. The Penguins are in second with a 11-4-1-0 record and 23 points. Hartford is 8-8-2-1 in sixth place good for 19 points and Providence is 8-10-2-0 with 18 points and sit seventh in the Division.

Who’s Up? Who’s Down? Who’s Out?

They are surprisingly getting heathy, with a few guys out but most of their important core healthy and contributing.

They got Jack St. Ivany back from Pittsburgh on a straight reassignment which was a bit of a out of left field add because I wasn’t expecting it on Tuesday. It looks like he and Owen Pickering have swapped spots, which is fine. Pickering is a rookie. If he stumbles, he can come back here and St. Ivany can go back up. It’s a win-win either way for the AHL club.

Jagger Joshua was sent to Wheeling Tuesday also.

The roster tracker here and tabbed at the top of the page keeps dibs on the day to day.

What can we learn about the Penguins this week?

I mean if they play the way they played this past weekend, then you should expect all six points again, right?

I don’t think it’s an unreasonable ask, but things always change in the AHL. Here’s an example: Can you explain how the Utica Comets started 0-10 and all of a sudden have ripped off five straight and are one of the hottest teams in the AHL? Things change. They had a coaching change. Players bought in. They get breaks go their way finally.

You need to beware if you are a Penguins fan. Now, am I saying that they will lose 10 in a row? No, I don’t think the talent and leadership will allow that to happen. But you can’t think that just because they were successful in Hershey Saturday that automatically means they are going to go 12-0 against the Bears.

But it’s nice, going back to the Quote at the top, thinking of what is to come. One game at a time, keep building up that winning credit for when you find yourself in a February slog.

Who’s in Goal? 

I think it’s reasonable to think that Joel Blomqvist starts Wednesday against Hershey and again Saturday in Hartford and then let Sergei Murashov go Sunday in Hartford. Unless they don’t want Murashov to go more than a week in between starts, then Murashov goes Saturday.

Clay Stevenson for the Bears, Dylan Garand for the Wolf Pack and Michael DiPierto for the Bruins if I bet pennies on this, which I don’t.

Who’s Running the Show? 

Mason Riley and Casey Terreri doling out discipline Wednesday with Patrick Dapuzzo and J.P. Waleski on the lines.

Jake Kamrass and Austin O’Rourke will be mediating in Hartford with Dylan Blujus and Dylan Lewis on the lines.

Mike Sullivan and Hayden Verbeek and the Sunday assignment with Stephen Drain and Kenneth Gates on the lines.

Looking Ahead…

Five straight home games for the Penguins, starting next Wednesday at home against the Checkers, Friday with Charlotte and Saturday against the Springfield Thunderbirds.

Give us a bold prediction…

They score two shorthanded goals in one of these next three, winning all three.