Chirps from Center Ice

A fan blog about the AHL's Wilkes-Barre / Scranton Penguins

You Got What You Want – Pens LOSE 5-1

Leave a comment Posted by on March 9, 2025

I said last night that the explosion of offense was great, but I wanted to see them win a close game.

Sunday was just that. Heading into the third period down 2-1 to the Crunch, the Wilkes-Barre / Scranton Penguins run out of gas and lose 5-1.

The Penguins are playing their third game in the nights while Syracuse was off the night before. It almost doesn’t seem fair, but such is life at this level.

Here’s how they lined up:

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Lineup Notes: Laferriere for Calvert, Boris Katchouk for Joona Koppanen up front, Aho and St. Ivany for Poolman and Knyzhov.

First Period: Pens figured to need a dirty goal to beat Brandon Halverson and they get just that here when Mathias Laferriere maximizes his minutes, netting a goal.

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No power plays in the period awarded by Kurtis Pare and Riley Brace, so the Crunch needed to find another way.

They kind of lulled the Penguins to sleep and got a goal from Tristan Allard to tie the game with under five minutes to play.

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Second Period: First half of the period flew by and I think that flew by, second half slowed the pace and I think that benefitted the Crunch. Ex-Penguin Anthony Angello, acquired in a trade with Nashville / Milwaukee, scored his first with the Crunch to push the lead to 2-1.

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Larsson left a big rebound in the slot. That’s a problem for him because there have been times he has been beat when he makes the initial save and gives up a goal on a rebound.

Third Period: The juice was out of the squeeze and the bottom fell out.

Wilkes-Barre gets the first power play chance of the game but does not register a shot on Halverson, the Crunch kill it easy and then Morgan Geekie puts the moves on Mac Hollowell and suddenly the hole is deeper.

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Oof.

It was all the Crunch needed because Max Crozier scores into the empty net to make it four, then Joel Teasdale scores the conventional way on Larsson to make it five.

Three Stars: 3) Mathias Laferriere (goal) 2) Tristan Allard (goal) 1) Anthony Angello (goal, assist)

The Good: I liked the connection between Laferriere and Chase Stillman, who nearly connected for a goal in the second.

The Bad: Kinda sucks losing like this, but in playoffs (provided they get there) you aren’t playing three straight.

Turning Point: The Geekie goal gets it here.

Around the Division: Lehigh Valley beats Charlotte 3-2. Springfield beats Bridgeport 5-2. I am not sticking around for the Hartford / Belleville result that started at 5. Box here.

Standings: Hershey 75 – Penguins and Providence 70 – Charlotte 68 – Springfield 66 – Lehigh Valley 65. Hartford has 53, pending their result with the Senators and Bridgeport has 31.

Wheeling Update: Naielrs fare no better, losing 2-0 in Glen Falls.

Video Highlights:

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Power Rankings sometime Monday, Weekend Preview here Wednesday setting up an important one against Hershey.

Let’s Go Pens!

Postgamer

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