Chirps from Center Ice

Simply put, the Wilkes-Barre / Scranton Penguins punch their ticket to the 2025 Calder Cup Playoffs with a win Wednesday over the Hartford Wolf Pack.

Music to Set the Mood…

–

Seems inevitable, doesn’t it?

A Quote…

Winning isn’t everything, it’s the only thing.
– Vince Lombardi

The Penguins are no strangers to the playoffs, but have not won the ultimate prize. Is this the year? Will they ever win it all?

The Setup

Hartford at home Wednesday then a road trip to Charlotte Saturday and Sunday.

The Penguins got smoked 10-2 on Friday against the Providence Bruins then beat Hershey in overtime Saturday then walloped a terrible Bridgeport team on the road Sunday.

Hartford kept its playoff hopes alive with a big comeback win over Hershey in regulation on Friday then an OT win over Milwaukee on Saturday. For the Wolf Pack, every game is a playoff game because there is no margin for error.

Charlotte won in Rochester Friday and again in overtime in Utica Saturday. They played Providence yesterday and won and will see the Bruins again Wednesday.

Records

The Penguins are 35-18-7-1 and on 78 points and third in the Atlantic.

Hartford is 27-29-5-2 and on 61 points and seventh in the Atlantic.

After last nights win against Providence, the Checkers are 36-19-3-3 and on 78 and second in the Atlantic.

Check your surroundings…

This feature will return when the Penguins make the playoffs, for seeding purposes.

Who’s Up? Who’s Down? Who’s Out?

Status quo on the hurt guys. They got Nate Clurman back last week but I don’t think they were happy with his game at all as he wasn’t in Saturday or Sunday.

Joona Koppanen and Emil Bemstrom are up. They got Sebastian Aho and Matt Nieto back.

ATO season will be upon us soon…

What can we learn about the Penguins this week?

Nothing was figured out last week. They still haven’t clinched yet and are still no closer (or farther) from Hershey, but for a point. The heat is on them for second place, as they dropped from second to fourth on Friday, but regained second place stature by Sunday, but dropped back to third Tuesday night.

They will make the playoffs. Does it happen Wednesday, though?

Division leading Bears have cupcakes this week, Bridgeport and a home and home with Utica. Best the Pens can hope for is a miracle or to keep pace.

They should simply win where they can (punch a spot Wednesday) and continue to hold onto or keep pace with second (win in Charlotte) and hope for the best with Hershey’s fate against two last place teams.

Who’s in Goal?

I think this is Sergei Murashov’s team and you can tell Tristan Jarry and Joel Blomqvist to go the hell home. Remember John Curry? Remember Matt Murray? They rode those cats to deep playoff runs. Murashov is as green as grass yet he plays like he’s a 15 year vet. You start him Wednesday against Hartford. He’s 10-0 in the AHL.

After that, you split him with Larsson and start him again Saturday.

Dylan Garand, Ken Appleby and Kaapo Kähkönen for the opponents and damn, that’s a lot of umlauts.

Who’s Running the Show?

Austin Rook and Mason Riley are here Wednesday with Patrick Dapuzzo and J.P. Waleski on the lines.

Jordan Watt and Phillip Kasko are the refs Saturday in Charlotte with Shane Gustafson and Jake Rennert on the lines.

Sunday sees the same refs with Tyler Willie and Jake Paugh tagging in to run the lines.

Looking Ahead…

April! Road trip to Cleveland next weekend! Woo! Pens aren’t home again until April 11.

Give us a bold prediction…

They hold onto second place and draw within four points of the Hershey Bears.