Chirps from Center Ice

The Penguins make their annual Canada trip this week through Laval, Belleville and Toronto looking for a point to punch a ticket to the Calder Cup Playoffs.

Music to Set the Mood….

–

May as well drop in a famous Canadian band here and the first ever song to play on Rock 107.

A Quote…

Fix the &@^#^ power play!
– most of you, these past weeks (myself included)

The Setup…

First place Laval this Wednesday, a Friday night in Belleville against a hard working Senators team and then a Sunday afternoon (sigh) game against Toronto.

Penguins only manufactured three points out of a possible six this past weekend. Smoked by the Hershey Bears at home Friday, a collapse against the Phantoms at home on Saturday and then a gutsy win in Allentown on Sunday.

Laval lost to last place Utica Friday and then beat Syracuse in a shootout Saturday.

Belleville swept Hershey in Hershey this past weekend and will host Cleveland Wednesday.

Toronto beat Syracuse last Wednesday, lost in overtime on Friday to Rochester on Friday then returned favor with a shutout of the Amerks on Saturday. They hosted Cleveland on Tuesday and won and will host Hartford Saturday before the Pens swing by Sunday afternoon.

Records

Penguins are 37-15-6-2 and have 82 points good for second in the Atlantic Division.

Laval leads the North Division with a 37-19-2-3 and have 79 points.

Belleville is 24-28-8 and are fifth in the North with 56 points.

Toronto is 30-20-5-5 with 70 points and fourth place in the North.

The Rest of those Rascals…

I think Providence is too far out now and the real threat is Charlotte. But for the sake of, let’s run through the list.

The Bruins beat the Springfield Thunderbirds Wednesday, smoked Hartford 7-0 Saturday and lost to Springfield on Sunday. They are 45-12-1 and lead the Atlantic with 91 points. They are in Allentown Wednesday and then have the last place in the North Utica Comets for a home and home this weekend.

Charlotte hosted the Bridgeport Islanders and shut them out in both games 3-2, 2-0. They have four games this week at home. They played Hartford last night and lost and have the Wolf Pack again Wednesday. They then host Lehigh Valley this weekend. I want to say they are the hottest team in the division but that loss to last place Hartford throws cold water on that theory. They are 35-19-5 and have 75 points, a game in hand on the Penguins and sit third in the division.

Hershey had a rough go. They beat the Pens clean Friday but then hosted a Belleville team they are better than and were swept in the two game series. Hershey is 27-25-6-2 ad have 62 points. They have the Bridgeport Islanders for a home and home series this weekend.

Lehigh Valley beat Syracuse in Syracuse on Friday, beat the Penguins in comeback fashion on Saturday and perhaps ran out of gas on Sunday and lost to the Pens on home ice. They host the Providence Bruins Wednesday, then head to Charlotte for a pair looking to build on their 26-27-3-3 record and 58 points.

Springfield took three of four points away from the Bruins via OT loss Wednesday and win on Sunday, with a 6-3 win at home against Utica on Saturday. They are in Laval Friday, Belleville Saturday. The Thunderbirds are 24-27-6-2 and have 56 points.

Gave you Bridgeport’s body of work above in the Charlotte capsule above. They have the Bears for a home and home for a pivotal series for both teams. Bridgeport is 24-27-3-5 good for 56 points.

Hartford looks done and dusted with a 23-30-4-2 record and 52 points. I expected more out of this team, honestly with the lineup they constructed. Swept by the Cleveland Monsters at home Wednesday and Friday and then walloped 7-0 Saturday in Providence. On Tuesday in Charlotte they won (surprisingly) and rematch tonight against the Checkers. They are in Toronto Saturday and Rochester on Sunday.

Who’s Up? Who’s Down? Who’s Out?

Up: Avery Hayes, Ville Koivunen are on recall to the Pittsburgh Penguins. Jack St. Ivany was recalled from his conditioning stint on Monday and Alex Alexeyev was returned to Wilkes-Barre.

Down: Ryan Graves will be completing his two week conditioning stint this week. Defenseman Emil Pieniniemi was recalled from Wheeling.

Out: Tristan Broz is out with an upper body injury, considered week to week. My spies advise he hasn’t been at practice, either.

What can we learn about the Penguins this week? 

Everything is a struggle of late and they are relatively healthy and Pittsburgh is getting relatively healthy as well. I think the power play is beyond repair at this point and is what it is. They are the better team at five up most nights. Special teams kills them on both ends. What’s it mean? Keep your cool.

I Looked Up Some Stats!

They have 197 goals for, which is more than Providence and, on Sunday night when I looked up this stat, was just one off four other teams (Grand Rapids, Ontario, Laval and Bakersfield) and top ten in the league in goals against.

So yes, the power play is a disaster but they find ways to win because they don’t spend the entire 60 minutes of a hockey game on a power play or killing a penalty.

Who’s in Goal?

You have to start Sergei Murashov Wednesday in Laval, Joel Blomqvist in Belleville and then Murashov Sunday in Toronto.

Which one gives you a better chance to win? I don’t know. You have a shot to win every night no matter who is in goal.

Who’s Running the Show?

Jarrett Burton and Jacob Hicks have the honors on Wednesday with Jeremy Faucher and Felix-Antoine Voyer on the lines.

Friday in Belleville sees Alex Lepkowski and Mitchell Hardy with Devon Gale and Antoine Bujold-Roux working the lines.

Sunday in Toronto it’s Riley Brace and Liam Maaskant with Chris Martenet and Dustin McCrank on the lines.

Looking Ahead…

Home next Saturday against the Laval Rocket and then (sigh) home Sunday against the Lehigh Valley Phantoms. I hope it’s warm that day so I can at least get my walk in before church.

NASCAR Picks

Yung Money at Darlington. Sleepers are Erik Jones and Chris Buescher.

Come on, City!

Eastern Conference Leaders New York City FC host Miami on Sunday and will draw 2-2. Maybe it’s too cold for Leo Messi and beneath him to play in a Major League Baseball stadium’s outfield. One can hope.

Give us a bold prediction…

Power play goals scored in every game in the Great White North, Penguins punch their ticket Wednesday and they win all three games. Every time we think we have the answers, they change the questions.