Chirps from Center Ice

I didn’t run the Weekend Preview on Friday because I wanted up to the minute standings and results for the Atlantic Division and give you an idea of a current picture as to what they Wilkes-Barre / Scranton Penguins, who qualified for the Calder Cup Playoffs last weekend, are facing.

Music to Set the Mood…

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A Quote…

Breathe deeply. Move slowly. You’ve arrived at Saturday.
— Unknown

The Setup…

Laval drops in for their only visit of the season Saturday then the Lehigh Valley Phantoms pay off the Sunday home games bloc for the Penguins (thank god)

Last week the Penguins had their Canada trip. It didn’t start out great with a 5-1 blowout loss in Laval last Wednesday, then last Friday the Penguins gritted out a 2-1 shootout win in Belleville and then last Sunday they beat the Toronto Marlies in a 4-3 nail biter.

The Rocket beat the Springfield Thunderbirds last Friday then lost in a shootout to Utica on Wednesday. They bussed in from Bridgeport last night where they lost in a shootout 3-2.

Lehigh Valley beat Providence last Wednesday, then went to Charlotte and were swept. They hosted Springfield last night and lost 5-3.

Records

The Penguins are 39-16-6-2 with 86 points and second in the Atlantic Division.

Laval is 39-19-2-5 and lead the North Division with 85 points.

Lehigh Valley is 27-30-3-3 with 60 points in seventh in the Atlantic.

The Rest of those Rascals

Providence has taken advantage of their cupcake schedule and have used their games in hand on the Penguins to run away with the division. After beating the Phantoms last Wednesday, they swept last place in the North Division Utica in a home and home and beat Springfield this past Wednesday. The Bruins are in inflated 48-13-1 with 97 points, still haven’t played anybody good since the Penguins and play a decent Bridgeport Saturday and Springfield on Saturday.

Charlotte may end up as the three seed. They dropped a crucial game in regulation against Bridgeport this past Wednesday after sweeping Lehigh Valley this past weekend. They are in Hartford for a pair of games Saturday and Sunday. The Checkers backed into a playoff berth Wednesday and have a 37-21-5 record with 79 points.

(Charlotte can max out at 97 points, meaning math being what it is, Wilkes-Barre needs 12 points out of its 9 remaining games to sew up the bye)

Hershey is in danger of being passed by Bridgeport after the Islander swept the Bears in a home and home series last weekend. The Bears went to Syracuse last night and won 4-3 and are in Allentown Saturday. The Bears have a 28-26-6-3 record and 65 points.

Bridgeport is probably the hottest team in the division right now after sweeping the Bears last weekend and beating the Checkers clean on Wednesday. They hosted the Rocket last night and beat them in a shootout and are in Providence Saturday looking to build on their 28-27-3-5 record and 64 points.

Gave you Lehigh Valley’s body of work scattered about above.

Springfield has hit a rough stretch which may result in their missing out on playoffs. They lost at Laval last Friday, won at Belleville last Saturday but lost home against Providence on Wednesday. They won against the Phantoms Friday and overtook Lehigh Valley for the sixth and final playoff spot and are in Providence Saturday looking to build on their 26-29-6-2 record and 60 points.

Hartford swept the Charlotte Checkers last week in identical 5-2 wins then went to Toronto and Rochester and lost in identical 6-3 losses. They host the Checkers for a pair Saturday and Sunday and have a 24-32-4-2 record with 54 points.

Who’s Up? Who’s Down? Who’s Out?

Up: Ville Koivunen, Avery Hayes and Joona Koppanen went up this week at various parts of same.

Down: Raivis Ansons was recalled from Wheeling. Emil Pieniniemi remains with the team as well.

Out: No word on Tristan Broz. Melvin Fernstrom left the game Sunday with his arm dangling so figure he’s out unless he isn’t.

All of a sudden they are thin at forward.

What Can We Learn About the Penguins This Week?

Where are the goals going to come from with three forwards on recall and two possibly out due to injury and the rest standing around waiting for the other to score?

I think Rafaël Harvey-Pinard is getting warm and Rutger McGroarty may be playing with a burr in his saddle after getting passed over not once, not twice but three times for an NHL recall this week. One would hope.

I think they have a clearer picture on who starts Game 1 of the Playoffs also, but that’s the next section.

Who’s in Goal?

I think Joel Blomqvist is slowly surpassing Sergei Murashov for number one net minder in Wilkes-Barre. However with that said I expect Murashov to start Saturday and Blomqvist to start Sunday.

I also think it’s silly that those in Pittsburgh are demanding Murashov be recalled when he’s being out played by Blomqvist in some games.

Hunter Shepard, late of the Hershey Bears last season and Belleville this season for Laval on Saturday and Aleksei Kolosov for the Phantoms on Sunday.

Who’s Running the Show?

Jack Young and Hayden Verbeek the assignment on Saturday with Owen Robertson and Davids Rozitis on the lines.

Young sticks around for Sunday and is joined by Mason Riley. Robertson also sticks around and Jud Ritter joins him on the lines.

Looking Ahead…

Hard to believe but relieved it’s April. Home and home with the Phantoms starting Friday in Wilkes-Barre.

International Break

International Friendly season and U.S. Open Cup season. New York City FC is off this week. St. Louis drops in next week.

NASCAR Picks…

It’s Martinsville, so it’s a Denny Hamlin kind of pick. Sleeper is Ryan Preece who’s good on short tracks and won at Bowman Gray at the Clash in February.

Give us a bold prediction…

Nail biter and win against Laval Saturday and then a blow out win against a tired Lehigh Valley on Sunday. Come Monday there’s a line out the door at Abide for free coffees before the Monday morning workday begins.