Chirps from Center Ice

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

Category Archives: Pittsburgh

How Do You Spell that Again?

Comments Off on How Do You Spell that Again? Posted by on June 24, 2013

The Penguins announced today that they have acquired Harry Zolnierczyk in exchange for Alex Grant.

A couple things jumped out at me as the news broke this afternoon…

1) The Penguins were a-ok with letting Alex Grant walk this offseason. After what many could say was a disappointing tenure with the Penguins organization coupled with untimely, backbreaking turnovers in this years Calder Cup Playoffs, his departure is not surprising at all.

2) Looking at Zolnierczyk’s body of work, he is a versatile winger that can play all four lines in the AHL and a third or fourth line in the NHL. He also knows how to use his speed as evidenced by this clip shared by Michael Cignoli from The Saratogian.

That’s all well and good, but Zolnierczyk has baggage. A lot of it.

First, on ice, a four game suspension this season for a hit on Ottawa’s Mike Lundin that left Lundin with a concussion. Zolnierczyk did this as a member of the Philadelpia Flyers.

He was later traded to the Anaheim Ducks for Jay Rosehill.

Second, off ice in 2008, Zolnierczyk was given probation for production / distribution of a pornographic video of an underage girl. After completion of his sentence, the charge was expunged from his record.

The move seems like an “un-Penguinlike” move to me. Zolnierczyk is a restricted free agent. Pittsburgh has until next Monday to extend a qualifying offer of $660,000 in order to retain his rights or else Zolnierczyk becomes an unrestricted free agent.

Zolnierczyk may never be seen in Wilkes-Barre. If Matt Cooke finds work elsewhere this offseason, one would assume that Zolnierczyk could assume that rat role that Cooke played so well for Pittsburgh during his tenure.

Regardless, at the end of the day, it seems that the move was a “change of scenery” trade for both Grant and Zolnierczyk. We just have to sit back and see what happens.

The 2013 Offseason Moves chart has been updated.

Pittsburgh, WBS

Dusting off the Keyboard

Comments Off on Dusting off the Keyboard Posted by on June 13, 2013

Haven’t blogged in a while. But I have been busy! Thursday is our offseason blog day, so here goes…

I have been keeping my fingers spry and have freelanced for Bob Howard and the Power Play Post Show’s website during these Calder Cup Finals. In case you haven’t heard who is leading the series, please click here for the Game 1 recap, here for the Game 2 recap and here for the Game 3 recap.

Have you read them all? Hope so, because I don’t want to ruin the rest of the entry for you.

Grand Rapids can put it away Friday night. They seriously don’t make mistakes. Syracuse is good. Really good. But they look lost vs. a Griffins team that just runs them around and finally out for the past three games.

Nothing much doing on Coal Street, although congrats to Teddy Richards for his recent promotion to Pittsburgh.

The parent club extended Dan Bylsma and crew for two more years. With the Penguins getting swept and only scoring two goals in the series, debate amongst yourselves on whether this was a good move or not.

Big day for the Vancouver Canucks as their AHL franchise was apparently approved by the AHL Board of Governors today from reports all over the Twittersphere this afternoon. They will set up shop in Utica, NY next season and ensure another season of 30 AHL teams for 30 NHL teams.

Unless news breaks between now and next Thursday, expect the next blog update then.

Pittsburgh, The AHL, WBS

Seven on the Floor

Comments Off on Seven on the Floor Posted by on April 17, 2013

Here are a septuplet of topics on a Wednesday afternoon:

— The Penguins will be opening the 2013 Calder Cup Playoffs on the road in either Syracuse or Binghamton on April 27. Both clubs announced that the Conference Quarterfinal begins April 27 with Game 2 on April 28. Mark your calendars accordingly.

— The Peter Merth Effect is back in Wilkes-Barre. Merth signed a PTO this week and is yet another depth defenseman the Penguins have in their arsenal.

— Pittsburgh signed goaltender Eric Hartzell to a one year contract for this season. Hartzell just completed a season at Quinnipiac, runners-up to champion Yale in the Frozen Four which was held in Pittsburgh last week.

— Wilkes-Barre signed a pair of players to ATOs this week. They are forwards Anton Zlobin and Matia Marcantuoni. They will practice, get a taste of what it is like to be a professional hockey player and likely take that knowledge home with them for the summertime.

— The AHL announced more award winners. Sportsman of the Year and Coach of the Year. Neither one play in the Eastern Conference.

— You like outdoor games? Next year is your year then, as the NHL will be announcing a “Stadium Series” next year to be held in outdoor baseball or football stadiums. The Penguins and Chicago Blackhawks are scheduled to play at Soldier Field next March.

— Dollar Drafts are back this Friday at Mohegan Sun Arena. Drink responsibly.

Look for the next blog update Friday, which will be the Gameday setup for that night’s game vs. Worcester.

Let’s Go Pens!

Not AHL, Pittsburgh, The AHL, WBS

Moving. Shaking. Not a Lot of Bacon.

Comments Off on Moving. Shaking. Not a Lot of Bacon. Posted by on March 28, 2013

Yeah, I have no idea how that headline correlates with this post.

Anyway, gobs of moves in Penguins land. You all by now know about some guy by the name of Iginla. So I am not going to bore you with the details on that acquisition. To start…

— Jeff Zatkoff was recalled to Pittsburgh. A well deserved call up to a player who had never dressed for an NHL game. It’s expected that he backs up Tomas Vokoun tonight.

— Marc Andre-Fleury took morning skate today and was still “questionable” to back up tonight. I feel much better seeing him take the skate this morning than say, 36 hours ago after the initial injury happened. That would lead me to believe that Zatkoff’s stay will be a brief one. He could be back as soon as this weekend, if not Friday.

— In the wake of the Zatkoff recall, Wilkes-Barre recalled Scott Darling to a PTO. Darling was on an ECHL contract with the Wheeling Nailers. He’s 13-12-1-2 with a 2.80 GAA and a 0.906 SV% in 31 appearances this season in the ECHL.

— Evgeni Malkin is off of injured reserve and will presumably play tonight, therefore Beau Bennett was returned to Wilkes-Barre. Now it is perceived that Bennett could hypothetically return to Pittsburgh after the trade deadline when there is no roster limits. But with the new arrivals of Brenden Morrow and Jarome Iginla, I don’t see it. Bennett on a fourth line would be a waste of his talents. Pittsburgh has made it clear that they are “all in” for a Stanley Cup. While Bennett is in the long term plans, the short term chance of winning a Stanley Cup is too much to pass up for the Penguins who are serious contenders.

Time, as it has in the past, always tells.

Gameday for tomorrow’s giant test vs. the Providence Bruins will be up at 3 p.m. Friday.

Let’s Go Pens!

Pittsburgh, WBS, Wheeling

Famine to Feast

3 Comments Posted by on March 25, 2013

Man.

I go from having nothing to blog about for two weeks, to having content I have to hold off on because I have too much too soon (see today’s East Division Blogger Summit Part One)

Anyway, there’s a couple of things that happened today that need the blog’s attention. Off we go:

— Pittsburgh made another trade today. Douglas Murray comes over from the San Jose Sharks for draft picks.

— Now, there’s a plethora of bodies on the PIT blueline and an overage once bodies heal of roster spots. What will likely happen is best summarized by the Great Jonathan Bombulie here. The cliff notes version is that Beau Bennett and Simon Despres, both waiver exempt, return to Wilkes-Barre.

If I am Wilkes-Barre head coach John Hynes, I am beating down Pittsburgh’s door to return Bennett and Despres, if only until before the trade deadline. (April 3) after that, they go back up and stay up cause there are no roster limits at that point. These next four games are crucial for the Penguins playoff chances. Binghamton twice, Providence and a Norfolk team on the rise. In my opinion, they can only afford to lose one of these next four. They need all the help they can get.

— Some help is on the way in the form of  Trevor Smith, who was sent back today.

— I was at the Penguins Season Ticket Holder Meet and Greet tonight. I took pictures of the locker room and other random things I don’t ever remember taking pictures of. I will have those probably up on Facebook at some point this week.

— Syracuse Crunch head coach Jon Cooper was named the eighth head coach in Tampa Bay Lightning history. Rob Zettler, Cooper’s assistant in Syracuse, takes over for the Crunch as head coach.

Underestimate the Syracuse Crunch at your own risk. In my opinion, the departure of Cooper only makes them collectively stronger.

— Finally, any speculation that John Hynes was leaving the Pens to take the Boston University job have apparently died. Colorado Avalanche assistant coach David Quinn is taking the job and apparently this will be announced Tuesday.

—

Make sure you check out Part Two of the East Division Bloggers Summit Tuesday at noon.

Let’s Go Pens!

Pittsburgh, The AHL, WBS

Morrow for Morrow

1 Comment Posted by on March 24, 2013

This tweet from TSN’s Bob McKenzie sums up the days news nicely:

–

The Penguins traded Joe Morrow for Brenden Morrow today. Joe will go to Dallas, practice with the team and get acclimated. He may end up in the AHL, playing with ex-WBS D-man Carl Sneep in Austin, Texas for the Texas Stars.

From a Wilkes-Barre / Scranton Penguins fan perspective, a move like this for a rental player in Brenden Morrow seems questionable at best especially when you have a team in Pittsburgh which has won eleven in a row. Why fix what isn’t broken?

I would surmise that the immediate impact for Wilkes-Barre will be Cody Wild sliding into the lineup more frequently on the defensive side and Trevor Smith getting sent down very soon, if not immediately. There’s also talk that if all bodies heal in Pittsburgh they are one over the roster limit. Could that mean a return of Beau Bennett or Simon Despres? We will see.

While I am thoroughly disappointed to see Morrow go, you have to remember that this is a business and Pittsburgh is in the running for a Stanley Cup. The pipeline of D-men for Pittsburgh is plentiful, so the Pens are fine in the department. But the immediate impact of a loss like this may be felt for a while.

Pittsburgh, WBS

Grades Are Due, But First the News!

Comments Off on Grades Are Due, But First the News! Posted by on March 5, 2013

Third Quarter Grades will be out today at 3 p.m., but first the news of the day:

— Pittsburgh signs Tom Kostopoulos to an NHL contract. He was placed on waivers at noon today. If he clears, he’ll then be re-assigned to Wilkes-Barre.

— On waivers, the Nashville Predators claimed Zach Boychuk from the Penguins. That really has no direct bearing on the everyday goings on at Coal Street.

— The direct effect on Wilkes-Barre was the recall of Beau Bennett, if you even want to call it that. Bennett was moved off of the NHL roster last night to make room for Evgeni Malkin’s return. Now that Boychuk is out of the picture, Bennett was returned to the NHL roster.

Alright. Grades will be up at three o’clock. Check back then or afterwards.

Let’s Go Pens!

Pittsburgh, WBS

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