Chirps from Center Ice

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

Category Archives: Pittsburgh

Transactions N’at

Comments Off on Transactions N’at Posted by on February 21, 2011

Alex Goligoski traded to Dallas for James Neal and Matt Niskanen.

Paul Martin not playing tonight in Pittsburgh as they host the Washington Capitals and with Goligoski gone, Brian Strait was recalled from WBS. Strait is expected to make his NHL debut tonight.

From Pittsburgh’s beat writer Rob Rossi’s twitter feed:

http://twitter.com/#!/Rossi_on_Pens/status/39755901824933888

“Available” means “they may trade him.”

If you don’t follow me on Twitter you missed that Andrew Orpik, David Marshall, Ryan Schnell and Tyler Murovich we sent down to Wheeling yesterday. Well, today they were recalled.

Bombulie has all the analysis you need regarding the above.

For Wednesday, the Binghamton Senators will have the services of Pascal Leclaire, on a conditioning stint from parent Ottawa Senators. Should make Wednesday’s WBS / Bingo game all the more riveting. Giddayup.

Go Pens.

Pittsburgh, WBS, Wheeling

The Return of Tim Wallace

Comments Off on The Return of Tim Wallace Posted by on February 17, 2011

Matt Cooke will be back from his four game suspension when the Pittsburgh Penguins play their next game against the Chicago Blackhawks on Sunday so the parent Penguins sent Tim Wallace back to Wilkes-Barre / Scranton.

Our top six scorers remain on recall to Pittsburgh. I do not expect any more promotions or demotions for the rest of this week.

Pens have arrived in Norfolk, Va for a pair of games vs. the Norfolk Admirals. I wish the booster club safe travels in the trip and anybody else who is making the trip to Hampton Roads.

Gameday will be up Friday at 3 p.m. at its usual time. Let’s Go Pens!

Pittsburgh, WBS

East Division Scoreboard Watching 2/15

Comments Off on East Division Scoreboard Watching 2/15 Posted by on February 15, 2011

Before I get to scores I want to note that WBS was off today so there isn’t any news to report today. As far as Pittsburgh, here are the updates on the injuries from the Tuesday Penguins Report:

12:49 PM:
Head coach Dan Bylsma started his media scrum with a plethora of updates on the Pens’ injured players.

“(Arron) Asham, still with an upper-body, is day-to-day.

Chris Kunitz (is rehabbing) and getting better. (It’s) still a lower-body injury and he’s day-to-day.

Dustin Jeffrey was fitted for a brace and will likely be back on the ice skating later this week or the weekend.

Mark Letestu skated lightly today on his own without any gear, so he’s returned to the ice.

(Eric) Tangradi still has concussion-like symptoms and is resting today.”

Now onto tonight’s East Division AHL games. Albany shutout Charlotte 3-0. Do not adjust your computer monitors. Hershey and “three game losing streak” just do not exist in vocabulary. The Bears beat the Norfolk Admirals tonight 2-1.

Standings: Idle WBS leads the East with 80 points. Hershey now only has one game in hand on WBS and has 72 points in second. Charlotte and Norfolk don’t get any points tonight, the Checkers with 66 and the Admirals with 65. The AHL had a great feature on the fifth place Binghamton Senators today. The B-Sens have 62 points in fifth. Albany now leapfrogs idle Syracuse with 43 points. The Crunch are seventh with 42 points and Adirondack is still last with 40 points.

Tomorrow: Syracuse and Adirondack play. Friday WBS is in Norfolk for a weekend set of games. Bingo hosts Charlotte and Rochester hosts Hershey.

Let’s Go Pens!

Pittsburgh, The AHL

Tangradi Up – Tux spotted on I-84 towards Bridgeport

Comments Off on Tangradi Up – Tux spotted on I-84 towards Bridgeport Posted by on February 11, 2011

News out of Pittsburgh today indicates that Eric Tangradi has been recalled from Wilkes-Barre to Pittsburgh and will likely dress tonight when the Penguins play the Islanders.

This is a direct result of Dustin Jeffrey getting injured last night and leaving the game in the second period when he crashed into the net. He’s out with the always descript, “lower body injury.”

When your injury replacements are getting injured, that’s never good. When it rains it pours. All that’s left is the mascot it seems!

With the Tangradi call-up, the lines for WBS tonight in Bridgeport will look something like this in my opinion…

Collins-Street-Wallace
Haddad-Lerg-Walker
7th D-Sill-Veilleux
Schnell-Marshall-Boulerice

Who that seventh defenseman that jumps up onto wing could be is anyone’s guess. My initial thought was Bortuzzo or Hutchinson, but you need those guys back on defense more than you need them up on a line crashing and banging. Mormina doesn’t move the puck well. I don’t trust Potter or Wagner on defense, let alone up on a line. Strait is defense first, second and third and Carl Sneep is a rookie defenseman who has been scratched the last two games. I hardly think Hynes pencils him in a line.

Should be an interesting one later at Harbor Yard. Gameday will be up at 3 p.m. today.

Go Pens.

Pittsburgh, WBS

There Goes the Farm!

Comments Off on There Goes the Farm! Posted by on February 10, 2011

The old saying of, “there goes the farm” rang true this morning as Pittsburgh recalled four players this morning. Ryan Craig, Nick Johnson, Joe Vitale and Brett Sterling.

For those in Pittsburgh who frequent the blog, let me give you a quick thumbnail of what you are getting:

  1. Brett Sterling (18-21-39 +12) – most lethal offensive threat on the team. Nicknamed by me “The Ticket” to a legitimate Calder Cup run this Spring. A bit undersized at 5’8, but you can’t teach goal scoring ability, and Sterling certainly has that.
  2. Joe Vitale (8-19-27 +12) – no one that I have seen or heard of watches more WBS games than me, other than people directly affiliated with the team or perhaps Jonathan Bombulie of the Citizens’ Voice. No one on Wilkes-Barre works harder than Vitale. The kid is all heart. Usually sees second or third line duties here in Wilkes-Barre, brings speed and intensity every shift. At 5’11 is another undersized center, but he will win more faceoff than he loses. He has the right attitude. You will more than likely be seeing him full time in Pittsburgh sooner rather than later.
  3. Nick Johnson (20-19-39 +12) – his time has come. Leads WBS in scoring. This may be his last chance at NHL work with Pittsburgh. At 6’2 is the right size you need for speed and quickness. Really needs to make the most of this oppurtunity.
  4. Ryan Craig (13-20-33 +6) – our Captain. If I had to pick one of the four call-ups to get scratched, it’s probably Craig. 6’1, 215 center from Western Canada knows how to play the game. If he does dress he won’t be a liability on the ice. Saw 54 games with Tampa Bay a few years ago so the NHL game is not foreign to him.

Does Wilkes-Barre need to worry? No. Offensively we are deep. The defense corps here in WBS is intact. Defense wins you Championships. This is adversity we are dealing with. Time for Wheeling replacements like Ben Street, Joey Haddad and the like to show what they are capable of. In response to the call-ups from Pittsburgh, Wilkes-Barre recalled Ryan Schnell and David Marshall. (mormally I’d link, but trust me they are here) Bombulie will probably have more later on his blog.

That which does not kill you, only makes you stronger. We will get through this. That’s all I have for now. Let’ s Go Pens!

Pittsburgh, WBS

Wednesday Notes 2/9

1 Comment Posted by on February 9, 2011

Couple of things:

  • Hershey beat Manchester in a shootout tonight 2-1. Scoreless through four rounds, Boyd Kane throws a backhander at goalie Jeff Zatkoff to win it in Round Five. The only backhander in the shootout, puts the Bears within eight points of WBS with two games in hand over the Penguins.
  • Tim Wallace and Eric Tangradi were returned to Wilkes-Barre / Scranton. Of note, Tango deleted his Twitter feed.
  • Sounds like Joe Vitale was recalled to Pittsburgh if you believe this tweet. Good for Joe. You will not find another player give 10,000% every shift.

Could be more guys called up to Pittsburgh tomorrow if Arron Asham and Chris Kunitz aren’t ready to roll romorrow when Pittsburgh hosts Los Angeles tomorrow. Stay with me over on Twitter for immediacy sake.

Go Pens.

Pittsburgh, The AHL, WBS

Jeffrey Back, Street Sent Back

Comments Off on Jeffrey Back, Street Sent Back Posted by on January 12, 2011

Two quick personnel moves to talk about.

Bombulie said in his update that Keven Veilleux is good to go this weekend. The hope is Brian Strait joins him along with Andrew Hutchinson. Save a for a healthy weekend, Wilkes-Barre could be 100% healthy next Wednesday for Syracuse.

I will not be in attendance on the booster club trip this weekend.

Go Pens.

Pittsburgh, WBS, Wheeling

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