Chirps from Center Ice

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So Cleveland just came off of a hellish road trip where they only won once in four games through Belleville and Laval. They were sixth in the North Division coming home to face the Wilkes-Barre / Scranton Penguins.

The Penguins have had success against Cleveland of recent memory, sweeping them in Ohio last season so if there ever was a chance to right this mini funk that was affecting the team, it was right here, right now.

Penguins lose 4-0 in what could best be described as one of the more frustrating games of the season for the team, and borderline low point of the season. The Penguins couldn’t do anything right, and the Monsters could do no wrong.

The Penguins dominated the early start, Monsters score a five on three power play goal, then the Penguins shot themselves in the foot in the second after going down another goal and couldn’t get anything going in the third.

Five game losing streak. November may as well be as far away as June is right now.

It’s clear at this point that they miss the hammer of offense that Stefan Noesen brought to the team. Andrew Agozzino has been invisible and Joseph Blandisi they are beating like a rented mule. It’s a funk you can only punch and skate out of.

Casey DeSmith opposed Matiss Kivlenieks.

Lines were…

Lineup Notes: Shuffling to the forward pairings, but Jordy Bellerive was in for Ryan Haggerty in forward and the defense pairs were the same as they were in Rochester on Wednesday.

First Period: Wilkes-Barre dominated early possession, Kivlenieks was under bombardment, but the shots quality wasn’t very good.

Wilkes-Barre would not score on back to back power plays.

Then the momentum flipped and all of a sudden the Penguins found themselves on a wrong end of a five on three against for over a minute. Cleveland’s power play is bad, last in the AHL, and they have only scored four power play goals at home all season.

So of course the Monsters would cash on the power plat when Kevin Stenlund cashed on a one timer feed off of Stefan Matteau to give the Monsters a 1-0 lead.

The Monsters would go on to outshoot the Penguins 10-9 in the period. Wilkes-Barre gets all the momentum early, can do nothing offensively, then found themselves on a wrong end of a five on three and trailed going into the…

Second Period: Wilkes-Barre had almost as many shots (five) as penalties taken in the period (four) – they also fell behind another goal when Oula Palve bobbled a puck at the blue line exiting the zone and turned it over. Justin Scott skated in, Casey DeSmith made the save, then the Jakub Lilja follow up but the rebound got past him.

The Penguins could not get anything going at all because of stupid, careless penalties.

– Anthony Angello was called for a high stick.
– Andreas Martinsen was called for a soft as tissue paper cross check.
(Monsters would score here in between at even strength as described above)
– Joseph Blandisi was called for essentially clotheslining Marko Dano.
– Pierre-Olivier Joseph cross checked Anton Karlsson in the mouth.

Two out of four penalties were legit. Notice that the careless infractions came as Wilkes-Barre trailed by two.

Penguins would lose Zach Trotman after this questionable hit by Calvin Thurkauf.

Thurkauf was assessed a charging penalty. The Penguins weren’t able to score.

Third Period: Zach Trotman did not come out for the third period. so the Penguins were down five defensemen.

Penguins only took one penalty in the period but still couldn’t generate any good offense in the zone.

Lilja blocked a David Warsofsky pass / shot at the blue line and skated in for a goal that beat DeSmith five hole that iced the game away as the Monsters made it 3-0.

Marko Dano hit an empty net goal as the Pens pulled DeSmith for the extra attacker.

Three Stars: 3) Kevin Stenlund (goal) 2) Jakob Lilja (two goals) 1) Matiss Kivlenieks (23 save shutout)

The Good: I don’t know what good comes out of being shutout on the road.

The Bad: Pucks are not going in right now. But for a garbage time goal and a bit of a rush late in Rochester Wednesday, the Penguins offense has gone cold like these December nights in Northeastern Pennsylvania.

Turning Point: The power play goal against late in the first, after the Penguins came out hot and had all the momentum buried the lifeless offense and Wilkes-Barre had no real chance at a comeback from there.

I don’t want to bury the kid, but Emil Larmi is likely going to get the start for Wilkes-Barre tomorrow. Larmi hasn’t been good at all for the Penguins in the limited role he’s had as a backup for the team. I don’t know if Dustin Tokarski is on the trip, but Larmi looks primed for the start for the Penguins, who h*ave now lost five games in a row.

Also, Joseph Blandisi, if he plays tomorrow will be doing so in his fourth game in as many nights. Suffice to say, I wouldn’t expect him to play, but as I have said for years, I blog about the team I don’t coach them.

Around the Division: Hartford shuts out Lehigh Valley 4-0….Springfield beats Binghamton 5-3….Bridgeport beats Utica 4-3….Charlotte beats Syracuse 3-2. Hershey and Providence were off. I often wonder why Hershey never plays on Fridays but then see all those Sunday 5 o’clock starts they have. They can have it.

Standings: Hartford 39 — Providence 35 — Penguins 30  — Springfield 30 — Hershey 29 — Charlotte 25 — Lehigh Valley 25 — Bridgeport 24

Wheeling Update: Nailers are still out in South Dakota for the weekend, box here.

Video Highlights: I’ll look to see if Cleveland has them later and work and edit in if they do.

Penguins and Monsters rematch Saturday from Cleveland at 7. Gameday setup here Saturday afternoon at 3.

Let’s Go Pens!

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The reigning AHL Coach of the Year Mike Vellucci has his hands full.

His Wilkes-Barre / Scranton Penguins were totally outgunned and outclassed in a 4-2 loss in Rochester Wednesday. The scoreline is a bit of an oasis, this game wasn’t as close as the line indicates. Rochester went up 4-0, then let off and the Penguins got two, extra attacker goals in garbage time.

The Penguins couldn’t break the Rochester press, had their press broken easy and looked slow against Rochester’s speed.

Against Texas it was a team that had speed that the Penguins didn’t have a lot of film on and were unfamiliar with. The Stars came in on a point run also.

Against Hershey Sunday, they choked a lead late and lost in overtime.

Wednesday was a lesson in while yes, you were 9-2-1-1 in the month of November, Rochester didn’t lose at all in that month and just had a 12-game point streak cut by Charlotte last Saturday. This Amerks team suffocated the Penguins and if not for Casey DeSmith, the game could have been out of hand in the second period.

They have a lot of work to do because you run into teams like this, better ones even, in May and June. Vellucci of all people knows that.

The aforementioned Casey DeSmith opposed Andrew Hammond.

Lines were…

Lineup Notes: A few switch ups to the bottom six and defense, but no one in, no one out in contrast to Sunday in Hershey. Adam Johnson is day to day and didn’t make the trip.

First Period: Rochester’s speed was on full display. They broke out quickly and easily marched through the neutral zone and into the attack zone.

Finally Curtis Lazar used a burst of speed to break in, nutmegged Zach Trotman and scored on a wicked wrist shot that beat DeSmith and gave the Americans a 1-0 lead.

The Penguins didn’t really have a lot of high danger scoring opportunities and didn’t score on the only power play awarded in the period.

Second Period: Wilkes-Barre had a quick little flurry of offense in the opening seconds of the period, then only mustered four total shots the entire period. Rochester had the puck seemingly for the entire period and doubled their lead when ex-Penguin J-S Dea stripped Zach Trotman of the puck and scored to make it 2-0 Rochester.

Earlier, Macoy Erkamps caught Casey Fitzgerald up high with an elbow….

….they later fought….

Fair fight, Erkamps caught Fitzgerald with two punches, they grappled and then Fitzgerald slipped and they both fell.

Wilkes-Barre killed two penalties in the period. The penalty killing looked good, but Rochester was breaking the press far too easy at even strength and using speed to get at DeSmith.

Third Period: Wilkes-Barre went over ten minutes without a shot on goal, even with a power play.

Andrew Oglevie deflected a shot from the point that iced it away.

Penguins got desperate and pulled DeSmith and J-S Dea picked off a Penguins defenseman and found a streaking CJ Smith for an empty net goal that made it 4-0.

Rochester packed it in there and let the Penguins back into the game.

Off the ensuing face-off, Jan Drozg scored his first AHL goal here.

That goal snapped a 128:18 scoreless streak for the Penguins in Rochester. Remember, they were shut out last season here.

Andrew Hammond went for an unsuccessful poke check and Sam Miletic scored to cut it to two.

Andrew Agozzino nearly scored which would have made it a one goal game. Time ran out shortly after.

Three Stars: 3) Curtis Lazar (goal, assist) 2) J-S Dea (goal, assist) 1) C.J. Smith (goal, assist)

The Good: Jan Drozg finally getting his first AHL goal. You can see that they are starting to trust him and hopefully that goal will unleash an avalanche of goals to come for the Penguins rookie.

The Bad: Rochester didn’t become a great team last night or last week. They have been good all season. The Penguins knew this and game planned for a victory tonight. The way that the Amerks basically laughed at that and walked through the Penguins has got to be a bit of a concern.

Turning Point: The Oglevie goal serves two purposes. Here, it iced away a game which was already out of reach for the Penguins. For the Amerks, it put the Penguins in desperation mode, they scored again to make it 4-0 and let off. The North Division has too many good teams in it for Head Coach Chris Taylor to feel good about his teams last five minutes. But that’s his problem.

Around the Division: Syracuse beats Providence 4-1. The Bruins have lost two straight….Hartford beats Binghamton 3-1 to go up to the top of the Atlantic Division clean again. Everyone else was off.

Standings: Hartford 37 — Providence 35 — Penguins 30 — Hershey 29 — Springfield 28 — Lehigh Valley 25 — Charlotte 23 — Bridgeport 22

Wheeling Update: Nailers are out in South Dakota taking on the Rapid City Rush. Box here.

Video Highlights: If Rochester or the Penguins add them on Twitter, I will work the edit in here.

Pens will travel to Cleveland for their games with the Monsters Friday and Saturday. Penguins have had some success with Cleveland and this series may actually be just what the doctor ordered.

AHL Power Rankings hit the blog Thursday. Check them out then.

Let’s Go Pens!

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They spoiled a dazzling display in goal by Casey DeSmith.

After going up 2-0 in the first period, DeSmith shut down the Bears in the second period, which I felt at the time was Hershey’s best attempt to get back in the game, after the physical war the Bears were in all weekend with Lehigh Valley on Friday and Saturday. No way that the Bears, in the final period of a weekend three in three, mount a comeback against that Penguins defense.

Wrong! Bears get two to tie in the third, force overtime and Joe Snively’s goal in overtime give Hershey a 3-2 overtime win against the Penguins Sunday.

I found out in the third that the Penguins were missing one of their better defensemen in Zach Trotman who left the game and didn’t return. That may have had a part in it.

DeSmith opposed Pheonix Copley.

Lines were…

Lineup Notes: Joseph Blandisi was reassigned by Pittsburgh Sunday morning. Jordy Bellerive went out of the lineup to make room, Jan Drozg went to the top line where he ended up Saturday night. Defense pairings were intact.

First Period: Hot start for Wilkes-Barre / Scranton, who went up two goals in a span of about two minutes just before half way.

Sam Miletic scored on a ridiculous feed by Andreas Martinsen that put the Pens on the board.

Then Anthony Angello scored from the slot which doubled the visitors lead.

Miletic nearly had a second goal on this sequence but Copley was lucky enough to not let it beat him.

Casey DeSmith, not to be outdone, had this ten bell save on Joe Snively in the final knockings of the period.

Second Period: Eighteen shots by Hershey but no goals to show. Casey DeSmith stood on his head, had the Bears hit two posts, but no one scored. Penguins had :31 of two man advantage but weren’t able to score.

Third Period: Hershey finally breaks through on a power play goal scored by Matt Mouslon. A shot by Bobby Nardella was saved by DeSmith but not covered up and Mouslon who was screening in front swept it across the line.

The Bears power play is 30th out of 31 teams in the AHL but somehow always scores against the Penguins. It was the fourth (of ten successes) power play goals scored against the Penguins this season.

Christian Djoos had a low, seeing eye shot beat DeSmith which tied the game at two.

Then a super soft call by Mitch Dunning and Michael Markovic. We had these two referees Saturday at home and I thought they did a fine job. They did a fine job Sunday too but for the following sequence.

That’s 6’5 Anthony Angello decleating 5’11 Shane Gersich who was skating with his head down with a clean body hit. Nothing at the head, nothing dirty, a clean hit delivered. Referees call roughing. Thankfully, Hershey didn’t score on the ensuing power play.

Dunning and Markovic repaid the Penguins with a soft hooking call against the Bears but the Penguins didn’t score there.

Overtime: Sam Miletic had a chance to end it in OT but Copley flicked out the pad.

Snively put home a rebound of a Mike Sgarbossa shot.

Here’s another look:

Game. Set. Match. A perfect 3-0 weekend for Hershey. Only one point for Wilkes-Barre / Scranton.

Three stars: 3) Matt Moulson (goal) 2) Christian Djoos (goal, assist) 1) Joe Snively (overtime game winning goal)

The Good: The hot start by the Penguins.

The Bad: Losing Trotman to injury had to play into the Bears relentless comeback in the third.

Turning Point: :31 of two man advantage reared no goals for the Penguins. A three, possibly four goal lead at the time would have been way too much for a tired Bears team to overcome no matter who was missing from the Penguins lineup.

Around the Division: One other game, the Hartford Wolf Pack complete a perfect 3-0 weekend with a 4-1 win over the Atlantic Division leader Providence Bruins in Providence.

Standings: Hartford 35 — Providence 35 — Penguins 30 — Hershey 29 — Springfield 28 — Lehigh Valley 25 — Charlotte 23 — Bridgeport 22

Wheeling Update: Nailers were off.

Video Highlights: 

The Pens are in Rochester taking on old buddy J-S Dea and the Americans Wednesday. Blue Cross Arena has been a house of horrors for the Penguins of late.

The stat board has been updated. You can click over to that at the top of the blog, or just click here.

Mailbag Monday is back, send in questions or I will shelve the feature entirely.

Let’s Go Pens!

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I am not going to bury the turning point in this game recap, I’ll give it to you here.

After the Penguins third goal of the game and of the second period, Texas Stars head coach Derek Laxdal called his time out to settle his group. His side, still at the bottom of the Central Division and only winners of two road games all season, were seeing a decent start to the game slip away after the Penguins scored back to back power play goals.

It worked. The Penguins didn’t score another goal, Texas would tie the game later in the period then score just :15 into the third period to go on to win 5-3 Saturday night in Wilkes-Barre.

The game will be remembered for some fighting at the end, including Emil Larmi’s halfhearted attempt to fight Stars starting goaltender Landon Bow. They didn’t and, at 10:45 p.m. on this Saturday night where I am typing these words, the game sheet still is not final on the AHL’s website.

Second loss in a row for the Penguins. Consider the opponent. Texas was in for the first time ever as an opponent from the Western Conference which we rarely see. Are they two games that you’d like to win? Sure, Texas was awful coming in and in last in the Central. But in the bigger picture you’d rather lose to out of division teams vs. teams like Hershey or Providence.

Lines were…

Texas didn’t post lines and there are no GIFs of any goals. I’ll do my best in describing them for you, use your imagination.

Lineup Notes: Jan Drozg was recalled from Wheeling Saturday afternoon. He replaced Adam Johnson who picked up a knock last night on Jon Lizotte’s clearing attempt. For what it’s worth they listed Johnson on the injury report. Andreas Martinsen was slotted on the top line but didn’t stay there, as he was replaced by Drozg.

First Period: Better start for the Penguins, but it was Jason Robertson scoring twice in the period from two on one goals which beat Larmi. The second came with just .8 seconds left to play in the period.

Second Period: David Warsofsky’s shot at goal was deflected by Sam Miletic which triggered the annual teddy bear toss. After a brief delay, play resumed and the Penguins found themselves on a five on three for 1:41.

Warsofsky’s shot this time went in without anyone touching it and it was a tie game. There was still time left over from the Dillon Heatherington double minor of a high stick on Andrew Agozzino, and the Penguins connected on that to take the lead at 3-2. Zach Trotman scored on a hell of a shot.

Here is where that time out by Laxdal came in. There was still more than half of the game yet to be played. Sometimes it works, other times it doesn’t. This time it did.

Joel L’Esperance scored on a power play goal late in the period which tied the game at three. I believe Larmi was screened.

Third Period: Weird play to open the period. Heatherington’s shot at goal kicked off of Niclas Almari’s skates and died in the slot. Joel Kiviranta was in the right place at the right time, put a move on Larmi to get him out of position and scored to give the Stars the lead again.

Penguins had more than a few good looks at Bow and the Stars net but were unable to find the equalizer.

An empty net goal by Nicholas Caamano set off a melee of penalties. David Warsofsky slashed Caamano and received a 5:00 penalty for it and a game misconduct.

Jamie Devane picked up a roughing and fighting major as did Rhett Gardner.

After that was sorted out, Macoy Erkamps didn’t like Riley Tufte’s attempt at scoring a goal on Larmi at the end of the game, so they picked up roughing and misconduct penalties.

Emil Larmi got a penalty for traveling beyond the center red line (it is actually a penalty) and a misconduct for attempting to fight Landon Bow.

Bow, for a second, thought about it but smiled and skated away.

Three Stars: 3) Sam Miletic (goal, assist) 2) Jason Robertson (two goals) 1) Joel Kiviranta (game winning goal)

The Good: The power play came to life when it needed to and picked the Penguins off the mat and back into the game.

The Bad: They couldn’t hold a lead against a team which had only won twice coming in. But I think it’s a different Stars team. You could see it if you watched the games this weekend. They are a good team which are buried under bad luck. When the two teams meet again in January, it probably won’t be with Texas in last in the Central Division.

Turning Point: Go back to the top and read the lede again.

Around the Division: It’s always fun to watch the Penguins two biggest rivals, Hershey and Lehigh Valley, beat the hell out of each other. It happened this weekend in a war between the two teams. Hershey wins 1-0 at home. They will probably be missing a few guys Sunday when the Penguins come calling and may be, just may be, emotionally spent and ripe for the picking.

Elsewhere, Syracuse beats Bridgeport 5-2, Providence beats Utica in a shootout 3-2, Charlotte ends Rochester’s long point streak 3-1, Laval had a nice comeback and beats Springfield 4-3 and Hartford beats up Binghamton 5-2.

Standings: Providence 35 — Hartford 33 — Penguins 29 — Springfield 28 — Hershey 27 — Lehigh Valley 25 — Charlotte 23 — Bridgeport 22

Wheeling Update: Nailers lost 4-1 at home in a rematch with Kalamazoo. Yushi Hirano had the only goal for the Nailers Saturday.

Video Highlights: 

Pens close out the weekend three in three with a game in Hershey Sunday at 5. Gameday setup hits the blog Sunday at 1.

Let’s Go Pens!