Chirps from Center Ice

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A defensive battle and a goaltenders duel between Michael Leighton and Alex Lyon tonight in Allentown as the Wilkes-Barre / Scranton Penguins battled the Lehigh Valley Phantoms to a scoreless draw late in the third period.

Garrett Wilson finally broke the deadlock with a goal when he muscled a puck past and through Lyon to give the Penguins a 1-0 lead.

What happened after that, really was inconsequential.

The Phantoms, who battered Leighton with shot after shot in the third period, finally broke through with under a minute to play with Lyon vacated for the extra attacker with a goal from Chris Conner. It was a goal that Leighton would want back.

But it was inconsequential.

No scoring in overtime, Nicolas Aube-Kubel scored in the top of the fourth for the Phantoms and gave the Atlantic Division Champions an extra point to their already impressive season. Pens lose 2-1 in a shootout.

Yep, there is that five syllable word again: Inconsequential.

But why? Why is it inconsequential?

All the Penguins needed was one point to secure home ice in the first round. They got it with the play of Michale Leighton and the goal by Wilson. It seems funny to me that in instances where the Penguins need a big performance, like clinching a playoff spot last weekend and sewing up home ice in round one, it’s Michael Leighton that always ends up in the starting rotation.

The Penguins released their home schedule, what is still not known is the opponent. Providence shutout Springfield 5-0 in Springfield Saturday to keep their hopes at a three seed alive. It will come down to the final games Sunday afternoon. Providence hosts the Thunderbirds in a rematch and Charlotte closes out the regular season with a game in Bridgeport. The Penguins will probably dress a young lineup, much like the Phantoms did tonight Sunday afternoon in Hershey.

I’ll give the home schedule to you at the end of the blog story. I usually, when the Penguins are on the road, write the first and second period recaps in between intermissions. I would just use what I wrote above and just call it a night but since it’s already written, may as well use it.

So the lines were….

Garrett Wilson – J-S Dea – Daniel Sprong
Adam Johnson – Gage Quinney – Anthony Angello
Tom Sestito – Jarrett Burton – Christian Thomas
Joseph Cramarossa – Teddy Blueger – Tom Kostopoulos

Chris Summers – Lukas Bengtsson
Niclas Almari – Kevin Czuczman
Jarred Tinordi – Zach Trotman

Michael Leighton – Tristan Jarry

Lineup Notes: Two Penguins draft picks made their WBS season debuts. Anthony Angello was in for Ryan Haggerty and Niclas Almari was in for Andrey Pedan.

First Period: If you are going to read about the game in the papers Sunday, the best summary of what happened in the first period in Allentown may read, “After a scoreless first period…” That’s because nothing really of substance happened beyond teams trading a few power plays.

Second Period: Reverse of fortunes for the teams. The Penguins started off slow in the first period and turned it on, then the Phantoms started slow in the second and turned it on as the period went on. The Penguins had to kill a 4:00 double minor and did so successfully. Niclas Almari busted up a would be breakaway for the Phantoms after his defense partner Kevin Czuczman was stopped point blank by Alex Lyon.

Third Period: Leighton was dialed in, stopping Radev Fazleev and Aube-Kubel on two separate attempts.

Garrett Wilson finally broke the scoreless deadlock.

With Lyon out, Chris Conner scored to tie the game. Leighton caught slightly off balance and Conner won the race to the puck near side and poked it home.

Overtime: Decided nothing. Pens had a power play that they did not score on. They were 0-for-4 tonight.

Shootout: Lyon and Leighton stopped the first three shooters they faced. Aube-Kubel scored on Leighton in the top of the fourth and Lyon stopped J-S Dea in the bottom of the fourth to secure the extra point for the Phantoms.

Three Stars: 3) Nicolas Aube-Kubel (shootout game winning goal, -1) 2) Michael Leighton (30 saves on 31 shots) and 1) Alex Lyon (26 saves on 27 shots)

Around the Division: Hartford beat Binghamton 4-2, Hershey beat Bridgeport 2-1 in the insignificant games in the Division, Providence shutout Springfield 5-0 to pull within a point of idle Charlotte to pull within a point to third place in the Atlantic in the only other game in the Division which mattered.

Standings: Lehigh Valley and Wilkes-Barre have home ice locked up round one. Charlotte has 94 points and are a point ahead of Providence. Bridgeport, Hartford, Springfield and Hershey round out the division.

If Lehigh Valley runs a highlight package I will put it here.

Here is your Round One home schedule for Wilkes-Barre / Scranton. What is NOT known is opponent yet. Penguins will employ the 2-3 format because of distance to Providence or Charlotte.

“One More Kick at the Cup” appears to be the playoff motto. With this being Tom Kostopoulos’ final run, appropriate marketing.

Here are you scenarios for opponent.

If Charlotte wins or are tied with Providence in points, Charlotte is the three seed.

If Providence wins AND Charlotte loses in regulation, Providence is the three seed.

I’ll have more answers on this for sure tomorrow. Gameday setup for the final regular season home game in Hershey hits the blog Sunday at 1.

Let’s Go Pens!

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I have been blogging about this team for what will be eight years in July. I have been a season ticket holder for the Penguins for a few more years than that, call it ten years.

This has been probably the most uninspired late season win by my beloved Penguins that I can remember. Why?

Because I know what’s coming.

The Wilkes-Barre / Scranton Penguins have qualified for the Calder Cup Playoffs for sixteen straight seasons. There are people at the Arena that have brought their kids to the games that all those children have known is the Penguins playing in the playoffs.

No championships to show for those trips. In fact, I have never blogged a Calder Cup Finals game on this blog for this team yet. 2008 was the last time the Penguins were in the Finals. Remember that? We are all old.

I don’t like their chances this season to even get out of the first round.

Not to be Debbie Downer on a night where the Penguins manage to sweep the Springfield Thunderbirds with a 3-2 win and, coupled with outside results solidify their chances at home ice in the first round of the Calder Cup Playoffs over either Charlotte or Providence.

But I know what is coming.

The Penguins stormed out to a 2-0 lead on a Springfield team that its playing their final games this weekend before the summertime and had a large shot advantage. Wilkes-Barre ended up putting 49 shots in total at Harri Sateri and the Thunderbirds defense. It looked like another hard fought, but easy win for the Penguins.

Then the magic disappeared.

The Penguins let the Thunderbirds back in the game, Springfield tied it, Wilkes-Barre had two opportunities to nudge back ahead on a power play and failed, but it was Zach Trotman scoring that gave the Penguins the lead for good in the third, a lead that the Penguins didn’t relinquish.

When the playoffs start next week, the Penguins are either facing the Charlotte Checkers or the Providence Bruins. If you are a Penguins fan, you want Providence because the Penguins and Bruins are so evenly matched. Both teams have their NHL counterpart playing in the Stanley Cup Playoffs. The Checkers will have a full compliment of players at their disposal and are as hot as you can be coming into the playoffs.

Moral of the story is, Penguins gritted this one out over a Springfield team that is better at coming up short and losing and were overall the better team, barely. They aren’t going to enjoy that same luxury in a week or so.

Charlotte has one game left, Sunday in Bridgeport. Providence has two, but we will get to that in a minute.

Tristan Jarry opposed Harri Sateri.

Lines were…

Garrett Wilson – J-S Dea – Daniel Sprong
Adam Johnson – Gage Quinney – Ryan Haggerty
Tom Sestito – Jarrett Burton – Christian Thomas
Joseph Cramarossa – Teddy Blueger – Tom Kostopoulos

Andrey Pedan – Lukas Bengtsson
Chris Summers – Kevin Czuczman
Jarred Tinordi – Zach Trotman

Tristan Jarry – Michael Leighton

Lineup Notes: Tom Sestito was in for Patrick McGrath. That was the only lineup change from Sunday in Bridgeport…Alex D’Orio was sent back to his junior team. That is not uncommon. Give the kids a taste of the pro life then send them on their way.

First Period: Started out as an evenly matched game between two teams on the opposite end of the success meter here in the AHL’s final weekend of regular season play. Shots were 7-7 somewhere around halfway when the Pens exploded and finished on a 12-0 shot run and got this jaw dropping goal from Daniel Sprong who scored on Harri Sateri, who is the AHL’s reigning Player of the Week and who was stymieing everything sent his way from the Penguins….

Another angle…

Garrett Wilson put it on a tee for Sprong who, in tight quarters, put it top corner and scored his 31st goal of the season, which broke the franchise record for goals scored by a rookie (Michel Ouellet)

Second Period: Penguins extend their lead to two with this nice goal from Teddy Blueger. As I was watching the game on AHL Live yelling for Blueger to pass off, he unleashed this shot that go past Sateri that made it 2-0…

Penguins continued to increase their shot total over the Thunderbirds and it was looking like they were setting up for cruise control, but then the Penguins found themselves in penalty trouble.

Dryden Hunt scored on a pretty tic tac toe play barreling down the slot that cut the Penguins lead to one.

Off the face-off, thrill a minute hockey for both teams. Sateri comes way out to stop Tom Sestito but doesn’t cover the puck. Penguins continue the shooting gallery on the Thunderbirds goal keeper but he turns them all away. Then, Springfield clears the puck away and then Andrey Pedan trips Thunderbirds defenseman Ed Wittchow.

Turning point.

Matters made worse, Tom Kostopoulos was sent to the box. Long 5-on-3 for the Thunderbirds.

But they tossed the puck around the top of the zone and never really manufactured a shot at Jarry. But it was a complete implosion of structures by the Wilkes-Barre / Scranton Penguins who were lucky to get out of all the penalty madness with a 2-1 lead heading into the…

Third Period: Curtis Valk got a piece of a shot from the point from Brad Hunt and tied the game.

Turnover. Total breakdown. Pens up big on shots, two goal lead, then get stupid with penalties and cute with exits and the Thunderbirds tie the game.

Better yet, Wilkes-Barre had two chances after the Walk goal to score on a power play and failed. There is going to come a time in the next couple of weeks when the Penguins will need a power play goal either in a situation like this or down one or two. Mark my words. Whether or not they get one remains to be seen, but the trends are not positive.

Zach Trotman put a shot on that found its way Sateri, who was really dialed in tonight and the Penguins squeaked out in front again.

May have deflected in front. Doesn’t matter.

With Sateri vacated, the Thunderbirds never found the equalizer.

Three Stars: 3) Harri Sateri (46 saves on 49 shots) 2) Teddy Blueger (goal, +1) 1) Zach Trotman (goal, +1)

Around the Division: Games that don’t matter are Lehigh Valley beating Bridgeport 5-2 and Hartford edging Binghamton in a shootout 2-1. The game that did matter was Charlotte beating Providence 5-3 in Providence to improve to 8-0-1-0 in their last nine games and are third place in the Atlantic.

Standings: Lehigh Valley won the division last weekend and have 102 points with one more game to play tomorrow against the Penguins. The Penguins are second with 96 points and two games left, Saturday in Lehigh Valley and Sunday in Hershey. Charlotte is off until Sunday when they face off against Bridgeport. They have 94 points. Charlotte has the first tie breaker on the Pens. I believe that the magic number to sew up home ice would be just one point. Providence has two games left with 91 points. They visit Springfield Saturday and then host the Thunderbirds Sunday afternoon. The rest of the division is Bridgeport, Hartford, Springfield and Hershey in that order.

If Springfield puts up a video highlight package, I will edit it in here.

Pens bus down to Allentown for a 7:15 start against the lame duck Phantoms. It will be interesting to see what Lehigh Valley puts out for a lineup in their last regular season home game with nothing left to play for. Check out the gameday setup Saturday at 3 here on the blog.

Let’s Go Pens!

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Anthony Peters hasn’t played in a meaningful hockey game in about three weeks, so you couldn’t fault him if he was rusty coming into the tail end of a three in three weekend on the road against a team that beat the Penguins on Friday night at home.

But Peters closed the door on the already eliminated Bridgeport Sound Tigers, and the Penguins, bolstered by a 4-0 start at the end of the first, win 5-2 to hold onto second place in the Atlantic Division with three games to play in the regular season. Peters stopped 41 of 43 shots.

Peters opposed Eamon McAdam.

Lines were…

Garrett Wilson – J-S Dea – Daniel Sprong
Adam Johnson – Gage Quinney – Ryan Haggerty
Patrick McGrath – Jarrett Burton – Christian Thomas
Joseph Cramarossa – Teddy Blueger – Tom Kostopoulos

Andrey Pedan – Lukas Bengtsson
Chris Summers – Kevin Czuczman
Jarred Tinordi – Zach Trotman

Anthony Peters – Tristan Jarry

Lineup Notes: Anthony Peters first start in goal for the Pens since March 18, McGrath’s first action since February 17. Tom Sestito was out for McGrath. Tristan Jarry backed up Peters.

First Period: Much like Saturday night against Binghamton, the Penguins jumped out to a 4-0 lead.

Adam Johnson on a power play scored his first of the period.

Stepped into the high slot and let it rip into the top corner.

Johnson, 1:17 later, chases down a puck, gets it to the point for a shot then collects the rebound and scores to double the Penguins lead.

Tom Kostopoulos caused a turnover and fed Christian Thomas for a goal that made it 3-0.

Bridgeport called a time out. It didn’t seem to help.

Zach Trotman put a shot on net and Pat McGrath tipped dit home to make it 4-0.

An all out blitzkrieg to finish out the weekend three in three. But, there were two more full periods to play.

Second Period: Kristers Gudlevskis led the Sound Tigers out for the second period and took over for Eamon McAdam, and it was the kick in the pants that the Sound Tigers needed to get something going.

Slight problem though, they didn’t execute.

Bridgeport had a long spell of 5-on-3 power play to work with, yet only registered about two shots on net and spent the other time passing and chasing the cleared pucks sent in their end.

John Stevens scored to break up the Anthony Peters would be shutout bid after a turnover at just past half way, and Bridgeport led the Penguins in shots 17-5 in the period, so the Penguins had a three goal lead to defend heading into the…

Third Period: Anthony Peters remained strong in net for the Penguins, making saves swimming in the crease. Gage Quinney scored a goal when. shot from the point rebounded right to Quinney for the put in which made it 5-1.

Penguins fell asleep defensively and Steve Bernier hacked and whacked at a puck and scored to bring the Sound Tigers to within three.

But three would be as far as Bridgeport got. A quick moving period the rest of the way and the penguins would hold on to win.

Three Stars: 3) Gage Quinney (goal, assist, +2) 2) Anthony Peters (41 saves on 43 shots) 1) Adam Johnson (two goals, +1)

Around the Division: Charlotte continues to tear it up, they beat Hershey 3-1 today…Lehigh Valley wins the Atlantic Division Championship with a 6-3 win over a slumping Providence Bruins team…Springfield shutout Hartford 2-0.

Standings: Lehigh Valley (100 points, division winners) — Penguins (94 points, 3 games remaining) — Providence (91 points (3 games left) — Charlotte (92 points, two games left) — Bridgeport, Hartford, Springfield, Hershey.

Wheeling Update: The Nailers season ended yesterday, I expect a caravan of players headed to Coal Street this week.

Video Highlights:

Check back here Monday for the AHL Power Rankings at 4.

Let’s Go Pens!