Chirps from Center Ice

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So we are running out of superlatives to describe the play of Joel Blomqvist in goal for the Wilkes-Barre / Scranton Penguins. He’s won five straight games and has only given up a goal in each game. With All-Star rosters set to be announced for San Jose any day now, Blomqvist is making an extremely strong case to be one of the goalies named.

Wilkes-Barre wins 2-1 Sunday afternoon over Hartford, who beat Hershey the night before snapping the Bears nine game winning streak. A gritty, gutsy win for the Pens, who take five of six points this weekend. A shorthanded goal by Jonathan Gruden in the second period stood up as the game winning goal and Blomqvist did the rest.

I mean this is how good teams win games. Are we there yet? I don’t know, but I think we are getting closer.

Here’s how they lined up. Hartford didn’t post any lines.

Lineup Notes: Jack Rathbone and Will Butcher out, Owen Headrick and Xavier Ouellet in on defense and Alex Nylander was out, not injured, and Jesse Puljujarvi was back in.

First Period: Dylan Garand stops a Colin White shot but Sam Poulin, who was promoted to the top line with Nylander out, cashed in on the rebound.

The Penguins jumped all over the Wolf Pack to start, limiting Hartford to just five shots in the period.

Second Period: Penguins find themselves on a penalty kill, but eight seconds later Jonathan Gruden scores on a nice snapshot that doubled the Penguins lead.

The Penguins had 1:43 of two man advantage they got close on a few times but could not cash in on. I think it is too soon to say that they miss the traded Rem Pitlick because he was with them in Springfield Friday night, but the Pens didn’t score any power play goals this weekend, for what it’s worth.

The bottling up of the Wolf Pack continued, limiting the visitors to just three shots.

Third Period: Wolf Pack blitz for thirteen shots on goal, finally getting one to go when Ryan Scanlin scores from the point on a shot that Blomqvist was screened on that put Hartford on the board.

But with Garand pulled and with a time out, the Wolf Pack did not find the equalizer.

Three Stars: 3) Sam Poulin (goal) 2) Joel Blomqvist (20 saves) 1) Jonathan Gruden (shorthanded goal)

The Good: You are going to need homegrown replacements when you give away your leading scorer for essentially nothing, and it was good to see Sam Poulin get a goal being put on the top line Sunday. Does he stick? If he sticks does he continue to thrive?

The Good Part Two: Five of six points isn’t anything to bat an eye at. I think this is a pivotal point in their season and to collect five out of six is pretty good. It shows that there is there there with the team. You want to see it continue. Can they catch Hershey? Unlikely, but can they catch Hartford and be a two seed? Absolutely. That should be the goal.

The Bad: But seriously, when is the team going to get Blomqvist his elusive shutout?

Turning Point: The Gruden shorthanded goal gets it here.

Around the Division: Bridgeport wins 4-3 in overtime against Charlotte….Herhsey does the same against Lehigh Valley 3-2….Providence doubles up Springfield 6-3.

Standings: Hershey 58 – Providence 42 – Hartford 41 – Penguins 40 – Charlotte 38 – Springfield 37 – Lehigh Valley 34 – Bridgeport 23

Wheeling Update: Nailers were off today, they play Orlando again Monday.

Video Highlights: 

Three on the road next weekend, starting Friday in Providence. If there is notable stuff this week I will have it for you here, otherwise have a great week.

Let’s Go Pens!

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So things have been going good for the Wilkes-Barre / Scranton Penguins. I checked the overall standings this morning and they are ninth overall in the AHL. Sure, Hershey is playing in its own stratosphere but there are teams that are statistically better than the Penguins that the Penguins have beat. Cleveland, Hartford, Providence, Syracuse to name them.

Then there are the Phantoms, who are in the bottom third of the AHL that the Penguins just lost 4-3 in overtime to on Saturday night. The Penguins had a 2-1 lead coming into the third period and had been previously undefeated when leading after two periods when the scrappy Phantoms battled back to tie it and win it off of Samu Tuomaala’s overtime game winning goal. Tuomaala scored two kick off the comeback in the third for Lehigh Valley.

Regroup. You get these folks 11 more times and a bunch in February.

Here’s how they lined up:

Lineup Notes: Austin Rueschhoff and Joona Koppanen in for Jesse Puljujarvi and Rem Pitlick up front and Will Butcher and Taylor Fedun for Xavier Ouellet and Owen Headrick on defense.

A Word About Rem Pitlick: He was traded to the Chicago Blackhawks today for peanuts. A seventh round pick in the 2026 (yes, 2026) NHL Draft. The deal with Pitlick was that he made too much, $1.1 million against the cap for the Penguins and no shot at a recall. He was the teams leading scorer and a help on the power play. It sucks for Coal Street and if you want to feel mad about it go ahead, but at the end of the day it’s a business.

First Period: Phantoms raced out to a big shot advantage with the aid of a power play, but it was the Penguins who struck first when Matt Filipe tipped in a Jack St. Ivany shot from the point that gave the Penguins a 1-0 lead.

But then a few minutes later, Olle Lycksell wheeled around Taylor Fedun and found Cooper Marody streaking to the neat who tipped a puck past Hellberg that brought the Phantoms level.

Second Period: Something from the first period felt off, and that sense of uncertainty continued in the second period. The Pens came out of the chute on fire, drawing a penalty but weren’t able to capitalize with a power play goal.

The Penguins played disciplined, stayed out of the box, but still were looking for something to click.

They finally twisted the right way and…

That’s a big time goal from a big time player in Alex Nylannder to give the Penguins a 2-1 lead. A goal scorers goal, if you will.

Third Period: Penguins extend the lead when Peter Abbandonato scores to make it 3-1 for Wilkes-Barre.

But then the Phantoms started the comeback. Remember how on Friday I said it felt like the third period in Springfield zipped by with the Penguins clinging to a lead? The exact opposite happened Saturday in Wilkes-Barre.

Samu Tuomaala got the comeback started with a perfect shot that straight beat Magnus Hellberg that made it 3-2.

Before the Penguins knew what hit them, just over a minute later, Ronnie Attard is left unattended in the slot and scores to make it three all.

Pens lost a puck battle.

It was at this point when the clock zipped by and the teams were off to…

Overtime: Penguins with initial possession, but then 90 seconds in Tuomaala scores from the far side and the Phantoms win.

Three Stars: 3) Cooper Marody (goal, assist) 2) Ronnie Attard (goal) 1) Samu Tuomaala (two goals, OT game winner)

The Good: I mean they got to a lead, but just couldn’t hold on.

The Bad: Something felt off and you would have thought that they were really lucky to win the game or the Phantoms were really bad. Well the Pens weren’t that lucky and the Phantoms are better than we think.

Turning Point: Tuomaala’s game winning OT goal gets it here, as OT game winning goals usually always do.

Around the Division: Charlotte beats Bridgeport 4-3 in overtime….Hartford snaps Hershey’s nine game winning streak with a big 5-3 win in Hershey….Providence beats Springfield 4-3 in a shootout.

Standings: Hershey 56 – Hartford 41 – Providence 40 – Penguins 38 – Charlotte and Springfield 37 – Lehigh Valley 33 – Bridgeport 21

Wheeling Update: While we are dealing with snow, the Nailers were in 79 degree Orlando, Florida weather taking on the Solar Bears. Wheeling wins 5-2.

Video Highlights: 

Hartford Sunday. More then.

Let’s Go Pens!

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So with the calendar flipped to 2024, every point is going to matter.

Looks like they got off on the right foot, as the Wilkes-Barre / Scranton Penguins go into Springfield and win 2-1. A clean two points over a team who was above them in the standings.

Springfield knows how to win from behind and nearly did, scoring a goal just :30 into the third period and pouring it on from there. Joel Blomqvist was stout in goal, only allowing just one goal and if you are sensing a pattern you are onto something, it’s the fourth game for Blomqvist where he has just allowed one goal.

Onto Lehigh Valley Saturday…

Here’s how they lined up:

Lineup Notes: Vinnie Hinostroza was back, Jesse Puljujarvi and Owen Headrick made their WBS debuts. Austin Rueschhoff and Joona Koppanen yielded for Hinostroza and Puljujarvi up front and Ty Smith was back from the Spengler Cup. Taylor Fedun and Will Butcher stepped out for Smith and the aforementioned Headrick.

First Period: Pens roared out to an 11-4 shot advantage and got one of them to go when Hinostroza nd Jack Rathbone played give and go on a nice play that resulted in a Hinostroza goal.

But then the Thunderbirds raced back to even shot total at 11 a piece and got themselves a late power play.

Second Period: They kept the pressure on Springfield, who knows how to win games after falling behind, and nearly had a goal when Jack St. Ivany threw a shot at the net that Vadim Zherenko absorbed and sort of fell into the net with. A brief video review by referees Chad Ingalls and Stephen Hiff confirmed Ingalls’ initial call of no goal.

But then, at the expiration of a power play, the Penguins would double their lead when Peter Abbandonato scored to make it 2-0 Penguins.

Nice setup by Sam Poulin and Rem Pitlick to get the puck to an unmarked in the slot Abbandonato.

Third Period: Thunderbirds capitalize off of a Colin White turnover and Adam Gaudette scores just :30 into the period.

The last thing you wanted to see as a Penguin fan with how good the Thunderbirds are at coming back from behind.

But the Penguins used the clock and two really good penalty kills to get through it all and hang on and with Zherenko pulled for the extra attacker the Thunderbirds never found the equalizer.

Three Stars: 3) Adam Gaudette (goal) 2) Peter Abbandonato (goal) 1) Joel Blomqvist (35 saves)

The Good: How good has Joel Blomqvist been here? Pulling the team through a tough game, on the road, against a team they may run into come last April?

The Bad: No but seriously, is he every going to get his first AHL shutout?

Turning Point: The Abbandonato goal that put the Penguins up 2-0 gets it here. Do they win this game in overtime?

Around the Division: I don’t know how this is possible, but it is indeed Friday in the AHL and there are no other teams in the division playing on this day.

Standings: Hershey 56 – Hartford 39 – Providence 38 – Penguins 37 – Springfield 36 – Charlotte 35 – Lehigh Valley 31 – Bridgeport 20

Wheeling Update: Nailers are in Florida and lost 4-1 to the Orlando Solar Bears.

Video Highlights: AHL VideoCenter will have them Saturday morning as you wait for the snow to fall.

More tomorrow for the first meeting between the Penguins and Phantoms.

Let’s Go Pens!

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The only changes the Wilkes-Barre / Scranton Penguins made from Friday’s win against these same Checkers on Saturday was Ryan Shea, recalled to Pittsburgh and in goal, with Taylor Gauthier in net.

So explain to me how they lose 5-2 Saturday.

Checkers went 0-for-5 last night, 2-for-4 Saturday. That’s one reason.

Pens went 0-for-3 on the power play, that’s another reason.

On one of those power plays they got scored on shorthanded. That’s one more.

Consistent inconsistency? Call it what you want. I think they are a good team. I do. You see flashes of brilliance with the team. Would I be worried if just the top four teams made it? Maybe. I think they can play as a top four team.

Look, every team save for Hershey in this division has its pitfalls. The Penguins are one of them.

Let’s get into this one.

I gave you the lineup changes above.

First Period: Role reversal from Friday. Pens bottled up the Checkers but it was the Checkers who scored first, on the power play, when Zac Dalpe scored from the slot to gibe the Checkers the early lead.

Second Period: The Checkers goals came fast and furious. Two in a minute, Brendan Perlini dart off the rush then Matt Kiersted less than a minute later and it was a Checkers runaway.

Patrick Giles followed up with a shot off of a face off and the rout was on.

Third Period: You figure that they can work an early goal in here and start a comeback.

Nope!

But the Penguins would get goals from defensemen when Dmitri Samorukov and Jack St. Ivany, for St. Ivany his first pro goal, to spoil a Waeber shutout bid.

But then Charlotte scores on a power play when Sam Poulin takes a dumb penalty. Poulin, if he knew how to fight, would have handled his matter with the Checkers player (I forget who) with a fight, but instead he trips the guy off a face-off and is rightly called for it.

Three Stars: 3) Jack St. Ivany (first AHL goal) 2) Zac Dalpe (two goals) 1) Patrick Giles (two goals)

The Good: Nice to see St. Ivany get a goal. Kid works hard.

The Bad: Just when you think they can do something right, they prove you wrong and do something wrong.

Turning Point: If it wasn’t the Giiles goal that made it 4-0, it was the Giles goal, shorthanded, that made it 5-0.

Around the Division: Hartford beats Bridgeport 3-2 … Hershey shuts out Lehigh Valley 4-0 … Providence pounds Springfield 8-2.

Standings: Hershey 54 – Providence 38 – Hartford 37 – Springfield 36 – Penguins 35 – Charlotte 33 – Lehigh Valley 31 – Bridgeport 20

Wheeling Update: Nailers beat Norfolk 5-3. Lukas Svejkovsky with a goal and an assist.

Video Highlights: Probably don’t want to see them.

Happy New Year, talk to you in 2024!

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Gonna just jump into the game story tonight because it’s a work night and I baked what I’d put in the lede there instead of here. Penguins lose 4-1 in Hershey.

What, you are off this week? No, I didn’t take this week off. I really should. I have been gainfully employed for 20+ years and I think I have only taken the Christmas-New Year in between off just once.

Anyway…

Here’s how they lined up:

Lineup Notes: Raivis Ansons for Matt Filipe at forward and Taylor Fedun for Ty Smith on defense. Smith is playing in the Spengler Cup.

First Period: I told you in the Weekend Preview that you could not make a mistake against the Hershey Bears. You needed to make the most of your opportunities.

Well, the Penguins had three opportunities, a Sam Poulin Grade A chance, a quick lightning in a bottle two on none and a Corey Andonovski shot that rang the post that did not go in. On that Andonovski sequence, back the other way and wouldn’t you know it…

…they made a mistake.

Rem Pitlick, who should know better, causally spills a puck away and tries to get it out of his zone, but there is Alex Limoges who rifles one home for a 1-0 Hershey lead.

Reiterating, you cannot make a mistake against this team.

Second Period: They continued to make mistakes.

Magnus Hellberg did his damndest to keep them in it, but then Ethen Frank tipped one past the Penguins netminder and it was a 2-0 Hershey lead.

Soon after that, Corey Andonovski gets tagged for a five minute boarding major when he just runs like a runaway train against Alex Limoges on the boards and in the ensuing power play Joe Snively (LOL, who else?) scores to make it 3-0.

Here are the goals.

The Penguins lost Raivis Ansons to injury back in the first when he took what looked like a knee on knee hit from Dylan McIlrath. No  penalty was called, it didn’t look egregious  by any means.

Third Period: Wilkes-Barre had an early power play but couldn’t score. Would it have been a different result if they could have got one to go there? I think so, but they didn’t so we will never know.

Quieter period. I think Hershey was waiting for a counterpunch but it didn’t come until Austin Rueschhoff scored while the Bears were in the midst of a line change that broke up the Shepard shutout bid.

With 4:30 left, J.D. Forrest pulls Magnus Hellberg. Then Aaron Ness blocks a Jack Rathbone shot and Pierrick Dube scores into the empty net to make it 4-1 Bears.

Three Stars: 3) Mike Sgarbnossa (two assists) 2) Alex Limoges (goal, assist) 1) Joe Snively (goal, assist)

The Good: Struggling here. They had a decent first but couldn’t finish, got deflated a bit when Limoges scored.

The Bad: Too many mistakes against a team you just can’t make mistakes against.

Turning Point: The Snively power play goal that made it 3-0 put the game out of reach for the Pens. 2-0 is manageable, 3-0 is impossible.

Around the Division: Lehigh Valley beats Utica 5-4…Providence edges Bridgeport 5-4…Springfield beats a suddenly cold Hartford team 3-1.

Standings: Hershey 50 – Hartford 35 – Springfield 35 – Providence 34 – Penguins 33 – Charlotte 31 – Phantoms 31 – Bridgeport 18

Wheeling Update: Nailers are edged in Indy 1-0 as the Fuel win.

Video Highlights: AHL VideoCenter for you diehards.

Back at it Friday against Charlotte.

Let’s Go Pens!