Chirps from Center Ice

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The New York Mets are my favorite baseball team.

They are very bad.

One of the reasons they are very bad is because they get great pitching, but since the pitchers can only pitch (they got rid of the designated hitter a few years ago) all they can do is watch when their lifeless offense loses game after game for them by scores of 2-0, 1-0, 3-2, 4-1, 3-1, and so on.

Tonight, it was a 2-1 setback for the Wilkes-Barre / Scranton Penguins AHL hockey team and Joel Blomqvist was on the hill (or in the net) for the Penguins.

He played tremendous, stopping 29 shots, some of them of the high difficulty range, but he can only stop the pucks and can’t generate offense.

Tonight, he could have been on the hill in Queens and I wouldn’t have been able to tell the difference. Well, maybe, it’s a high probability I was in my pool that afternoon. My pool is a girl ice cube now in this forever Winter that we are in..

Checks calendar…Winter doesn’t start till Sunday you say?!? Bollocks!

Here’s how they lined up:

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Lineup Notes: Raivis Ansons for Nolan Renwick up front, Matt Dumba playing in his first AHL game in 10 years for Scooter Brickey on defense. Add Sebastian Aho to the injured list. 

First Period: Penguins had a golden opportunity with :38 of a two man advantage but failed to score. 

Late, Kai Schwindt takes a pass from teammate Hunter St. Martin and scores to put the Checkers up 1-0 with under two minutes to play. 

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You’re thinking, like I was at the time, “Oh Schwindt, here we go again.”

(sorry, had to)

Second Period: Two things of substance occurred here. First, a routine puck gets back to Joel Blomqvist. Matt Dumba tracks it back and Blomqvist comes out to play it. Dumba zigs instead of zags and it ends up on the tape of Nolan Foote who scores into an empty net, essentially. 

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Then, the Penguins had 1:35 of two man advantage and after a time out, failed to score. 

Third Period: Joel Blomqvist bails his team out by pitching a ground ball in a bases loaded situation and turns a double play. No, sorry, he stops a Ben Steeves penalty shot with 11 minutes to play in the period with the Mets Penguins still chasing two runs goals. Finally Phil Tomasino takes a spin-o-rama pass from Rafaël Harvey-Pinard and scores to get the Penguins on the board.

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But that was all the offense they could muster. With Blomqvist pulled for the extra attacker, they did not find the equalizer, nor do I think they registered a shot on goal.

Three Stars: 3) Phil Tomasino (goal) 2) Kai Schwindt (goal) 1) Nolan Foote (goal)

I am sorry, but Joel Blomqvist deserved a star.

The Good: Joel Blomqvist. He kept them in it and gave his team a chance to win.

The Bad: They did not win and now Providence has two games in hand on the Penguins.

Turning Point: Look to the over two minutes of five-on-three advantage that the Penguins had and failed to score on.

Around the Division: They all watched us. 

Standings: Penguins and Bruins 39 – Charlotte 30 — Lehigh Valley 29 – Herhsey 27 – Hartford and Bridgeport 22 – Springfield 19

Wheeling Update: Nailers were off. 

Video Highlights: Trust me, what you needed to see is highlighted above.

Regroup, get ready for the first three in three weekend with a home and home against Utica starting Friday in Utica and then aa home Sunday game against Hershey. Weekend Preview sets it all up for you Friday morning around lunchtime.

Let’s Go Pens!

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So the Charlotte Checkers lost 4-0 to the Hershey Bears Saturday night and the Hershey Bears lost twice to the Providence Bruins Wednesday and Friday and the Penguins beat the Bruins in overtime on Saturday.

Looking at all of that, you would think that the Wilkes-Barre / Scranton Penguins would cream a Charlotte Checkers team that came into Sunday afternoon in fifth place in the Atlantic Division and 13 points behind the Penguins.

Wrong.

A 6-2 Charlotte thrashing of the Penguins who were out of it from the drop and thanks to Filip Larsson, would have probably lost by ten or more.

Wait, what? Larsson was the one giving up all those goals you big bald oaf! Technically, yes, but you are wrong if you blame him for the loss. Did he let the Checkers get 37 shots off? No. That’s the defenseman’s job. Did he take four penalties? No, but the Checkers did score two power play goals.

You could have put Marty Brodeur in net for the Penguins today, with the way that they played as a unit, they were not winning the game.

So the moral of the story? There are no scheduled wins in the AHL.

Charlotte is a good team. They are structured, but the standings place shows otherwise. There is a team in Grand Rapids, Michigan that have a 22-1-0-1 record. That one regulation loss? It was the Checkers that beat them. Maybe it’s a style thing, where they play better against better competition. Don’t get me wrong, the Penguins are a great team, but they are prone to clunkers. Hershey two weeks ago. Charlotte Sunday. When they are bad, they are bad.

Anyway, let’s move this along. Here’s how they lined up:

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Lineup Notes: Raivis Ansons and Zach Gallant out for Rafaël Harvey-Pinard and Nolan Renwick. I’m glad that whatever it was that kept Harvey-Pinard out Saturday was minor. On defense, Scooter Brickey replaced Sebastian Aho. Coal Street recalled recalled David Breazeale from Wheeling earlier in the day. Matt Dumba should debut for the Penguins on Tuesday.

First Period: You could feel it. They were being outshot 7-2 and Larsson was holding the fort. Then they get a goal from William Dufour and you think that they can just turn it on and turn it off like truly elite teams do.

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Second Period: Chase Pietila gets absolutely worked by by Gracyn Sawchyn and the Checkers score.

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Sick backhand. Larsson didn’t have a chance.

Jack Devine and Robert Mastrosimone scored power play goals. Devine’s goal came on a five on three and Mastrosimone’s came off of a bonehead Penguins too many men penalty.

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Phil Tomasino tips in a Chase Pietila shot to bring the Penguins back within two and you think that we aren’t going to take it anymore and the epic come back is on, right?

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Wrong!

Brian Pinho scores :40 later and re-establishes the Checkers two goal lead.

https://twitter .com/CheckersHockey/status/2000330380415832526

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Third Period: Ryan McAllister scores :47 in and that buried the Penguins for good. Think Carol putting pavers over Helen’s grave in Pluribus buried.

(Charlotte didn’t GIF up the third period goals)

Wilmer Skoog scored the sixth goal to pile on.

With the Penguins net empty Owen Pickering takes a tripping penalty which just turned a bad game worse fro the defensive corps. Particularly, I thought Pickering was bad. This guy is an NHL defender? I ain’t seeing it and haven’t been seeing it for a while.

Three Stars: 3) Trevor Carrick (two assists) 2) Jack Devine (goal, assist) 1) Robert Mastrosimone (goal)

The Good: I turned 47 today and don’t feel old. I have a VO2 Max in the low 50s per my Apple Watch and as long as that stays higher than my age, I will take it.

The Bad: My favorite professional sports team let me down on my big day in a big way.

Turning Point: Pick one. The. back to back power play goals or the Skoog goal :47 into the third.

Around the Division: Bridgeport wins in overtime in Belleville 4-3. That was it.

Standings: Penguins and Bruins 39 – Lehigh Valley 29 – Charlotte 28 – Herhsey 27 – Hartford and Bridgeport 22 – Springfield 19

Wheeling Update: Nailers were off.

Video Highlights: I doubt you will want to see these. VideoCenter is the best bet.

They rematch with the Checkers Tuesday at 7. You should hope for a much different result.

Let’s Go Pens!

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Man, what a game.

A 2-1 Wilkes-Barre win in overtime over the visiting Providence Bruins which snaps a Bruins 13 game win streak at Mohegan Arena at Casey Plaza. First win for the Penguins over the Bruins since December 2019.

It’s a, “fight forever” feel between these two teams because they are so evenly matched and equally talented. The fact that they play in the same division and only play four times a season is a joke. Trim some off the Lehigh Valley’s for us and the Hartford and Springfield’s for the Bruins and let’s get after it.

Here’s how they lined up…

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Lineup Notes: Sam Poulin was traded to Edmonton with Tristan Jarry. As a result, Sergei Murashov went up while Stuart Skinner figured out his immigration. Matt Dumba cleared waivers and was assigned to the AHL.

Rafäel Harvey-Pinard and Alex Alexeyev are injured.

Alex Gallant and William Dufour went in for Harvey-Pinard and Nolan Renwick, Daniel Laatsch, who was recalled from Wheeling was in for Alexeyev.

First Period: No scoring. Colin Felix fought Boki Imama, John Farinacci took a puck off the back of the head from his teammate Ty Gallagher and starting goaltender Michael DiPietro took himself out of the game favoring a leg ailment. Enter Simon Zajicek who stopped 28 of 29 the night before in Hershey. In a stark contrast to Wednesday in Hartford, it was the Penguins who put up 20 shots in the period.

Second Period: Avery Hayes finally let loose the teddy bears that the patrons were clutching in angst watching these two Goliaths. skate up and and down the ice.

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But Providence returned fire in kind about two minutes later when Riley Tufte scored a power play goal that tied it up at one.

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The Penguins found themselves in penalty trouble and it nearly came back to bite them on more then one occasion.

Third Period: The Bruins has thought they had scored but referee Riley Brace was emphatic that they did not due to interference on Joel Blomqvist. Joey Abate made contact with Blomqvist that negated the Bruins goal.

A few close calls but then it was off to…

Overtime: Bruins possessed the puck for 90 seconds, Penguins get it back and immediately score. Phil Tomasino set up Valtteri Puustinen streaking off the bench for the game winner.

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Three Stars: 3) Simon Zajicek (34 saves) 2) Vatteri Puustinen (overtime game winner) 1) Joel Blomqvist (24 saves)

The Good: 50 shots against a really good team like Providence is great, shows that they are aggressive. Great teams manage to get those shots to go in and luck was on the Penguins side Saturday.

The Bad: The Bruins have a two headed monster in goal in DiPietro and Zajicek. One is as good or better than the other and you don’t want to see DiPietro out long term. Beat these idiots at their best.

Anyway, the bad – they were gangbusters in the first period, Zajicek comes in cold and they can’t get anything off on him.

Turning Point: Great game that chased it all night but it’s Puustinen’s goal that gets the distinction.

Around the Division: Bridgeport beats Laval in Quebec 2-1…Springfield beats Utica 3-2….Hershey shuts out Charlotte 4-0…Syracuse thumps Hartford 7-2…Lehigh Valley needs a shootout to beat Rochester 2-1 in a shootout.

Standings: Penguins and Bruins 39 – Lehigh Valley 29 – Herhsey 27 – Charlotte 26 – Hartford 22 – Bridgeport 20 – Springfield 19

Wheeling Update: Nailers lose 3-1 up in Glens Falls to the Adirondack Thunder 3-1.

Video Highlights: 

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More tomorrow after Charlotte. It’s my birthday tomorrow, so the game story will likely be delayed because after I am going to eat my age in sushi. Have I mentioned how much I detest Sunday home games?

Let’s Go Pens!

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Legitimately don’t know what is left for Sergei Murashov to do in the AHL anymore.

He faces a proverbial Hartford firing squad in the first period and stops all 20 shots put his way and puts his team in position to win. He stops 34 total Wednesday night as Wilkes-Barre wins 3-0 in Hartford.

I don’t think it would be wise putting Arturs Šilovs on waivers and still can’t see anyone taking on Tristan Jarry’s albatross of a contract, so it’s a good thing to have with Murashov here.

But for the first period though, the Penguins were the better team. Again, it’s the goaltender doing what is asked of him and more putting the team in front of him in position to win the game.

Here’s how they lined up – the Wolf Pack didn’t post lines.

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Lineup Notes: They returned to the standard 12 F / 6 D setup. Joona Koppanen, Boko Imama and Nolan Renwick were in for Danton Heinen (recall) and Raivis Ansons (scratch) – Sam Poulin went up but was sent back from Pittsburgh and was in the lineup. On defense, Finn Harding was back in.

First Period: The Wolf Pack put 20 shots on Sergei Murashov in the period, the most that they have faced in a period this season, but the Penguins net minder was more than up to the challenge. The Penguins only mustered 6 shots and killed two penalties successfully.

Second Period: The Penguins somehow manage to get two goals in the period from Phil Tomasino and Avery Hayes. Phil Tomasino took a nice pass from Owen Pickering and then got a step on the defense and scored and then Rafäel Harvey-Pinard put one on the tape of Avery Hayes and Hayes got in on a breakaway and scored on Spencer Martin. Here’s the goals.

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Sergei Murashov stayed dialed in during the period in case you were wondering.

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Third Period: I wanted to see if Hartford would make a move here and as I was waiting for that to happen Avery Hayes’ shot is blocked right to Aidan McDonough who scores to make it 3-0.

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Guess not.

Valtteri Puustinen hit the left post, Finn Harding hit the left post with Spencer Martin vacated in a Hail Mary attempt by Grant Potulny to get his team three goals in three minutes. The only question remained whether the Wolf Pack would get one, but Murashov made sure that didn’t happen. Murashov himself tried for the empty net, but his attempt was intercepted by former Penguin Derrick Pouliot.

Three Stars: 3) Phil Tomasino (goal) 2) Avery Hayes (goal, assist) 1) Sergei Murashov (34 saves)

The Good: Sign of a great team is what you saw in the first period. They are getting throttled on the shot board on the road to the tune of twenty shots in the first period on a Wednesday night in Hartford, Connecticut. They make the necessary adjustments and get two goals to give them breathing room in the second, let their goalie fine tune and get a breather then get a third and turn it into a runaway. I don’t know how high the ceiling is with this team. That’s a good thing.

The Bad: Power play went 0/2. It’s nitpicking.

Turning Point: Pick the 20 saves Murashov made in the first or maybe the McDonough goal in the third. Not enough has been said about McDonough’s efforts recently either. Another sign of a great team is scoring threats at more then just one line.

Around the Division: The Providence Bruins keep pace and still have a game in hand on the Penguins after a 3-1 win in Hershey….Charlotte shuts out Cleveland 4-0.

Standings: Penguins 37 – Providence 36 – Lehigh Valley 27 – Hershey 25 – Charlotte 24 – Hartford 20 – Bridgeport 18 – Springfield 17

Wheeling Update: Rare loss for the Nailers who lose 3-2 in Reading.

Video Highlights: You know where to go.

Enjoy the Friday off and we will talk to you Saturday after the Providence game on Teddy Bear Toss night.

Let’s Go Pens!

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A team effort in Hershey on Saturday night sees the Wilkes-Barre / Scranton Penguins add another to the win column with a 4-1 result on Saturday night.

Another power play goal? You bet!

Solid play from Joel Blomqvist? Uh huh, he stopped 27 and only got beat on a seeing eye shot from the point through a mess of bodies.

Dogged determination that turned a tight game into a laugher? Yes, sir.

They are rolling here in mid-December. You want to see this continue.

Here’s how they lined up…

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Lineup Notes: Zach Gallant took warmups but was the scratch. Logan Pietila was the seventh defenseman.

First Period: Much like last the night before against the Phantoms, a period which featured few whistles.

A Brett Leason seeing eye shot through a ton of bodies beat Joel Blomqvist and gave the Bears a 1-0 lead.

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Second Period: Garin Bjorklund was making some insane saves and was getting some insane luck. He faced a firing squad, then the Bears drew a penalty and I thought here was the turning point. Hershey would score and that would bury the visiting Penguins.

Wrong.

Rather, the Penguins would kill the penalty and finally crack Bjorklund with a shot from Phil Tomasino which was stopped, but Valtteri Puustinen was there to knock in the rebound. This was all setup by a massive stop on a breakaway from Joel Blomqvist.

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So it. looked like we had a bit of a goaltender battle heading into the…

Third Period: Wilkes-Barre gets a goal :58 in from Valtteri Puustinen that leaks through Bjorklund then at 2:11 Gabe Klassen sniped one in that made it 3-1. Hershey didn’t know what hit them.

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The Penguins locked down from there. Blomqvist locked in also, stopping just 6 shots in the period. It was a methodical clinic from the Penguins on the road.

Oh, and Aidan McDonough added a power play goal that made it 4-1 to throw some added salt in the wound.

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Three Stars: 3) Phil Tomasino (two assists) 2) Valtteri Puustinen (two goals) 1) Joel Blomqvist (27 saves)

The Good: They kept beating the doors in on Bjorklund and while the Bears goaltender did play well and probably deserved a better fate, the better team won the game. Never say die attitude and keep shooting.

The Bad: I’m not going to nitpick anything in particular here. I wonder if the seven defensemen was a way to insulate Brunicke, but he’s out of here Sunday, St. Ivany too, as their conditioning stints are over. Brunicke was okay Saturday, but I still ain’t seeing it.

Turning Point: That opening two minutes in the third was what did it here. Blomqvist was dialed, and it was nice to get some run support.

Around the Division: The Providence Bruins needed overtime to dispose of the last place Springfield Thunderbirds and won 4-3 in overtime….Lehigh Valley needed overtime to beat the last place in the North Division Utica Comets 3-2…Charlotte beats Rochester 4-3 in overtime and Bridgeport roughed up Hartford 6-2.

Standings: Penguins 35 – Providence 34 – Lehigh Valley 25 – Charlotte 24 – Hershey 23 – Hartford 20 – Bridgeport 18 – Springfield 15

Wheeling Update: Nailers win Game 2 against Greensboro 3-1 Matty De St. Phalle had a goal and an assist. Taylor Gauthier stopped 22.

Video Highlights: AHL VideoCenter is your likely best bet.

I’ll have the Weekend Preview for you here Wednesday before the road game in Hartford. Check it out then.

Let’s Go Pens!

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The Aiden McDonough – Tristan Broz – Avery Hayes line had three goals and five assists in a 6-2 win over the Lehigh Valley Phantoms Friday night.

This isn’t accounting for Danton Heinen who had a goal and an assist, and Sam Poulin who had the same.

The Penguins continue their mastery of the Phantoms and retake the Atlantic Division lead over idle Providence.

Here’s how they lined up…

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Lineup Notes: Tristan Broz, Danton Heinen, Alex Gallant and Raivis Ansons in for the recalled Boko Imama and Rutger McGroarty and the scratched Nolan Renwick and William Dufour up front and Sebastian Aho for Logan Pietila on defense.

First Period: They went over ten and a half minutes without a whistle. It was refreshing to see the action go uninterrupted like that.

Sam Poulin late knocked in a rebound of a Harrison Brunicke shot that hit the post and it was 1-0 Penguins…

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Aiden McDonough had a puck ricochet off of his stick in his defensive zone and Tucker Robertson scored to tie the game at one.

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Second Period: Penguins net a power play goal when an Avery Hayes shot is rebounded and put in by Tristan Broz for a 2-1 Penguin lead.

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Danton Heinen hack and whack job off of starting Phantoms goaltender Aleksei Kolosov and it’s 3-1…

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And then Avery Hayes knocked in a puck while falling over and it’s 4-1 Wilkes-Barre…

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Hayes, with all this offensive power around him, played an angry game Friday and was really good on every corner of the ice I thought.

Sergei Murashov was tested, but stopped all nine shots faced in the period.

Third Period: Devolved a bit into a thug fest, with no actual fighting, with six unsportsmanlike conduct 10 minute penalties assessed by referees Alex Lepkowki and David Elford with kept things to a slow simmer when the game got out of reach for the Phantoms. Atley Calvert scored to make it 5-1, Anthony Richard scored again against the Penguins to make it 5-2, then Aidan McDonough scored a power play goal to make it 6-2. Here they all are.

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Three Stars: 3) Tristan Broz (goal, assist) 2) Aidan McDonough (goal, two assists) 1) Danton Heinen (goal, assist)

The Good: Thought Hayes deserved a star here. Maybe the 10 minute misconduct had something to do with it? Power play scored twice and the penalty kill was a perfect 4/4.

The Bad: Harrison Brunicke will likely be heading back to juniors. He can’t play in the AHL because he’s too young. He is only here because of semantics and a conditioning stint and a wrinkle in the rule. He’s too careless with the puck, turns it over a ton and isn’t doing anything to show that he’s an NHL caliber player. Don’t look at the boxscore. The three assists mean nothing when you play on a team that is in first place in a tough division and put up a million goals a night. You or I could likely get an assist here or there too.

I’m not picking on the kid, I want them all to succeed, I just don’t see him sticking around in Pittsburgh once he gets called up at the end of his stint on Sunday.

Turning Point: That three goal output there in the second period buried the Phantoms deep.

Around the Division: Rochester doubles up the Checkers down in North Carolina 6-3….Hartford beats Springfield 5-2….Utica beats Bridgeport 5-1.

Standings: Penguins 33 – Providence 32 – Lehigh Valley 25 – Hershey 23 – Charlotte 22 – Hartford 20 – Bridgeport 16 – Springfield 14

Wheeling Update: The Nailers host the Greensboro Gargoyles, a division opponent, for three games this weekend in West Virginia. I would get tired of the same opponent three straight games in three straight days but such is life in the ECHL. Nailers take Game 1 by a 3-1 score.

Video Highlights:

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Back at it Saturday night in Hershey. More then.

Let’s Go Pens!