Chirps from Center Ice

Thank god this “season” is over.

Never have I been more disinterested in a feeble of an attempt to play hockey. First, you only play four opponents, in front of no one, have a training camp delayed, other games delayed or rescheduled and then go in with an inexperienced team which is by some miracle a .500 team.

I really don’t feel like recapping this. Brett Brochu made his debut in goal for the Penguins in Hershey. He is the youngest player ever to play for the Pens at 18 years and some months. Hershey played a man short, were busted up and really it felt like a preseason game.

Hershey runs the Pens up to a 3-0 lead. Wilkes-Barre gets two back to make it a 3-2 game and make it interesting for a bit. They get in a few scuffles (more so than usual) and Hershey gets two more for a 5-2 final.

You expect better by coming and reading the blog, you really do and I didn’t give it to you this season because I just wasn’t interested. There would be several times this season I would just scan Twitter and half ass a game story off of that, vs. watching hem play this season. For that I apologize.

Better luck next year, I suppose. Hopefully under better circumstances.

Have a good summer.

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Much better effort the last time these teams met this past Sunday in a scrappy, tight affair.

Phantoms get a goal in the third to force overtime, but Kasper Bjorkqvist’s goal in overtime wins it for the Penguins in the second to last game of the season. Pens win 2-1 in overtime. They play in Hershey Sunday afternoon.

Here’s how they lined up.

https://twitter.com/bobrotruck/status/1393699068703125506?s=21

First Period: Jon Gruden on the back door past the half way point of the first on a nice feed by Nick Schilkey.

Pens outshot the Phantoms 13-6 in the period.

Second Period: No scoring, but there was this kick ass save by D’Orio in the dying embers of the period.

Third Period: Phantoms really poured it on, outshot the Pens 12-3 and Ryan Fitzgerald finished this one off to tie it at one.

Alex D’Orio has emerged as the goalie of the future for the Penguins. Remember Emil Larmi? Yeah, me either. Shane Starrett started hurt, played in a few games, got shelled and was never heard from again. Yes, Larmi, Starrett and D’Orio all played in front of this tinpot defense, but D’Orio made the best of a bad situation and has him set up as the #1 goalie come the Fall.

Overtime: About half way through, Bjorkqvist puts away the rebound of a Jordy Bellerive attempt. Ballgame.

Three Stars: 3) Alex D’Orio (23 saves) 2) Ryan Fitzgerald (goal) 1) Kasper Bjorkqvist (goal)

The Good: I think they have a good base of what will work and what won’t come the Fall.

The Bad: Have paid zero attention to the League this year, but the Penguins have not shutout a team yet this season. Almost had one tonight.

Turning Point: Overtime game winning goals are the easy obvious choice to Bjorkqvist’s goal gets it here.

Season finale Sunday afternoon in Hershey.

Let’s Go Pens!

Brennan Saulnier’s natural hat trick in the first period game the Lehigh Valley Phantoms all the momentum they needed as the Phantoms rolled past the Penguins 6-2 in Allentown Sunday.

Was out with my mother for a Mothers Day meal so didn’t catch any of the game. Doesn’t seem like the Penguins were competitive at all from the drop of the puck in this one. It happens. The season will be over in a week, with no playoffs really nothing to it.

The Hershey Bears could have won the division if the Penguins won today. They didn’t so the Bears have to wait.

Felix Robert and Josh Currie scored for the Penguins. Tommy Nappier stopped 20. His counterpart and thorn in the Penguins side Zane McIntyre stopped 29.

Penguins outshot the Phantoms 11-2 in the third. The Pens gave it away in the first and tried to get it back in the third. It didn’t work out that way with a good team like the Phantoms.

Back at it again in Allentown this Saturday before closing the books on 2021 in Hershey next Sunday.

Let’s Go Pens! Happy Mother’s Day!

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I’d like to thank Brad for the headline suggestion. Very creative.

Pens win their final home game of the 2021 season with a 4-1 win over Binghamton Saturday afternoon in the last ever game between the two cities. Seems like a no brainer win for the Pens, who were in control for a large part of the entire game.

Here is how they lined up:

The countdown is on! Take a look at tonight's #WBSPens lineup for tonight against the @BingDevils. pic.twitter.com/0ZBDky4NTq

— Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins (@WBSPenguins) May 8, 2021

The only change tonight is in net. Here's our projected lines against the Penguins! pic.twitter.com/fNAUQmGeWp

— Binghamton Devils (@BingDevils) May 8, 2021

First Period: They traded ten chances each. Devils had two power plays and the Penguins had one. Pens power play looked better than the Devils, for what it is worth.

Second Period: Pens break through when Nick Schilley comes screaming out of the penalty box at the net. Jon Gruden with the setup and it’s 1-0 Penguins about halfway through. 

#WBSPens GOAL VIDO – @Schilks007 puts the #WBSPens on the board. pic.twitter.com/GkVN8B9E4z

— Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins (@WBSPenguins) May 8, 2021

Tommy Nappier looked a lot more confident in net from last game as well, making some difficult saves look easy. 

Third Period: With the issue still in a little bit of doubt, Nick Schilkey slotted home his second of the game with a power play goal that made it 2-0. This seemingly put things out of reach for Binghamton, who weren’t going to come back after that.

In case there was any doubt, Anthony Angello turned on the jets and scored on a great individual effort that made it 3-0.

Napier’s would be shutout bid was broken up when Graeme Clarke came in on a three on one and beat the rookie from The Ohio State University to get the Devils on the board.

Binghamton immediately turned their goalie and Jon Gruden scored on the empty net to make it 4-1. A Gordie Howe hat trick for Gruden with a fight earlier as well as an assist.

Three Stars: 3) Tommy Nappier (22 saves) 2) Jon Gruden (goal, assist) 1) Nick Schilkey (two goals)

The Good: Binghamton is bad, but that was a good win.

The Bad: Nitpicking, but it would have been nice if they parked the bus late and tried to preserve a shutout for Nappier which would have been the first of the season.

They are back at it Sunday in Allentown against the Phantoms.

Let’s Go Pens! Stay safe.