Chirps from Center Ice

          vs.          

5                                              2

–

There is a lot to say about the headline tonight. I think that the way that the Crunch approach the gameplay against the Penguins gives Wilkes-Barre fits and they can’t seem to overcome.

After a two goal first, the Crunch use a two goal second to race away from the Pens Friday night in front of the first home crowd of the 2021 season and spoil the festivities by winning 5-2.

Emil Larmi opposed Chris Gibson. One goalie was fantastic, the other not so.

Here’s how they lined up:

Lineup Notes: Zach Trotman returned, replacing Billy Sweezy. Up front, Drew O’Connor replaced the recently recalled Radim Zohorna.

First Period: Pens had the only two power play opportunities of the period, but didn’t score. The story here was that seconds after each penalty was killed, the Crunch would score.

Gabe Fortier with this goal, which should not have happened this way.

😬😳

Later, the Crunch would score on a more conventional play, a drop pass to Sean Day and a hell of a shot.

On the power play, the setups were there but the finishes weren’t.

Second Period: Two goals within the games first five minutes and within approximately 70 seconds of one another were the Pens undoing.

Boris Katchouk with a snap shot which beats Larmi for a 3-0 Syracuse lead.

Then Sean Day again.

The defense was, um, not good? Can’t really put it all on Larmi really, but J.D. Forrest decided to make the change in net. In comes Shane Starrett.

Starrett settled things down from there, the bucket of cold water woke up the Penguins defense and they started to tighten up, but faces a steep hill to climb.

Tim Schaller got one back a couple minutes later to get Wilkes-Barre on the board.

Third Period: Penguins pepper Gibson for 17 shots in the third, allow Syracuse only 4, get two early power plays to try to set momentum, and come up with bupkis.

Drew O’Connor does get one to go on a four on three after tensions boiled over to get the Penguins to within two…

But Gibson and the Crunch made sure they didn’t get any closer.

Brady Keeper hits a long empty netter to seal it.

Three Stars: 3) Tim Schaller (goal) 2) Otto Somppi (two assists) 1) Sean Day (two goals)

I would have gave Christopher Gibson the second star. He made 39 saves.

The Good: Progress is a return to normalcy. I am not planning on returning until at least the Fall, but damn was it good to see live humans in the stands at the Mohegan Sun Arena at Casey Plaza.

The Bad: You can’t get boat raced 4-0 and expect to win. Not against any team and certainly not against the Syracuse Crunch.

Turning Point: Boris Katchouk’s goal early in the third set the tone and broke the back of the Penguins.

They are scheduled to play Sunday in Allentown, depending on what the Lehigh Valley situation is with COVID and how well they have it under control. Syracuse has their game with Utica postponed, so who knows, maybe the Pens return the favor and head to Syracuse Sunday. Stay tuned.

Let’s Go Pens!

Stay safe.

     @    

0                                        3

–

Six game point streak ends Saturday in Syracuse. A game where they waited for something to develop but instead got developed. Syracuse wins 3-0, getting all of their offense in the second period. Samuel Montembeault with a 37 save shutout. Emil Larmi Started and took the loss.

Lineup:

https://twitter.com/nafsnep/status/1370885056965849088

Lineup Notes: Felix Robert was back after missing the game on Monday, replacing Kyle Olson who replaced him Monday. The Pens sent goalie Shane Starrett to Wheeling earlier in the day.

First Period: Penguins held the Crunch to just one shot in the first 10 minutes of the period but the Crunch caught up on the shot board and it was 8-7 Penguins advantage through the end of the period.

Both teams had a power play and didn’t connect. In the paper tomorrow, you may see, “After a scoreless first period…” because there wasn’t much if anything to write about in the period.

Moving on…

Second Period: Syracuse came alive and scored three goals.

Daniel Walcott off a deflection of a long shot from the point.

Otto Somppi catches the defense flatfooted, is denied on his initial, but follows up for a rebound goal and it’s 2-0.

The Penguins are running around in the defensive zone and Ben Thomas scores.

Yikes.

Third Period: Things settled down from there, Crunch go into a defensive shell to preserve the lead and the Penguins, despite outshooting the Crunch 16-6 in the period, fail to score.

Three Stars: 3) Otto Somppi (goal) 2) Ben Thomas (goal, assist) 1) Sam Montembeault (37 saves)

The Good: They, again, held the opponent to under 25 shots. The Crunch had 22.

The Bad: Syracuse didn’t have the quantity of shots but quality is where it counts. This is a game that the Pens should have won after that first. Syracuse dressed 10 forwards and 8 defensemen. Syracuse was the team scrambling coming in, and it was the Penguins on the ice who were scrambling all game, notably in the second period.

Turning Point: You are either giving it to Daniel Walcott who got the Crunch on the board or Otto Somppi who broke the dam open. There are times in games hone you watch and you know you are at the point of no return. I think Somppi’s goal accomplished that, but your mileage may vary and it could have been Walcott’s.

So they get another week of practice to regroup fro Friday against Lehigh Valley.

Don’t forget to turn your clocks ahead.

Let’s Go Pens!

Stay safe.

          vs.          

4                                                 3

–

Seems like they are on the right track as a team. They would be OK I think for playoffs, but I don’t think there will be any this season, pandemic and all.

Phantoms win this one 4-3 in overtime on Ryan Fitzgerald’s overtime game winning goal. These two teams are nearly identical and every game is close. This game was no different.

Prior to the game, the Pittsburgh Penguins announced that forward Josh Currie, defenseman Josh Maniscalco, and goaltender Emil Larmi were being re-assigned to Wilkes-Barre and forwards Anthony Angello (NHL) and Frederick Gaudreau (WBS) and goaltender Maxime Lagace (AHL) have been re-assigned to the taxi squad.

So here is how they lined up:

Lineup Notes: Josh Currie for Freddy Gaudreau and the graphic is wrong, Kyle Olson was in for Felix Robert. Martin Brochu backed up Starrett.

First Period: Kind of a benign first, I’ll let Taylor show you what exactly happened in the period which put the Phantoms ahead 1-0.

Pens killed a Josh Currie kneeing penalty.

Second Period: Phantoms, blatantly offside, score to go ahead 2-0. Sam Morin walks through a pair of defenders and dishes to Garrett Wilson for a goal.

Rare that something that egregious goes uncalled. Eh, mistakes happen.

Penguins get the two goals right back when Tim Scahller pounds home a loose puck in the crease to bring them within one.

Penguins tie the game on a great workmanlike effort from Drew O’Connor to keep the Phantoms from gaining possession of the puck when there was a delayed call against Lehigh Valley. Josh Currie scores to tie the game at two.

Third Period: A lot like the first with some mundane, back and forth hockey, until Pascal Laberge scores after Shane Starrett made a pair of saves but the puck squirts into the slot and put in by Laberge to give the Phantoms a 3-2 lead.

Penguins would get a power play late and would cash on it against the Phantoms #1 penalty kill.

Josh Currie’s wicked shot stings McIntyre who makes the initial save but Tim Schaller is tracking the puck the entire time and whacks in the rebound.

Only the second power play goal against for the Phantoms this season.

Overtime: After a bit of back and forth, Ryan Fitzgerald scores his second overtime game winning goal.

Three Stars: 3) Drew O’Connor (two assists) 2) Tim Scaller (two goals, assist) 1) Ryan Fitzgerald (overtime game winning goal)

The Good: Point streak is still alive. It’s six games now.

The Bad: Should have won this one. They did seemingly everything right. Good on PK, scored against the top rated Phantoms PK and got a good game out of their third string goalie.

Turning Point: What else but Fitzgerald’s overtime game winner.

Pens will get a week of practice and travel Saturday to Syracuse.

Let’s Go Pens!

Stay safe.