Chirps from Center Ice

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I had this tweet after the end of the second period where the Penguins were leading 2-1.

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They say that the put away game is the hardest to win. The Wilkes-Barre / Scranton Penguins play their most concise game of the series and oust the Hershey Bears in four games in the Atlantic Division Semifinals and win 4-1. Sergei Murashov with a dazzling 37 save performance. Murashov is undefeated in Hershey.

The Penguins will take on the Springfield Thunderbirds in the Atlantic Division Finals, after the Thunderbirds dispatched the Macgregor Kilpatrick Trophy, 54 win Providence Bruins in four games 1-0 in overtime.

More on those fools in due time though.

Here’s how they lined up:

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Lineup Notes: Rafaël Harvey-PInard was injured in Game 3. Aaron Huglen took his spot up front. Finn Harding was in for Sebastian Aho on defense.

First Period: In an elimination game, if you are leading the series and want to put your opponent away, you better start on time.

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75 seconds in, that’s starting on time and Joona Koppanen is a punctual human being.

Boko Imama and Dalton Smith fought here with Imama swinging wildly, and Smith. getting the takedown. I don’t think anyone landed any punches.

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Hershey scores with 5.1 seconds left on a power play when Ivan Miroshnichenko ties the game at one.

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Second Period: Off the hop, Rutger McGroarty was denied at 1:18 on the breakaway while the teams were 4-on-4 after some end of first period shenanigans.

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Harrison Brunicke would make it 2-1 for the Penguins via a shorthanded goal.

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Here’s the setup. Avery Hayes and Rutger McGroarty come in on a two on one and don’t get the shot off, then Andrew Cristall works a give and go on a two on one for the Bears the other way but hits the post. Then Gabe Klassen works up the ice, puts a shot on which is stopped but there’s Brunicke for the rebound.

Whew.

It’s a developmental league for a reason folks. Harrison Brunicke was a mess in my opinion when he was here for his developmental stint earlier in the year but since he’s been back after his junior team was eliminated, he has grown leaps and bounds. He’s a wizard with the puck.

Wilkes-Barre has a late power play come and go but kept the pressure on.

Third Period: Ville Koivunen finishes off a beautiful play with Tristan Broz and Mikhail Ilyin to make it 3-1.

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Penalty filled period that favored Hershey. Wilkes-Barre didn’t do itself any favors with the penalties, albeit some were tacky tack. The Penguins get through it all okay however.

Then late, with Clay Stevenson pulled for the extra attacker, Gabe Klassen scores from about 175 feet an empty net goal that seals it.

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Three Stars: 3) Sergei Murashov (37 saves) 2) Harrison Brunicke (goal) 1) Aaron Ness (ceremonial, played a lot of playoff games for the Bears)

The Good: Buried their rival in four games. We don’t have to go to a Saturday game with our butts clenched. They are rounding into form, too. They came into the game prepared with an early goal, smothered their opponent and never looked back.

The Bad: This space for rent.

Turning Point: I want to give it to the collective penalty kill in the third period but that’s lame. The Koivunen goal gets it here.

Next Up: I’ll post the Atlantic Division Finals schedule once it’s finalized by the teams in a separate post. Sleuths on Twitter tell me it’s home in Wilkes-Barre Tuesday and Thursday, but it’s not official until it is.

Video Highlights: 

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Weekend Preview will be up Friday which I will riff on this past series, give you my thoughts on Springfield, and provide you with more NASCAR and soccer hot takes.

Let’s Go Pens!

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I had this tweet at some point during Game 3.

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That was because the Penguins jumped to a 2-0 lead only to see it evaporate and Hershey takes the lead. Hayes, who just had an empty net goal albeit an important one in Game 1, along with Rutger McGroarty, were no where to be found.

Fast forward to the final three minutes of regulation, and Avery Hayes scores to tie the game and force overtime.

Fast forward to 4:57 of the overtime frame and Rutger McGroarty’s goal has the Hershey Bears on the brink of elimination. Wilkes-Barre / Scranton wins 4-3. The Penguins can eliminate the Bears in Game 4 on Thursday.

My alternate headline was “Milk Cartons” if McGroarty and Hayes didn’t show up in the way that they did late. Milk does a body good.

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Here’s how they lined up:

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Lineup Notes: They shuffled the top three lines and left the Imama line untouched and took Finn Harding out of the lineup for Chase Pietila.

First Period: Phil Kemp pounced on a loose puck left in the slot and scored at 3:15 to give the Penguins a quick 1-0 lead.

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Then the Penguins played some Harlem Globetrotters with a series of passes that ended on the tape of Mikhail Ilyin who scored at 6:16 to make it 2-0 Penguins.

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But here come the Bears.

Ivan Miroshnichenko scores right at the halfway point of the period and it’s a 2-1 game.

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But I think this play was offside.

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You are looking at the puck at the top of the screen and the Bears skater in the middle of your screen. Looks offside to me by parallax is a funny thing.

Hershey would get the only power play of the period and the Penguins would kill it, but Hershey would keep the momentum. Bogdan Trineyev scores to tie the game at two.

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Second Period: Last thing you want to do is see the opponent score in the first minute.

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Brett Leason is developing into a stone in the shoe.

Penguins had the only power play in the period and were not able to score on it. Avery Hayes was open near post and had a gaping net to shoot into and the pass came to him in the skates.

Wilkes-Barre outshot the Bears 10-7 in the period but it would have been 5-2 Hershey if it weren’t for Sergei Murashov’s efforts in net.

Third Period: Avery Hayes had a bit of an eventful period. He hit the post early on and at full speed it looked like a goal but the in house replays clearly showed low iron and no goal.

Wilkes-Barre had to sweat through a penalty kill with one of their best killers Joona Koppanen in the box but got through it cleanly.

They were chasing, and chasing, and chasing, and chasing a goal and out of a time out with a hair over 3 minutes remaining and Sergei Murashov vacated for the extra attacker the aforementioned Avery Hayes scored to tie the game.

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A few spikes of hairiness to the final whistle but it was off to…

Overtime:

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(I got tired of waiting for Coal Street to post the video on a work night so I did it myself)

The Bears fans in attendance were irate at the fact that the goal was not reviewed. Hershey has literally every angle covered with multiple angles for replays, but what they don’t have (or show) is the overhead. The fans in attendance were sure that the goal should not have counted.

Enter Hershey play by play man Zack Fisch.

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So there’s that, and this….

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Three Stars: 3) Ivan Miroshnichenko (goal) 2) Brett Leason (goal) 1) Rutger McGroarty (overtime game winning goal)

The Good: Snatched victory from the jaws of defeat. I mean I realize it’s not supposed to be easy, but don’t make it harder if that makes any sense.

The Bad: I’m starting to question who the better team is here and I wasn’t at the start of the series.

Turning Point: The McGroarty goal is the obvious answer here.

Video Highlights:

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Ice Chips: Game 4 goes Thursday from Hershey and you can expect the best from the Bears in the hopes they force the decider here Saturday at 6:05….I still don’t think Wilkes-Barre has played its best game of the series yet….they don’t give MVPs this early in but Sergei Murashov gets my vote here. He’s literally dragging them through the series….I would still try to find room for Raivis Ansons if I am Kirk MacDonald but as I have say for years, I don’t coach them, I just blog about them.

Talk to you Thursday.

Let’s Go Pens!

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Well, now it’s a series.

Hershey takes Game 2 by a 2-1 score Saturday night in Wilkes-Barre.

I told you in the Weekend Preview that Herhsey goaltender Clay Stevenson had the potential to steal a game if not the series. He stopped 36 of 37 shots, including 21 in the third period after an all out barrage by the Penguins in the third period after trailing 2-0, and now it’s an even series heading to a pivotal Game 3 Tuesday in Hershey.

Wilkes-Barre did not start on time, with just three shots on goal in the first period and in a period where they were awarded a very early 4:00 double minor power play.

Hershey scored in the first period on their power play off of a Brett Leason goal and then Bogdan Trineyev scored after a big stop by Stevenson on Aidan McDonough moneys before. McDonough would extract his pound of flesh in the third at 1:12 to jump start what ended up being a too little, too late onslaught by the home team.

That’s basically it. The game teetered on the brink of an all out mess but in the end I think that Ben Betker and Adam Tobias did a good enough of a job to not turn it into a slop fest.

Here’s how they lined up:

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Lineup Notes: Aaron Huglen and Raivis Ansons out for Boko Imama and Tanner Howe up front and Chase Pietila out for Finn Harding.

Here’s the goals starting with Leason’s power play marker than made it 1-0.

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Came off of a Finn Harding high stick call.

Penguins take two silly penalties to open the second period, get the kill but the Bears started to run down hill and Stevenson was dialing in. Finally he comes up with a huge blocker stop on Aidan McDonough and then Bogdan Trineyev scores to make it 2-0.

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The Penguins get exactly what they needed in the third period with a McDonough goal at 1:12 to bring the Penguins to within one.

But that is as far as they would get. With Sergei Murashov pulled late, they would never find the equalizer.

Three Stars: 3) Clay Stevenson (36 saves) 2) Ilya Protas (two assists) 1) Bogdan Trineyev (goal)

The Good: Play like they played in the third period and the series is theirs.

The Bad: Play like they played in the first two periods and the series is Hershey’s.

Turning Point: The 4:00 double minor early set the tone. They didn’t score, Herhsey kills it off easily and then starts to roll a bit and shut down the Penguins in the first period offensively, get a goal and then Stevenson locks down the rest.

So Kirk MacDonald pretty much has to go back to Ansons and Huglen for Game 3. Imama and Howe are nice, but they are one dimensional and essentially the same player. For whatever reason I didn’t like Sebastian Aho’s game either, but the line with Howe and Imama really stood out. Maybe keep Howe in and swap Imama for Ansons.

Video Highlights: 

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Talk to you Tuesday for Game 3.

Let’s Go Pens!

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Wilkes-Barre / Scranton takes Game 1 of the Best of Five Atlantic Division Semifinals by a 4-2 score Thursday night. Game 2 is set for Saturday at 6:05.

If you watched, you likely walked away thinking that the Penguins were the better team. I can’t fault you for that, but the 20% that they weren’t the better team the visiting Hershey Bears took advantage and scored. The Penguins tooth and nailed it for a large portion of the third period before an Avery Hayes empty net goal finally sealed the deal.

Sergei Murashov was dialed in. They scored a power play goal off the stick of Owen Pickering. Aidan McDonough, as he has done throughout the season, scored a goal. Atley Calvert got the party started with an early first period goal.

I didn’t think they played a full sixty minutes Thursday but they still managed to win a Calder Cup Playoff game, their first playoff win since 2022. What will Game 2 bring Saturday? Were they happy with their effort in Game 1?

I guess we find out in less than 48 hours.

Here’s how they lined up…

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Lineup Notes: Tanner Howe and Boko Imama served their one game suspensions. I thought Kirk MacDonald did a great job in swapping in Aaron Huglen and Raivis Ansons. Tough lineup decisions for him here come Saturday. What I didn’t agree with was on defense, where Finn harding took warmups but didn’t dress. Alex Alexeyev took his spot, but that’s deserved. You find room for a guy like Harding in my opinion.

First Period: Just 3:01 in, Atley Calvert scored on this snipe that made at 1-0 early for Wilkes-Barre.

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Rutger McGroarty missed a breakaway chance when his shot went off the post.

I didn’t like the final five minutes at all from Wilkes-Barre’s perceptive. Sergei Murashov was dialed in, though.

Second Period: Aidan McDonough passed on his first chance to shoot but didn’t on his second and scored at 5:17 to extend the lead to 2-0.

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I sound like a broken record, but where would we be without Aidan McDonough?

Mikhail Ilyin was hit up high by Ivan Miroshnichenko and on the ensuing power play for the Penguins, Owen Pickering scored to make it 3-0.

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If you are thinking that the Penguins would turn into a runaway train at this point, think again.

A minute and change later, Ilya Protas scores through a screen and it’s 3-1 as Hershey gets on the board.

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The Penguins sweated through a power play and Sergei Murashov again was pressed into action and came up big with some timely stops.

Third Period: Said this at the time…

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1:09 later, Henrik Rybinski on a breakaway and it’s a one goal game.

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How, in the hell, does that happen?

Bears, the next shift come in two on one but don’t score.

Teams trade power plays, no dice.

With time dwindling, I didn’t like whatever strategy they were employing in protecting the lead. Not a lot of offense, but enough defense I suppose to keep the Bears from tying the game.

With Clay Stevenson vacated, Avery Hayes scores an empty net goal.

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Bingo.

Three Stars: 3) Sergei Murashov (31 saves) 2) Alex Alexeyev (two assists) 1) Owen Pickering (goal)

The Good: Bend but not break against an opponent I think they are better then top to bottom. If the Bears would have somehow won the game after the Pens were up 3-0, that’s a momentum killer and a totally different series. Didn’t happen though. Up 1-0 with a chance to put the Bears in a deep, deep hole come Saturday.

The Bad: For the love of god can we get competent linemen that can drop the puck the proper way? John Rey was battling it all night. Anyway, they have to tighten up. If they are to last past this round, the competition only gets tougher. Would this effort work in a Conference Final? I’m not so sure.

Turning Point: It’s the Pickering goal that gets it here. You cannot overcome a 3-0 hole against a team that had 101 points in the regular season.

Video Highlights: 

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Game 2 goes Saturday. See you then.

Let’s Go Pens!

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I’m in.

Last year, and the year before, the Wilkes-Barre / Scranton Penguins shutout their opponent on the last regular season game.

They were bounced by the Lehigh Valley Phantoms in the First Round the following week.

Not this year.

Not only is Lehigh Valley not going to be their first round opponent, the Penguins have a first round bye and the Phantoms were eliminated from playoff contention.

An 8-0 win over a Rochester team that needed to win in order to punch the final playoff ticket in the Calder Cup Playoffs? This game meant more to the Americans than it did to the Penguins. Sure, a 100 points on the season would have been cool, but it’s about keeping your nose clean and not getting anyone hurt or suspended.

More on that in a minute, but the Penguins absolutely curb stomped a listless Americans team that had no answer for anything that essentially nine forwards threw at them for sixty minutes.

Avery Hayes was lost due to injury in the first. I think it’s precautionary, but you be the judge here…

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Boko Imama (abuse of officials) and Tanner Howe (5 and a game for a cross check to ex-Penguin Jack Rathbone) were given game misconducts.

So it’s nine forwards and an avalanche of goals.

I’m a believer.

They finish the season with 101 points which just two other teams, Providence and Grand Rapids, can lay claim to and maybe Ontario, depending on a later game. The Penguins have been the class of the league consistently from the jump. There isn’t a team in the Eastern Conference that can touch them five on five. This was evident Saturday against Rochester.

That makes them favorites in any series.

We will know tomorrow who plays who 3 through 6 in the Atlantic, but I don’t think it matters. The Penguins will be favored until they aren’t.

I’ll put my predictions together Sunday evening and fine tune things for a debut probably Tuesday or Wednesday, depending on the schedule but if there’s one thing that they got out of me after a showing like this Saturday it’s this.

I like their damn chances.

Here are all the goals, cause why the hell not. But first, they lined up like this…

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Lineup Notes: Aidan McDonough, Gabe Klassen and Boko Imama for Aaron Huglen Daniel Russell and Ryan Miller up front. On defense it was the same as Friday, but the pairings shuffled.

I think it’s the lineup, or close to it, you see Game 1.

Okay here are the goals.

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McGroarty was FLYING all night. They go as he goes, I get the feel of.

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Power play humming or is Rochester’s penalty kill just that bad?

Avery Hayes was hit at around the 7:19 mark. Beau Halkidis and Cole MacDonald completely lost control of the game. What did I tell you about Halkidis Friday? Pair him with a guy like Morgan MacPhee and they look great. Put him in charge as head ref and you have this dogs breakfast of a penalty slop fest.

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I don’t think you get any lower of an angle there for a goal. Again, McGraorty was FEELING it.

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You get Tristan Broz running down hill and it’s curtains for the other team.

Here’s your turning point….

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Tanner Howe assessed a 5:00 major for cross checking which carries an automatic game misconduct. Rochester power play looking to get back into it. Owen Pickering just crushes what little life they had in them and it’s a runaway train after that.

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Harvey-Pinard has stayed healthy and is an underrated asset this team has that makes them dangerous.

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Koivunen too. This is a ten headed monster of a hockey team. Again, they were right there in front of me and I refused to buy in. I’m in already.

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This was at the goal that did it. Harvey-Pinard from his stomach, deflects a goal. I’m in.

The only question was whether Sergei Murashov, who seemed like a non-factor, would get a shutout.

Rochester only put two shots on him in the third. He got his shutout. 27 saves.

Three Stars: 3) Rafaël Harvey-Pinard (two goals) 2) Rutger McGroarty (two goals, assist) 1) Sergei Murashov (27 saves)

The Good: 101 points. Testament to Kirk MacDonald and his coaching strategy. He pressed the right buttons, the team stayed overall healthy and they have a bye. Shutout their opponent on the final regular season game is a cherry on top of an almost perfect regular season.

The Bad: Beside the health of Avery Hayes, my percentages with predictions suck, but we will talk to you Tuesday or Wednesday with them anyway. Blind guesses are Four, Five, Six and Five. Caveat Emptor.

Around the Division: Providence does not set the AHL record for best ever regular season team after Utica beat them 4-2. Utica is done at 71 points, tied with Rochester now who head to Hershey Sunday. The Amerks need just one point to claim the final spot. If not, then Utica gets in. Hershey loses 2-1 to Bridgeport dropping the Bears to the sixth spot. They cannot catch Bridgeport at fourth and that means the Islanders are locked in at four. Springfield is also done, winning 4-3 over Hartford. Hershey needs a point to bump Springfield to the six. More on this tomorrow. I may pop in with a Sunday blog.

Lehigh Valley shutout Charlotte 2-0 in other action.

Standings: Providence 110 – Penguins 101 – Charlotte 91 – Bridgeport 76 – Springfield 72 – Hershey 71 – Lehigh Valley 68 – Hartford 60

Wheeling Update: The Nailers lose 4-3 to the Indy Fuel. The Nailers, much like the Penguins, didn’t have anything else to play for this weekend. Kelly Cup Playoffs start next week.

Video Highlights: 

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Talk to you soon. Maybe Sunday. If not, early next week with the Calder Cup Playoff Prediction.

Let’s Go Pens!

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So they dressed as good a lineup I think that you will see save for one or two guys and beat Bridgeport 4-1 in the franchises final regular season meeting but I don’t think that was the headline of the evening.

It’s the play of Joel Blomqvist.

Now the sixth win in a row for Blomqvist, and Kirk MacDonald I think has some real decisions ahead of him. Who starts Game 1 of the Atlantic Division Semifinals in a few weeks? A case can be made for both Blomqvist or Sergei Murashov. I think it will be Murashov but I have more confidence in Blomqvist, if that makes any sense.

All the heavy hitters for Wilkes-Barre scored Friday. Avery Hayes on the power play, Ville Koivunen, Finn Harding and a returning from injury Tristan Broz.

Blomqvist stopped 25 shots.

Here’s how they lined up. Bridgeport didn’t post lines. I hope Hamilton next year does.

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Lineup Notes: Aidan McDonough, Gabe Klassen, Raivis Ansons, Atley Calvert and Boko Imama were out for a returning Tristan Broz (injury) Rutger McGroarty, Avery Hayes, Rafaël Harvey-Pinard, Ville Koivunen and Joona Koppanen (NHL recalls) as they went back to 12 forwards / 6 defensemen. On defense Alex Alexeyev, Broten Sabo, Quinn Beauchesne and Scooter Brickey came out for Phil Kemp, Owen Pickering and Sebastian Aho.

First Period: Out of the gate they took two penalties, but navigated them clean. Finn Harding made a move around a guy and scored to put them on the board at 8:27, then Avery Hayes scored a power play goal on a full five on three called against the Islanders for two separate penalties that happened concurrently and then Ville Koivunen scored with :18 left in the period to make it 3-0.

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Second Period: There was a proposal during a stoppage and I am coming around to the belief that these are staged. They have to be. You are proposing to your girlfriend in an arena / ballpark full of strangers for attention, when it really should be about her and her only. I for one, just don’t know.

Anyway, future AHL Hall of Famer and Bridgeport legend Chris Terry stabbed one across the line in an overall sleepy period for both teams as the Islanders got on the board.

(no GIF here, heard the social media team was packing up for the move to Canada)

Third Period: Tristan Broz scored in his return that made it 4-1 and that means free coffee!

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No penalties after the first period. Beau Halkidis sometimes makes it about him but Morgan MacPhee is a good ref, so it’s a great pairing. Halkidis will be here Saturday.

Three Stars: 3) Joel Blomqvist (25 saves) 2) Tristan Broz (goal, assist) 1) Ville Koivunen (goal, two assists)

The Good: I don’t know if it was a message sent, but the Islanders are a favorite I think in my book to make it out of the first round, and it’s possible that they see the Penguins again at some point.

The Bad: I didn’t like the Broz penalty just :15 in and the Aho hold a few minutes after that. I’m waffling on how far I think the Penguins go in the playoffs. 5 on 5 there’s not a team in the AHL that can touch them, at least over here in the East. I’ll get into the numbers probably Sunday, but if you get into a special teams battle with this team you can beat them. It’s the same thing all the time with this team but I suppose if you boat race your opponent to the tune of three goals in the first, a lot of the warts are covered up.

Turning Point: I think the Koivunen goal gets it here.

Around the Division: Hartford comes back and beats playoff bound Springfield 7-5….Utica beats a resting Providence Bruins team 4-1. The Comets must win out and Rochester must lose out for the final playoff spot in the North Division. That means Rochester’s playoffs start tomorrow in Wilkes-Barre, if they already didn’t start tonight at home in Cleveland (where they lost 2-1) so get ready. The Penguins want 101 also. No, not the amount of players that have played for them this season (although it seems) but 101 points, which is what they can max out at.

Standings: Providence 110 – Penguins 99 – Charlotte 91 – Bridgeport 74 – Hershey 71 – Springfield 70 – Lehigh Valley 66 – Hartford 60

Wheeling Update: The Nailers lost 5-2 in Toledo.

Video Highlights: 

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More tomorrow for the regular season finale then the real fun begins.

Let’s Go Pens!

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You had a desperate Hershey Bears team that received reinforcements and still hadn’t punched a playoff ticket against a Wilkes-Barre / Scranton team that has nothing to play for as a second seed in the Atlantic Division.

One team dressed an experienced team that needed to win to maintain a playoff hope and another team that dressed three kids making their AHL debuts.

Results typical, Penguins lose 5-1.

I mean it was competitive to start with the Penguins outskating the Bears at times in the first, a fluke goal late gave Hershey a 1-0 lead going into the second period.

There, just :19 in, the Bears are awarded a power play which they cash in on and then before you know it, they add a third to turn it into a run away.

Atley Calvert scored the lone goal for the Penguins, Hershey added two empty net goals to make the score seem bigger than it seemed.

That’s essentially it. I’ll give you the lineups and then the goals that mattered and then I’m out of here

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Lineup Notes: Forwards Rafael Harvey-Pinard, Avery Hayes, Ville Koivunen, Joona Koppanen and Rutger McGroarty were reassigned earlier in the day but obviously didn’t play. Sergei Murashov was named to the 2025 AHL All-Rookie team. Coal Street signed another Michigan State Spartan to an ATO, Brady Peddle, who is a Pittsburgh draft pick. Kyle Dubas loves Sparty and some B1G hockey players.

From last game, Harvey-Pinard and Nolan Renwick out at forward. Ryan Miller made his pro debut off Aaron Huglen at center. On defense it’s Broten Sabo and Quinn Beauchesne (pro debuts) and Scooter Brickey in for Owen Pickering and Sebastian Aho.

Here’s the goals…

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Refs took a long look on replay but ruled it good.

Here was a fantastic save from Clay Stevenson in the first period of a scoreless game.

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Not shown, but lineman Tommy George came to collect the puck from Stevenson and Stevenson forced him to give him dap on a great save. I thought it was hilarious.

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The Strome goal here is your turning point. No coming back from three against this Bears lineup with this Penguins lineup.

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Not for a lack of effort, but the Penguins limited Herhsey to just five shots in the third.

(two were empty netters)

The Good: No one got hurt.

Around the Division: Springfield pounds Lehigh Valley 7-1 and with this, eliminates the Phantoms from the playoffs. Springfield and Hershey are your two final playoff teams from the Atlantic Division. Bridgeport beat Hartford 5-2 in other action.

Standings: Providence 110 – Wilkes-Barre 97 – Charlotte 91 – Bridgeport 74 – Hershey 71 – Springfield 70 – Lehigh Valley 66 – Hartford 58

Wheeling Update: The Nailers were off.

Video Highlights: 

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More Friday after the Islanders drop by. Look for an even more inexperienced lineup, if I had to guess.

I don’t think anyone got hurt, so it’s a win in the end.

Let’s Go Pens!