Chirps from Center Ice

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Two sides to this one, a 5-4 Penguins win against the Hershey Bears and the first home win for Wilkes-Barre / Scranton since January 9 of this year against the Utica Comets.

The one side says that take this game and throw it away. Nothing that you can take from the third game in three days for both teams facing off against the backups, Justin Peters for Hershey and Brian Foster for Wilkes-Barre. Both backups were virtual sieves in the first period, a period that saw seven goals. Put it this way, it’s a different game for Wilkes-Barre if Tristan Jarry starts tonight and a different game for Hershey if Dan Ellis started the night.

The other side says that no matter what, a response was needed from the team in Northeastern Pennsylvania. Maybe you throw away the final score and take the Penguins reaction in the games first ten minutes of this one, a Patrick McGrath fight with Liam O’Brien :08 in, two goals for each team and no easy space for either side as something out of it. After getting thrashed in Hershey the night before, firing a limp 14 shots on Bears nets on Saturday, the Wilkes-Barre / Scranton Penguins got the jump on the Hershey Bears from within the first ten seconds of the game and sent a message that they were not going to take the Bears smashing them up and down the ice and that if Hershey was going to win the game, they would do so bruised and bloodied.

It was an exciting game. Probably the most exciting game under the Clark Donatelli Era. The Penguins were prepared and reacted to everything.

It was the aforementioned Brian Foster against Justin Peters.

The braintrust at Coal Street did GIFs of the Penguins goals so they will run in this recap. Jump though.

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You will look at this scoreline only and think, “Fire Donatelli!”

Nope.

Okay, then. You look at this scoreline and think, “Foster, right?”

Nope. Try again.

Out of ideas? Okay. I will help you.

The Wilkes-Barre / Scranton Penguins fire a meek 14 shots at the net tended by Hershey starting goaltender Dan Ellis and get blown away by the Bears by a score of 6-2. Carter Camper had a goal and two assists, Nathan Walker scored twice. Dustin Gazley had a goal and an assist. I couldn’t work Garrett Mitchell’s name into the blog headline for some reason. I will try and do better the next time.

The Bears also connected three times on the power play. Just the second time this season the Bears have done that.

Tristan Jarry started the game and was opposed by Dan Ellis. Both goaltenders started least night, so expect Justin Peters for Hershey and Brian Foster for the Penguins tomorrow.

Jump through to see all my amateurish videos of the goals and read the game story…

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You knew that the trade for Dustin Jeffrey on Monday would have immediate implications on the Wilkes-Barre / Scranton Penguins going forward.

Two assists for the former now current Penguin, two goals by Dominik Simon, a 35 save shutout by Tristan Jarry, his fourth of the season and second against Lehigh Valley and the Wilkes-Barre / Scranton Penguins roll to a methodical 3-0 win over the Lehigh Valley Phantoms Friday night.

Jarry snapped an eight game losing streak.

He opposed Anthony Stolarz.

Lines were…

Kael Mouillierat – Dustin Jeffrey – Dominik Simon
Mattias Plachta – Carter Rowney – Tom Kostopoulos
Tom Sestito – J-S Dea – Ty Loney
Anton Zlobin – Jarrett Burton – Patrick McGrath

Reid McNeill – Niclas Andersen
Tim Erixon – Steve Oleksy
Reid O’Neill – Barry Goers

Tristan Jarry – Brian Foster

Lineup Notes: Josh Archibald was recalled to Pittsburgh with the injury to Kevin Porter. Porter had ankle surgery today and will be out till mid-June. Both Beau Bennett and Eric Fehr are close, so Archibald may be back sooner rather than later…Patrick McGrath was back in the lineup for the first time since February 13…Mattias Plachta, Barry Goers and Dustin Jeffrey all made their Wilkes-Barre debuts…Conor Sheary is day to day with an upper body injury.

First Period: Pens couldn’t do anything with an early power play. A line of Dustin Jeffrey, Carter Rowney, Tom Kostopoulos, Kael Mouillierat and Will O’Neill came out first. Then the Phantoms took over and outshot Wilkes-Barre 10-3 at one point. Then the Penguins after a media timeout got their sea legs. The line of Jeffery, Mouillierat and Simon had a dangerous shift…

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But Stolarz was up to the challenge.

But Stolarz later had a puck handling gaffe and never really touched the puck when Jeffrey bore down, took it off of him and passed to Simon who scored.

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This note from Russ Hryvnak:

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And one from Seth:

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The Penguins were faced with a challenge going forward. That was playing with a and protecting a lead.

Second Period: The Dustin Jeffrey Effect was nearly immediate, as he threaded a pass directly through Phantoms defenders and straight to the tape of Kael Mouillierat who had defenders draping him and backhanded a shot on Stolarz. The Phantoms net minder made the save but the chemistry with Jeffrey and his line mates was boiling.

Pens killed two consecutive penalties. Jarry was under fire and made a save in the splits. You could feel Wilkes-Barre biting at a second goal. But Jarry was pressed into another save in a mass of Phantoms defenders with a fluttering, bouncing puck:

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Game was settling into a goaltender duel. With the mass of shots being presented at Tristan Jarry, you had a feeling that one goal would not do it for the Wilkes-Barre / Scranton Penguins.

The Penguins third line came through.

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That was J-S Dea, scoring his second goal in three games, providing the insurance heading into the…

Third Period: 1:28 into the period, Simon tacked on his second of the game. Just watch where Simon lets go of that backhand shot…

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It was Simon’s ninth multipoint game for the Penguins.

Phantoms outshoot the Penguins 10-8 in the period but Wilkes-Barre just methodically closed off all serious threats at Phantoms potential scoring chances and made it easy on Jarry.

Three Stars: 3) J-S Dea (goal, +1) 2) Tristan Jarry (35 save shutout) 1) Dominik Simon (two goals, +2)

Around the Division: The Hershey Bears maintain their lead on the Penguins in the division with a 3-1 win up in Binghamton…Springfield loses 7-3 to Rochester in Western New York. Ex-Penguin Matia Marcantuoni was a -2 in that affair…Providence gives up two goals late to have Bridgeport tie it then Bracken Kearns scores on a penalty shot and the Sound Tigers stun the P-Bruins in Rhode Island by a score of 4-3 in overtime…Syracuse beats Portland 3-1 up in Maine. Hartford was off.

Standings: Hershey (.655 percentage points) — Penguins (.640) — Portland (.591) — Providence (.580) — Bridgeport (.568) — Hartford (.526) — Lehigh Valley (.500) — Springfield (.438)

Wheeling Update: Cody Wydo had a hat trick, Tyler Biggs scored a goal as did James Melinda acquired in the Jeffrey trade and the Wheeling Nailers roll the Reading Royals by a score of 7-4. The two teams rematch tomorrow in Reading.

Here is the postgame infographic from Coal Street:

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Pens are in Hershey tomorrow. A regulation win by Wilkes-Barre puts them on top of the Atlantic Division again. Have to think that Brain Foster gets that game in goal though. Who knows. Gameday setup for that will be on the blog Saturday at 3.

Let’s Go Pens!

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Tristan Jarry faced a firing squad today. They wore white Providence Bruins jerseys and shot 50 pucks at him Sunday afternoon.

The Wilkes-Barre / Scranton Penguins did not allow the top rated Providence power play unit to score with the man advantage today, scoring twice shorthanded. The Penguins had two shorthanded goals scored all season coming into this game.

The Penguins came up short this afternoon and lose 3-2. It was an effort that, but for all the shots in the first period, the Penguins could have came out on the better end of.

Tristan Jarry vs. Zane McIntyre

More videos in this postgame so if you didn’t link in direct, hit the jump to see the rest.

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This was a game that the Wilkes-Barre / Scranton Penguins had to have. Plain and simple.

The Penguins came into Springfield owning the Falcons, beating them eight straight times before. You looked at the schedule of games this weekend on Wednesday afternoon after getting crushed by Hershey the night before and put all of your money on this game tonight as one that the Penguins would easily win.

Well, I have some bad news for you. The Penguins lost tonight by a score of 5-2. Springfield captain Craig Cunningham had a natural hat trick and Phil Lane added two more goals.

I have determined that the problem is one part coaching and one part player attitude. There is no one on a consistent basis that stands out for the Wilkes-Barre / Scranton Penguins anymore on a nightly basis. It used to be Conor Sheary, Scott Wilson and Bryan Rust but those players are in Pittsburgh now. In Wheeling, a team that is pillaged by recalls equally as bad as the Penguins, they battle. They continue to win. Those players want it. There has not been a single player in the past few weeks that has stood out to me as a player in danger of a recall. Not one. Carter Rowney, Tom Kostopoulos and Sahir Gill are all AHL contracted players. They call can’t carry the load night in and night out. You have guys like Josh Archibald and J-S Dea that are just “bodies” and not players or difference makers. You have excellent goaltending in Tristan Jarry that’s wasted because players coast. I am going to start calling it the, “Wilkes-Barre Mentality” of just put the uniform on and expect that the other team is going to lay down before you and hand you the win.

It doesn’t work like that, sadly. Everyone wants the big time. No one wants to work for it.

Anyway, gamer with video highlights is after the jump. Caveat Emptor.

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First impressions are lasting ones. It’s an old saying. In an important weekend for the Wilkes-Barre / Scranton Penguins with the Hershey Bears dangerously breathing down the necks of the Penguins, a strong start to a five game road trip beginning with a three in three starting in Portland, Maine was key to keeping the Penguins at the top of the Atlantic Division.

It took a shootout this time, but the five game losing streak is over. The Wilkes-Barre / Scranton Penguins defeat the Portland Pirates by a score of 3-2 in a shootout.

It was Matt Murray vs. Mike McKenna in goal in what turned out to be a classic battle between an old lion in McKenna and a young lion in Murray.

Lots of video highlights in this one again as I am working on my terrible video edit skills. So please, jump through if you didn’t link in direct.

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The Wilkes-Barre / Scranton Penguins are in free fall mode.

With top scorers on recall to Pittsburgh, a goaltending department rife with question marks about the immediate future of the status of Matt Murray in Wilkes-Barre and line juggling around the dynamic trio of Carter Rowney, Tom Kostopoulos and Sahir Gill, it seems like the Lenguiks can’t get out of their own way when it comes to things.

So the wrong team showed up as the opponent tonight in the second place Hershey Bears.

The Bears beat the Penguins 4-1 and draw dangerously close to dethroning the Penguins for tops in the Atlantic Division.

Tristan Jarry vs. Dan Ellis

Lines were…

Anton Zlobin – Kael Mouillierat – Dominik Simon
Sahir Gill – Carter Rowney – Tom Kostopoulos
Josh Archibald – J-S Dea – Ty Loney
Tom Sestito – Jarrett Burton – Matia Marcantuoni

Reid McNeill – Steve Oleksy
Niclas Andersen – Dave Warsofsky
Tim Erixon – Will O’Neill

Tristan Jarry – Brian Foster

Lineup Notes: Matt Murray was not seen tonight. He was re-assigned Monday and it was expected that he would start but that wasn’t the case. Obie tweeted pregame that he was ill…Matia Marcantuoni was back in the lineup after missing the last 8 games…Patrick McGrath took warmups but was scratched.

First Period: Bears jumped out to a quick 1-0 lead when Nathan Walker snapped a shot through the legs of Steve Oleksy and past the five hole of Jarry for a 1-0 Hershey lead. Penguins couldn’t capitalize on two power plays in the period and couldn’t cash on a nice penalty kill. Carter Rowney had a memorable dash up the ice with a dangle that didn’t pay off. Pens started to match the Bears chances.

Second Period: Pens had to kill a penalty to start the period and the Bears used nice passing to set up Travis Boyd in from to double their lead. Then Reid McNeill hauled down Jakub Vrana and referee Geno Binda awarded a penalty shot. It was a penalty, but a clear penalty shot? I’m not so sure. Regardless, Riley Barber took the penalty shot, snaked in, and well…

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After that, the Penguins started to skate with purpose, Carter Rowney picked his corner…

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Pens continued to skate with purpose, continued to pressure, Ellis was forced into some saves but Liam O’Brien then took a puck 180′ down the ice, with David Warsofsky in close pursuit, but O’Brien managed to get a backhander off and score to make it 4-1.

Feeling at the time was that the air was let out of the tires a bit. Pressure and make it look like you are going to battle back from two goals down and you are back to three.

Third Period: Bears didn’t let the Penguins get any closer. Pens matches them chance for chance but were trailing three goals. Of note, Sahir Gill left the game with what appeared to be a lower body injury.

Three Stars: 3) Carter Rowney (goal, even)  2) Dan Ellis (26 saves on 27 shots) 1) Riley Barber (goal, assist, +2)

Around th Division: They all watched us.

Standings: Penguins (.651 percentage points) — Hershey (.636) — Portland (.588) — Providence (.577) — Bridgeport (.575) — Hartford (.528) — Lehigh Valley (.500) — Springfield (.433)

Wheeling Update: The Nailers were off. They host Greenville on Friday.

I’ll post an infographic and any video highlights later if I see them.

Let’s Go Pens!