Chirps from Center Ice

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Worried that the Penguins spent it all trying to defend a 5-0 lead against a rushing Providence Bruins team in Game 7 Wednesday?

Worried that a rested St. John’s team would run a Penguins team that just got into Newfoundland 24 hours ago?

You don’t have to.

[tweet https://twitter.com/AHLPR/status/470321556376530944]

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Make it 12-2, after the Wilkes-Barre / Scranton Penguins win Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals tonight in St. John’s by a score of 3-2.

Game 2 goes Sunday at 6 p.m. Wilkes-Barre time, in St. John’s.

Peter Mannino vs. Michael Hutchinson

Lineup Notes: Bombulie blogged yesterday that Reid McNeill, Andrew Ebbett and Nick Drazenovic are out for the first two games for the Penguins. From what Mike O’Brien said on the radio today on pre-game, it sounded to me that the trio will be ready for Game 3 in Wilkes-Barre on Wednesday. Mike Carman was in for Nick Drazenovic, Bobby Farnham was scratched again for the Penguins. For the IceCaps, Captain Jason Jaffray returned from injury as he missed Game 6 vs. Norfolk last round.

First Period: Brian Gibbons cuts down the ice and centers a pass to Chuck Kobasew who gets a stick on it to give the Penguins a 1-0 lead.

IcedCaps really poured it on after the Kobasew score. Ex-Bear Andrew Gordon scores when the Pens had problems tracking the puck from behind Mannino’s net. A couple of chances for both teams after that, Kobasew swings and misses on a knee-drop one timer then the IceCaps hit a post.

Second Period: Conor Sheary cuts in and gets a shot in on Hutchinson, then tracks his own rebound and whacks it in for a 2-1 Penguins lead. Penguins were outshooting the IceCaps 7-0 at one point. Later, Spencer Machacek tracks a puck on his own wall and centers it to Tom Kostopoulos cutting in and Kostopoulos scores to give the Penguins a 3-1 lead.

Third Period: Penguins took penalty after penalty after penalty, but managed to keep the IceCaps off the board on the power play.

Four on Four though was a different story. Andrew Gordon scores off of a face-off on the James Neal Play™ to cut the deficit to one for the IceCaps. This period was all St. John’s it seemed, a polar opposite of the second period where it seemed like the Penguins controlled the pace.

Adam Payerl shattered a pane of glass trying to bank a puck out and there was a seven minute delay. I tweeted at the time an open question as to who I thought the delay would favor, the trailing IceCaps or the leading Penguins?

Turns out, in the end, it benefitted the leading Penguins as with Hutchinson pulled the IceCaps never found the equalizer.

Three Stars: 3) Brian Gibbons (assist, +1) 2) Andrew Gordon (two goals, +2) 1) Tom Kostopoulos (game winning goal, even)

Ice Chips: Andrew Gordon, the ex-Hershey Bear, is 7-3-10 against the Wilkes-Barre / Scranton Penguins in his postseason career….Conor Sheary has a seven game point streak going.

SendToNews Highlights: IceCaps do it right, YouTube!

[youtube http://youtu.be/wzNkWoNeLQ0]

Game 2 goes Sunday evening at 6 p.m. local time. You’d love to bring home a 2-0 lead back to Wilkes-Barre if you are the Penguins. Expect the IceCaps to come out guns blazing tomorrow night. My Gameday setup will hit the blog at 2 p.m.

Let’s Go Pens!!!

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It was almost, “Destination Implosion” or, “Charlotte Redux”

After going up 5-0 on the first six shots in 7:16 of the second period, the Wilkes-Barre / Scranton Penguins were rolling. They had just chased Bruins goaltender Niklas Svedberg and scored on on Malcolm Subban and it looked like there was nothing that could stop them. Nothing.

Then, David Warsofsky scores a shorthanded goal in the final minute and it was all of a sudden 5-1.

It’s cool, we got this. Penguins fans and media all across the American Hockey League were penciling in the Penguins names as the opponent for the St. John’s IceCaps.

These eyes have witnessed the Charlotte collapse in 2011. The Penguins were up 3-0 in the third period and lost 4-3 and were out of the playoffs just like that. I dubbed that loss, “The Collapse That Will Live in Infamy.” — you can read about it here. I will take that collapse with me to my grave.

It nearly happened again tonight.

:23 into the third period, Ryan Spooner rips a far wrister from Plymouth and it goes in. 5-2.

Providence started to push, push, push.

Out of a media timeout, Alex Khokhlachev scores. It’s 5-3.

Time out Hynes. Settle down guys. There’s still plenty of time left, but we pride ourselves on defense and goaltending. Play some.

Philip Samuelsson gets whistled for interference. Providence power play.

Hello, Khoko! It’s 5-4. Scramble in front. Khokhlachev had a wide open net. It’s 5-4.

10:05 left. Stunned. This cannot be happening. I do not believe my eyes.

Finally, it settles. But not before Mannino gets handcuffed on a shot and two Bruins whiff at shots ticketed for the net behind the Wilkes-Barre netminder.

Tick, tock. Tick, tock.

Zac Dalpe…Chris Terry… Brent Sutter… Chubby Checker……

Whistle during play. What is it? Bruins caught for too many men. Penguins power play. 4:02 left. Get one here and it’s put away forever.

Tom Kostopoulos, the lifeblood of this team, stoned point blank by Malcolm Subban. Bruins kill it. Then, Philip Samuelsson takes a slash.

Zac Dalpe….Chris Terry… Brent Sutter….

The Penguins needed the penalty kill of their 15 year franchise.

Last minute.

Brian Gibbons eats an Alexander Khokhlachev high stick. 4:00 penalty for high sticking. Faceoff in the Providence zone with 14.1 seconds left.

Chubby is in the car, driving away. Zac Dalpe, Brent Sutter and Chris Terry slip quietly into the night again.

There would be no meltdown. The Penguins narrowly defeat the Providence Bruins by a score of 5-4 tonight. They will face the St. John’s IceCaps in the Eastern Conference Finals beginning Saturday in St. John’s, Newfoundland.

Make no bones about it, the Penguins nearly lost this game and depending on what sect of fan base you talk to, may have deserved to have lost this game. But five goals to comeback from is nearly an insurmountable lead to comeback from at any level. The Providence Bruins nearly accomplished just that.

After a scoreless first period, where the Pengiuns outshot the Bruins 10-3, then exploded for five goals in the second period.

Anton Zlobin coasted down the right side and threw a shot on net that banked in off of Chris Casto’s skate for a 1-0 lead.

The Penguins would score on a power play when Nick Drazenovic set up Conor Sheary on the near post who stuffed it in to make it 2-0 Penguins.

Bruins would call a timeout. Adam Payerl would get interfered with then Anton Zlobin would take a hooking call. Jayson Megna would score to make it 3-0. Before anyone knew what happened, Brian Gibbons would score to make it 4-0 after he got away and slipped one under Svedberg’s pads.

Malcolm Subban would relieve Svedberg in net. The Penguins just scored four goals in 5:35.

Craig Cunningham would get called for goalie interference. Brendan Mikkelson would fire in a shot from the blue line that would go in to make it 5-0.

Harry Zolnierczyk was denied on a wraparound shot that Subban got a toe save on. Conor Sheary and Adam Payerl came in two on one that Subban made a glove save on. That was the last great effort that I remember in the game for the Penguins.

I tweeted this:

[tweet https://twitter.com/nafsnep/status/469273902779482113]

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Turns out I was right. But not too right this time like in Game 6 of this series.

Now the Penguins have two days to get ready to fly to St. John’s and take on an IceCaps team that is rested and has home ice advantage.

Here is the schedule:

Eastern Conference Finals – Series “M”
4-St. John’s IceCaps vs. 6-W-B/Scranton Penguins 
Game 1 – Sat., May 24 – W-B/Scranton at St. John’s, 6:00 
Game 2 – Sun., May 25 – W-B/Scranton at St. John’s, 6:00 
Game 3 – Wed., May 28 – St. John’s at W-B/Scranton, 7:05 
Game 4 – Thu., May 29 – St. John’s at W-B/Scranton, 7:05 
*Game 5 – Sat., May 31 – St. John’s at W-B/Scranton, 7:05 
*Game 6 – Tue., June 3 – W-B/Scranton at St. John’s, 6:00 
*Game 7 – Wed., June 4 – W-B/Scranton at St. John’s, 6:00 
    *if necessary… All times Eastern

Here is what the blog schedule will look like leading up to Game 1 Saturday in St. John’s…

Thursday: Chart refreshes for the Penguins and the IceCaps. As soon as I get those together I will tweet them then blog about them later.

Friday: Series Preview against St. John’s. The IceCaps are an experienced club. They have names like Jason Jaffray, Andrew Gordon and Jerome Samson. Michael Hutchinson is their goalie. The IceCaps don’t have a two headed goaltending monster like Providence had. It’s going to be a great series.

The other series is Texas and Toronto. I have Texas as the favorite to win it all in the West and the Marlies haven’t lost a playoff game yet, sweeping the Milwaukee Admirals in Round 1 and the Chicago Wolves in Round 2.

Coal Street will cut up the video highlights and I’ll edit accordingly Thursday. Here they are…

[youtube http://youtu.be/_4H1JoKdNZU]

The Penguins got to the halfway point in their pursuit for their first ever Calder Cup on seven cylinders and a flat tire. With the dismissal of the Bruins, Griffins, Wolves and Admirals in Round Two, the American Hockey League will have a first time champion crowned again for the second season in a row with the Stars, Marlies, IceCaps and Penguins still alive. After two thrilling series, the Penguins are only at half way and the best is yet to come.

More Thursday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday and beyond.

Let’s Go Pens!!!!

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We will be fine.

I don’t want to hear about “.6” or how the referees are getting paid off to put the screws to the Penguins. Get out of here with that garbage.

We will be fine.

The Wilkes-Barre / Scranton Penguins were defeated tonight in Game 6 by a score of 4-1. They threw everything at Bruins starting goaltender Niklas Svedberg but were unable to get anything past him except for a late, with counterpart Peter Mannino pulled, extra attacker goal by Conor Sheary (who else for the Penguins?) to put the lone blemish on Svedberg who was far and away outstanding. He stopped 36 of 37 shots tonight.

Bruins were without the services of Joe Morrow tonight and really looked like a decimated team, with all of the manpower loss. Justin Florek and Zach Trotman are the other horses for this Providence team that are out with injury. They are also a team that plays great with their backs against the wall, as evidenced in last series vs. Springfield, a series where they were down 2-1 to the Falcons and rallied all the way back to take that series in five games.

So you give John Hynes and company two days to prepare for a winner take all Game 7 against a team that has holes at a lot of positions with a team that just got healthier with the return of Philip Samuelsson. I like my damn chances.

Svedberg played his best game of the series tonight. Shots were 22-7 at one point. He stopped everything and was outstanding. Can he do the same in less than 48 hours against a team on the same cliff as his, that just spent the better part of those 48 hours reviewing video and adjusting?

I guess that is why they play the game. Anything can happen in Game 7.

Dominik Uher, Bobby Farnham and Philip Samuelsson were in for Mike Carman, Josh Archibald and Barry Goers, respectively. Nick Drazenovic took the place of Adam Payerl.

Shots in the first period were 14-5 Penguins. They looked to finish the Bruins early, but Svedberg was on point.

Second period had this, before the bottom fell out:

Then, the bottom fell out….

A bad pinch by Simon Despres on the wall led to that rush by Khokhlachev.

Pens got a power play when the Bruins were caught with too many men but the Bruins killed it, later force a turnover at center ice on Jayson Megna, Khohkhlachev works some fancy passes to Bobby Robins, fresh off of a three game suspension and it’s 2-0.

Before all of this happened, Bobby Farnham appeared to have scored on a Cory Kane-esque hack and whack job that won it for the Bruins in Game 4. Referee Darcy Burchell ruled that Svedberg was pushed in the net with the puck and immediately washed it out.

You’ll get no argument from me by telling me that if that goal was allowed to stand, tonight’s outcome would be a little different.

Bruins cash in they third period on a carry over Philip Samuelsson slashing call with :03 to go in the second and make it 3-0. Ryan Spooner found Alex Khokhlachev at the net front. Khokhlachev made a move and scored to extend it to 3-0 for the Bruins. They locked things down from there. Sheary got his extra attacker goal with Mannino pulled. Ryan Spooner scored into an empty net to seal it late.

Three stars were 3) Conor Sheary (goal, even) 2) Niklas Svedberg (36 saves on 37 shots) and 1) Alexander Khokhlachev (two goals, assist, +1)

SendToNews Highlight package is here. The Farnham disallowed goal still comes at around the :45 mark. Simonelli for Providence pushes Svedberg into his own net, but ref Burchell wasn’t looking or had intent to blow. One of the two.

Let’s hope that this game isn’t a reverse of what happened in last years Game 6 with this very same team.

I don’t think it will be. I keep my sanity by constantly telling myself what Patrick Williams once said. That is, that if winning a Calder Cup were easy, we’d all have one.

Game 7 is Wednesday.

We will be fine.

Let’s Go Pens!

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No late game heroics this time.

With 1:07 left in the third period, Providence Bruins head coach Bruce Cassidy decides to pull starting goaltender Malcolm Subban in favor of an extra attacker.

The Providence Bruins manage to pump three hard shots towards starting goaltender Peter Mannino.

They were all blocked. There would be no late second heroics this time. Not today.

The Wilkes-Barre / Scranton Penguins are coming home for Game 6 up 3-2 in the best of seven series with a chance to close out the Bruins Monday night after defeating the Providence Bruins 3-2.

Peter Mannino vs. Malcolm Subban.

Lineup Notes: Lots for Wilkes-Barre. Dominik Uher, Bobby Farnham and Nick Drazenovic all out for the Pens while Spencer Machacek, Josh Archibald and Mike Carman were in for the Penguins. For the Providence Bruins, they dressed 11 forwards and 7 defensemen tonight as Justin Florek was out with an upper body injury.

First Period: Penguins had two power play chances, but failed to score on them. Providence was awarded a power play and Ryan Spooner scored from the same spot he did with .6 second left in the third period yesterday. It would turn out that Craig Cunningham got a stick on the puck on the way in.

Then the Penguins got two goals in the span of 1:47.

The first one was a Spencer Machacek setup to Harry Zolnierczyk on the far post to even the game at 1-1.

Conor Sheary had a two-on-one opportunity with Jayson Megna. Sheary has been the best player of the series. He showed some chemistry with Megna but Megna lacked finish. The Pens would go back on the power play.

:05 later. Josh Archibald would cash in on a rebound to put the Pens up 2-1.

Second Period: P-Bruins outshoot the Pens 14-5 and Tyler Randell snakes around a fallen Mannino to tie the game at two.

Third Period: Penguins opened with some jump in the opening. Subban was facing a large number of shots. Penguins would go on the power play but Providence got all the chances shorthanded.

Later, Jayson Megna cuts to the net and Anton Zlobin puts the puck in for a 3-2 Penguins lead.

Penguins would go back on the penalty kill. During the power play that ensued for the Bruins, ex-Penguin Joe Morrow was hit hard and left the ice. The Bruins have been decimated by injury this series. Losing Morrow, one of their better defensemen would hurt them.

Penguins would get the kill, ice it, Subban would be pulled for the extra attacker and the Bruins would never find the equalizer.

From the AHL’s “Morning Skate” from earlier, the team that wins Game 5 in the best-of-seven series goes on to win the series 80.8% of the time.

Three Stars: 3) Tyler Randell (goal, +1) 2) Anton Zlobin (goal, +1) and 1) Peter Mannino (31 saves on 33 shots)

Game 6 goes Monday night from Wilkes-Barre with a chance for the Penguins to close it out.

I’ll probably have my “soon to be famous” chart refresh later Sunday afternoon / evening. Check me out then.

Let’s Go Pens!!

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The Wilkes-Barre / Scranton Penguins were .6 seconds away from a 2-1 win in Game 4 and a 3-1 series lead.

Instead, Ryan Spooner’s Hail Mary shot from the top of the far circle goes in and beats Penguins goaltender Peter Mannino. Review confirms the call and it’s a tie game.

Then in overtime, Cory Kane’s shot at 6:31 of overtime goes past Peter Mannino and instead of a 3-1 series deficit, the Providence Bruins win the game 3-2 in overtime and even the series at two games apiece.

Game 5 is tomorrow night in Providence, Game 6 is Monday in Wilkes-Barre.

Peter Mannino vs. Malcolm Subban. Head Coach Bruce Cassidy seemingly unhappy with the goaltending of Niklas Svedberg after giving up four unanswered goals in Game 3, goes to Subban.

Lineup Notes: Brian Gibbons and Scott Harrington were both in for Spencer Machacek and Harrison Ruopp respectively. Matt Fraser for Providence was not sent back by Boston as he is having his foot operated on after blocking a shot in the Springfield series. Tommy Cross was in for Zach Trotman, who blocked a shot with his hand in Game 4.

First Period: Bruins score first on a failed clear by the Penguins. Seth Griffith shoots from the point through a screen and it’s 1-0 Bruins. The Penguins only managed five shots at Subban, who appeared shaky in the period with the rubber thrown his way, to say the least.

Second Period: Subban settled in, and the Penguins through the kitchen sink at him. A grand sum total to 18 shots, but one beat him, a low wrister from Reid McNeill from the blue line for McNeill’s first AHL playoff goal. Penguins buzzed and buzzed, but Subban held them at bay, only giving up that long shot from McNeill from the point.

Third Period: No penalties to this point, until :42 in and Chuck Kobasew is whistled for tripping. Bruins power play. Providence tried really hard to get the goal ahead goal but couldn’t In a scrum near Mannino a Penguins covered his hand on the puck in the crease and the Bruins were awarded a penalty shot. Nick Johnson took it but Peter Mannino stopped it. Then, Conor Sheary skated up the right slot and shot a puck past Subban for a 2-1 Penguins lead.

The Pens appeared to score again but Chuck Kobasew was called for interference on Subban and the Pens headed to a penalty kill instead of a 3-1 lead.

They’d kill it and get their first power play of the game, late.

They’d kill the penalty and with :35 left, Cassidy called his time out.

Bruins score at the buzzer. Literally. Ryan Spooner. .6 left.

Overtime: Bombulie and Michael Cignoli talked about momentum in their podcast this week. Scoring with .6 left if you are Providence? That’s all the momentum you need.

Cory Kane is the only player on the ice at the time that sees a loose puck, and jams it in past Mannino. Mannino thought he had it covered, then thought his pad was pushed in, but this look here shows that Kane got it over clean. Focus on Mannino’s left pad.

Many thanks to @myregularface for the GIFs of the goals.

Three Stars: 3) Simon Despres (no points, no idea, I think they meant Conor Sheary who had a goal) 2) Ryan Spooner (goal, assist, +1) 1) Cory Kane (overtime game winning goal, +1)

Game 5 goes tomorrow at 7:05.

Elsewhere in the Eastern Conference: The St. John’s IceCaps are onto the next round with a 5-2 win in Game 6 over the Norfolk Admirals. They await the winner of the Penguins – Providence series.

SendToNews Highlights: Just check out the links to Steph’s GIF’s. Providence must have lost their SendToNews login information.

Gameday for Game 5 will go tomorrow here on the blog at 3 p.m.

Let’s Go Pens!!!

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Simon Despres is no stranger to double overtime at the AHL level.

He scored a double overtime game winning goal in May 2012 in Game 5 against the St. John’s IceCaps that forced the series back to St. John’s in a series that would ultimately see the Penguins lose in seven games.

In Game 3 tonight, he did it again.

The Wilkes-Barre / Scranton Penguins pull off a huge comeback in the third period and defeat the Providence Bruins in double overtime by a score of 5-4 in Game 3 of this Eastern Conference Semifinal and take a 2-1 series lead. The Penguins were down 4-1 just 1:06 into the third period but scrapped their way back to tie the game and win in double overtime on Despres goal.

Game 4 is Friday.

Peter Mannino vs. Niklas Svedberg

Lineup Notes: Scott Harrington’s Ironman streak ended in this Game 3. The Penguins rookie had appeared in every game for the Penguins up to today. Obie said that he took the morning skate but stated that he had been “battling” through a lower body injury. His status is day-to-day. Harrison Ruopp made his Calder Cup Playoff debut in place of Harrington.

On the status of Derrick Pouliot, O’Brien said on pre-game that the plan was for Pouliot to join Wilkes-Barre, “at some point” but no definitive time frame was given. There wasn’t a word about Brian Gibbons, as his Pittsburgh Penguins lost in Game 7 to the New York Rangers Tuesday night.

Tyler Randell was in for Bobby Robins for the Bruins, as Robins was serving the first of his three game suspension for his antics in Game 2 Saturday night in Wilkes-Barre.

First Period: Penguins got two early power plays and didn’t score on them. I can’t remember a memorable chance for the Pens in this frame. Seemed like all of their chances were one and done in the offensive zone. Providence really put the full court press on the Penguins as they tried to breakout of their own zone. Providence had the better of what scarce chance existed for either team in this scoreless period.

Second Period: Better period for the Penguins as far as the first period pressure from the Bruins. Conor Sheary dumps a puck in behind the Providence net, Svedberg comes out to play the puck and Chuck Kobasew comes out of no where, steals it and scores to make it 1-0 Penguins. Back and forth after that. Then, Harrison Ruopp takes a silly roughing penalty and put the Bruins on their first power play of the game. Later, Seth Griffith through bodies, scores to make it 1-1. Then, the Penguins get caught on an extended shift and ex-Penguin Joe Morrow pinches and walks down the far wall and backhands one past Mannino to push the Bruins ahead 2-1.

Third Period: Fifteen seconds in and Blake Parlett made it 3-1 on a shot that beat Mannino from the blue line. John Hynes used his timeout.

It didn’t work. :51 later, Alexander Khokhlachev made it 4-1.

Then Adam Payerl took a high-sticking penalty.

The bottom was falling out.

Or was it?

Penguins manage get it to four-on-four and then later get a power play. Tom Kostopoulos wastes no time. It’s 4-2 now.

Pressure by the Penguins. They were everywhere.

Simon Despres lets one go from the blue line. It’s 4-3.

Bruce Cassidy used his time out, because he could feel the bottom falling out.

More pressure…… It felt like the Penguins were running all over the Bruins.

Yep. Conor Sheary throws a shot on net. It goes in. Tie game.

The Bruins take a too many men on the ice call. The bottom, had officially fell out.

Not so fast my friend. Bruins would kill it to get it to….

First Overtime: Svedberg sees a harmless puck come his way. He almost lets it go past him. Providence then gets a rush. Mannino makes the saves necessary. Anton Zlobin out there buzzing around for an overtime game winner, no dice. Tom Kostopoulos would take a slashing penalty late that would end up carrying over into the….

Second Overtime: Adam Payerl walked in after he forced a turnover in the neutral zone but never got a shot off. Penguins kill the Kostopoulos penalty. Payerl almost ends it on a perfect one time setup by Dominik Uher but his stick breaks.

Simon Despres had enough. Brendan Mikkelson pounds a puck in that Harry Zolnierczyk gets to. He passes up to Despres who does not miss.

Three Stars: 3) Blake Parlett (goal, assist, +2) 2) Conor Sheary (goal, two assists, +2) and 1) Simon Despres (two goals, +1)

Norfolk and St. John’s are headed back to The Rock for a Game 6 Friday after the Admirals won in overtime yesterday. The Toronto Marlies still have not lost a game in these playoffs and have the Chicago Wolves on the brink of elimination after a 4-3 overtime win…the Defending Champs lay down for no one. The Grand Rapids Griffins have evened the series with the Texas Stars after beating the Western Conference Champions by a score of 3-2 as that series is now 2-2.

SendToNews Highlights: I doubt Providence will have them. I will look again in the morning and link up if there’s anything. Protip: Those underlines which reference Penguins goals are actually links to Vines that I did of said goals. Check those out if Providence doesn’t put up a highlight package.

Worth noting that the Boston Bruins were dismissed from the Stanley Cup Playoffs in seven games by the Montreal Canadiens tonight. Look for Matt Fraser to get reassigned to Providence in time for Friday’s Game 4.

I will update and refresh the charts that I have been in love with these past couple of weeks, but only to probably run a blog post on them Sunday. If Pouliot or Gibbons get officially re-assigned Thursday, I’ll put a blog update up. If not, check me out again Friday at 3 for the Game 4 Gameday setup.

Let’s Go Pens!!!

          vs.       

  1                                     6

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The Wilkes-Barre / Scranton Penguins power play has been crud all season long. 28th overall in the AHL this season and just something that is never used the right way.

Not tonight. The Penguins scored three power play goals and crush the Providence Bruins by a score of 6-1 and even the series at a game a piece as the series shifts to Providence for Game 3 Wednesday.

Crush they did. The Penguins were scored on four times very early in Game 1 Friday, but continued to lay the body on the Bruins all night long. That continued into tonight and, with a little bit more sound defensive structure, wore the Bruins down to the point of frustration which reached its peak in the third period.

Let’s take a look at the penalties assessed in the third, shall we?

Penalties-Casto Pro (roughing), 4:18; Casto Pro (roughing), 6:00; Robins Pro (roughing), 6:00; Drazenovic Wbs (roughing), 6:00; Harrington Wbs (unsportsmanlike conduct, roughing), 6:00; Trotman Pro (roughing, misconduct – continuing altercation), 9:02; Kobasew Wbs (roughing, misconduct – continuing altercation), 9:02; Knight Pro (misconduct – continuing altercation), 12:29; Moore Pro (misconduct – continuing altercation), 12:29; Robins Pro (roughing, misconduct – continuing altercation), 12:29; Dumoulin Wbs (misconduct – continuing altercation), 12:29; Mikkelson Wbs (high-sticking, roughing, misconduct – continuing altercation), 12:29; Lindblad Pro (misconduct – continuing altercation), 15:18; McNeill Wbs (misconduct – continuing altercation), 15:18; Farnham Wbs (roughing, unsportsmanlike conduct), 16:06; Zolnierczyk Wbs (roughing), 19:02.

Nine misconducts. No fighting majors. 138 penalty minutes in sum.

One of the things that happened that isn’t listed in the box is after starting goaltender Niklas Svedberg was pulled after allowing the fifth goal to the Penguins, a Tom Kostopoulos power play goal that basically iced it, backup goaltender Malcolm Subban was called in for relief. After a scrum involving all 10 skaters on the ice not wearing pads, Subban skates out to his blue line and challenges Peter Mannino. Mannino would have none of it, basically coming halfway out and directing Subban back to his crease and laughing the entire situation off.

I guess you can say that the Bruins handled being blown out in a playoff game a lot worse than the Penguins did last night, because none of this stuff happened then. You could also say that the Bruins were tired of being pushed around and manhandled by the Penguins during play, that they decided to go after the Penguins after play.

I’m burying the lead here, and that is that Wilkes-Barre played a damn good hockey game.

After a scoreless first period, Conor Sheary got the scoring started cashing a rebound left by Svedberg for his first professional goal to put the Penguins ahead 1-0. Providence scored on a power play when Justin Florek roofed a shot over a sprawling Mannino that tied the game at one. Prior to, the P-Bruins were held without a shot for about the first ten minutes of the second period.

Then the floodgates opened, led by Anton Zlobin, back from injury.

Zlobin picks two corners from essentially the same spot on the left circle and it’s 3-1. His second goal came on a power play.

Simon Despres floats a shot in from the blue line that Chuck Kobasew got a piece of and the rout was on. 4-1 Wilkes-Barre. Three goals in the span of 4:02 for the Pens.

In the third, the Penguins put away the Bruins with a third power play goal from Tom Kostopoulos that chased Nik Svedberg. In between all of the shenanigans, Brian Dumoulin skates wire to wire and wrists home a seemingly innocent shot that goes under the glove of relief goaltender Malcolm Subban for a 6-1 Penguin lead.

I don’t know if any suspensions will come of all of the hijinks that ensued. Jared Knight for Providence left the bench to join in on a scrum and Bobby Robins, after being placed in the penalty box, leaves it to re-join the same scrum Knight got involved with.

Lineup wise, Anton Zlobin replaced Carter Rowney. Lines were jumbled, but that was the only move. Andrew Ebbett missed his second straight game.

Three Stars: 3) Simon Despres (two assists, even) 2) Tom Kostopoulos (goal, assist, even) and 1) Anton Zlobin (two goals, assist, +1)

Game 3 is Wednesday in Providence.

Elsewhere in the Eastern Conference: St. John’s takes a 2-1 series lead with a 5-3 win over Norfolk. Ol’ buddy Brad Thiessen stopped 26 of 30. Game 4 is Monday.

Wheeling plays Game 6 Monday against Greenville. They need a win to force a decisive Game 7.

SendToNews Highlights: Let’s do YouTube instead…

Sunday will be used to update and create charts. I’ll update the ones for Providence and Wilkes-Barre and do a head-to-head one as well. So it will actually be a grand total of eight charts. It’ll be a chart explosion! Check that out in some form Sunday evening.

Happy Mothers Day to all the moms out there, including my mom, who sometimes reads this blog. Love you, Mom!

Let’s Go Pens!