Chirps from Center Ice

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The Penguins looked better tonight, but let a 3-1 lead slip away only to lose 4-3 :30 in to the Binghamton Senators Wednesday evening at the Mohegan Sun Arena at Casey Plaza.

Six weeks ago, it’s a 3-1 lead that the Penguins protect but in the here and now, the Penguins really had no answer for the relentless attack set forth by the B-Sens after being down 3-1.

Jeff Deslauriers vs. Andrew Hammond

First Period: Corey Cowick put the B-Sens on the board very early on a shot that either screened Deslauriers or that defenseman Scott Harrington got a piece of and deflected or changed up the velocity of to put Binghamton on the board first.

Harry Zolnierczyk, fresh off of a healthy scratch Sunday vs. Hershey, tied the game for the Pens on a nice backdoor pass from Nick Drazenovic. Later, Pens would score a power play goal from a Drazenovic shot from the point off of a nice centering pass by Brian Gibbons.

Second Period: Brendan Mikkelson shot from the point on the power play finds its way in to put the Penguins ahead 3-1. This was the last of the offense for the Penguins as the B-sens really began to bring it. They get to within one when Matt Puempel blasts home a shot on a busted Wilkes-Barre D zone exit.

Third Period: Really a period dominated by the B-Sens, but the shot chart (an even 8 shots a piece in the third) doesn’t really paint the picture. Mark Stone flips in a shot in front of Deslauriers cage to finish a nice tic-tac-toe passing display by the visitors to tie the game at three all.

Binghamton was really looking for the kill shot. With 22.8 left in regulation, Spencer Machacek goes to the penalty box for high sticking to put the B-Sens on the power play. But before that….

Overtime: Point, firmly in hand for the Penguins, Chris Wideman whips home a wrist shot from the top of the circles to end it in favor of the East Division leaders :30 into overtime.

Three Stars: 3) Tom Kostpoulos (two assists, +1) 2) Nick Drazenovic (goal, two assists, +1) and 1) Chris Wideman (overtime game winner, -1)

Around the Division: They all watched us.

Standings: Binghamton 68 — Hershey 64 — Norfolk 62 — Penguins 62 — Syracuse 44

Conference: 1) MCH (75) 2) SPR (69) 3) BNG (68) 4) HER (64) 5) PRO (63) 6) NOR (62) 7) STJ (62) 8) WBS (62)

Wheeling Update: The Nailers beat Reading 4-1 in Reading tonight. Cody Sylvester had a goal and two assists, and was named first star of the game.

SendToNews Highlights: Are here.

The post mortem on this one will be a very good Binghamton team with a never-say-die attitude against a Penguins team in in a funk. The Penguins will dig their way out of this and should shape up to be fine.

No game Friday. Unless I can think of something worthwhile to write about, the next blog update will be the Saturday Gameday setup vs. Providence on Hall of Fame Night.

Let’s Go Pens!!!

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Didn’t have to wait long to hear when the Penguins last lost three straight games. As soon as I got to my truck in the Mohegan Sun Arena parking lot, I heard play-by-play man Mike O’Brien say it. It was in November. Think about that. There are 30 teams in this league. Many have fans that I follow on Twitter that just accept losing. Losing three straight games are pretty standard in places like Hartford, Albany, Utica and others. Not Wilkes-Barre.

It’ll happen to every team. This weekend was the Penguins turn.

After getting Adam Payerl back from injury and Brian Gibbons and Jayson Megna back from NHL duty, the Wilkes-Barre / Scranton Penguins go 0-for-3 on the weekend with a 3-1 loss to the Hershey Bears.

I can accept this loss more than I can the losses this weekend to Binghamton Friday and Hershey last night. The Pens were in it all the way to the third period, when there was no score.

Ex-Penguin Jeff Taffe broke the deadlock at 9:05 of the third on a nice tip of a Casey Wellman shot from the point. About four minutes later, with the Penguins needing the next goal, Ryan Potulny collects a cross ice pass and does not miss an open net for a 2-0 Bears lead. The Pens would get on the board with the Brian Gibbons Breakaway of the Game™ this time shorthanded and scored to put the Pens on the board and the deficit cut to one. But the Bears answered less than a minute later when Michael Latta draws Jeff Deslauriers out of his crease and passed to Peter Leblanc who scored to put it away for the Bears at 3-1. A huge answer goal by the Chocolate and White and all of the momentum was out of the building.

That last paragraph summed up the game. Jeff Deslauriers opposed David Leggio. Harry Zolnierczyk was a healthy scratch. Pierre-Luc Letourneau-Leblond and Tom Kuhnhackl were back in. Eric Hartzell seemed fine from last nights scare. He backed up and looked fine in warmups.

I can’t recall anything else memorable.

There stars were Brian Gibbons with a goal and +1, Jeff Taffe with a goal and +1 and Ryan Potulny with a goal.

We were the only game in the division. Binghamton, Norfolk and Syracuse were off.

Standings look like this: Binghamton 66 — Hershey 64 — Norfolk 62 — Penguins 61 — Syracuse 44

Conference: 1) Manchester with 75 points, Springfield in second with 69, Binghamton the division leader in the East with 66, the Bears in fourth with 64, Providence in fifth with 63, Norfolk sixth with 62. Penguins have 61 points in seventh and St. John’s in the eighth and final spot with 60 points.

Nine back is Albany with 60. Worcester is in tenth with 50 points. I don’t expect the Sharks or anyone behind them to make a push, but you never know. So it’s 9 teams for 8 spots in the middle of February.

The game in hand situation looks like this based on the Pens that have 52 games played. Division, Bingo and Noroflk have 2 games in hand. Hershey, Albany and St. John’s have one. Pens have a game in hand on Providence.

Wheeling played tonight and lost to Fort Wayne in Indiana 4-3. Denver Manderson had two assists.

Penguins haven’t posted the SendToNews Highlights. If or when they do, I will have a link.

President’s Day tomorrow. Do you have to work? I do. Anyway, the Week 20 AHL Power Rankings will be up at noon tomorrow in advance of the 1 p.m. games. Then the Pens play Binghamton Wednesday. If anything breaks between now and then I’ll have it on the blog.

Let’s Go Pens!!!

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4                                         5

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If you were out tonight and didn’t pay attention to what went on tonight in Hershey for your Penguins and saw the score, a 5-4 loss for the Penguins, you probably think that it was a close game.

You couldn’t be more wrong, actually.

After scoring the first goal, a Bobby Farnham back door tap in in the first period, the Wilkes-Barre / Scranton Penguins allow five straight goals, two on the power play, and get obliterated by the Bears who have won 12 straight at home.

Eric Hartzell left the game with either an injury, a cramp, or embarrassment in the third period, after giving up the fourth goal to Dane Byers, who crashed the net hard and appeared to kick the puck in. Initially it was waved off, but after review the goal stood.

Dustin Gazley is a stone in the shoe to the Wilkes-Barre / Scranton Penguins. This 5’9, 154 pound pipsqueak has 8 AHL goals this season. 4 of them have come against the Wilkes-Barre / Scranton Penguins. He scored on both goaltenders tonight, Hartzell and Deslauriers and loves to play against the Penguins. You can’t stop him, you can only hope to contain him.

After last night’s embarrassment in Binghamton, the Penguins made some line changes. Just the fourth line was left intact. Nick D’Agostino was in for Harrison Ruopp was the only lineup change for Coach John Hynes.

Eric Hartzell vs. Philipp Grubauer

First Period: All Penguins to start, who were rewarded with the Farnham goal. Brian Gibbons forced a turnover to Brendan Mikkelson who found Farnham cutting back door for the goal.

After the center ice face-off, all Hershey. No really. All Hershey.

Casey Welllman scored in the final minute on the power play to tie the game at one.

Second Period: Dustin Gazley scored :32 and the Bears ran away with it. Nine minutes of puck possession by the Chocolate and White. With :25 left, Ryan Potulny put in a rebound to make it 3-1 Bears.

Third Period: Pens open with early pop. Then Hartzell makes a save and goes down in a heap. Turns out it may have been a cramp or could have been more. Trainer Kyle Moore was oiut to attend to Hartzell who stayed in and got a fresh water bottle. He’s had issues this season with cramping.

Dane Byers crashes and the puck goes in. Initially the goal was waved off by referee Terry Koharski but after review the goal was allowed to stand and it was 4-1 Bears. Hartzell signaled to the bench that he was done. Enter Jeff Deslauriers. Ignoring the fights between Dane Byers and Bobby Farnham and Michael Latta and Spencer Machacek Dustin Gazley scored a power play goal that would end up being the game winner to make it 5-1 Hershey.

Pens would then get three quick goals. Nick Drazenovic even strength. Brian Gibbons on a 5-on-3 power play and Jayson Megna with Deslauriers pulled with :16 left. They never got equal.

Three Stars: 3) Casey Wellman (goal, assist, +1) 2) Dustin Gazley (two goals, +1) and 1) Dane Byers (goal, assist, +1)

Around the Division: Hide your eyes. Binghamton wins 8-0 at home against Worcester. The first shutout for the B-Sens this season. The Big B Machine is runnin’ wild on the Southern Tier….Norfolk beats Syracuse 2-1.

Standings: Binghamton 66 — Hershey 62 — Norfolk 62 — Penguins 61 — Syracuse 44

Conference: 1) MCH (73) 2) SPR (67) 3) BNG (66) 4) HER (62) 5) NOR (62) 6) WBS (61) 7) PRO (61) 8) ALB (60)

From 9 back you have St. John’s with 59 points, then Worcester with 50 at 10. Pens aren’t that bad, yet. But there are nine teams that can conceivably make playoffs at this point.

Wheeling Update: Nailers go eight rounds in a shootout with the Elmira Jackals and win 2-1. Peter Mannino stopped 26 of 27 and 2 of 8 in the shootout for first star honors.

SendToNews Highlights: Are here.

Pens can get back to second in the division tomorrow with the rematch vs. the Bears at 4:05. Gameday for this will be up at noon Sunday.

Let’s Go Pens!!!

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2                                               6

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Snow kept me away from Binghamton tonight. I am sick of driving in it, dealing with it, shoveling it and worrying about it.

It was probably a good thing. Pens get throttled on the Southern Tier tonight and lose 6-2. Binghamton scores four power play goals, a shorthanded goal and an even strength goal after a Penguin turnover in the defensive zone and that was all she wrote.

You could say that the defensive zone turnover in the first period sealed the fate for the Penguins. Or, you could say that the B-Sens AHL leading 15th shorthanded goal soon after did because after that, the Pens never mounted much of a comeback.

Eric Hartzell opposed Andrew Hammond.

Penguins got Jayson Megna back (last game played November 23) Adam Payerl back (last game played November 30) and Brian Gibbons (last game played December 14) – Spencer Machacek was back too, from his minor lower-body whatever it was last weekend.

The healthiest and deadliest Wilkes-Barre / Scranton lineup since the start of the season would fare well against the B-Sens who had lost 3 of their last 4, right?

It didn’t mean a thing.

Mark Stone got the party started in the first period, cutting to the net and receiving an Andre Petersson pass on the back door to put the Sens up 1-0 on the power play.

Then, 1:08 later, Spencer Machacek would hack and whack a rebound on a Simon Despres shot from the point for a tie game.

Pens returned with a furious flurry against Hammond, but he didn’t break. Then Brendan Mikkelson tries to exit his own zone, Mark Stone picks his pocket, feeds Corey Cowick on a 2 on 1 with Scott Harrington back for a 2-1 Binghamton lead.

Penguins get a power play. Momentum changer right, No! You’re wrong! Jean-Gabriel Pageau skates in and scores to make it 3-1 Binghamton.

That would end Hartzell’s night. You really couldn’t fault him. Beat back door on a deadly Binghamton power play. D-zone gaffe leads to a 2 on 1 then a shorthanded goal against. Jeff Deslauriers would replace him.

Didn’t help. Mike Hoffman waits out a Wilkes-Barre body and fires through a crowd for a 4-1 Binghamton lead for another power play goal.

And this was just the first period. The four goals allowed were the most allowed by the Penguins in a period.

Second period didn’t offer much. Mike Carman had a shorthanded bid denied.

Third period. Penguins parade to the power play continued. All legitimate calls tonight by referee Dave Lewis. Bobby Farnham took a tripping penalty then as soon as that was killed, Simon Despres took a high sticking one. Cole Schneider slammed home a fluttering puck to extinguish any hopes of yet another third period comeback for Wilkes-Barre.

Footnotes. Tom Kostopoulos scored his 11th power play goal of the season for a 5-2 lead. Mike Hofffman responds and scores another power play goal for the B-Sens, their fourth power play of the night, and that ended it.

Three stars were Stephane Da Costa (two assists) Andrew Hammond (33 saves on 35 shots) and Mike Hoffman (two goals, assist)

Pens aren’t getting any help from behind them. Hershey wins in a shootout in Atlantic City 3-2 over the Albany Devils and Norfolk wins 2-0 against Syracuse at home.

Standings are Binghamton 64, Penguins 61, Hershey 60, Norfolk 60, Syracuse 44.

Conference has Manchester running away with it with 71 points, Springfield 67, Binghamton 64, Penguins and Providence tied with 61, Hershey and Norfolk with 60 and St. John’s rounding out the top 8 with 59 points.

Good news in the organization as the Nailers win 4-2 against Reading. Denver Manderson had two goals.

SendToNews highlights are here.

Pens now travel to Hershey for second place in the division. Saying that a better effort is needed is a huge understatement.

Gameday for that will be up at 3 p.m. Saturday.

Let’s Go Pens!

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3                                         4

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Tell me Thursday night before I go to bed that the Penguins, 5 points back and really struggling to score pretty much anything that they would be a point out of leader Binghamton Sunday night before I go to bed and I take it. Lock, stock and barrel.

They did it. We really have Bobby Farnham, of all people, to thank. His game tying goal late forced overtime, but Dustin Gazley scored :47 into overtime and the Hershey Bears push their home winning streak to 11 with a 4-3 overtime win today.

Eric Harzell vs. Philipp Grubauer — Harrison Ruopp was in for Nick D’Agostino for the only lineup change.

First Period: 1:01 in, Ryan Stoa scored on a snap shot and the Bears were up 1-0 early. Then, Harry Zolnierczyk took a nice centering pass from Dominik Uher from the wall to tie the game at 1-1. Later, the Penguins score on a power play when Tom Kostopoulos collects and rifles home a deflected puck into a wide open Bears net push the Pens ahead 2-1. It was Kostopoulos’ 10th power play goal of the season, good for a tie for 4th in all the AHL.

Second Period: Penguins penalty kill was really good tonight. They have killed 27 of their last 27 penalties. A few good chances by the Bears but the Pens shut them down, even on one power play getting four shorthanded opportunities in one kill.

Matt Watkins gets behind the defense and scores on a backhander to tie the game late.

Third Period: I really thought sitting watching this one that the teams were destined for overtime. I was right, but it didn’t look like it to begin when Dane Byers is award a penalty shot and cashes going stick side over Hartzell. But then, Bobby Farnham zipped one home to tie the game again and force overtime.

Overtime: Dustin Gazley gets a nice pass from the point and slaps home a goal for the win for Hershey. I really don’t like that guy.

Three Stars: 3) Matt Watkins (goal, assist, +2) 2) Dane Byers (goal, +1) 1) Dustin Gazley (goal, even)

Around the Division: They all watched us.

Standings: Binghamton 62 — Penguins 61 — Hershey 58 — Norfolk 58 — Syracuse 44

Conference: 1) MCH (69) 2) SPR (67) 3) BNG (62) 4) WBS (61) 5) STJ (59) 6) PRO (59) 7) HER (58) 8) NOR (58)

Wheeling Update: Nailers lose 5-3 to Reading. Denver Manderson had a goal and an assist.

SendToNews Highlights: Are here.

Penguins now off for All-Star break. Brian Gibbons will head to St. John’s, Newfoundland for the All-Star Classic vs. Farjestad BK Tuesday and Wednesday. I may have something for the blog here during the Skills Competition and Classic. Stick with me on Twitter or just keep checking the blog!

Week 19 AHL Power Rankings will be out at 4 p.m. tomorrow.

Let’s Go Pens!

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  2                                          3

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Late in the game, early in the third, Simon Despres sees Mike Carman ahead of him with nothing but air in front of him.

He passes. The puck hits the tape of Carman and the third line winger skates in with Phantoms on his back. Forehand to backhand and in. Penguins extend the lead to 3-1.

Big goal at the time, as the Penguins narrowly eke out a 3-2 win against a pesky Phantoms team.

I don’t know who gets the credit for that sequence. Despres, with the wherewithal to make a perfect pass or Carman, who had to receive the pass, skate in and score.

Anyway, the Penguins are now two points behind the Binghamton Senators, who lost 5-4 in Ottawa to the Hamilton Bulldogs.

I’m really burying the real lead here, because this morning, Jayson Megna, Brian Gibbons and Harry Zolnierczyk all were sent to Wilkes-Barre. Zolnierczyk needed to clear waivers and did at noon. Only Zolnierczyk played. Radio said that Gibbons / Megna received a well deserved break. Also, Spencer Machacek was out with a “lower body” injury. Commenter Brenda spotted that last night.

Jeff Deslauriers vs. Cal Heeter

First Period: Nick Drazenovic gets a goal by going five hole on Heeter and the Pens go up 1-0. Deslauriers was making big saves all night as he stopped the Phantoms power plays all night.

Second Period: Brandon Alderson leads a 2 on 1 charge up ice, keeps it, and scores to tie the game at 1 all.

Then the Penguins all of a sudden find themselves with a 5-on-3 for more than a minute but aren’t able to score. Then, they need to kill a penalty.

Turning point here. Phantoms power play looked great all night. Deslauriers and the PK unit stifled them though. Unable to score on a 5-on-3, I wouldn’t have been surprised to see the Pens give up a goal.

They didn’t. Rather, they kill it and Zolnierczyk gets Heeter to drop down on one side of the post, wheels around the net to the other side and tucks it in for a 2-1 lead.

Third Period: Reid McNeill plays a puck while still in the penalty box, apparently there’s a rule against that, and is returned to the penalty box from which he came seconds before. Deslauriers with more acrobatic saves to shut down the Phantoms PP.

Then, Despres finds Carman. I set this up in my lead, so if you don’t read those, please do. If I’m too verbose and you forgot, look again. I don’t mind. Really. Go ahead.

Anyway, huge goal for the Penguins. Pesky Phantoms never backed down, getting a goal from Jason Akeson to cut it to 3-2. Phantoms get a power play late, but with a time out and Heeter pulled, never found the equalizer.

Three Stars: 3) Mike Carman (goal, even) 2) Nick Drazenovic (goal, assist, +2) and 1) Harry Zolnierczyk (goal, assist, +2)

Around the Division: Binghamton coughs up two leads and loses to Hamilton in Ottawa 5-4.…Hershey beats Portland 2-1, the home winning streak for the Bears is at 10…Norfolk loses to Hartford 3-1 and Syracuse forces overtime but lose to Springfield 6-5.

Standings: Binghamton 62 — Penguins 60 — Norfolk 58 — Hershey 56 — Syracuse 44

Conference: 1) SPR (67) 2) MCH (67) 3) BNG (62) 4) WBS (60) 5) STJ (59) 6) NOR (58) 7) ALB (57) 8) PRO (57)

Wheeling Update: Wheeling defeats Reading in Reading. 5-2. Reassigned Denver Manderson had an assist and scored a goal in the win. Manderson and Goers were sent back today by Wilkes-Barre.

SendToNews Highlights: Are here.

Pens travel to Hershey tomorrow for a 5 p.m. start with the Bears. The NHL is now on Olympic break so there are some guys, like we saw today with Megna and Gibbons, that can come back to their AHL clubs. Once all of the transactions complete, I’ll have a tidy blog post here for all to see.

Let’s Go Pens!!!

            vs.            

1                                                5

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I really wanted the Penguins to score six goals tonight. Just so that the headline “Deep Sixed — Pens WIN 6-1” could play with the puns that you see me use from time to time here on the blog. They didn’t, so the effort comes off as amateurish. But hey, this is a blog, I’m not a paid professional and couldn’t come up with anything else.

The Wilkes-Barre / Scranton Penguins had some lineup adjustments and won tonight 5-1. After being deadlocked in a 1-1 battle with the Pirates after 40 minutes, the Pens explode for four goals, including two back to back on the power play and roll the Pirates.

Portland had scored a power play goal in ten straight games coming into tonight including four Wednesday in Binghamton. While they did have some chances to score, the Wilkes-Barre penalty kill did not allow any tonight.

Eric Hartzell vs. Mark Visentin

Lineup Changes: Essentially Spencer Machacek for Paul Thompson and Andrew Ebbett for Denver Manderson up front. Harrison Ruopp played on defense while Nick D’Agostino took warmups but was the scratch.

First Period: Penguins pressure in the Pirates end all period and finally get a goal on the one timer from Carter Rowney in the final minute to put the Pens ahead 1-0.

The new look power play lines were Zlobin, Drazenovic, Ebbett and Kostopoulos with Despres on the first unit and Machacek centering Zlobin and Torquato with Mikkelson and Samuelsson on the blue line.

Second Period: More of the same for the Pens, who just couldn’t capitalize on their chances and had the better of the power plays. But, a blown assignment by Despres and Drazenovic allow Jordan Martinook to skate from center ice in to score an ugly shorthanded goal for the Pens to give up to tie the game at 1 all.

In hindsight, that goal was a turning point. If the Pens lose, it’s pointed at as a culmination of frustration of recent efforts by Wilkes-Barre. But there was no time to think about that because it was time for the…

Third Period: Wilkes-Barre had left over power play time from a penalty late in the second and wasted no time.

No I mean, literally, they wasted no time.

Ebbett at :20. The power play streak is over. 2-1 Wilkes-Barre.

Machacek pumps one home in close in a narrow slot :50 later at 1:10. 3-1 Wilkes-Barre.

Andrew Ebbett 2:43 later at 3:53. 4-1 Pens.

For good measure, Tom Kostopoulos pumps a shot in from between the circles off a face-off win at 8:47 for a power play goal. Back to back power play goals.

So it felt like the Penguins of a few months ago. Stay relevant to the third period, then just overwhelm your opponent with goal after goal after goal.

Portland had no answer, and the Penguins, who do play well with a lead hold on for the win.

Three Stars: 3) Spencer Machacek (goal, +1) 2) Tom Kostopoulos (goal, assist, even) 1) Andrew Ebbett (two goals, assist, even)

Around the Division: Binghamton had the night off. Norfolk gets a late goal in the third period and hang on to win 1-0 over the Hartford Wolf Pack down in Virginia. Hershey loses 4-1 to Rochester and Syracuse loses 4-2 to Springfield.

Standings: Binghamton 61 — Penguins 58 — Norfolk 58 — Hershey 54 — Syracuse 43

Conference: 1) MCH (67) 2) SPR (65) 3) BNG (61) 4) WBS (58) 5) NOR (58) 6) STJ (57) 7) ALB (55) 8) PRO (55)

Wheeling Update: The Nailers were off.

SendToNews Highlights: Are here for your viewing enjoyment.

Adirondack is in tomorrow. They did not play tonight, so they will be the fresher of the daisies on the sidewalk. Gameday for that will be up at 3 p.m. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have to go work on my puns.

Let’s Go Pens!