Comments Off on Blue Line Paradise — Pens WIN 4-2
Posted by nafsnep on January 18, 2014
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Offense has been struggling of late for the Wilkes-Barre / Scranton Penguins.
So, how do you fix that? Trade? No. Call-ups from Wheeling? They are all here.
(points to the blue line) Up there! Up there!
The Penguins tonight win in Lewiston, Maine by a score of 4-2 with ALL of the goals scored by Penguins defensemen. Philip Samuelsson figured into every goal as well, going 1-3-4. Cartrer Rowney and Reid McNeill both notch their first points as Penguins. For McNeill, it is his first AHL regular season point.
Eric Hartzell vs. Mark Visentin
Only one lineup change for John Hynes as Denver Manderson was in for Tom Kuhnhackl. Harrison Ruopp took warmups but was scratched for the second straight night.
First Period: Much like last night, there was a penalty in the opening minute. Only this time, the call was in favor of Wilkes-Barre. Scott Harrington made quick work of the power play with this goal to put the Penguins up 1-0. Penguins all of a sudden then found themselves on the wrong end of a 5-on-3, but with some timely clears and some big saves by Hartzell, were able to kill the penalty. But then later, Eric Hartzell was beat on a bad angle shot by Brandon McMillan to tie the game at 1-1.
Second Period: Penguins open with some early jump. Then, Simon Despres and Philip Samuelsson toss the puck to each other a few time on the blue line and Despres scores through a crowd to put the Penguins up 2-1. Later, Philip Samuelsson would get on the board with this goal to put the Pens ahead 3-1.
It was nice to see the Pens jump on and ahead of the Pirates and capitalize on opportunities given.
Third Period: Penguins continue to pressure the Pirates and Simon Despres gets his second goal of the night with this blast from the point to make it 4-1 Pens. Paul Thompson would try to score a goal for the forwards tonight, but would be denied twice. Once on a shot that sails over the crossbar and another on a breakaway that hits the cross bar.
Pirates get one back on a Brandon Gormley rebound while the Pirates were on a power play.
Portland would end the period on a double minor power play, but Hartzell made the saves necessary to preserve the two goal lead and the two points in the standings.
Three Stars: 3) Brandon Gormley (goal, assist, even) 2) Simon Despres (two goals, +1) and 1) Philip Samuelsson (goal, three assists, +2)
Saturday afternoon I watched a Western Conference game this afternoon and it was totally worth my while. I watched the Iowa Wild defeat the Lake Erie Monsters 1-0 on Warren Peters’ third period power play goal and I also watched John Curry make 45 saves, the most saves in a shutout in over three years in the AHL. I saw on Twitter that Curry was getting the start and tuned in since I have the ability to do so on AHL Live. He didn’t disappoint. Curry was like the Curry of old that Penguins fans came to know and love making some spectacular saves keeping his Wild in the game.
Wheeling Update: The Nailers were blanked in Greenville by Jason Missiaen’s (remember him with Hartford?) 40 save shutout 3-0.
SendToNews Highlights: Don’t think Portland has them. If I remember I will look again later and link in if they do.
Pens bus back to Providence tonight for a 3 p.m. start with the Bruins Sunday afternoon. Gameday for that will be up at 11 a.m.
Comments Off on A Svedberg Never Forgets — Pens LOSE 5-1
Posted by nafsnep on January 17, 2014
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Hockey is a funny game really. If you don’t think karma plays a role, you just aren’t paying attention.
The Wilkes-Barre / Scranton Penguins made history in Providence last Spring becoming the only team in AHL history to come back from an 0-3 hole and win Game 7 on the road. The goalie they defeated? His name was Niklas Svedberg. He was in goal for the Bruins tonight and assisted the Bruins in defeating the Penguins tonight 5-1.
The Pens never really looked into the game, and just looked flat. You know that this will not sit well with Head Coach John Hynes, who will probably be breathing fire on the team all the way up to Lewiston, Maine for tomorrow night’s tilt vs. the Portland Pirates.
With the returns of Simon Despres, Nick Drazenovic and Pierre-Luc Letourneau-Leblond, Denver Manderson was scratched up front, and Nick D’Agostino didn’t even warm up. Harrison Ruopp took warmups but was scratched too.
Jeff Deslauriers vs. Niklas Svedberg
First Period: Providence would strike early, heading to a power play in the games first minute. Reid McNeiil fans on a bouncing puck in front of Deslauriers’ crease and Justin Florek knocked it in for a 1-0 Providence lead. Penguins would head to a power play soon after that and while they would not score, I liked the look of the setup in it. Closest they would get to scoring would be when Brendan Mikkelson would hit the top of the crossbar, but the puck deflected under Svedberg and the Bruins goaltender fell on it.
Later, Mikkelson is hit hard on the boards behind Deslauriers net. Referee Jon McIsaac seemed disinterested in calling a penalty on Bobby Robins. Mikkelson was looking for retribution on the heavy hit delivered to him by Robins and in the process lost Robins who drove the net and scored to make it 2-0 Providence.
Shots were 7-7 in the first period, but it sure didn’t feel like it from a Penguins perspective.
Second Period: No scoring this period but it was all Providence who, at times, seemed a step ahead of the Pens all period. Best chance was really a Bobby Farnham shot from the slot. Later, the P-Bruins had a long period of offensive zone time that the Pens sustained. Shots this period were 13-5 P-Bruins and this time, really felt like it.
Third Period: Bruins score two goals in 2:22 seconds to put the game away. Craig Cunningham, 5-hole and in on Deslauriers on the power play then Zach Trotman on a laser beam dart at the top of the slot even strength that chases Deslauriers.
Alex Khokhlachev scored later, shaking off the pursuing Brian Dumoulin to snuff out whatever was smoldering on a Wilkes-Barre comeback to make it 5-1 Bruins.
Three Stars: 3) Alexander Khokhlachev (goal, assist, +3) 2) Bobby Robins (goal, +1) 1) Zach Trotman (goal, assist, +3)
How doesn’t Nik Svedberg get a star of the game there?
Wheeling Update: The Nailers are in the Carolinas this weekend and beat the Greenville Road Warriors 5-2. Chaz Johnson had a goal and an assist and Cody Sylvester had a goal too. Peter Mannino backed up Mike Condon in goal.
SendToNews Highlights: Not up yet and I don’t remember if Providence does ’em. With the Pens losing 5-1 tonight, what really is there to look at unless you are a displaced Bruins fan living in Forty Fort?
Pens are in Portland tomorrow. Gameday for that will be up at 3 p.m.
Comments Off on Third, Four Ways — Pens WIN 5-3
Posted by nafsnep on January 11, 2014
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Coach John Hynes has said in recents weeks that the Penguins cannot rely on the top line to do all the work.
It worked tonight. The third line did it all for Wilkes-Barre.
Goals by Anton Zlobin (2) Tom Kuhnhackl and Dominik Uher (with an empty netter by Brian Dumoulin at the end) and the Wilkes-Barre / Scranton Penguins mount another third period comeback and takedown the Hartford Wolf Pack 5-3 in front of the biggest crowd of the year, 8,188 fans.
Oh, and they scored the goals four different ways: shorthanded (Uher) even strength (Zlobin, twice) power play (Kuhnhackl) and empty net (Dumoulin)
Jeff Deslauriers won his 16th game of the season, tied for first in wins among AHL goaltenders.
Jason Missiaen vs. the aforesaid Deslauriers.
In warmups, the recently recalled Scott Stajcer hadn’t made it to the arena on time for the Wolf Pack so Missiaen took warmups alone.
No lineup changes for Wilkes-Barre.
First Period: Dominik Uher scores a shorthanded goal on a funky shot that just beats Missiaen for a 1-0 Pens lead early. Reid McNeill would scrap with Michael Haley in a nice bout. Then the newly acquired TJ Hensick would score to bring the Wolf Pack to even again, in a period which was largely dominated by Hartford and evidence by the two shots taken by the Penguins in the period.
Second Period: Danny Kristo burns a WBS D-man and scores off a long breakout pass to him to put the Wolf Pack ahead 2-1. Anton Zlobin would score his first of the night to bring the Pens even at two a piece again. Then Hensick picks off a WBS exit bid, and you know how those normally go, this time was no different and the Pens trailed again 3-2. Shots through two periods were 17-9 Hartford.
Third Period: Pens get a power play about midway through. You almost got the sense that they needed to score here. They did, Tom Kuhnhackl ties the game at three all. Then, Zlobin crashes the net and scores to put the Penguins ahead 4-3. The Pens really swarmed the ‘Pack in the period, outshooting them 17-2. They took control of the game in the third and used it to win.
Dumoulin tacks on an empty netter and that was that.
Three Stars: 3) Tom Kuhnhackl (goal, +1) 2) Scott Harrington (three assists, +1) and 1) Anton Zlobin (two goals, +2)
Nice game by the third line. Uher / Kuhnhackl had been struggling offensively and Zlobin looks like he is turning the corner.
The Tom, Nick and Harry line? Pointless. But with the third line doing what it did, who needed them?
Pens have off until taking to the road in Providence next Friday. I’ll have the Week 15 AHL Power Rankings here Monday with whatever relative news surrounding the Penguins here this week as warranted.
The Penguins sit at 37 games played. Friday will be the half way mark. So I just decided that I am going to put together my Second Quarter Grades this week. Look for them probably Wednesday or Thursday, depending on news.
Boy, is this going to be a fun rivalry next season.
That is when the Adirondack Phantoms relocate to Allentown, closer to Wilkes-Barre and likely into the East Division and become more of a familiar opponent for the Penguins.
Tom Kostopoulos scored two goals, Brian Dumoulin the other and Harry Zolnierczyk and empty netter in the final minute.
There was some monumental off ice news this afternoon out of Coal Street as the first ever Hall of Fame Class was announced. The Pens said at the the start of the year that they were naming two players and a non-player, called a “builder” into their inaugural Hall. Today, it should come as no surprise that Dennis Bonvie and Alain Nasreddine were named as the players and Former State Representative Kevin Blaum was named in the “builder” category.
Basically the name synonymous with the Wilkes-Barre / Scranton Penguins is Dennis Bonvie. No one has worn his Number 27 since his retirement and if you ask me, the number needs hoisted into the rafters sooner rather than later. Nasreddine is probably the second most popular Penguin in the 15 year history and serves as assistant coach to John Hynes. There would be no Northeastern Pennsylvania Civic Arena and Convention Center / First Union Arena at Casey Plaza / Wachovia Arena at Casey Plaza / WIlkes-Barre / Scranton Penguins without Kevin Blaum.
So no real complaints about this Class being named the inaugural one. The ceremony for it is Saturday, February 22 when the Penguins face the Providence Bruins.
Anyway, back to this game.
Harrison Ruopp and Carter Rowney were in for Barry Goers and Denver Manderson, respectively.
Jeff Deslauriuers vs. reigning AHL Player of the Week, Cal Heeter.
First Period: Very chippy, very physical open by both teams, who were throwing hits and fists to open the game. The Pens ended up down a whole two minutes on a 5-on-3 but were able to kill it off. Then, Tom Kostopoulos scored a goal when Nick Drazenovic stripped a Phantom behind Heeter’s net and dished to Tom Kostopoulos for his first of the night for a 1-0 Pens lead and ending Heeter’s shutout streak at 126:13.
There must have been some bad blood with Harrison Ruopp against the Phantoms, as nearly every altercation involved him in some regard. He and Kris Newbury fought and Newbury got the better of him in a fight late in the period.
Second Period: Jason Akeson scored on the James Neal play off a face-off win to put the Phantoms on the board. Then, the Pens were the ones that found themselves the beneficiaries of a 5-on-3 and, unlike the Phantoms, were able to score two goals and essentially put away the Phantoms for the rest of the game. Tom Kostopoulos’ second of the night and Brian Dumoulin finishing off a 3-on-1 to put the Pens ahead 3-1.
Third Period: For most teams, in a physical, scrappy game like this one down 3-1 you think they would pack it in and go away quietly right? Not the Phantoms. They would outshoot the Pens 13-4 this period and at one point 10-1, throwing anything and everything they could at Deslauriers, but the WBS net minder and the defense would hold bend but not break. Harry Zolnierczyk would pot an empty netter to put the game away for good for the Pens.
Three Stars: 3) Jason Akeson (goal, -1) 2) Jeff Deslauriers (31 saves on 32 shots) 1) Tom Kostopoulos (two goals, assist, even)
Comments Off on Gudlevskis is Latvian for Brick Wall, Unless You’re Swedish — Pens LOSE 4-2
Posted by nafsnep on January 8, 2014
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If you go to work tomorrow morning and are asked how the Wilkes-Barre / Scranton Penguins fared the night before against their division rival Syracsue, you can tell your co-worker that they lost to an Olympic goaltender and not be wrong.
I’m referring to Kristers Gudlevskis, who will represent Latvia in Sochi, Russia next month. He was good for the Crunch tonight. I think the Crunch scouting and defense was a bit better and of course the scoring, but telling yourself that you lost to an Olympic goaltender takes the sting away a bit, doesn’t it?
Lineup Notes: The Penguins sent Cody Sylvester, Peter Merth and Nick D’Agostino to Wheeling this afternoon. Bobby Farnham returned from injury. Harrison Ruopp took warmups, but was scratched in favor of Reid McNeill.
First Period: A couple of early chances for both teams. All of a sudden, the Pens found themselves defending a 5-on-3. They block many shots, but not all of them as Vlad Namestikov scores to make it 1-0. Then, Jon DiSalvatore tips in a Brett Connolly shot and it’s all of a sudden 2-0. Prior to, the Pens were letting the Crunch get some spark.
Second Period: Crunch come out and pressure like hounds on a steak, McNeill breaks a stick. Crunch pound the puck off the back wall which banks to Connolly for Syracuse and into the net and it’s 3-0. John Hynes takes a time out. It wasn’t good enough as later, Deslauriers can’t quite corral a puck, Philip Samuelsson misplays it, the Crunch crash the net and score and it’s 4-0 Syracuse.
That sequence would spell the end for Deslauriers, enter Eric Hartzell.
Two things here. One, while the loss will go on Deslauriers record, this one was not on him at all. Two, message received by the Penguins as the Crunch only took five more shots at the net the rest of the night that Hartzell stopped.
Pens get their first power play of the night. Mud. Then Philip Samuelsson takes a delay of game, puck over the glass penalty. Uh oh…
Well, the Penguins kill it, and at the time that Samuelsson hit the ice out of the box, Denver Manderson hits him for a breakaway that Samuelsson cashes on to cauterize some of the bleeding addend Gudlevskis shutout bid.
Third Period: My amateurism is showing through here, as I totally forgot to explain my elongated headline in my lead. Samuelsson would add another goal, his second of the night and the season, on a nifty pinch in on a rebound chance. He seemed to be the only nationality (Swedish) that the Latvian goaltender (Gudlevskis) was not able to figure out as he stoned Harry Zolnierczyk (Canadian) multiple times and even stopped Mike Carman (American) twice.
Okay, I’m stretching it with that last one, I don’t really remember any memorable shots from Carman tonight, but the scoresheet says he had two and he’s American, so let’s just go with it.
You get the point. Gudlevskis was good when he had to be, and his Crunch team did the rest.
Three Stars: 3) Philip Samuelsson (two goals, +1) 2) Brett Connolly (goal, two assists, +1) and 1) Jon DiSalvatore (goal, two assists, +1)
Wheeling Update: The Nailers lost to the Reading Royals in Reading tonight 6-2. Peter Merth and Nick D’Agostino were both -2.
SendToNews Highlights: Pens put the YouTube package up this Thursday morning, so here’s the video:
Pens practice tomorrow and will probably bud up to Glens Falls tomorrow afternoon for Friday’s game against the Phantoms. If there is anything worth blogging on, I will have something here. If not, Gameday for that will be up Friday at 3.
Comments Off on The Streak Ends Here — Pens WIN 4-1
Posted by nafsnep on January 5, 2014
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John Hynes said last night that there were too many “passengers” on the Wilkes-Barre / Scranton Penguins team last night after a tough 3-2 setback to the Manchester Monarchs.
He was right. You can’t simply rely on Tom Kostopoulos / Nick Drazenovic and Harry Zolnierczyk to score all of your goals.
Well tonight, the message was received. Goals by Anton Zlobin, Drazenovic, Zack Torquato and Barry Goers helped the Penguins defeat the East Division leader Binghamton Senators tonight by a score of 4-1. The B-Sens seven game winning streak ends in Wilkes-Barre.
Eric Hartzell vs. Nathan Lawson
Lineup Changes: I didn’t think it was so much a defensive flatline last night as it was just a lack of offense, but Barry Goers and Harrison Ruopp were in for Nick D’Agostino and Reid McNeill. Cody Sylvester was scratched in favor of Zack Torquato, who drew back into the lineup.
First Period: You usually know that the Penguins are in for a good night when they come out and, at the first media timeout (anytime past 14:00 to go in the period) they have something like a 7-2 shots advantage. It usually means that they are aggressively trying to get pucks on net and in them, as well as shutting off any offense by the opposition.
Tonight was an example. But, Nathan Lawson was everywhere for the B-Sens, making saves no mortal should make. Lawson makes saves against AHL opponents. When a line of ECHL guys bears down on him? Different story. Anton Zlobin scored a nice goal from Barry Goers and Zack Torquato to put the Pens up 1-0.
Second Period: Mike Sdao blocks a shot with his hand and is in pain. As he is slowly skating off, the Pens score when Harry Zolnierczyk centers Nick Drazenovic at the doorstep to double the Pens lead at 2-0.
Then a play that shows the coaches that you are fully committed to the team. Andre Petersson splits two Penguins and looks like he’s getting a one-on-one chance with Hartzell. Harrison Ruopp was one of the D-men split. He dives, and poke checks the puck into the near wall. Petersson pursues the puck and is stapled to it by Ruopp with a huge hit. A nice sequence for Ruopp.
Cole Schneider scores on the back end of a double minor to Pierre-Luc Letourneau-Leblond for high sticking to cut the B-Sens deficit in half.
Zack Torquato scores from a low angle after chasing a face-off win into the corner. Big goal at the time because the ice was slowly tilting to the B-Sens side.
Third Period: Torquato had a shift where he was everywhere, dogging the B-Sens in their own end and keeping the puck in the Pens zone for a good :40. Then, Barry Goers scores his first AHL goal on a nice setup by Paul Thompson to extend the Wilkes-Barre lead to 4-1.
Pens had a 5:00 power play to work with when Ruopp was boarded by David Dziurzynski but could do nothing with it.
Three Stars: 3) Eric Hartzell (23 saves on 24 shots) 2) Barry Goers (goal, assist, +2) and 1) Zack Torquato (goal, assist, +2)
Around the Division: Hershey stomps Manchester 6-3, and scored three more power play goals in the process. It’s official, the Big Bear Machine is warming up.
The Week 14 AHL Power Rankings will be up Monday at 4 p.m. Pens probably will have off tomorrow, so if there is any update Tuesday, I’ll piggy back off of whatever news is out there. Pens host Syracuse at 7:05 Wednesday.
Comments Off on Man. — Pens LOSE 4-2
Posted by nafsnep on January 4, 2014
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It’s not so much that the Manchester Monarchs came into Wilkes-Barre tonight and won.
It’s not so much that they possessed the puck like fiends early, whipped it around and jumped out to a 2-0 goal lead early only to win 4-2 late.
It’s not even the fact that they exposed literally every weakness on this Penguins team. This Penguins team is a one line team (Drazenovic Kostopoulos Zolnierczyk) and the rest a bunch of checking lines.
It’s the fact that the Penguins were in this game late, and should have won. If you were at, listened to, or watched this game, you probably left saying one thing….
Man.
For a time, it did look like the Manchester Monarchs were going to steam roll the Wheeling Wilkes-Barre / Scranton Penguins. It was 1-0 after one and really should have been 4-0. Then, it was 2-0 when the second period wasn’t even a minute old. Pens rally late in the second when Tom Kuhnhackl scores right off a face-off win to bring the Pens within one and tie about midway through the third on a Nick Drazenovic rebound of a Nick D’Agostino shot off the pads of starting goaltender J-F Berube.
Manchester responds with a furious rush right off the next face-off but starting goaltender Jeff Deslauriers was solid. All game really, even despite being down 2-0. The first goal was a puck off the back wall that Nick Shore collects and banks in off of him to put the Monarchs up 1-0. The second goal was a bloop shot by Brian O’Neill that doubled the Monarch lead.
The third Manchester goal? Let’s flashback to last year. Failed clear out by Wilkes-Barre and the other Deslauriers, first name Nick, scores to put the Monarchs ahead 3-2.
Pens nearly score off the opening face-off but Tom Kostopoulos was robbed by Berube. Tanner Pearson hits an empty netter in the final minute to make it 4-2.
Despite being what would seem badly outclassed by the big bad Monarchs, the shots were dead even at 26 a piece.
Personell wise, same lineup as last night.
Man. We should have had this one.
Three stars were Nick Drazenovic (goal, even) Brian O’Neill (goal, assist, +2) and Nick Deslauriers (goal, +1)
Divisionally, Binghamton beat Syracuse in a real barnburner up on the Southern Tier 6-5 in overtime. That’s 7 straight wins for the B-Sens, after losing a bunch before that before winning a bunch before that. Ex-WBS Penguin Captain Joey Mormina had two goals for Syracuse in the contest…..Hershey defeats Rochester 5-1 and scored three power play goals in the process……Norfolk sweeps Bridgeport this weekend by winning 3-2 in overtime.
Conference? Like this…. 1) SPR (52) 2) MCH (52) 3) BNG (45) 4) ALB (43) 5) WBS (42) 6) PRO (42) 7) NOR (41) 8) ADK (38)
Let’s for a second concede the conference to either Springfield, Manchester or hell, Albany. So the best the Pens can finish is third as an East Division winner. But, slip, and let a few teams catch you and the margin for error is razor, and I mean razor thin. Three back of the lead for the division but in essence four ahead of eighth. There is some separation between eight and nine, but it isn’t much and those holes can close in the span of a Friday-Saturday.
Pens and B-Sens square off for a 4:05 battle in Wilkes-Barre. A regulation win puts us right back where things were Friday afternoon. Gameday for that will hit the blog at high noon.
WBS News
