Chirps from Center Ice

Pens lose another shootout tonight 3-2. I’d rather lose and get points then lose and get no points. Exciting game tonight between these two heated rivals.

Brad Thiessen vs. Braden Holtby. Geoff Walker and Carl Sneep were in for Niko Dimitrakos and Cody Wild. Paul Thompson and Brian Gibbons still in the chateau le bow bow Hynes.

First Period: Teams would trade penalties to start then Robert Bortuzzo would get called for tripping. Ryan Potulny, fresh back from being injured would clean up a Julien Brouillette shot and put the Bears up 1-0. Fights would break out, with Ryan Schnell and Patrick Wellar fighting to a draw and Zach Sill playing a tune on Garrett Mitchell. Bears basically controlled the Penguins this period, limiting them to 4 shots on goal while taking 10 shots themselves.

Second Period: With Ryan Potulny in the box for a four minute high stick, Ben Street would tie the game after a nice tic tac toe play from Simon Despres and Bryan Lerg. Penguins would only allow Hershey three shots in the period while taking eleven themselves.

Third Period: Penguins could not capitalize on a 5-on-3 for :56 even with a time out. The power play all night looked discombobulated. That was probably the turning point even with a tied game to this point. Then, after an Alex Picard initial holding call, Boyd Kane would elbow a Penguin and get a five minute major for elbowing (above the head) and a ten minute misconduct and a game misconduct. In the melee, Robert Bortuzzo would also get a roughing minor. After, Ryan Potulny would net his second of the night to make it 2-1. Right after the power play for the Pens after all the rough stuff expired, Nick Petersen would score on a flying backhander to even things late. Onto overtime we’d go…

Overtime: Teams would get one shot on goal. Best was a Patrick McNeill shot Thiessen got a pad on.

Shootout: Potulny and Aucoin would score for the Bears and Bryan Lerg for the Pens and the Bears would skate away with the shootout win. Afterwards, Braden Holtby would hotdog a bit which drew the ire of Ryan Schnell who got a slashing penalty after everything settled down. Holtby received a five minute misconduct. The teams would chirp at center ice (see what I did there?) and cooler heads would prevail and the game was over.

Three Stars: 3) Ben Street (goal, assist, +1) 2) Ryan Potulny (two goals, -1) and 1) Keith Aucoin (game winning shootout goal)

Around the Division: Norfolk pumped Providence 5-1. Syracuse did the same to Binghamton 4-1.

Standings: WBS leads Hershey and Norfolk 25 points to 23 respectively. Then Syracuse has 21 points and Binghamton 16.

Conference: 1-StJ (28) 2-WBS (25) 3-CT (23) 4-HER (23) 5-NOR (23) 6-BRI (22) 7-ADK (21) 8-SYR (21)

7-1 in shootouts last year vs. 1-4 this year. Discuss amongst yourselves how, with the same goaltender, the deficit is what it is.

Onto Binghamton tomorrow. I will be there in attendance. Penguins are going to need to win and win big. Binghamton has not been kind to the Pens of late. We will see what happens.

Let’s Go Pens!

Strange game tonight. Tons to get to. Lots to dissect. Pens lost this one 7-5 tonight. Lots of different ways to go at this one.

Scott Munroe vs. Iiro Tarkki. Boatloads of lineup changes after the disappointing weekend in New England. Carl Sneep, Brian Gibbons, Geoff Walker, Alex Grant and Paul Thompson all scratched.

First Period: Before you even could say “huh” the Pens were down 3-0. Scott Munroe had not made a single save. Kyle Palmieri, Rick Schofield and J-F Jacques all scored. Thiessen relieved Munroe. Then late, Palmieri struck again on the power play to make it 4-0 Syracuse. Final shots this period was 15-7 Wilkes-Barre.

Second Period: Matt Kennedy scored even strength to make it 5-0 Syracuse. He took a nice feed from Rick Schofield and went 5-hole on Thiessen. Then next shift Alex Picard fresh from Pittsburgh made it 5-1. But, Nicolas Deschamps pushed the lead back to five and made it 6-1. This made for six Syracuse goals on ten shots. Pens would miss a bunch of open nets but this was due to last second stick lifts by Syracuse blue liners. A flurry of goals from the Penguins would close out the period with Bryan Lerg getting one on a deflection of a Jason Williams point shot. Then, Zach Sill would score on a  wraparound to make it 6-3. Syracuse would take its time out and Bryan Lerg would score again to make it 6-4 on a nice wrist shot. Pens would run out of time in the period. It looked like late that Syracuse had no answers. 15+ minutes of this period was spent in the Penguins offensive zone.

Astute Twitter follower Sean Mc tweeted that Munroe was off the hook for the loss despite not recording a save.

Third Period: The effort was there, the urgency was not. I tweeted at the end of the second that next goal would win the game. That would come off of the stick of Peter Holland with Simon Despres in the box for holding the stick when all he needed to do was pass out of his defensive zone instead of trying a fancy dangle move. Late, John Hynes would use a strategy move I liked. With 5 minutes to go in the period and Wilkes-Barre on a power play he pulled Thiessen. At that point, why not? Syracuse had only 18 shots on goal at this point. Syracuse was unable to net the empty netter and Ryan Craig would make it 7-5. Wilkes-Barre would use its timeout but get no more goals.

Three Stars: 3) Bryan Lerg (2 goals, even, 9 shots) 2) J-F Jacques (goal, assist, +1, Gordie Howe hat trick) 1) Kyle Palmieri (2 goals, assist, +1)

Around the Division: Norfolk lost 6-3 to Charlotte. Hershey edged Providence 4-3. Binghamton was idle.

Standings: Hershey the winner of the evening with the two teams ahead of them losers. 1-WBS (24) 2-HER (21) 3-NOR (21) 4-SYR (19) 5-BNG (14)

Conference: 1-StJ (27) 2-WBS (24) 3-CT (23) 4-HER (21) 5-MCH (21) 6-MCH (21) 7-SPR (20) 8-ALB (20)

It’s going to be interesting what Bombulie’s take is on this one. For what it is worth, if you allow a team 18 shots on goal all game and score five goals of your own, you will win 98% of the time in this league. Penguins put 54 shots on goal tonight. Iiro Tarkki is a hell of a goaltender to begin with. Regardless, if WBS limits a team to 18 shots and even scores three goals it still probably wins a game.

It’s the peaks and valleys of a minor league hockey season. It happens. With all the success Wilkes-Barre has had these past two seasons, this performance with these stats was due.

Penguins are at the quarter pole on the season. I will try to get the First Quarter Grades out tomorrow as I have all the stats lined up. All it takes is getting everything down on paper and in the blog. If I run it tomorrow be prepared for nonstop tweets about it all weekend, as you’ll all probably miss it eating Thanksgiving dinner.

Happy Thanksgiving everyone! Let’s Go Pens!

Pens played two games in two different cities in under two nights to shootout losses. Tonight showed that big time. Wilkes-Barre ran into a well rested Worcester Sharks team and were down 2-0 7:10 into the game and lost 3-1.

Brad Thiessen vs. Tyson Sexsmith. Robert Bortuzzo was the surprise scratch as he took warmups, but could have had swelling bad enough from a shot he took last night in Manchester to sit. Cody Wild was in for him.

First Period: Benn Ferriero scored while Thiessen was screened. Worcester pressed early in the game and it won them it. Later with Ryan Craig in the box for hooking, Ferriero scored again, under a lost the same circumstances (Thiessen screened) which would spell the end of Thiessen who would get relieved by Scott Munroe. To this point, Worcester took 7 shots on goal. The remainder of the period WBS would only allow them one. With 7:46 left in the first the Penguins only had two shots on goal. They would triple that to six as the period would end.

Second Period: Simon Despres turnover in his own zone lead to a 2-on-1 for Worcester which Brandon Mashinter would score on a hack and whack of his own rebound. Nothing really happened this period other than Bryan Lerg high sticking Nick Petrecki good enough for a 4:00 penalty. Wilkes-Barre would kill it off, however.

Third Period: Green flag hockey to start the period and before you knew it, it was 12:03 to run to the end of the period. Sexsmith saw everything and left little to no rebounds. Late, Eric Tangradi would spoil the Sexsmith shutout bid with :25 left.

Three Stars: 3) Brandon Mashinter (goal, +1) 2) Benn Ferriero (two goals, +1) and 1) Tyson Sexsmith (34 saves on 35 shots)

Around the Division: No one else skated tonight. Big missed opportunity because WBS had games in hand on the division.

Standings: Things stay the same as they were last night. 1-WBS (24) 2-NOR (21) 3-HER (19) 4-SYR (17) 5-BNG (14)

Conference: Could have got to one point behind St. John’s who was idle, but it looks like this: 1-StJ (27) 2-WBS (24) 3-SPR (20) 4-NOR (21) 5-ALB (20) 6-BRI (20) 7-CT (19) 8-ADK (19)

Interesting absence in this list is the Hershey Bears whom, if playoffs started today, would miss the playoffs. It’s November though.

WBS and the booster club are bussing home tonight. I’m sitting here in my hotel room in Worcester and will travel home tomorrow morning. WBS will have an off day tomorrow and will probably practice Tuesday for the Wednesday home game vs. Syracuse.

Updates here on the blog as content allows. A guy named Sidney is back in Pittsburgh, which could mean that WBS is getting a few forwards back. The question is how many and who.

Let’s Go Pens!!!

It’s another one of those times when I have the headline for my postgamer in my head no matter the outcome of the game. This time, a 3-2 WBS shootout loss to the Portland Pirates. Pirates played a heck of a game despite their standings spot. Penguins pretty much controlled the Pirates offensively but for a few gaffes which, in the end, cost the Penguins the win.

Scott Munroe vs. Curtis McElhinney. Both Colin McDonald and Geoff Walker were back for the Pens. Paul Thompson and Alex Grant were the scratches.

First Period: Right off the hop it looked like the Pens were outworking the Pirates with their speed. So much so, that the intermission guys who do the interviews mentioned it to the coaches and players. Portland would go over 10 minutes to start the game without a shot on goal. Then, Max Goncharov would score to put the Pirates up on what would be their third shot of the game. The Pirates would get no more, the Penguins would get a few power plays but not score on any of them.

Second Period: Munroe made a few good saves to open the period, denying Brett MacLean on a backdoor play to keep it 1-0. Later, Brian Gibbons would score as the puck would deflect off of Portland defenseman Michael Stone and in the net. Lerg later came in and tried the deke that won the Pens the East Division last year in Hershey but McElhinney made the save. Later with Jason Williams in the box for tripping, Michael Stone would redeem himself by scoring on the power play finishing off a nice cross crease pass which he slammed in the net back door.

Third Period: Ben Street would rifle home a power play goal with M-A Pouliot locked away in the box for a cross check. Late in the period Eric Tangradi hit the bottom of the post with the Pens a man up late.

Overtime: Portland buzzed and buzzed looking to end it early. It almost looked to me that they didn’t want the shootout.

Shootout: Ryan Duncan and Colin McDonald scored in the first round. Brett MacLean scored in round five and Jason Williams then could not and the Pirates picked up the extra point in the shootout win.

Three Stars: 3) Simon Despres (assist, even) 2) Brett MacLean (game winning shootout goal, -1) and 1) Curtis McElhinney (35 saves on 37 shots)

I thought it was a well played game by WBS. Again, Portland is a very good team. By rights, Portland should have won this game 2-1 in regulation.

Around the Division: Hershey lost in a shootout to the Syracuse Crunch 3-2. Norfolk beat St. John’s 6-2. Impressive win for the Admirals there in just rolling the league’s best team in their home barn. Binghamton got back on the winning side of things winning in Quebec at Bell Centre by defeating the Hamilton Bulldogs 4-2 at the home of the Montreal Canadiens.

Standings: WBS 23 to Norfolk’s 21. Hershey has 18 points and is a point ahead of Syracuse with 17. Binghamton is last with 14.

Conference: 1-StJ (25) 2-WBS (23) 3-CT (19) 4-NOR (21) 5-HER (18) 6-SPR (18) 7-BRI (18) 8-ALB (18)

The thing that is weird about conference standings is that with an Albany win and a Connecticut loss tomorrow, and depending on other factors Albany can pole vault to third place. Funny.

Pens travel to Manchester tonight. I will be making the trek there tomorrow morning. Let’s Go Pens!

Normally when a goaltender is off for a month during the season one would expect some rust in the form of a few goals he should have had in his next game. Not Scott Munroe. Munroe and the Penguins shutout the Binghamton Senators 3-0 tonight. It was Binghamton’s eighth straight loss.

Mike McKenna vs. Scott Munroe. Colin McDonald was sidelined with the flu, or flu-like symptoms. Dustin Jeffrey was recalled from his conditioning stint back to Pittsburgh.

First Period: B-Sens were flying out of the gate, Bobby Raymond hit a post. Six minutes in and Wilkes-Barre didn’t have a shot on goal. Then Brandon DeFazio goes out and gets two in his shift. The teams would trade two penalties a side and they’d skate back to the locker rooms scoreless.

Second Period: Pens had to kill two straight penalties and did so successfully, then Nick Petersen scored to make it 1-0 after McKenna was unable to control a rebound in a scrum. Steve MacIntyre had a shift in the middle of the period which really impressed me. He was throwing the body and nearly scored on a deflection. Late, Paul Thompson would score to make it 2-0 then nearly immediately afterward, Brian Gibbons would snipe a goal from the far dot to make it 3-0. Much like the two prior games, Wilkes-Barre gets two goals late to put itself out front.

Third Period: Not a whole lot to report here. Lots of end to end action. Carl Sneep made a few defensive plays. WBS would clamp down and play defense. They only took 5 shots on goal and allowed 8. Really nothing to report on. Munroe made the saves when he needed to preserve his second shutout on home ice.

Three Stars: 3) Jason Williams (2 assists, +2) 2) Scott Munroe (25 save shutout) and 1) Nick Petersen (goal, assist, +2)

Petersen and his wife welcomed a baby girl this morning right before lunch. Bombulie tweeted that he told his daughter that he’d score a goal for her. That he did, and more.

Can I say that WBS has a goaltending controversy on its hands? Thiessen and Munroe both have two shutouts now and are playing lights out in goal. Who gets the nod in Portland on Friday? Who sees two out of three in the weekend?

Around the Division: Wilkes-Barre and Binghamton were the only games in town.

Standings: The old saying is that games in hand don’t mean bunk unless you win them. WBS is the division leader up on Norfolk, 22 points to 19, Hershey sits third with 17 points. Syracuse 15 and Binghamton 12.

Conference: 1-StJ (25) 2-WBS (22) 3-ALB (18) 4-NOR (19) 5-ADK (17) 6-HER (17) 7-CT (17) 8-BRI (17)

Pens will probably have a light skate or a meeting or two before shipping to Portland on Thursday. I will be doing the same, but for attending meetings and practicing. If there isn’t anything to report on Wednesday, check me out on Thursday afternoon as I live-tweet (or attempt to) my six-hour trip to Portland.

Let’s Go Pens!

Wilkes-Barre is not able to get the winning streak to nine game this evening and subsequently lost to the Norfolk Admirals 5-3. Pens looked flat exhausted all weekend. They willed their way to a win last night in Hershey and had a 3-1 lead before coughing up a four goal third period by the Admirals to lose.

Brad Thiessen vs. Dustin Tokarski. Dustin Jeffrey was a scratch tonight. Word on radio was that Pittsburgh wanted him to sit due to a lot of minutes played the last two games (Norfolk Wednesday and Hershey Friday) Matt Rust was called up from Wheeling in his place.

First Period: Jason Williams banged home a Colin McDonald feed from behind the net to put the Pens up early. The teams would trade power plays. Then, with Norfolk’s Jeff Dimmen in the box for tripping Bryan Lerg, Radko Gudas would score shorthanded. A miscommunication between the defensemen led to the turnover and the Gudas score. Norfolk seemed to me to have the period in control the whole way despite the 8-5 shots on goal advantage the Pens had.

Second Period: Ben Street would zip a shot past Tokarski to make it 2-1 then Niko Dimitrakos would score on a 2 on 1 to make it 3-1. Pest Eric Neilson was pestering Nick Petersen for a fight at center ice and in his badgering let the Pens come in 2 on 1 and score. Neilson would find a fight partner in the form of Steve MacIntyre. MacIntyre absolutely destroyed Neilson. I mean absolutely manhandled him. To Neilson’s credit, while eating about seven or eight bombs from MacIntyre, did not buckle once. This would end up being the turning point for WBS as they would look flat afterwards.

Third Period: All credit to Norfolk. Down 3-1 and having MacIntyre rearrange the face of Eric Neilson they could have folded up and went home. Not these pesky Admirals, they scored four times to win. First was a Cory Conacher clean up on a rebound while the Admirals were on the power play. Second was Mark Barberio on a slapshot from the far circle Thiessen never saw when Brian Gibbons was in the box for tripping. Third was Dana Tyrell on a mini break which Thiessen got a part of but it went 5-hole and in and finally an empty netter late which technically counts as a power play goal so three power play goals in the period alone.

Three Stars: 3) Ben Street (goal, even) 2) Dana Tyrell (game winning goal, assist, +1) and 1) Mark Barberio (goal, two assists, +1)

I felt like WBS chased it the remainder of the night after the MacIntyre / Neilson fight. That the defense allowed four straight goals in the third when this is something we pride ourselves on is not acceptable.

WBS will need to regroup and will. Rare Tuesday game when the defending Calder Cup champion Binghamton Senators come to town hungry for a win.

Around the Division: Hershey and Binghamton were idle. Albany shutout Syracuse 1-0.

Standings: WBS leads by one point over Norfolk, 20 to 19. Hershey has 17 points, Syracuse 15 and Binghamton 12.

Conference: St. John’s still leads overall 23 points to WBS’ 20. Then it goes Adirondack (yes, Adirondack) 17 points as the Northeast Division leader. It’s actually quite the logjam in that division as three teams have 17 points currently and last place Springfield sits just three points back. Not bad for a division which everyone thought would be  the weakest in the Eastern Conference. Four thru Eight go: 4-NOR (19) 5-HER (17) 6-CT (17) 7-ALB (17) 8-SYR (15)

May run a few things here and there between now and Tuesday. Check back often!

Let’s Go Pens!