Chirps from Center Ice

Little bit more of an established group for the Bears tonight and less so for WBS but the Pens still managed to scrape out a win at GIANT Center tonight winning 2-1.

Scott Munroe vs. Dany Sabourin. News out of Hershey this afternoon is that Braden Holtby is on his way back to the Bears.

Before the game, Tom Grace gave listeners an update on Keven Veilleux. He has a knee injury. They don’t know the extent of it yet because his knee was too swollen for diagnostic tests. From the sound of Grace and the tone he was trying to set forth, it did not sound good. The term “indefinitely” was used re: how long it would be until Veilleux could return.

First Period: 90 seconds in a Wilkes-Barre turnover led to a Matt Pope backhand goal on Scott Munroe. I’d give a prize to one of my readers if they could leave a comment for me on whether this was the first goal allowed by Munroe since being back in North America. Then a bit of a scare with Zach Sill fighting Christian Hanson. Sill went to the locker room with Patrick Steidle but just for stitches and returned later. There were gobs of fights. Last night it was pretty much Andrew Carroll for the Bears fighting three times for Hershey. Guys, literally, fighting for positions on the team. There was a penalty shot with Chris Barton being hauled down on a mini-breakaway. The Pens are 2-for franchise history all time in penalty shots so Barton did not score. I listened on radio tonight but could tell you that it just sounded like a discombobulated period.

First Intermission: Cuts in Wilkes-Barre will happen after tomorrows game in Wilkes-Barre vs. Adirondack.

Second Period: The radio feed went out about halfway though. Before that, Danny Richmond was caught interfering then Ben Street put the teams at 4-on-4. Zack Miskovic had a chance but the puck went over Miskovic’s net. Then the radio feed went out. The aforementioned Miskovic was then elbowed by Zach Sill and bloodied. Sill got a 5 minute elbow major. Wilkes-Barre would kill it. Paul Thompson had a nice chance shorthanded. Then the goalies made themselves the show with each making some great saves. The Sill penalty for the elbow falls under 45.4 in the rulebook which carries a $100 fine and a review by the League for a possible suspension.

Third Period: Carl Sneep threads a pass to Ben Street right off the hop to ties the game. Pace picked up a bit this period. Bears had a goal waved off because of a puck going in off of a high stick. Both Munroe and Sabourin made great saves in this period. Later, Brian Gibbons got a step on Keith Aucoin and scored on a daft backhand that beat Sabourin to put the Pens up 2-1. Bears would ramp up the pressure and Munroe made some money saves. They call Munroe “Money” as a nickname, so get used to me tossing it around the blog and on the Twitter feed. After a Danny Richmond icing call with Sabourin on the bench the Pens would hold on and win.

Three Stars: Dany Sabourin (23 saves on 25 shots) Scott Munroe (34 saves on 35 shots) and Brian Gibbons (game winning goal)

Pens wrap up the preseason tomorrow vs. the Adirondack Phantoms at 5 p.m. in Wilkes-Barre. Again, no Gameday post so the next post you see may be the postgamer on that game tomorrow evening.

Go Pens!

What, you thought I was going to come up with a witty headline for a game which was meaningless? Nope.

Pens beat the Bears 5-2 tonight. Hershey dressed a bunch of guys who will probably spend most of their time at the Caps / Bears ECHL affiliate South Carolina. Goalies Dany Sabourin and Philipp Grubauer split the time in net for the Bears. Brad Thiessen went the whole game and was backed up by Patrick Killeen.

Before we get going on the postgamer, welcome to the team Mike O’Brien. Mike did play-by-play and handled the public relations for the now defunct Lowell Devils and is filling the role for the departed Scott Stuccio in doing color commentary for the Penguins with Tom Grace. I don’t listen to home games, so I have no idea how he sounded. I will be listening tomorrow as I will not be making the trek to Hershey for the rematch.

Ryan Craig is our captain. That won’t change. Craig was scratched tonight so Bryan Lerg, Joey Mormina and Zach Sill wore the “A’s” for WBS this evening.

First Period: Nearly off the hop, Sabourin cleared a puck into the stands for a delay of game. Pens had plenty of chances on the power play but could not score. Later, Zach Miskovic would trip Bryan Lerg and the Pens would get another crack at the power play and not score again. About halfway through the first it was all WBS. Then, Jacob Micflikier, late of the Charlotte Checkers from last season, skated down the right side and fired a shot which was blocked by Joey Mormina who laid on the ice to block it. The deflection caromed back to Micflikier who rifled it over Thiessen’s shoulder to put the Bears up 1-0. Both teams would trade power plays, there was some rough stuff with Garrett Mitchell and Ryan Schnell and the period would end 1-0 in favor of the Bears with the Pens leading 10-4 in shots. Sabourin’s knee is a non-issue (he missed a good chunk of the second half of last season with the knee ailment)

First Intermission: Sought Tom Grace out in the hallway and asked him what he was planning on with his Twitter account. He told me that he wants to give fans the “behind the scenes” looks when he can. Tom Grace is anti-social media. He likes to play his cards “close to the vest” per his words. He told me he won’t tweet lineups or things like that, so we will have to see where his account goes. He is @TGracePens if you want to lend him a follow.

Second Period: Just like the first, the Bears had to kill a delay of game to start the period. Pens would fail to score on it and right after Ryan Schnell and Phil Oreskovic fought. Schnell had some good shots in. Then, Brian Day would score for Wilkes-Barre on a goal that looked like it was kicked in. Sabourin was irate but referee Chris Cozzan immediately signaled good goal. Pens really locked the Bears down this period not allowing a shot till about 10:00 in. Then the Pens went on another power play and just as that expired Geoff Walker scored on a great cross crease pass from Brian Gibbons. Late, Keven Veilleux left the game with an injury. He limped off down the tunnel. Phil Oreskovic may have got him. Bombulie’s postgamer stated that he will be evaluated tomorrow. As that was happening, Francois Bouchard completed a rush and beat Thiessen blocker side to even things at 2 a piece. Shots to this point were 25-10 WBS.

Third Period: Brandon DeFazio made a case for him after he got a goal to make it 3-2. Philip Grubauer made two great stops and then Andrew Carroll and Ryan Schnell fought again. Shots with 8:27 left in the third were a staggering 36-11 for Wilkes-Barre. Later, Brian Gibbons deflected a Ben Street shot to make it 4-2. To add insurance, Bryan Lerg split the Hershey defense and sniped a dandy of a shot on Grubauer. That was goal of the game, in my opinion. What a move and first step by Lerg to dust the Hershey defense. Then, Devin DiDiomete and Andrew Carroll (his third fight) fought with DiDiomete blooding Carroll. Pens would win 5-2 and out gun Hershey 41-16.

Three stars were Brian Gibbons, Geoff Walker and Brandon DeFazio. The AHL doesn’t release game sheets to the public so I have no idea who took what shots, what anyone’s +/- is, anything. (EDIT: Tim Leone has his game story here complete with box score) 

Always good to beat Hershey no matter if it counts or doesn’t. Rematch tomorrow from Hershey. I will be radio only. There will be no “Gameday” as info I gather prior to these games isn’t made available to me.

Let’s Go Pens!

Good to get back to hockey in Northeast Pennsylvania and take in the Black and Gold Game at Mohegan Sun Arena. The Gold Team and Evgeni Malkin defeated the Black Team tonight by a score of 3-2.

Going to keep this recap brief as I have to get up in the morning for an early rise for work.

Marc André Fleury vs. Brent Johnson. Announced that tonight would be Clark Luis’ last game as the anthem singer as he would be retiring.

First Period: Man, the speed of a game when it is full of NHL players is lightning fast. Passes get through and it’s just breakneck speed. About 6 minutes in Joe Vitale opened the scoring when Marc André Fleury was down and without a stick and may have been screened all at the same time. Later, Evgeni Malkin scored to make it 2-0 on a power move on a defenseman. Any concerns about his knee should be or are a distant memory. Later, as Ben Lovejoy sat in the box for a delay of game Jordan Staal scored a power play goal to put the Black team on the board.

Second Period: Brian Gibbons, who by rights looked like a squirt out there playing with men, was stoned by Fleury on the doorstep. Fleury’s defense really let him down with just given opportunity after given opportunity to forwards and defensemen alike as Paul Martin teed one up from the blue line Flower saw all the way into his glove. In house wifi, befuddled me all night. Malkin again scored for Gold then about a minute later Jordan Staal again for Black. Jordan really had a nice game for himself. He should have a big year in Pittsburgh. More Flower theatrics as Tom Kuhnhackl was robbed by a stickless Fleury. With about six minutes left, Brad Thiessen and Scott Munroe assumed the nets for their respective teams. Both Black and Gold teams would trade power plays with neither team scoring and the second period would end 3-2, Gold leading.

Third Period: Deryk Engelland would sit for hooking and the Gold team would go on a power play. Black killed it. Both teams on the power play would get good chances. I think Letestu for Gold and Staal again for Black but Munroe and Thiessen were up to task on all occasions. Geoff Walker really looked good and was a player who stood out all night. Malkin was stopped on a breakaway. That was pretty much it. Both Thiessen and Munroe were perfect in net for their respective teams.

No three stars but I went Thiessen (why not), Staal (two goals) and Malkin (two goals)

Bombulie’s online postgamer here. While we are on the subject, Jonathan wins tweet of the evening:

http://twitter.com/#!/CVBombulie/status/115948669391470592

Pens play an exhibition game Wednesday. Cuts can be expected soon after as Wilkes-Barre will open camp sometime next week.

Good to get back into the swing of things live tweeting and writing up postgamers. Good to get traffic to the blog and feedback on the Twitter side too.

Let’s Go Pens!

Lots of people will write epitaphs on this season. Lots of opinions on where the Pens season went to the dogs after losing 4-3 tonight to the Charlotte Checkers.

You’ll have one side that will say that the season went to the dogs when Dustin Jeffrey, Nick Johnson and Eric Tangradi were lost to either recall or injury.

You’ll have the other that will say that nothing matters in the regular season, it simply was a lack of execution by the Pens standards in not scoring enough goals in Charlotte.

If you ask me, the season went to hell late in the third period of tonight’s game. Up 3-0 late in the third, the Checkers stormed back ferociously and before you know it, it was a tie game. Then even before you could come to grips with reality that it was a 3-3 game Zac Dalpe scores late and makes it 4-3.

I had a thought in my mind with about 12:00 left in the third period that if the Pens were to have the bottom fall out of the season and lose the game, that the bitterness of such a collapse would be and extremely difficult taste to wash out of the mouths of fans who so passionately support hockey in Northeastern Pennsylvania.

A lot of people see me as the voice of reason whenever turmoil strikes on the ice during a game or a series. For that, I appreciate the kind words. I look at it in perspective. I don’t bet on the games. If the Pens go 80-0 or 0-80 it doesn’t affect me one way or another. My season tickets are paid for months beforehand. I don’t have a job in hockey. Nothing that happens on the ice affects me personally. The sun always comes up the next day.

But this collapse was inexcusable. Up 3-0 late in the third, the Pens looked like they went into cruise control. After Chris Terry put the puck where only a postage stamp could fit through, the Pens got a power play after Brian Strait and Ben Street (who returned from injury) came in on a 2 on 1 and Bryan Rodney knocked the net off. Pens did nothing with the power play. As soon as the Checkers killed it the Pens would see Brett Sutter score. Before it even sank in, the Checkers on the very next shift would score again to even the game at three when a Michel Jordan shot would deflect to Chris Terry again. Then, five minutes later, Zac Dalpe took a feed from Brett Sutter to seal the series for the Checkers.

Pens got second period goals from Ryan Craig at even strength and Corey Potter on the power play. The Craig goal was set up by a Ben Street shot that Murphy made a pad save on where Craig pounced on the rebound and cashed. The Potter goal was an NHL style slapper from the point which I thought deflected but apparently was clean. Joe Vitale scores the last goal of the 2010-2011 season for the Penguins shorthanded in the third period, which was an NHL caliber snipe.

58-21-0-1. 117 points, good for first place in the East Division and first place overall. Regular season was a success. The team in August was built for regular season success. Due to callups and injury in the regular season, Wilkes-Barre / Scranton went a lukewarm 6-6 in the postseason and bowed out in the East Division Finals to the Charlotte Checkers in 6 games.

I’m struggling for words now. So I will end this now.

Thank you Penguins for another great season.

Thank you to all who I have met because of the blog or the work I do on the Twitter side. Several points this season I had people come up to me at a game and say, “I really enjoy your work with your blog and stuff.” That means a lot to me, because I don’t consider this work.

Thanks to the people follow me for the in-game updates and for insightful analysis I provide them.

Thanks to the other AHL teams who follow me and the people who work for them and the beat writers and AHL insiders who follow and provide banter on the Twitter side. I must know what I am talking about having the likes of Patrick Williams, Jonathan Bombulie, Joy Lindsay, Chris Roy, Tim McManus, Bill Cain, John Walton, Cam Tucker, Keith Wozniak, Bob Howard and Shawn Rine in Wheeling all following me on Twitter and providing banter back and forth during the course of the year. Hopefully someday I can add the likes of Tim Leone, Michael Fornabaio, Lindsay Kramer, Dan Hickling, Pete Dougherty (if he ever decides to tweet) and maybe someday the League itself to follow along on the Twitter side.

Most importantly though, thanks to you guys who read this blog and recommend me to your friends.

Season wrap will be this week, as long as I come up with stuff to wrap. I may run a few things during the summer once the Calder Cup Finals are complete.

The sun is coming up tomorrow. Going out like this sucks. It really does. We were destined for a Calder Cup this year and it just was not to be.

Lets Go Pens!

There is no greater drug in this world known to man than playoff hockey. None. The roller coaster of emotions this week with two teams which are dead even. The immovable force which is the Wilkes-Barre / Scranton Penguins defense versus the unstoppable object which is the Charlotte Checkers.

But the story of this series has been the goaltending. Brad Thiessen boasts a 1.19 GAA and a .954 save percentage and Mike Murphy boasts a 1.19 GAA and a .963 save percentage. These are just INSANE numbers. Totally just, video game like when you are playing the opponent on Easy (like I do, but I still lose sometimes)

That all aside, the Wilkes-Barre / Scranton Penguins force the series back to Wilkes-Barre for a Game 6 in a 1-0 nailbiting, thrill a minute in the third period win.

Brad Thiessen vs. Mike Murphy. No lineup changes for WBS. Expect Ben Street in game six or possibly game seven as he took the morning skate today.

First Period: Pens would dominate the period for the most part. Shots this period were 15-6 for the Pens. Not without some anxious moments for the Pens as Matsumoto would fan on an open net. Then, the Pens would have a defensive zone gaffe that Thiessen would bail them out on. Veilleux would fan on an open net and radio called it the shift of the series. Keven Veilleux missed a ton of opportunities with pucks bouncing on him.

Second Period: Pens would keep the pressure on. Mike Murphy is just an absolutely unreal, unreal goaltender this series. In fact – if this was a recap of the series it would be this:

http://twitter.com/#!/nafsnep/status/66659305084030976

Pens would have a couple of tries on the power play. The end of the second would see a lot of penalties. Pens would get chances. No dice. Shots to this point were 21-9 for the Pens.

Third Period: Tim Wallace has a chance in the slot on Murphy and what does he do? Swallows up the puck in the crease and force a whistle. Then, Jon Matsumoto would hook Nick Petersen and the Checkers would kill the 2:00 of it but one second later a Bryan Lerg point shot would get deflected in by Chris Collins and past Murphy. To this point, Murphy had about a 130:00 of a shutout going. It takes a dirty goal like this to beat him. Whatever it takes. Then, Brian Strait would get whistled for boarding almost instantaneously and the Pens would have to fight off the biggest flurry against I have seen all year. They would kill it but the Strait minor. Then a Checkers shot deflected THREE TIMES OFF OF THE POST and did not go in. Later, in the same shift the Checkers would do everything but score a goal past Thiessen. Here is the setup twitter side:

http://twitter.com/#!/nafsnep/status/66672495087988736

Then while what I described above…

http://twitter.com/#!/nafsnep/status/66673077135745024

Then,

http://twitter.com/#!/nafsnep/status/66673250423422977

and..

http://twitter.com/#!/nafsnep/status/66673366349791232

You really should follow me on Twitter, if you haven’t already.

Pens defense would hold off the Checkers. Charlotte would pull Murphy and not find the equalizer.

First time in league history that there were two games which ended 1-0 consecutively.

Three Stars: Chris Collins (game winning goal, +1) Mike Murphy (32 saves on 33 shots) and Brad Thiessen (23 save shutout)

Game 6 is tomorrow at 7:05 from Mohegan Sun Arena, get your tickets by calling 570-208-PENS (5367)

Pens will get a police escort to an airport where they will charter back to Wilkes-Barre where they should be home by midnight.

Are the Pens delaying the inevitable? Was this win all they had left? History will be made….

Elsewhere, the winner of this series will face the Binghamton Senators who defeated the Portland Pirates in 6 games by a 3-0 score tonight in Portland.

See you tomorrow night in Wilkes-Barre. Cardiac Penguins Forever!

Silly Veilleux trip :10 into the third period puts the Checkers on a power play and Chris Terry scored when Chris Collins fails a clear and falls down trying to buy a call.

That was basically the game tonight, a 1-0 Pens loss to put them in a 3-1 hole with Game 5 looming large Friday and on this place called the brink of elimination.

Brad Thiessen vs. Mike Murphy – nothing changing here. Bryan Lerg actually played this game and Carl Sneep was scratched for WBS and Paul Thompson was the Pens 12th forward.

First Period: Pens caught with too many men off the hop. They would kill it. Pens would have good chances on a cycle down low. No dice. Pens would go on a power play. Nothing. Any time they would attempt to establish anything, the Checkers would clear it. Later, the Checkers would get called on a delay of game call. In the power play, Ryan Craig would put the puck in the net but referee Jean Hebert would rule no goal as Mike Murphy was interfered with. Soft call. David Marshall would take a silly holding call that the Pens would kill.* Period would end scoreless but the Checkers speed was prevalent.

Second Period: Pens would work down low to start the second but not score. Then, a ridiculous sequence would ensue. Murphy touches the puck outside of the trapezoid, no call. Then defenseman Justin Faulk would trip Tim Wallace and the would call a dive on Wallace and a trip on Faulk. Okay. Later, David Marshall would hand pass to himself and they would call a hand pass. Alrighty then. Then, turning point. Brett Sutter slash then a Chris Terry penalty. Pens would have :58 of a 5 on 3. Before the Terry penalty Steve Wagner whiffed on an open net. The Checkers PK is perfect at home. It stayed that way. Pens didn’t score. Brett Sterling had a chance in close and Murphy made the save.

Third Period: At 20:00 of the second, Corey Potter and Zach Boychuk both received double minors for roughing. Keven Veilleux would spill a man early and the Checkers would score a power play goal via Chris Terry after Chris Collins failed to clear the puck and tried to buy a penalty after being spilled. Pens would get close via a puck which drew the inside of the post behind Murphy and when Veilleux misses just wide. Checkers would play defense and late, tee off of Thiessen with scoring opportunities. Ryan Craig would take a penalty the Pens would have to kill late. Pens would pull Thiessen and that would be it. 1-0 Final. 3-1 Checkers series lead with Game Five looming Friday.

Three Stars: Chris Terry (game winning goal, even) Brad Thiessen (31 saves on 32 shots) and Mike Murphy (a 44 save shutout)

Pens put 44 shots on Murphy? Didn’t score? I completely wrote off the Charlotte Checkers at the beginning of these playoffs due to concerns in goal. No more. Mike Murphy is playing in a different universe right now.

Lots of chatter going on on the Pens Facebook page and fans chirping in on Twitter. Within a minute of the final buzzer sounding from the Queen City Bob Howard from the Power Play Post Show chimed in with this antacid soother (he’s a Binghamton native):

http://twitter.com/#!/PPPSHOW/status/65953729718919168

Right on. Why this guy only has 49 followers on Twitter (0ne of them the coveted @theAHL) is beyond this writer. He has a weekly AHL show which is money. You have to follow him.

The 3-1 hole WBS was in vs. Bridgeport was before my time. There are a lot of bald men in Binghamton still scratching their craniums raw from the 2005 debacle after the Ottawa Binghamton Senators lost to the Wilkes-Barre / Scranton Penguins in the Calder Cup playoffs. This was the NHL lockout year and a team of idiots led by Andy Chiodo knocked out the Calder Cup bound Binghamton Senators.

I will see you Saturday from Mohegan Sun Arena. If you are unable to make it Saturday please say hi to me Monday from the same venue. If you doubt this team, please cheer for another team or get into Jai Alai. Your bad karma is probably why you have an “East Division Champions” shirt at the bottom of your dresser and not a “Calder Cup Champions” t-shirt you are wearing to work tomorrow.

“I ain’t going down no more” – Rocky Balboa in Rocky II vs. Apollo Creed.

Go Penguins.

*- Wilkes-Barre misses you, Dustin Jeffrey.

Brett Sutter scores in OT to put the Charlotte Checkers up 2-1 on the scoreboard and 2-1 in the series.

Nick Petersen was back for the Pens after missing Game 2 due to a death in the family. Paul Thompson was the scratch. Bryan Lerg dressed but did not play for some reason.

Brad Thiessen vs. Mike Murphy.

First Period: Defensive turnovers plagued the Pens off the hop. Checkers clearly had the jump in the step the first 10 minutes and were ready for whatever WBS was throwing at them by forcing turnovers all over the place. Then, a defensive zone faceoff win for the Penguins finds Tim Wallace who comes streaking down the far boards on an odd man rush who centers to Chris Collins for the tap in goal to give the Pens a 1-0 lead.

Prior to this for the Pens in the playoff series, the team that scored first won the hockey game. This trend would change.

Second Period: Pens would play the most sloppiest period of hockey in recent memory and in doing so Brad Thiessen would attempt a clear. It would fail, the puck on Nick Dodge’s stick and in the net for a tie game. Checkers would get a few chances on the power play late but not convert. The second period SOG would be 11-5 for the Checkers.

Third Period: Pens would dominate. They allowed the Checkers only 2 SOG all period while firing 7 at Mike Murphy. Penguins would get the periods only chance on the PP but the Checkers are perfect on the PK at home and would kill it. Really back and forth a bit this period but we would head to OT.

Overtime: No clue. Brett Sutter scored on a ridiculous angle at 5:40. Game 3 is Wednesday. Of note, this is the first overtime loss ALL YEAR for the Penguins.

Pens coughed up puck after puck in the defensive zone. Thiessen earned his Baz Bastien Award again tonight bailing out the boys. Karma has his own turnover doing the Pens in. Not panicking. WBS has two days to fix what ailed them this series. Coach of the Year probably breaking down video as we speak (if you are reading this on Wednesday afternoon, probably still…) We aren’t into predicting anything either way on the blog, but look for a blowout win Wednesday. Winner takes the series in my estimation.

Three Stars: Nicolas Blanchard (assist, +1) Mike Murphy (26 saves on 27 shots) and Brett Sutter (game winning overtime goal, even)

Game Four is Wednesday. Like I said earlier. Get. Your. Popcorn. Ready.

Elsewhere in the Eastern Conference, by the time Game 4 jumps off Wednesday, the Binghamton Senators could be waiting with open arms for the winner of this series. The Portland Pirates are on the brink, losers 6-1 tonight to the Binghamton Senators. Game 5 in that series is Tuesday night in Binghamton.

I said Pens in 6 and am sticking by that. No way we are pushed to the brink Wednesday. None. Zero. Rest assured.

Let’s Go Penguins!