Chirps from Center Ice

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Quick one tonight because Wednesday is a work night.

If you don’t understand the headline (and why would you if you are under 30) I got the idea when I stood up and left my seat to head home Wednesday after Tristan Broz’s overtime game winning goal beat the Lehigh Valley Phantoms 2-1 in overtime. The Penguins got there because Tristan Jarry dragged them there, making 33 saves.

Broz was first star, Jarry was second.

OK here, if you still don’t get the reference.

I asked in the Weekend Preview how much magic the Penguins would still have left when Jarry finally goes up. From what I heard on Nick Hart’s postgame show it sounded like he indeed will be on the bus with them to Allentown on Friday before being recalled Saturday. What will they be like on Saturday against Rochester playing in front of Filip Larsson?

Shots were 11-4 and 24-12 at the end of the first and second period respectively for the visitors. Tristan Jarry flat out kept them in it.

It was the type of game that required a greasy goal and sure enough that came off the stick of Marc Johnstone after a deft pass from Avery Hayes late in the second period.

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They played better in the third, which seems to be an early, perhaps troubling theme, but Hunter McDonald managed to level the game for the visitors with this shot…

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Newcomer Phip Waugh and Mats Lindgren hit two posts in the matter of seconds.

Garrett Wilson took a late, call it reputational penalty for interference with 16.7 left in regulation. No one scored and it was off to overtime.

The Penguins didn’t score on the power play, but a boffo turnover by Adam Ginning led to Tristan Broz’s heroics.

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Ballgame.

Three Stars: 3) Marc Johnstone (goal) 2) Tristan Jarry (33 saves) 1) Tristan Broz (OT game winner)

Here’s How they Lined Up:

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Lineup Notes: Marc Johnstone for Raivis Ansons up front, newcomers Phip Waugh and Mats Lindrgen for the newly injured Nate Clurman and Scotter Brickey.

So add two more to the injured list. The injury list reads like a high school graduation roll call.

The Good: Gritted out a point I don’t think they deserved, stole a point they earned.

The Bad: Tristan Jarry has one more game (we think) before the goaltending goes back in mortal hands. They have to play better. They just do, because they are playing with a cheat code right now in goal.

Turning Point: The Ginning turnover to Broz gets it here.

Around The Division: Springfield scores five unanswered and beats Bridgeport 5-3 in an early school day kids game….Hartford beats Syracuse 2-1 in overtime. The rest of them had the night off.

Standings: Hershey 15 – Penguins 14 – Charlotte 13 – Hartford 12 – Lehigh Valley 9 – Springfield 8 – Providence and Bridgeport 6

Wheeling Update: Big night for Sam Houde and the Wheeling Nailers who roll the Cincinnati Cyclones 5-2. Houde had two goals. Sergei Murashov had 18 saves.

Video Highlights: 

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Back at it Friday in Allentown.

Let’s Go Pens!

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It was MageBoySA on Twitter (or X, whatever you call it) that had the summation of the way the Wilkes-Barre / Scranton Penguins navigated past the Hartford Wolf Pack 2-1 on Saturday night.

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Very good observation, considering the Penguins were out shot 12-6 in the first period and 26-16 through two periods.

Shots ended at an even 31 a side.

Coaching? Maybe. Regardless, it’s two points in early November.

Here’s how they lined up.

Hartford didn’t post lines.

Lineup Notes: Vasily Ponomarev was sent back to Wilkes-Barre from Pittsburgh on Thursday and replaced Marc Johnstone. No other changes from Wednesday.

First Period: Went by in a flash, little stoppages, both teams 0/1 on the power play and Corey Andonovski hit a post late.

Second Period: Isaac Belliveau scores his first professional goal just :33 in.

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Good stuff there.

A delayed call on the Wolf Pack saw Ville Koivunen score and beat old pal Louie Domingue to the short side to give the Penguins a 2-0 lead.

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What a pass by Bemström there.

But then, Dylan Roobroeck scored here on a goofy little play.

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I think it was more the lead pass from Blade Jenkins that set the thing up for Roobroeck to tap in. Also, is it fun to spell Roobroek or not?

Third Period: Uneventful for scoring, the Penguins outshot the Wolf Pack 15-5 and to MageBoy’s point in the open, played like they were behind and managed to win.

(they also didn’t score, but that may me overanalyzing)

Three Stars: 3) Tristan Jarry (30 saves) 2) Isaac Belliveau (goal) 1) Ville Koivunen (goal, assist)

The Good: Managed to get two points clean off a good Hartford club who are well structured.

The Bad: Is Jarry ever going to get a shutout?

Turning Point: That third period was something else, more I think of it. They stayed on the Wolf Pack and never let off.

Also, tip of the cap to refs Graedy Hamilton and Mason Riley, who stayed out of the way and let them play. There was a sequence where Domingue covered a puck, there was no whistle and Corey Andonovski took a couple jabs at it. Hartford didn’t like that and knocked Andonovski over. I think it was Hamilton who declined to penalize Hartford for the extracurricular because Andonovski knew what he was doing and knew what was coming. That’s good refereeing.

Around the Division: Laval is 8-1 and navigated past Providence 6-3…Charlotte beats Hershey 4-2…Lehigh Valley beats Springfield 5-2.

Standings: Hershey 13 – Charlotte and the Penguins 12 – Hartford 10 – Lehigh Valley 8 – Springfield, Providence and Bridgeport 6.

Wheeling Update: The Nailers had their home opener Saturday and beat the ECHL’s newest team the Bloomington Bison 2-1. The Bison happen to to be the ECHL affiliate of the Hartford Wolf Pack.. Jaxson Castor had the start and stopped 24. Atley Calvert had a goal.

Video Highlights: 

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Back here Monday for the AHL Power Rankings then Wednesday afternoon setting up a Wednesday home game against the Lehigh Valley Phantoms.

Let’s Go Pens!

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So, that was interesting.

After blitzkrieging the Bridgeport Islanders for two goals in the games first three minutes, the Wilkes-Barre / Scranton Penguins see the offense dry up, the home team score three goals three different ways in the second period and need a Jonathan Gruden goal late in the third to force overtime and takedown Bridgeport 4-3 in a shootout.

Two points anyway you can get them.

Here’s how they lined up….

https://twitter.com/WBSPenguins/status/1851754609536073812

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Bridgeport didn’t post lines.

Lineup Notes: Marc Johnstone for Boko Imama up front and Isaac Belliveau comes off the injured list to make his season debut on defense replacing the newly injured Sebastian Aho. Aho is day to day with a lower body injury.

First Period: They didn’t waste any time. Nick Hart mentioned on radio that the Penguins were waiting for their turn to play on a weekday and were looking forward to getting the opportunity to do so.

Before the Islanders had a shot on goal, the Penguins were up 2-0.

https://twitter.com/WBSPenguins/status/1851766371740258355

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Koivunen is a guy you want to get hot.

https://twitter.com/WBSPenguins/status/1851766753488941515

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Another guy you want to get hot is Gruden.

A pair of goals in less than 90 seconds apart is a good way to jump on an opponent.

Second Period: I didn’t count face-off wins / losses, but one thing I noticed was all the shots the Penguins took that went high or wide.

The Islanders responded in kind with a power play goal, a shorthanded goal and an even strength goal to overcome the 2-0 deficit and take a 3-2 lead heading into the third. Here were the goals.

https://twitter.com/AHLIslanders/status/1851786085866598737

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Nothing Jarry can do with that one there where he was partially screened.

https://twitter.com/AHLIslanders/status/1851787272338780178

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Brian Pinho leads the AHL with shorthanded goals. This was his third. If I had to nitpick an NHL All-Star goaltender down on assignment making $5M a year, it would be this goal here. You have to do a better job here.

https://twitter.com/AHLIslanders/status/1851787920052506921

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Defensive breakdown.

Third Period: Penguins do everything they can on a power play but do not score. Setup and execution were there, finish was not.

Jonathan Gruden scored when he stayed camped out at the goal mouth and waited to pick up the loose change.

https://twitter.com/WBSPenguins/status/1851796264788365577

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Hope he stays hot heading into November.

Overtime: Solved nothing. Penguins had a power play and again the. setup and execution were there but the game winning goal was not.

Shootout: Emil Bemström scored in the top of the first, Ville Koivunen in the top of the second. Matthew Maggio scored in the bottom of the second but Tristan Jarry stopped Alex Jeffries and Chris Terry. Tristan Broz also participated but was denied.

https://twitter.com/WBSPenguins/status/1851803382987592114

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Three Stars: 3) Brian Pinho (goal, assist) 2) Jonathan Gruden (two goals) 1) Ville Koivunen (goal, shootout goal)

The Good: Found a way to battle back and win.

The Bad: 0/5 on the power play.

Turning Point: The Gruden goal that forced overtime gets it here.

Lots for the coaching staff to look at and work on with a Friday off. You can’t go up 2-0 that early against a last place team that was obliterated in Charlotte last weekend and let off and nearly lose. They should have had six or seven, but that’s a knock against Marcus Hogberg, who started in goal for Bridgeport and was fantastic after the first three minutes of the game.

Around the Division: Hartford takes down Grand Rapids in overtime 3-2…Lehigh Valley beats Hershey clean in Hershey 2-1...Providence beats Belleville 3-2 in a shootout.

Standings: Hershey 13 – Charlotte and the Penguins 10 – Hartford 9 – Springfield, Lehigh Valley and Providence 6 – Bridgeport 4

Wheeling Update: Nailers were off.

Video Highlights: If I see them, I will edit them in here on the blog only.

Enjoy the Friday off and we will talk to you again Saturday against the Hartford Wolf Pack.

Let’s Go Pens!

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So an interesting Saturday for the Wilkes-Barre / Scranton Penguins

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The plan is to have Jarry here for the whole two weeks allowable and to have him start every game. That’s at Bridgeport this Wednesday, Hartford at home next Saturday, then a home vs. Lehigh Valley the following Wednesday. at Lehigh Valley that Friday.

Well if Saturday’s game against the Crunch was any indicator, I think Jarry will be fine, for now.

Syracuse is a BIG team. They look like a bunch of linebackers and wide receivers. They jammed up the Penguins Friday in Syracuse and shut them out. Saturday Kirk MacDonald made the necessary adjustments and the Penguins held on to win 3-2.

Here’s how they lined up:

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Lineup Notes: Raivis Ansons in for Marc Johnstone up front was the only change from Friday.

First Period: Nothing much to report here, the teams were both 0/1 on the power play.

Second Period: Wilkes-Barre gets bang bang goals from Sam Poulin and Avery Hayes on the power play and take a 2-0 lead over the Crunch who battle back to within one when Steven Santini scores off a face-off win (a theme for the Crunch all night) on a hell of a shot then Tristan Broz scores a power play goal with .4 left in regulation to make it 3-1 Penguins heading into the third.

Here’s all the goals.

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I think these next couple weeks could be big for Poulin. That was a hell of a shot.

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This was a hell of a play. Shot / pass from the point deflected in by Hayes.

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Saying Tristan Jarry, an all-star $5M a year goaltender should have stopped that is insulting to Steven Santini, who had a hell of a shot there to score the goal. Long distance, trajectory, deflection, whatever, still a hell of a shot.

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I initially thought it wasn’t going to count but after video review, the goal stood with time remaining.

Third Period: Syracuse created chaos at the net front of Jarry and Gemel Smith chipped one past the Penguins goaltender to bring the visitors back within one.

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I mean nothing you really can do there with guys buzzing all around you.

Penguins would hold on through a Syracuse too many men call late and hang on to win.

Three Stars: 3) Emil Bemström (two assists) 2) Tristan Broz (goal, assist) 1) Tristan Jarry (32 saves)

The Good: They battled all night and found a way to stay in front due to their NHL All-Star goaltender and won. Tristan Jarry was fine Saturday. This was the exact type of game that he needed, one where he was challenged a bit, especially at the end where he made a big save to preserve the win, and his team in front of him did the rest. Build off of that and see where this goes. They also scored two power play goals, which is always a bonus.

The Bad: For the love of god, win a face-off. I think next home game provided I remember, I am going to track the face-offs.

Turning Point: I kind of had a feeling that the Broz goal at the end of the second would get it here and out turns out I was right. We just didn’t know it at the time.

Around the Division: Charlotte sweeps Bridgeport with a 5-2 win….Grand Rapids beats Lehigh Valley 5-2….Hershey scores six unanswered to beat Springfield 6-2.

Standings: Herhsey 11 – Charlotte 10 – Penguins 8 – Hartford 7 – Providence and Springfield 4 – Bridgeport and Lehigh Valley 3

Wheeling Update: Nailers won a wild one in Reading 5-4. Matty De St. Phalle, Sam Houde and Logan Pietila among the ones with goals. Sergei Musharov and Mats Lindgren were sent down to Wheeling this afternoon by Coal Street. Musharov stopped 16.

Video Highlights: 

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Back at it Wednesday in Bridgeport. Power Rankings sometime Monday and I will be here again Wednesday around lunch for the Weekend Preview.

Let’s Go Pens!

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A freak play tonight and first period goal ended up costing the Wilkes-Barre / Scranton Penguins who lose 2-0 in Syracuse on Friday.

Brandon Halverson also played a good game in net for the Crunch, turning away all 22 shots sent his way for his second shutout in three games. He’s only allowed one goal this season.

The two teams will rematch Saturday in Wilkes-Barre.

Here’s how they lined up.

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Lineup Notes: So I said in the Weekend Preview that we didn’t think there were any injuries coming out of the Saturday game against the Lehigh Valley Phantoms…

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Add Jimmy Huntington to the list of the wounded with an upper body injury, week to week. Avery Hayes replaced him up front.

Some good news, defenseman Nate Clurman was back from his injury, replacing Mats Lindgren.

The Roster Tracker Page has been updated in kind.

First Period: Penguins fell in an early 1-0 hole when a Boris Katchouk clearing attempt ricocheted off of a skate straight to Dylan Duke who scored at 7:55. Replay below doesn’t shot the ricochet, but this was a freak play.

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The Penguins took the periods only two penalties, two cross checks, but were able to get out of them unscathed.

Rutger McGroarty had two really good looks but they were stopped by Brandon Halverson, who really wasn’t challenged much despite facing nine shots in the period.

Nick Hart noted on radio that it was the first time all season the Penguins were trailing after one period.

Second Period: Penguins had three cracks at the power play in the period but they were abject disasters. They were forechecked to death and that caused turnovers and it looked like the Crunch were the ones on the power play. No team scored.

Third Period: Best chance of the period came when Emil Bemstrom put a shot on goal, which was stopped, but then the rebound was pounced on by Justin Lee and Halverson gets over and stops that one too.

No penalties in the period. Time dwindled, Larsson vacated, and Maxim Groshev, who fought the aforementioned Lee at the end of the second period, scored an empty netter from center ice.

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Three Stars: 3) Maxim Groshev (goal) 2) Dylan Duke (goal, assist) 1) Brandon Halverson (22 saves)

The Good: Rutger McGroarty looked good. But for getting beat on a fluke sequence, Filip Larsson looked good too.

The Bad: The explosive offensive juggernaut known as at the Wilkes-Barre / Scranton Penguins were no where to be located Friday, but that’s a knock on Syracuse, who put the Pens in a jar. When they leaked, Halverson was there to stymie the rest. I also didn’t like the power play, which went 0/3 on the night, all in the second period.

Turning Point: The Duke goal in the first gets it here and it’s one of those times where you don’t realize it until the game is over.

Around the Division: Charlotte pounds Bridgeport 8-2….Hartford beats Lehigh Valley 4-3 in overtime….Hershey beats Providence 2-1….Grand Rapids beats Springfield 2-1.

Standings: Hershey 9 – Charlotte 8 – Hartford 7 – Penguins 6 – Providence and Springfield 4 – Bridgeport and Lehigh Valley 3

Wheeling Update: Nailers were off, they are in Reading Saturday.

Video Highlights: I highly doubt regular readers of the blog will want to see these, but the Crunch will likely post these, the question is will I see them and edit them back in.

Back at it Saturday for the rematch.

Let’s Go Pens!

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After giving up seven goals last Saturday in the home opener against the Charlotte Checkers and taking the loss, Penguins goaltender Filip Larsson was looking for a bounce back.

He had to wait a day because the NHL parent sent a goaltender down for a conditioning assignment, but on Saturday night Larsson rebounds in a big way, with 41 saves, his team does the rest and Wilkes-Barre / Scranton sweeps the weekend and beats the Lehigh Valley Phantoms 3-0 on Saturday night from Allentown.

I think that even if the Phantoms managed to somehow win, with 40+ saves, you pin the loss on the lack of offense moreso then the goaltender.

Oh, studsa tillbaka is “rebound” or “bounce back” in Swedish. Larsson is a Swede.

The more you know.

Here’s how they lined up:

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Lineup Notes: Corey Andonovski and Marc Johnstone were back in for Avery Hayes and Raivis Ansons up front and Mats Lindgren made his AHL debut on defense for Filip Král.

Injury Updates: 

All I can say, four games into the season is yikes.

First Period: About 3:05 in, Sam Poulin and Emil Bemström find themselves on a 2 on 0 and it was Bemström who scored to make it 1-0 Penguins at 3:05.

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They looked good in the period, offense looked fluid and Larsson was sharp, assisting on the Bemström goal. There was a power play about halfway through that looked bad, though.

Second Period: I think the Penguins had more icing infractions than shots in the period considering they only mustard three shots in a slog of a period for both sides with no scoring.

Third Period: Penguins were still nursing a one goal lead and the Phantoms were already up to 30 shots in the game, so you wanted something in the form of insurance while there was still a lot of time on the clock.

Just about three and a half minutes in, Joona Koppanen got on the scoresheet with a goal that gave the Penguins some breathing room and doubled their lead.

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Hell of a shot.

Phantoms were generating shots but they weren’t resulting in goals, so they decided to pull Kolosov for an extra attacker with over five minutes to play, and with under a minute to play, Sam Poulin sets up Boris Katchouk, who has had himself a heck of a weekend, for an empty net goal.

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All that was left was whether or not Larsson would do the thing and well, he did the thing. 41 save shutout.

Three Stars: 3) Ollie Lycksell (4 shots) 2) Emil Bemström (goal) 1) Filip Larsson (41 save shutout, assist)

The Good: I think the doubts we carried with us all week on Larsson’s shaky play Saturday night last can get put to bed. The kid looked as good as advertised against a Phantoms team that peppered him all night. This wasn’t a 13 save insulated shutout. He stopped 40+ shots and kept his team in it.

The Bad: I’m not nitpicking a road shutout, let’s just skip this.

Turning Point: The Koppanen goal gave them separation and put more desperation on the Phantoms. I don’t think it would have mattered because nothing was getting past Larsson Saturday.

Around the Division: The Chicago Wolves beat the Hershey Bears in overtime to win 3-2 in Hershey. The Bears, who were 8-0 in overtime last year, lose in their first opportunity this season….Cleveland splits another weekend series, this time beating the Charlotte Checkers 4-2….Hartford beats Bridgeport 5-4 in overtime and Springfield beats Providence clean 4-2.

Standings: Charlotte and Penguins 6 – Hartford and Hershey 5 – Springfield 4 – Providence and Lehigh Valley 2 – Bridgeport 1

Wheeling Update: The Nailers were beaten 4-1 up in Maine against the Mariners. Sam Houde had the only goal in the loss for the Nailers.

Video Highlights: Will likely be a later edit.

Power Rankings Monday, maybe.

Let’s Go Pens!

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No one under 40 is going to get the reference, but Boris Katchouk’s two first period goals were all the spark the Wilkes-Barre / Scranton Penguins needed in an explosive four goal opening period to beat the Lehigh Valley Phantoms 4-3 Friday night in Wilkes-Barre.

They scored a pair of power play goals in the first period, one from Katchouk, the other from Tristan Broz and Boko Imama’s gift of a goal stood up as the winner as four in the first was enough to get them across the line in a game you were either happy they won or upset that they didn’t win by more and almost lost.

Here’s how they lined up:

Lineup Notes: Justin Lee for Nate Clurman (listed as injured pregame) on defense and Rutger McGroarty and Raivis Ansons for March Johnstone and Corey Andonovski.

First Period: Oh boy, what a start.

:19 into a power play and Boris Katchouk camped out far side and scored to make it 1-0.

Just about four minutes later and there goes that man again.

Really not advisable to give a player the caliber of Katchouk that much time and space from that distance.

About two minutes later and on another power play, Tristan Broz collects the loose change and scores off of a rebound of an Emil Bemstron shot that made it 3-0.

Phantoms call time out to try to slow down the runaway train which was running them over.

It didn’t matter. And got worse.

An absolute boffo decision from Alexei Kolosov there and Boko Imama, not a guy known for scoring goals, gets about the easiest one you can think of and makes it 4-0 Wilkes-Barre.

Second Period: The Phantoms would respond quickly, with two goals in :16.

Oskar Eklind here left unmarked in front of the net that puts the Phantoms on the board.

Pens fail to win a face off then fail to clear and Jacob Gaucher scores to cut the lead in half.

Uh oh. Not this again?

But the Penguins tightened up from there, just allowing one power play for the Phantoms in the period and despite putting 15 shots on Alex Nedeljovic, didn’t find a third goal.

Third Period: I didn’t see defenseman Filip Král on the bench in the period and I didn’t notice anything of substance that took him out. Wilkes-Barre had a full 4:00 on a high stick double minor but couldn’t collect their third power play goal of the night.

Alex Nedeljkovic, the last time he was in the AHL scored a goal for the Penguins up in Springfield. With the Phantoms net empty and the Penguins winning 4-2, tried for the empty net goal again but didn’t put enough air under it.

Ethan Samson would score with under a minute to play.

Uh oh again?

But a late flurry of chances were denied by Nedeljkovic and the Penguins, up 4-0 in the first period with seemingly everything going in for them, hang on to win by a goal.

Hockey’s a funny little game, isn’t it?

Three Stars: 3) Tristan Broz (goal) 2) Boko Imama (goal) 1) Boris Katchouk (two goals)

The Good: Two more power play goals and a blazing offensive start, 14 goals through three games ties a 2005 team and a 2013 teams of the past.

The Bad: Oh dear they nearly coughed it all up and lost, but didn’t.

Turning Point: We didn’t know it at the time but the Imama boffo goal holds up to be the winner.

Around the Division: The Checkers, who I picked to finish last in the division because I don’t pay enough attention to this in the summer out by the pool, are out to a 3-0 start after a 5-2 win at home against the Cleveland Monsters….Hartford won a wild one in their home opener against the Springfield Thunderbirds 6-5. Everyone else was off.

Standings: Charlotte 6, Penguins and Bears 4, Hartford 3, Providence, Springfield and Lehigh Valley 2, Bridgeport 0.

Wheeling Update: Nailers open their 2024-25 ECHL campaign with a 4-1 win in Maine. Jaxon Castor stopped 25, Nailers struck twice on the power play. Jordan Martel and Phip Waugh with goals. Waugh is the only WBS contracted D in Wheeling, so on the way home they may need to drop him off if Renouf or Clurman can’t go unless they use Mats Lindgren who they recalled this week.

Video Highlights: 

These two teams rematch Saturday in Allentown. More then.

Let’s Go Pens!