Chirps from Center Ice

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5                                 1

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Alternate headline for this one would have been pediophobia, a fear of teddy bears.

The Wilkes-Barre / Scranton Penguins, on their teddy bear toss night, were humbled and defeated 5-1 by the Providence Bruins.

The line of Georgii Merulov (2-3), Jesper Boqvist (2-2) and Justin Brazeau (1-1) terrorized the Penguins to a tune of all five goals scored and five assists. The Penguins had no answer for that line Saturday night at all. It is rare that a single line like that completely dominates in a hockey game at this level. I can’t remember when a single line completely murdered the Penguins like that. The 2010 Hershey Bears? The Norfolk Admirals the year they won six million in a row? I can’t remember. The Penguins had no answer for that line and were completely humbled.

Arkoudaphobia is a fear of bears, by the way.

Can’t beat Hershey (Bears) can’t beat Providence (Bruins, a synonym for a bear) but can beat or compete with pretty much every team in the AHL that they play.

Alex Nylander scored a power play goal with :03 left on it in the third period. There were some rogue teddy bears that hit the ice (after they all rained down in the second intermission) which I found hilarious.

The Penguins were in the game into the second period, only down one off of a Merkulov goal at 5:53 of the first period, but that’s when Providence went to work, netting a pair of goals by Brazeau and Boqvist. Brazeau was lest alone in the slot and fired a high shot that went in and Boqvist scored his goal off a rebound left by Penguins starting goaltender Joel Blomqvist.

Blomqvist had a bit of a ride. I thought he should have been better overall, but was left out to dry by his team. Remarkably, Xavier Ouellet was the only player to finish in the negative for the Penguins. Every other player was a -1 or worse. Ty Smith was a -3. Seven others were -2. Yikes.

Here’s how they lined up:

Lineup was Taylor Fedun and Lukas Svejkovsky out for Colin White, returning from injury and Tanner Laderoute making his WBS debut.

Three stars were all Providence Bruins. Jesper Boqvist (two goals, two assists), Brandon Bussi (30 saves) and Georgii Merkulov (two goals, three assists)

The Good: The assumption is kids in need will get those teddy bears.

The Bad: Penguins had no answer for a one dimension line that sent them into another dimension.

Turning Point: There was a sequence in the second period where they were already down 1-0 and a goal mouth scrum where they couldn’t score. Had they did, teddy bears would have rained down and who knows what would have happened to the momentum and ultimate outcome from there.

Around the Division: Not going to give you boxes tonight. Hershey beat Cleveland 6-0, Springfield beats Bridgeport 5-1, Laval beats Hartford 5-1 and Lehigh Valley leads Charlotte late. Saturday’s scoreboard here.

Standings: Assuming that Lehigh Valley result holds.

Hershey 36 – Hartford 33 – Providence 29 – Penguins 25 – Springfield 24 – Lehigh Valley 24 – Charlotte 22 – Bridgeport 13

Wheeling Update: Nailers are losing to the Tulsa Oilers big. Box on that here.

I don’t think anyone wants to watch video highlights. I sure don’t.

More midweek when Syracuse stops by. They stopped Hershey’s nine game win streak. Should be fun!

Let’s Go Pens!

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3                                   5

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I have no witty headline for you tonight. I’ll try and do better the next time.

The Wilkes-Barre / Scranton Penguins defeated the North Division leading Cleveland Monsters 5-3 Friday night. They navigated through what was a stifling Cleveland forecheck and managed to take a 2-1 lead after the second period, scoring two goals in the middle frame.

After what seemed like a quick first ten minutes of the third, they catch a pretty goal from Alex Nylander to go ahead 3-1.

Then all hell broke loose and four goals were scored in the span of about three minutes.

Here’s how they lined up:

Lineup: The trend of dressing 11 forwards and 7 defensemen is a trend, I guess.

At around noon Friday, Pittsburgh recalled Marc Johnstone, Valtteri Puustinen and Jonathan Gruden. For Johnstone it was his NHL debut. They returned Joona Koppanen and the aforementioned Alex Nylander.

Lineup wise, Koppanen and Nylander were joined by Lukas Svejkovsky and P.O. Joseph for Johnstone, Gruden and Sam Houde, who is injured again.

First Period: Cleveland scores on a boffo shot from behind the goal line that banks off of Magnus Hellberg and in.

Monsters were bottling up the Penguins and it was bothering me that I couldn’t figure out what exactly it was. Shots were 12-10 but it seemed like the Penguins were lacking something.

Second Period: Ty Smith shoots and his first shot doesn’t go in. Ty Smith gets the puck, shoots again and it goes in.

It at first you don’t succeed, try, try again.

Raivis Ansons knocks in a puck for a goal that gives the Penguins a 2-1 lead.

Penguins find themselves in penalty trouble. Cleveland has :47 of two man advantage and fail to score. This was a gargantuan kill for Wilkes-Barre / Scranton. If Cleveland scores here it’s tied, they may score again on the other penalty and re-take the lead. None of that happened.

Third Period: They flew through the first 7:39 without a whistle. Refs Alex Normandin and Riley Brace called an excellent game I thought.

Issue still in doubt, will they, won’t they blow the lead and Alex Nylander scores to make it 3-1.

That move was sick.

Peter Abbandonato picked up an assist here, he’s a point machine for the Penguins.

Then four goals in the span of about three minutes. Here goes nothing…

– Corey Andonovski into an empty net, 4-1 Penguins;
– James Malatesta for Cleveland then scores and hold the phone, 4-2 Penguins;
– Alex Nylander from the opposing blue line on what was technically an empty net power play goal and it’s 5-2 Pens;
– But then Roman Ahcan bags his second on a snipe and it’s 5-3.

Monsters didn’t GIF their second and third goals.

Three Stars: 3) Corey Andonovski (goal, assist) 2) Raivis Ansons (goal, assist) 1) Alex Nylander (two goals)

The Good: Seems like they fought through adversity. Coaching? Maybe.

The Bad: Really couldn’t put a finger on anything. That finish was thrill a minute. Overall I think they played a solid, sound sixty minute hockey game.

Turning Point: That penalty kill back in the second period when they were down two men gets it here. May be the most important penalty kill of the season thus far.

Around the Division: Hartford beats Laval 4-3 in a shootout….Syracuse beats Hershey 4-1. Bears nine game win streak ends….Utica beats Bridgeport 4-1….Charlotte roughs up Rochester 6-1….Providence shuts out Lehigh Valley 2-0.

Standings: Hershey 36 – Hartford 33 – Providence 27 – Penguins 25 – Springfield 24 – Charlotte 22 – Lehigh Valley 22 – Bridgeport 13

Wheeling Update: Nailers take down the Indy Fuel 4-3 in overtime. Davis Bunz gets the overtime goal, Jordan Frasca with a goal and an assist. Issac Belliveau with a goal and two assists.

Video Highlights: 

Providence has won six straight coming into Saturday’s clash. More then.

Let’s Go Pens!

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4                                    3

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Man, these two teams are so evenly matched.

After beating the Thunderbirds in Springfield Friday night, the Wilkes-Barre / Scranton Penguins lose a penalty fest thriller 4-3 at home to Springfield Saturday.

At times because the two teams are mirror images of one another, it made for a boring game, like in the first period. But if you were a fan of special teams then the game was for you as there were thirteen power plays given out by referees Patrick Hanrahan and Jack Young.

Penguins get some much needed time off and will next play Friday at home against the Cleveland Monsters.

Here’s how they lined up.

Lineup Notes: Joona Koppanen was recalled to Pittsburgh Saturday afternoon, which explains his absence Friday. Raivis Ansons was in for Libor Hajek as the Penguins returned to the more traditional 12 forwards, 6 defensemen personnel setup.

First Period: Two power plays a side for either team, no scoring.

Second Period: Peter Abbandonato opens the scoring with a power play goal after a hack and whack of a Sam Houde offering.

But then Zachary Bolduc scored on a five on three for Springfield to bring it level for the Thunderbirds.

But the story of the period was the nonstop penalties taken by the Penguins, three in total in the period, which killed any type of momentum they could muster.

Third Period: They leapfrog goals in this frame. Drew Callin sweeps in a puck that Joel Blomqvist makes a save on but doesn’t get all of.

Then the Penguins answer right back on a delayed call on Springfield when Valtteri Puustinen puts a puck in and its tied at two.

Sam Houde was drilled into the boards by Hunter Skinner. Skinner was assessed a match penalty for a check to the head. A 5:00 major ensued. But, refs Young and Hanrahan give Austin Rueschhoff a penalty for instigating.

Here’s where I have a problem with that call. Skinner crushed Houde into the boards and injures him. What do the officials expect Rueschhoff or any Penguins player on the ice to do in this situation? “Hey man, good check!?” The guy throws the hit, gets the penalty and should have to fight if he injures the other guy. That’s the way it’s been for years. I get player safety, but if you  completely strip the code out of the game, you won’t have much of a game left.

Then Springfield strikes yet again on a power play when Matthew Peca puts in a goal that gives the visitors a 3-2 lead…

That’s also Taylor Fedun, who either fell down or took a penalty in the contest, slamming his stick in anger and being given a misconduct for abuse of officials by referee Hanrahan.

But then, with time dwindling and Blomqvist on the bench, Peter Abbandonato comes to the rescue again and ties the game at three.

They manage to get to overtime again.

Overtime: After a bit of a back and forth, Matthew Kessel scores to give the Thunderbirds the extra point.

Three Stars: 3) Drew Collin (goal) 2) Peter Abbandonato (two goals) 1) Matthew Kessel (overtime game winning goal)

The Good: The Peter Abbandonato trade may end up saving the Penguins bacon. The guy has made an immediate impact after the trade with Chicago.

The Bad: Too undisciplined. Springfield scored twice on eight power plays. That has to get tightened up.

Turning Point: Like Rathbone last night, Kessel’s goal in overtime gets it here. I thought about giving it to Abbandonato’s second goal, full disclosure.

Around the Division: Hartford beats Lehigh Valley 5-4 in overtime….Hershey wins their ninth straight with a 5-2 win in Charlotte….Providence beats Bridgeport 4-3.

Standings: Hershey 36 – Hartford 30 – Springfield 24 – Penguins 23 – Providence 23 – Lehigh Valley 22 – Charlotte 20 – Bridgeport 13

Wheeling Update: Nailers lose 4-3 in overtime to the Indy Fuel. Hey, affiliate synergy! Jordan Frasca had three assists.

Video Highlights: 

Back at it next week against Cleveland, who are at the top of the North Division and should provide a stiff challenge for the Penguins. More with the Weekend Preview probably Thursday.

Let’s Go Pens!

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3                                  2

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They looked great Wednesday in the games first twenty minutes and lost the final forty. They lost that game.

They looked lost in the games first forty minutes Friday and great in the final twenty minutes. They managed to get to overtime.

This is where Jack Rathbone cooked.

Rathbone’s overtime game winning goal gives the Wilkes-Barre / Scranton Penguins a 3-2 overtime win.

Gosh these teams are a lot a like. Frustrating for both fan bases.

If you are a Springfield fan, you feel the way the Penguins fans felt on Wednesday. You had them right where you want them, let off and lost. Yeah you got a point, but the team that you are going to be tied to all season comes in, plays a great twenty minutes when it mattered most and beats you.

Best part, they get to do it all again Saturday night in Wilkes-Barre.

Here’s how they lined up:

Lineup Notes: Joona Koppanen, Justin Addamo were out. Corey Andonovski and a debuting Will Butcher went in. 300th AHL game for Alex Nylander.

First Period: Springfield didn’t play Wednesday, the Penguins scored five goals on Wednesday. The Thunderbirds had eighteen shots on goal in the period. Yes, they had two power plays in the period but still, that’s a lot of shots to give up in the first period when you only had six shots yourselves.

Second Period: Thunderbirds make it 2-0 in the period when Nathan Walker and Ryan Suzuki score. Suzuki’s came on a power play. Walker’s goal was, in my opinion, way too easy.

I’m trying to figure out who Ty Smith is engaging with behind the goal line there. Don’t know if that was his man or not, but Nathan Walker waltz down the slot and just picks a corner. Too easy.

Ryan Suzuki scored out of a brief review of a possible Penguins goal when the red light came on behind Malcolm Subban’s net. After a small review which clearly showed no goal, Ryan Suzuki came out off of the ensuing face-off and scored.

Pens had one power play through two periods and it looked alright, but obviously didn’t offer up a goal.

Third Period: Wilkes-Barre wakes up and gets a goal from Rem Pitlick to kickstart the comeback.

I am telling you if they can figure out the rest of everything else which is wrong, this power play they have hums and can straight up win them games. They get a goal here and that starts the rally.

Matt Filipe with a deflection in front and it’s tied.

Hindsight, if I am Springfield head coach Drew Bannister I call timeout here. He didn’t, the Penguins had another power play but didn’t score and it was off to…

Overtime: Penguins possessed the puck the entire overtime period and sixty-eight seconds in, Jack Rathbone ended it:

Three Stars: 3) Nathan Walker (goal, assist) 2) Magnus Hellberg (36 saves) 1) Jack Rathbone (overtime game winning goal)

The Good: We came out with torches and pitchforks for head coach J.D. Forrest on Wednesday. Good on JD Forrest for not letting off and scheming them a way to win. What they were doing in the first two periods seemingly wasn’t working, whatever changes he made (if any) won him the game.

The Bad: This formula of a bad first two periods and a miracle third is not a recipe for success.

Turning Point: Rathbone’s goal gets it here, as any Penguins game winning overtime goal would.

Around the Division: Hershey wins their eighth straight, beating Charlotte 4-2….Hartford thumps Lehigh Valley 7-3….Providence doubles up Bridgeport 6-3.

Standings: Hershey 34 – Hartford 28 – Penguins 22 – Springfield 22 – Lehigh Valley and Providence 21 – Charlotte 20 – Bridgeport 13

Wheeling Update: Nailers lose 3-2 at home to Toledo.

Video Highlights: Aren’t up yet. Bookmark the AHL’s VideoCenter instead.

More after the rematch Saturday.

Let’s Go Pens!

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7                                    5

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You score five goals, you are supposed to win the hockey game.

You score five goals against the best team in the AHL, you are supposed to win the hockey game.

You score five goals against the defending Calder Cup Champions, you are supposed to win the hockey game.

They did not win the hockey game.

Wilkes-Barre loses a fire fight with the defending champion Bears 7-5 Wednesday night. It was a combination of a lot of things, in my opinion.

First, a hot start. Two goals by a returning from injury Sam Houde in the games first five minutes and they are off and running. Sure, Hershey scores one back but they get the two goal lead right back less than a minute later and they look like they are on cruise control and world beaters.

Second, Hershey storms out of the gate in the second period to the tune of four unanswered goals and stun the Penguins and their fans and lead 5-3 after two periods.

Third, they replace goaltenders and Magnus Hellberg relieves starting goaltender Joel Blomqvist to start the third period and lets a puck bleed through him and then later the Bears hit an empty net, while the Penguins cut the deficit to one each time in the period.

Go back to the first. They get out to a hot start but Bears head coach Todd Nelson has a masterclass in coaching and gets his team to respond for four goals and completely change course on the hockey game. J.D. Forrest? Are we trying to protect the lead or play to extend it or are we fine with winning the games first twenty minutes? Hockey is a sixty minute affair, last I checked. Forrest was outclassed this game by his counterpart.

In the second, the Penguins, showed their ugly side and didn’t have a response at all for what was happening run front of them on the ice. You can criticize coaching all you want till you are blue in the face, you still have to go out and execute. They didn’t and let the Bears score four unanswered on them.

Ty Smith leads the team in points, had two assists Wednesday but was a -2. Going down the list, the only active player who has a positive in the +/- category is Xavier Ouellet at +1, but he was -3 Wednesday.

Consistent inconsistency. Score a lot of points. Get scored on a lot, too.

Say what you want about +/- against your fancy stats. No one understands your fancy stats. If they did, they would matter more and be featured where +/- is. They aren’t, so grab your soy latte and take a hike.

A total lack of execution top to bottom in the second period by the Penguins and the defending champion and best team in the AHL took advantage. It’s what great teams and championship caliber teams do. But if you have a two goal lead you have a head start. If you are prepared the way you are supposed to be, you should be in the advantage.

So the third and final point in the game was the coach made a change in goal and it seemed to help. Hellberg shut down the Bears when he needed to. But there was one goal that he would have liked to have back and he absolutely has to make a save on. Ivan Miroshnichenko throws a puck at the Penguins goaltender that bleeds through and trickles in to re-establish Hershey’s two goal lead. If he makes that save maybe, just maybe, it’s a different outcome and a complete reversal of fortunes for them in this one.

Gotta make that save. Gotta have a better response against the defending champions when you have your boot on their neck. You let off. You had them where you wanted them, let go and walked away. Meanwhile they come up from behind you and hit you over the head with a crowbar.

Consistently inconsistent.

I’m not going to hit you with all 12 goals because it’s a work / school night and I am not a madman. If you want them bad enough, they should be in the AHL’s VideoCenter.

Pens / Bears was the only game in town division wise, so you aren’t missing anything on that front.

Wilkes-Barre stays in fifth, on 20 points, with an all of a sudden really important home and home series inbound against the Springfield Thunderbirds, on 21 points.

A parting note on Hershey, who the Pens won’t see again until after Christmas…

12-time fixing to make it 13-time, and there’s not a damn thing you or anyone else can do about it.

More Friday. Talk to you then.

Let’s Go Pens!

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4                                   1

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Joel Blomqvist is going to be an NHL starting goaltender one day.

Sooner rather than later at this rate.

A 44 save performance by Blomqvist and the Wilkes-Barre / Scranton Penguins salvage their week with a 4-1 win in Charlotte.

Not much else I don’t think can be written about the kid at this point, none better and finer in the first period of this contest with the Penguins seemingly on cruise control when Blomqvist was making really difficult saves from very difficult positions.

After another period of solid Blomqvist play and a power play goal by the Penguins, it was auto pilot from there.

Here’s how they lined up:

Lineup Notes: I like when the team tweets the lineup changes from the night before so I don’t have to. Pens went 11 forwards and 7 D. Taylor Fedun played in his 600th professional game.

First Period: Three quick goals in seven minutes of action for the Penguins sees Valtteri Puustinen, Joona Koppanen and Raivis Ansons find the back of the net.

Couple things, Charlotte had three power plays in the period and couldn’t score. The setup by Marc Johnstone and this guys overall hockey sense is something really to behold, setting up Ansons for his goal the blew the game open.

Second Period: Evan Cormier’s night was done, enter Ludovic Waeber in goal for the Checkers.

This time it was the Checkers taking the parade to the penalty box, taking all three penalties doled out in the period. Jonathan Gruden cashes on one of the power plays.

Nice pass by Jack Rathbone there to get it to Gruden for the easy tap in. I like Rathbone’s vision on the ice.

Third Period: Checkers pepper Blomqvist with 19 shots and one of them goes in when noted Penguin killed Will Lockwood scores to break up the shutout bid and allow for the teddy bears to fly and hit the ice and get the Checkers on the board.

This came at the end of a power play.

Three Stars: 3) Jonathan Gruden (goal, assist) 2) Valtteri Puustinen (goal, assist) Joel Blomqvist (44 saves)

The Good: Nice response by the Penguins to salvage what looked like an overall disappointing weekend.

The Bad: This is another one of those pause for a sec typing this up and watch the cursor blink type entries. Let’s just move on.

Turning Point: I think the Ansons goal really put things out of reach for the Checkers, considering how the game was going at that point and the frustration which was mounbtying every time they tried something on Blomqvist.

Around the Division: Providence beats Bridgeport 2-1….Hershey beat Iowa 2-1….Lehigh Valley beat Rochester 5-4….Springfield plasters Utica 7-0….Hartford beats Belleville 4-3 in overtime.

Standings: Hershey 28 – Hartford 26 – Lehigh Valley and Springfield 21 – Penguins 20 – Charlotte 20 – Providence 19 – Bridgeport 11

Wheeling Update: Nailers hosted the Iowa Heartlanders and lost 6-2.

Video Highlights: 

Back at it against Hershey on Wednesday. More then, before I set the week up for you with the Weekend Preview.

Let’s Go Pens!

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3                                  6

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I mean this felt like a scheduled loss.

The Penguins, who played less than 48 hours ago in Hershey against the defending champion Bears, travel on Thanksgiving and play in Charlotte the next afternoon at 4 p.m. and lose 6-3. I don’t know if it was another “consistently inconsistent” game, or an actual sleepwalking because of all the travel thing or not. They had a 6-1 shot advantage in the first period but were outshot 10-6 for the period and trailed by two, had two back to back power plays to open the second, then went offensively cold and scored on again in the second, scored a pair in the third to make a game of it 2:42 into the third before the Checkers took the ball and punched it into the end zone and ran away with it.

Maybe a little of both? I liked the pushback to open the third but then the old habits died hard.

Onto the next, same time Saturday.

Here’s how they lined up:

Lineup Notes: Taylor Fedun for Mark Pysyk, Jordan Frasca for Matt Filipe.

First Period: Checkers had an 0-for-19 cold streak on the power play coming into the game, so of course they go 2-for-5 in the game with Justin Sourdif scoring a low one timer to open the scoring at 10:27.

Then Charlotte scores off an odd man rush that looked a bit too easy for my liking. Mackie Samoskevich with the goal here.

Second Period: Pens have back to back power plays, get a couple good looks but can’t score then Charlotte starts going on a tear and get a goal to go ahead 3-0 off a Zac Dalpe goal.

This was a power play goal, the Checkers first of the period. Seems a bit dirt in your eye when the Penguins can’t score on two power plays then the Checkers, who were 0-for-19 coming in, come right back and get their second of the game. Also, just :08 in.

Third Period::18 in, Jonathan Gruden scored to give the Penguins life and it was 3-1. A hell of a response at the time.

Then they get another one a little over two minutes in and it’s a game. Cedric Desruisseaux’s first as a Penguin.

Then Santtu Kinnunen fires a shot that is deflected in by Ty Smith and the Checkers re-take their two goal lead.

Just a backbreaking goal, all things considered.

Brendan Perlini with a rocket that essentially salts the game away and the Checkers go right back up by three goals again.

Ty Smith atones for his earlier boffo and scores to make it a two goal game again but then he falls down at the blue line and Justin Sourdif scores an empty net, shorthanded goal to ice the game away.

Three Stars: 3) Rasmus Ashland (three assists) 2) Mackie Samoskevich (goal, assist) 1) Justin Sourdif (two goals, assist)

The Good: I liked the response in the third period’s open.

The Bad: Hockey is a 60 minute game and they only played about five good minutes.

Turning Point: Santtu Kinnunen’s goal that was deflected in by Ty Smith was the back breaker. Penguins dealt a heap of adversity in the games first forty minutes come back to make it a one goal game and then Smith’s unintentional redirected goal makes it a two goal affair and they face adversity again and it snowballed from there,

Around the Division: Hartford beats Springfield 4-2….Providence beats Lehigh Valley in overtime 2-1.

Standings: Hershey 26 – Hartford 24 – Charlotte 20 – Springfield 19 – Lehigh Valley 19  – Penguins 18 – Providence 17 – Bridgeport 11

Wheeling Update: Nailers lose in Cincinnati 5-2.

Video Highlights: VideoCenter is your friend here.

More tomorrow in the rematch.

Let’s Go Pens!