Chirps from Center Ice

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Apologies to any of you looking for a Saturday recap of the outdoor game in Cleveland. The game was supposed to start at 1, it was sunny, the sun creamed the ice, and they delayed the game to 6. I had dinner plans with my family for my mother’s birthday, so I wasn’t able to watch or pay much attention to the game, a 3-2n Cleveland overtime win.

Penguins win the rematch, indoors, Sunday 6-4. A wild one, to say the least. Pens fall down 4-2, battle back to tie the game in the second period and then go ahead on a power play goal in the third. Two goals by Ty Glover, a pair of power play goals by Drake Caggiula, a goal by Taylor Fedun which kickstarted the comeback, and an empty net goal by Alex Nylander which sealed it.

Good win. 3 of 4 points taken from Cleveland. I’d argue caution by anyone reading this, Cleveland is a last place team in the North Division. We will see what kind of team we have two set up for a playoff run this week against the number one team in the North with Toronto, then Lehigh Valley comes in Friday and the Penguins close out the weekend with a home game with the Utica Comets. All playoff teams right now. The Penguins are chasing down the Phantoms for the last playoff spot.

So yeah, pretty important.

If you are asking about the headline, it was the Fathers trip for the team.

I’ll give you lineup, the goals and then the standings.

Ty Glover scored the first of his two goals via penalty shot, of all things.

Nice move.

But Cleveland led 2-1 after the first period.

Glover’s second of the game tied the game at two.

But Cleveland rattled off two straight fairly quickly, 1:01 after the Glover goal with a goal by Trey Fix-Wolansky and then another goal another 1:01 later with a goal by Alex Whelan.

But then the comeback started.

You love to see it.

Then the Penguins put their power play to work, with a goal by Drake Caggiula.

Nifty deflection.

Looked like they were going to play for overtime, but then Caggiula struck with 6:01 left with another power play goal that put the Penguins up for good 5-4.

You want to see them get themselves back into the game with the power play and that’s exactly what they did.

Nylander added an empty net goal. I thought they may pass to Ty Glover for the hat trick, but Nylander took it and put the game out of reach for Cleveland.

Divisionally, I can’t figure any of these teams out. Bridgeport gets thumped 9-0 Saturday, comes back and wins 3-0 over Springfield…Hartford loaded up at the NHL trade deadline, and lost 6-3 to Charlotte after winning Saturday. Lehigh Valley and Providence are still playing as this blog goes up.

Penguins are three off Bridgeport, who have 58 points, tied with seventh place Hartford. Islanders, Wolf Pack and Penguins all have 55 games played.

More Wednesday, more conventionally, after the game with the Marlies.

Let’s Go Pens!

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Seasons cooked, folks.

The Wilkes-Barre / Scranton Penguins slip to below .500 with a 5-3 loss to the Hershey Bears Wednesday night. Pens and Bears were the only game in the Atlantic Division, so the Penguins, who used to gave a cache of games in hand on a ton of divisional opponents, now have one more game played than 4th place (58 points) Springfield, 6th place (55) Hartford, 7th place (54) Bridgeport. The Penguins are in last with 52 points.

Season is cooked.

Lines were…

Lineup Notes: Lots to get to so please keep up. Drake Caggiula will be recalled.

Filip Hallander is non-COVID sick. So Justin Addamo, signed to his 700th PTO this morning, went in and Colin Swoyer who is a defenseman, slotted in at forward.

Andrew Nielsen made his WBS debut, paired with Taylor Fedun on defense.

Injuries: Goaltender Lindberg is day to day with an upper body injury. Ty Smith and Jonathan Gruden are week to week. J.D. Forrest is more optimistic on Gruden’s week to week then he is Ty Smith.

Speculation: Gruden and Smith were injured the last time the Pens were in Allentown. Gruden was slammed into the bench by ex-Penguin Garrett Wilson. If I had to bet a dime it’s a broken rib. You just give that time. Ty Smith took a puck off the face, returned with a bubble but hasn’t been seen since. He was at the dentist on the next day, Sunday, and hasn’t been seen since. If I had to bet a dime it’s a broken jaw. You wire that shut and eat through a straw.

Trades and Other Transactions: 

DiLiberatore will report to Wilkes-Barre. He has three assists with AHL Henderson and three assists with ECHL Savannah. Not exactly lighting the world on fire.

Both players cleared waivers today. We can use all the help we can get.

OK now onto the game.

First Period: Bears score first when Henrik Borgstrom walks through three guys, draws a penalty and scores about halfway through to give the Bears a 1-0 lead.

But then the Penguins, who Nick Hart mentioned had the best power play in the entire AHL during the month of February, struck off a power play goal when Justin Addamo scored on a tip in front to put the Penguins level with the Bears.

Second Period: Taylor Fedun is a problem.

First, the Penguins were outshot 14-4. That’s not on Fedun. The Bears are good. They are well coached and coming off of probably their worst month of the season. They haven’t won in three games and are neck and neck with Providence for the division lead. They needed a response coming out for the second period tied with a last place team and took advantage.

Where Fedun became a problem were highlighted on the two Bears goals in the period.

Ethen Frank with a one time bomb on a power play from the near dot ala Chris Bourque puts the Hershey Bears up 2-1.

Baffling that they allow a guy who leads the Bears in goals that much time and space on a power play. Like you know the guy is going to get the puck and you know the guy is going to shoot it. But here’s Fedun just coasting to the slot like a robot hoping to deflect a bullet out of a cannon. Good luck.

Then, with under a minute to play and the Penguins still hanging around, the Penguins captain gets caught crossing up his new defenseman partner in Nielsen, leaving Tokarski out to dry and giving Joe Snively, another Penguins killer, all the time in the world to deflect in a shot and give Hershey a two goal lead.

As Charles Barkley would say, that’s turrible, Ernie.

Third Period: Wilkes-Barre shows some tenacity and actually battles back to tie the game.

Penguins cash another power play goal with Justin Addamo again when Nathan Legare’s shot is blocked to Addamo in the slot. Addamo goes for a pass to a streaking forward down the opposite side and that is blocked. Addamo then just flips a backhander past Fucale to pull the Pens to within one.

Later, Alex Nylander scores on a breakaway when he jukes Fucale back to York, PA and ties the game at three.

Penguins navigate safely out of a Hershey power play, but then are let down by their goaltender when Joe Snively goes into the corner, sees daylight and fires a shot past Dustin Tokarski to put the Bears ahead with just over four minutes left to play.

That’s probably a save that Dustin Tokarski makes 10 times out of 10 on any given day, but on this particular instance, it’s a save he doesn’t make at a costly time during the hockey game.

Mike Vecchione scores on an empty netter and that’s the ballgame.

Three Stars: 3) Justin Addamo (two goals) 2) Mike Sgarbossa (three assists) 1) Joe Snively (two goals, assist)

The Good: I liked the way they battled back in the third period there. They could have packed it in but used the power play to get them back into it and one of their horses in Nylander to get them even.

The Bad: Fedun had a forgettable defensive game which will be erased by the team getting it back to even, but the veteran goaltender doesn’t make what appears to be a routine save and the Penguins fall further into the abyss of the handful of teams which won’t make AHL playoffs this season.

Turning Point: Seemed like this Wednesday game had a ton of them and it did, but it’s the Snively late goal that gets the nomination here.

Around the Division: As I said off the hop, Pens / Bears was the only game in the Atlantic Division.

Standings: Hershey 73 – Providence 72 – Charlotte 65 – Springfield 58 – Lehigh Valley 58 – Hartford 55 – Bridgeport 54 – Penguins 52

Wheeling Update: Nailers were off.

Video Highlights: 

Back at it Saturday in Cleveland outside at the football stadium.

Let’s Go Pens!

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Wilkes-Barre / Scranton Penguins drop a 2-1 overtime loss to the Belleville Senators on Saturday night. A couple things about this match:

• Belleville gives up the most goals to Eastern Conference teams.
• Their penalty kill was 31st in the AHL.

So Wilkes-Barre scores a late, extra attacker goal via Tyler Sikura and go 0/3 on the power play and don’t score an even strength goal.

If you are wondering about the headline, there was a couple in my section who reeked of marijuana. If you followed along on Twitter Saturday, I made as many cheap weed as I could.

I don’t mind, by the way, as long as it’s in moderation.

Wilkes-Barre pumped 39 shots at Dylan Ferguson, making his debut for the Senators after a trade with the Toronto Marlies. Ferguson stole the game for the Senators tonight, plain and simple.

Taylor Gauthier started for the Penguins and showed himself well. It’s not a goaltending issue. Captain Taylor Fedun was directly responsible for both goals scored by Belleville.

Loses a puck battle behind the net and before he realizes where the puck is he’s out of the play and the red light comes on.

That was the overtime winner. Yikes.

Tyler Sikura scored for the Penguins on an NHL94esque wraparound that tied the game late with Gauthier pulled.

Wilkes-Barre will take the point, but are stymied by a Belleville team that has their number this season.

Here’s how they lined up:

They swapped Devane and Ansons back in for Ty Glover and Justin Addamo again and Swoyer for Ortiz on defense.

Three Stars: 3) Tyler Sikura (goal) 2) Dylan Ferguson (38 saves) 1) Cole Reinhardt (overtime game winning goal)

The Good: Nice to see the barn packed with people.

The Bad: Too bad the product on the ice sucked.

Turning Point: The Reinhardt goal, as most overtime goals would, is the turning point.

Around the Division: Charlotte beats Bridgeport 5-2 (which is good for the Penguins) — Hershey beats Lehigh Valley in a shootout 4-3 (Phantoms get a point, not good for the Penguins) — Hartford beats Syracuse 4-1 (terrible for the Penguins) — Rochester beats Springfield 7-1.

Standings: Providence 72 – Hershey 71 – Charlotte 65 – Springfield 56 – Lehigh Valley 56 – Hartford 55 – Bridgeport 54 – Penguins 52

Wheeling Update: Nailers win 6-3 over Norfolk.

Video Highlights: 

Pens hit the road against Hershey this Wednesday. More then.

Let’s Go Pens!

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The Wilkes-Barre / Scranton Penguins are a one dimensional hockey team.

Valtteri Puustinen and Alex Nylander had the goals in this 3-2 loss to Syracuse. That’s a theme. Those guys always score.

Thing is, no one else does. Puustinen and Nylander have 21 and 23 goals, respectively.

You aren’t going to win many games when you have an anemic offensive output such as this.

If or when Pittsburgh recalls Puustinen or Nylander, the goose for Wilkes-Barre will be cooked well done.

Onto the next…

Here’s how they lined up:

Lineup Notes: Ty Glover and Justin Addamo for Raivis Ansons and Jamie Devane up front and Chris Ortiz for Colin Swoyer on defense.

Ty Smith and Jonathan Gruden are, “still being evaluated” after being injured last weekend – come on guys, this is silly. It doesn’t take a week to figure out what’s wrong with a guy. Just don’t mention anything if you are going to feed us this garbage. Filip Lindberg has an upper body injury.

First Period: Every Crunch player touches the puck on a Syracuse power play and Alex Barré-Boulet scores to give the Crunch the `1-0 lead.

But then the Penguins get a chance on a power play and Drake Caggiula feeds Alex Nylander for yet another power play goal that tied the game at one.

Puff out your cheeks moment as the Crunch went on another late power play but the Penguins navigated out of it unscathed.

Second Period: Microcosm of the last couple of weeks here.

That’s a Trevor Carrick pass which goes off Jon Lizotte’s skate right to Rudolfs Balcers and in for a goal that gives Syracuse a 2-1 lead.

💆‍♂️

Later, Lucas Edmonds gets a goal after a perfect feed from Jack Finley from behind the net for a goal that gives the Crunch a two goal lead.

Wilkes-Barre / Scranton was doubled up in shots (10-5) and goals (2-0) in the period after a pretty even first period.

Third Period: Penguins score late when Alex Nylander sets up Valtteri Puustinen for an extra attacker goal that brings the Penguins to within one.

Are there any other players on this team? No one else can carry an offensive load?

Three Stars: 3) Max Legace (26 saves, 7-0 all time against the Penguins) 2) Trevor Carrick (assist) 1) Simon Ryfors (two assists)

The Good: Buddy I got nothing for ya.

The Bad: So not only are they in last place, they are losing with fluke goals now too.

Turning Point: Balcers goal snowballed things downhill for the Pens.

Around the Division: Providence beats Charlotte 6-5 in overtime. For a Friday, a light night in the Atlantic as everyone else was off.

Standings: Providence 72 – Hershey 69 – Charlotte 63 – Springfield 56 – Lehigh Valley 55 – Bridgeport 54 – Hartford 53 – Penguins 51

Wheeling Update: Nailers are hosting the Norfolk Admirals. Box here.

Video Highlights: 

Back at it Saturday against Belleville.

Let’s Go Pens! 😬

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With apologies to Soccer Moses, and on this first day off Lent for us practicng Catholics, the Penguins needed some divine intervention it seemed in order to win Wednesday night.

It came in the form of three power play goals, two in the final 5 or so minutes of regulation and the Wilkes-Barre / Scranton Penguins rally from behind and defeat the Lehigh Valley Phantoms 4-3.

Let’s get into it on this work night. Here’s how they lined up:

Lineup Notes: Jamie Devane and Corey Andonovski for Justin Addamo and Ty Glover up front. I wouldn’t have made any defensive changes after only giving up two Sunday to Bridgeport in a tight one and they didn’t, Dustin Tokarski was bak, Tommy Nappier back to Wheeling.

First Period: Garrett Wilson scores on his former team and the Phantoms were off to the races.

No light or point from the referee, but it was a good goal after video review.

Penguins were chasing in the period.

Second Period: Nolan Maier relieved Troy Grosenick to start the period. This is because Grosenick was run into by Lukas Svejkovsky in the first period.

Penguins still couldn’t get out of second gear, and were being handcuffed by all the penalties they were taking.

Max Willman scored an even strength goal on a low shot that beats Dustin Tokarski for a goal that made it 2-0.

Drake Caggiula played fast and loose, taking two penalties in the period.

Caggiula’s high risk, high reward style of play remained evident when he scored the first of three power play goals for the Penguins on the night which cut the Phantoms lead in half.

They looked better, obviously, in the period getting the goal but lacked something.

Third Period: Nothing the first twelve or so minutes, then they tie the game on a Nathan Legare even strength goal which tipped the scales in favor of the Penguins.

I mentioned weeks ago that if you get role guys like Caggiula and Legare going, you get guys like Alex Nylander going.

Alex Nylander got going with this power play goal which gave the Penguins the lead.

Get Alex Nylander going and you get Sam Houde going.

Back end of the 4-on-3 power play they were on at the time.

Penguins still had to navigate out of trouble and Lehigh Valley connects on a late power play goal when Eliot Desnoyers pounces on a rebound in the slot he puts home to get it back to one for the visitors, but they never found that equalizing goal.

Three Stars: 3) Nathan Legare (goal) 2) Alex Nylander (goal) 1) Sam Houde (goal)

The Good: Lehigh Valley coughs up third period leads like they are going out of style, so maybe tonight’s comeback wasn’t a good measuring stick, but it was still good to see them come back late and pull out a win.

The Bad: Can’t play fast and loose like that. Yeah, Lehigh Valley has a top ten power play and all, but that isn’t a recipe for success. Play like that against Providence or a better team and you embarrass yourself.

Turning Point: You just knew that when Legare scored it was over for the Phantoms from then on.

Around the Division: This was a good win for the Penguins for another reason, and that’s because Hartford, who was in seventh place coming into Wednesday, beats Springfield 5-1 to bump up to sixth.

Standings: Providence 70 – Hershey 69 – Charlotte 62 – Springfield 56 – Lehigh Valley 55 – Hartford 53 – Bridgeport 52 – Penguins 51

Wheeling Update: Nailers were off.

Video Highlights: 

Back at it Friday on the road in Syracuse for the first time this season.

Let’s Go Pens!

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They were close today. But there aren’t any cigars in hockey and the Wilkes-barre / Scranton Penguins will be fuming over a goal taken away on account of a goaltender interference call in the first period.

A shot from Mitch Reinke goes in, but Kyle Olson buzzes the tower of starting Islanders goaltender Jakub Skarek and referee Peter Schlittenhardt immediately waves off the goal. No review in this situation. I have seen worse calls. My issue is this. No one knows what goaltender interference is at any level. They spent three and a half minutes Saturday reviewing a shootout goal in Lehigh Valley when it was clear as day on every camera angle imaginable that it was a good goal. Why not do the same in this situation? What do you have to lose? It’s baffling.

Penguins lose 2-1 and lose more ground for playoff qualification. Bridgeport played a bend, don’t break style of play and it worked. Penguins couldn’t convert enough offense to work for a goal.

They are slumping, but the hits keep coming.

Here’s how they lined up:

Lineup Notes: Nathan Legare and Kyle Olson in for Jamie Devane and Jonathan Gruden up front and Colin Swoyer for Ty Smith on defense. Smith had a dentist appointment and Jonathan Gruden needs to be evaluated. Corey Andonovski and Filip Lindberg are day to day with ups body injuries.

First Period: Not a good welcome back to the AHL for Tommy Nappier from The Ohio State University, as Chris Terry makes a deke on the goaltender and scores :39 in to give the Islanders a 1-0 lead.

Penguins respond with Alex Nylander’s 21st goal of the season with a spin-o-rama then a shot for a power play goal at 5:55 to tie the game at one.

But then Nappier spills a big rebound which goes right to Ruslan Iskhakov for a goal and a 2-1 lead for the visitors.

Then the Reinke incident, where the puck goes in but is adjudged to be illegal on behalf of goaltender interference. No review.

Second Period: Pens looked like the better team, but couldn’t crack Skarek. Not a lot of shots were getting through, as they only had 15 shots through forty minutes.

Third Period: They navigated through fine with a penalty kill, their only one of the day missing Jonathan Gruden, their best penalty killer. They couldn’t score on a power play about halfway through and with Nappier pulled for the extra attacker, never found the equalizer.

Three Stars: 3) Alex Nylander (goal) 2) Otto Koivula (two assists) 1) Ruslan Iskhakov (goal)

The Good: They kept it close.

The Bad: They couldn’t score or generate anything worthwhile of a goal.

Turning Point: The washed out goal.

Around the Division: They had a 4 o’clock start then a 5 o’clock start. It’s Sunday and I want to enjoy it. Here’s the scoreboard.

Standings: Pens are in last. Here’s the link once the late start go final.

Wheeling Update: Nailers win in overtime 5-4 out in Iowa.

Video Highlights: If I see em I’ll work an edit in, maybe.

Back at it Wednesday against the Phantoms. Have a lot of work to catch up on, no promises on a Weekend Setup for Wednesday, will try for this Friday. Stay tuned, I guess.

Let’s Go Pens!

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I am back, kind of, after the death of my father, in case you only read my blog and don’t follow my other social platforms. I’m a maybe for the in person Sunday home game, depending on how my mother feels. Debated even firing up the game and writing about it, but I watched most of the Wednesday home game against Hershey, so felt it was as good as time as any to get the blog out of the moth balls and back up and running again. This past month has been hell. Medicine is war.

Tale of two games here as an inauspicious start turns into a quite entertaining hockey game. Lehigh Valley wins in a shootout 4-3.

Here’s how they lined up.

Lineup Notes: I am back, partially, that’s all that matters. Ty Smith too. I think Filip Lindberg is battling injury. I know for a fact that Xavier Ouellet is done for the year after I think ankle surgery.

First Period: No shot for either team before the first media break. It was a bit of a slog to generate any type of offensive threat. Pens had the only power play in the period and got close on a Valtteri Puustinen chance but Troy Grosenick made the stop.

Second Period: Pens navigate through a sleepy first period and a sleepy start to the second frame and get two goals. The first comes from  Drake Caggiula on a boffo play from Grosenick, who makes a glove save and drops the puck right in front of a game Caggiula who sweeps it in for a 1-0 Wilkes-Barre lead.

Penguins don’t score on one of their power plays but do on the second when Valtteri Puustinen fires a shot off a Phantom defender where Alex Nylander is for a power play goal that gives Wilkes-Barre a 2-0 lead.

Penguins convert a sloppy game and get two goals in the period. Not bad, but they needed to tread carefully.

Third Period: Sometimes I hate when I’m right.

Phantoms score :16 apart. I didn’t love when Lehigh Valley went to a power play immediately into the period.

Igor Zamula scores a second or so after the expiration of the power play to make it 2-1 and then Ty Smith takes a shot off the face that Alex Kile puts in.

Bad to worse, seemingly, as Jonathan Gruden is slammed violently into the bench by Garrett Wilson. The resulting power play leads to a Valtteri Puustinen goal that gives the Penguins the lead again.

Ty Smith did return with a bubble shield. Gruden did not.

Alex Kile scores again to tie the game again.

Felt like a last shot wins type of a game at this point.

They battled to…

Overtime: Tyler Sikura was awarded a penalty shot with 35.5 seconds left and when the Penguins had the majority of possession time but Sikura was unable too score.

Shootout: Bobby Brink scores the only goal after a lengthy video review from referees Jake Kamrass and Dre Barone, who were fine tonight but not in this instance, three different reviews clearly show the puck enter the net but the Barone / Kamrass review took over two minutes.

Three Stars: 3) Alexander Nylander (goal, assist) 2) Troy Grosenick (25 saves, first win since October 23) 1) Alex Kile (two goals)

The Good: Playoff like atmosphere here Saturday night in Allentown.

The Bad: I think that the Penguins win this game if they play it under playoff rules, but they didn’t.

Turning Point: That :16 turned the game on its head and in the favor of the Phantoms.

Around the Division: Hershey doubles up Charlotte 6-3….Springfield loses 5-4 in overtime after a Marty Frk hat trick in the first period….Hartford beats Providence 3-2 in overtime.

Standings: Providence 70 – Hershey 68 – Charlotte 60 – Lehigh Valley 55 – Springfield 54 – Bridgeport 50 – Hartford and the Penguins 49

Wheeling Update: Nailers are out in Iowa and late, that box is here.

Back at it Sunday at home against Bridgeport. They are all big from here on out.

Let’s Go Pens!