Chirps from Center Ice

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They ramped up the physicality tonight and it paid off. Wilkes-Barre wins the rematch with the Checkers on Wednesday night 5-2.

Recipe for success? Seems like they ground down the Checkers and that aggression paid off in the form of goals. See if the same level of aggression makes the flight home for a game against the Lehigh Valley Phantoms on Friday. Phantoms are a lot better than the last time we saw them about a month ago.

Here’s how they lined up:

Lineup Notes: Nathan Legare for Sam Houde up front and Jack St. Ivany for Jonathan Lizotte.

First Period: You could tell they were a lot more physical with the Checkers as opposed to Monday. Valtteri Puustinen feeds Sam Poulin on the back door for a goal to give the Pens a 1-0 lead early on.

Wilkes-Barre had to kill a penalty and Dustin Tokarski stayed busy, stopping a breakaway with a minute to play on Aleksi Heponiemi. Tokarski stopped 9 shots in the first.

Second Period: Checkers get even on the Pens when Gerry Mayherw sonnets with Henry Bowlby for a goal.

But then the Penguins turned up the intensity and get three goals in 2:43 to stun the Checkers.

Valtteri Puustinen with a goal on a breakaway and it’s 2-1.

Drew O’Connor takes a puck fluttering around the crease and puts it in for a two goal lead and it’s 3-1.

Tyler Sikura a few short moments later and it’s 4-1.

Here they are all in the order they occurred.

Pens get a power play, their first of the game looking to turn it into a runaway but aren’t able to convert.

Charlotte kept coming and Tokarski was pressed into some saves that kept it a three goal lead for the Penguins.

Third Period: Checkers scored to cut the deficit to two. I know what you are thinking. Here we go again. Fluky play that sees Michael Del Zotto get credit for it when the shot is deflected off of Penguins defensemen Mark Friedman and in past Tokarski.

Eyes indeed.

Pens had a power play but that hasn’t clicked in a while and was of no benefit to them here.

Charlotte puts 14 shots on and but for that fluke goal by Del Zotto, Tokarski and the Penguins defense was fine.

Friedman, in a bit of redemption, hits an empty net for a goal that iced the game away for a 5-2 Penguins lead for good.

Three Stars: 3) Michael Del Zotto (goal) 2) Filip Hallander (two assists) 1) Valtteri Puustinen (goal, assist)

The Good: I liked the response and subsequent result. Push teams around and get what you want and get out of there.

The Bad: It’s nitpicking because of the no doubt result, but there are still gaps that need to be sewn up. If the Pens don’t blow it open in the second, it’s probably a lot tighter like it was on Monday.

Turning Point: That 2:43 run they went on in the second carried them across the line.

Around the Division: Bridgeport doubles up Hartford 6-3…Hershey skates past Springfield 2-1…Providence lose a lead against the Rochester Americans and lost in OT with 5 seconds left. Americans win 4-3.

Standings: Providence 25 – Bridgeport 23 – Hershey 22 – Charlotte 22 – Penguins 18 – Springfield 17 – Lehigh Valley 15 – Hartford 14

Wheeling Update: Nailers beat the Indy Fuel 4-2. Josh Maniscalco with a goal and an assist.

Video Highlights: I probably won’t get to these. The AHL Video Cenetr will have this if you really want to see the highlights. Happy Thanksgiving!

More Friday after the Black Friday game against the Phantoms.

Let’s Go Pens!

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The resilient Charlotte Checkers went down three times in this game Monday night and picked themselves up and eventually won the game with the Penguins 5-4 in a shootout.

After going down 1-0, the Checkers tie it. Then they go down 3-1, and battle back to 3-3. They even the score again 4-4 on a two man advantage in the third period.

Resiliency was the name of the game. Both teams had it, and the gimmick of the shootout gives the Checkers the extra point.

Grigori Denisenko had the game tying goal for the Checkers and shootout goal in the bottom of the fourth to win it.

Here’s how they lined up:

Lineup Notes: Taylor Fedun was back in on defense after missing the last game with what ended up being a minor injury, replacing Jack St. Ivany. Up front, Raivis Ansons and Lukas Svejkovsky were in for Corey Andonovski and Nathan Legare on the fourth line.

First Period: Pens couldn’t cash on a 3-on-1 and Charlotte comes the other way and cashes when Checkers captain Zac Dalpe scores on the backdoor to open the scoring.

Penguins would respond in kind with a pair of goals before the end of the period, getting goals from Filip Hållander on a tip and Jonathan Gruden on a shorthanded breakaway to give Wilkes-Barre a 2-1 lead heading into the middle frame. Here are the goals.

Second Period: Wilkes-Barre extends their lead to 3-1 with a nice Alexander Nylander tip here.

But the Checkers would not back down, evening the score before the dawn of the third period.

Logan Hutsklo hauls the mail up the ice and puts a shot on Tokarski that is saved but the rebound comes to Patrick Giles who scores to cut the deficit to one for the home team.

Then on a power play for Charlotte, the Penguins can’t get a clear and Aleksi Heponiemi scores on a laser of a shot that made it three all.

Third Period: Drew O’Connor scores on a power play that gives the Penguins a 4-3 lead.

Sick angle, great shot.

But Charlotte would see themselves on a two man advantages for 1:15 Grigori Denisenko scores to tie the game at four.

No more regulation scoring so they were off to…

Overtime: But hold on, they probably don’t even get to overtime if it weren’t for Dustin Tokarski, who made a bunch of ten bell saves in the third, none finer than this denial of a Connor Bunnaman chance late in the period.

On the overtime period, a couple of close chances, but no scoring.

Shootout: Here it is summarized in a  tweet from yours truly.

Three Stars: 3) Patrick Giles (goal) 2) Alex Nylander (goal, assist) 1) Grigori Denisenko (goal, assist, shootout game winning goal)

The Good: They scored two power play goals.

The Bad: So did their opponent.

Turning Point: One of those power play goals came on a two-man advantage. Gotta start disciplined late when you are nursing a lead in a back and forth game.

Around the Division: No one plays on a Monday in the AHL. What the hell are we even doing here?

Standings: Providence 24 – Charlotte 22 – Bridgeport 21 – Hershey 20 – Springfield 17 – Penguins 16 – Lehigh Valley 15 – Hartford 14

Wheeling Update: No one plays on a Monday in the ECHL either.

Video Highlights: 

These two teams rematch Wednesday.

Let’s Go Pens!

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It was the penalty kill that got them tonight.

The Wilkes-Barre / Scranton Penguins go 3-for-5 on the penalty kill. They lose 4-2. They took a 2-2 game into the third period and saw the Islanders score early and then an empty netter at the end.

It was a winnable game too because the Islanders were slumping. It’s the Penguins now who go back to square one with a pair of games down in Charlotte, NC starting this Monday.

Here’s how they lined up…

Lineup Notes: No changes to the forwards. Jon Lizotte was back after this two game absence. Taylor Fedun was out with what JD Forrest told Nick Hart with a minor lower body injury.

First Period: Seemed a bit marred by early penalties, but the Penguins were the beneficiary of a goal out of an Islanders penalty when Ty Smith scored to put Wilkes-Barre on the board:

The Penguins were 2/2 on the kill in the first.

Second Period: Penguins fund themselves in some penalty trouble and it cost them.

William Dufour scores to tie the game at one on a power play.

Penguins would get the lead back on a Sam Poulin breakaway set up by a nifty breakout.

But then Otto Koivula scored on the power play to tie the game again, this time at two to bring the Islanders even yet again with the Penguins.

Penguins, 2/2 on the penalty kill in the first period, went 0/2 in the second.

Third Period: Kyle MacLean breaks the deadlock and scores to give the Islanders the lead. Bridgeport was building a crescendo with the chances to open the period.

(sorry, no GIF of the goal here or of the Koivula goal from the second)

Penguins get back to back chances on the power play but couldn’t come up with anything to get back on even terms with the home team. They did hit four frustrating posts in the contest.

With Lindberg pulled, Parker Wotherspoon scores an empty net goal from about 180′ away.

Three Stars: 3) Kyle MacLean (goal) 2) Otto Koivula (goal, assist) 1) William Dufour (goal, assist)

The Good: I liked the start. That was about all I liked. Bridgeport is a sneaky good team.

The Bad: Obviously the penalty kill sunk them tonight. The power play didn’t help them either there late in the third.

Turning Point: Failing to score on back to back power plays there in the third. Don’t know what happens if they do, but it’s highly likely they get to overtime and at least a point. It’s a point they are going to wish they had in April.

Around the Division: The Lehigh Valley Phantoms are on a heater. They go into Providence and sweep the league leading Bruins in a weekend pair of games, tonight defeating the Bruins 3-2 in a shootout….Hershey jumps all over Hartford and beats them 6-1….Charlotte throttles Springfield 4-1.

Standings: Providence 23 – Hershey and Charlotte 20 – Bridgeport 19 – Penguins, Springfield and Lehigh Valley 15 – Hartford 12

Wheeling Update: Nailers were off.

Video Highlights: If I see them I will post them. AHL VideoCenter may be your best bet with these, they seem to have all of them.

Back at it Monday in Charlotte.

Let’s Go Pens!

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So they kept it simple, navigated through a rough second where they should have gave up a goal or two, and win 4-0. Dustin Tokarski with a 26 save shutout.

Penguins only had 22 shots. Four of them went in.

This game was less about luck and just more about methodical execution. It paid off where their goaltender picked up a shutout. He also had an assist.

Here’s how they lined up:

Lineup Notes: I have to get the skinny on what’s up with Jon Lizotte. The reinforcements were in from Pittsburgh.

First Period: Drake Caggiula scored off a rebound to give the Penguins a 1-0 lead.

First lead for the Penguins in a long time. First first goal for the Penguins in a long time as well. I gave you the when’s and where’s of that in the Weekend Setup. It’s been a while.

Wilkes-Barre went 1/1 on the penalty kill in a relatively clean period.

Second Period: Bears limited the Pens to just a shot about 12 minutes into the period. It was a lopsided period favoring the Bears. Penguins escape danger when a shot by Vincent Iorio deflects off Ty Smith and into the net, but Kale Kessy made contact with Tokarski and referee Matt Menniti waves off the gol as a result of that.

Third Period: The Penguins started rough. more carryover from the second and the Bears had :20 of a two man advantage. The Penguins would kill it all entirely.

Then, the Penguins started to finally pull away. Jonath Gruden would score off the bar and in to make it 2-o Wilkes-Barre.

Dustin Tokarski would assist on that goal.

Then Sam Houde would take a nice pass from Tyler Sikura and score to open the lead up to 3-0.

Filip Hallander into an empty net salted the game away.

I used to have a standing rule that I didn’t show empty net goals but the Pens put it out there so I may as well, you know?

Three Stars: 3) Jonathan Gruden (goal) 2) Drake Caggiula (goal) 1) Dustin Tokarski (26 save shutout, assist)

The Good: They kept it simple, methodically took it a shift at a time and took down their biggest rival.

The Bad: Took five penalties. Still won, though.

Turning Point: Getting out of that early two man disadvantage in the third period I think took the air out of the sails for Hershey. It was a 1-0 lead at the time and the Bears had all the momentum. Penguins keep not simple (sense a theme?) and got out it all unscathed.

Around the Division: Lehigh Valley takes down the top team in the AHL in the Providence Bruins with a 4-2 win…Charlotte beats Bridgeport 4-1. Hartford and Springfield were off.

Standings: Providence 22 – Hershey 18 – Charlotte 18 – Bridgeport 17 – Penguins 15 – Springfield 15 – Lehigh Valley 13 – Hartford 12

Wheeling Update: Nailers beat the Walleye 2-1 in Toledo. Seasn Josling, recently assigned, had a goal.

Video Highlights: Will be up soon and I can see if I can work an edit in the morning.

Bridgeport Saturday. More then.

Let’s Go Pens!

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Anthony Angello was everywhere tonight.

Yes, he plays for the other team these days and that other team, the Springfield Thunderbirds, defeated the Wilkes-Barre / Scranton Penguins on Saturday night by a 3-2 score.

After a third period comeback which saw the Penguins score back to back power play goals on a double minor, it was Angello which scored the Goa ahead game winner to send the Penguins to their fourth straight loss of this young campaign.

Winless in November. So far.

Here’s how they lined up.

Lineup Notes: Sean Josling for Lukas Svejkovsky up front and Colin Swoyer for Jon Lizotte. Lizotte picked up a knock Friday against Hartford and there’s no timetable. Upper body.

First Period: Innocuous. Lots of icings. No scoring.

Second Period: Will Bitten unmarked in front and scores to get the Thunderbirds on the board first.

Ty Smith leaves Bitten to pinch and puck chase and it costs them a goal.

Dmitrii Samorukov scores after yet another sloppy play with the puck in the defensive zone by the Penguins and Springfield goes up 2-0.

So you have guys leaving guys wide open in front and turning the puck over. Yes, these are correctable problems but they keep happening. If this was your job, HR would have you attend a seminar or something by now.

Here were the goals. Just brutal fundamental breakdowns between the Bitten goal above and the Samorukov goal below.

Third Period: Sam Houde was high sticked and this drew blood. Penguins score on both ends of the power play to tie the game at two.

Sam Houde slams one home back door for the first goal and Ty Smith atones for his previous mistake and scores to tie the game.

Elite call by Nick Hart there on the goal call.

Jack St. Ivany loses his situational awareness and a surprise hit by Nathan Todd separated the Penguins defenseman from the puck. This sends Jake Neighbours down the other way with ex-Penguin Anthony Angello. Angello drags a leg to stay onside while Neighbours enters the zone with the puck and here just watch the rest…

Penguins would get a couple more shots on the power play (they went 2/7 and they all came in the third period) but were unable to capitalize and find the tying goal.

Three Stars: 3) Vadim Zherenko (39 saves) 2) Ty Smith (goal) 1) Anthony Angello (goal)

The Good: They pumped 41 shots at Zherenko yet still lost. It’s not the quantity / quality. They could have 105 shots and if they still are careless with their markings or the puck, they will lose. It’s that simple.

The Bad: They have to tighten up this messy defensive play. It is now a problem and costing them points. Losing Lizotte, a contributor to the problems in his own right, may sting a bit. Hope it’s not long term.

Turning Point: Angello burning his ex-team.

Around the Division: Hershey beats Bridgeport 2-1 in overtime again…Charlotte picks up their first road win of the season with a 6-5 shootout win over Hartford…Don’t look now by Lehigh Valley has won three straight, beating Laval 3-2. Providence was off.

In the, “it could always be worse” department: Syracuse pummels Utica 8-3. Those two teams hate each other.

Standings: Providence 20 – Bridgeport 17 – Hershey 16 – Springfield 14 and Charlotte 14 – Penguins 13 – Lehigh Valley and Hartford 11.

Wheeling Update: Nailers fall to the Fort Wayne Komets 2-1.

Video Highlights: 

The Week Ahead: Off till next Friday vs. Hershey then away at Bridgeport. Bears have Laval at home Sunday, Bridgeport hosts Charlotte on Friday.

Let’s Go Pens!

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Sometimes games are won and lost on special teams. This game was a prime example of that, a 3-1 Hartford Wolf Pack win over the Penguins, who have now lost three straight and are winless in November.

A first period short handed goal and heavy hockey by the Wolf Pack coupled with a cocksure attitude by their goaltender Louis Domingue and Hartford made it look easier than it probably was.

Penguins don’t have a lot of time to regroup as the team that knocked them out of the Calder Cup Playoffs, the Springfield Thunderbirds, stop in for a Saturday evening visit.

Dustin Tokarski opposed Louis Domingue. Here’s how they lined up:

Hartford didn’t post lines.

Lineup Notes: Sam Poulin in fact did not make it in time for the game on his reassignment from Pittsburgh. Kyle Olson was back for Ty Glover and Drew O’Connor replaced the recalled Filip Hallander (essentially). Mitch Reinke also returned from injury and (essentially) replaced Mark Friedman.

Lines were all jumbled as well, as it should be when you lose two straight coming in.

First Period: Pretty innocuous start, until the Penguins went on the power play late.

But then Hartford breaks in on a 2-on-0 short handed and scores to make it 1-0 for them. Tim Gettinger gets the Wolf Pack on the board.

Second Period: This sequence kinda kicked things off in the period:

The Penguins would score on the ensuing power play via Drew O’Connor.

Tie game.

Tokarski had a hell of a save on C.J. Smith with about 10 seconds to play.

Third Period: Penguins were looking for a spark but couldn’t find one. Then leading scorer Lauri Pajuniemi scored to put the Wolf Pack up 2-1.

Brutal turnover by Jonathan Gruden there set the whole thing up.

I noted that I felt that the intensity in the game matched or exceeded anything we saw last weekend with the Hershey Bears. Seemed that the Penguins couldn’t get anywhere close to Domingue in goal because of the muscle that they have to go through first.

Penguins take Tokarski out of the net for an extra attacker and take two straight penalties putting them two men down. Hartford finds an empty net goal from Tim Gettinger, his second of the contest.

Three Stars: 3) Drew O’Connor (goal) 2) Lauri Pajuniemi (goal) 1) Tim Gettinger (two goals)

The Good: Pens limited Hartford shot chances Friday, only allowing 23 but…

The Bad: Three of team went in and one was a short handed goal while the other comes right after you take two stupid penalties late, chasing the game.

If you didn’t like the referees tonight I’m afraid I have some bad news for you. Morgan MacPhee and Marc-Olivier Phaneuf will be running things again tomorrow. I thought they could have let those two penalties (Svejkovsky hook, Fedun slash) go, by the way.

Turning Point: Chasing the game late, Pens take a pair of penalties squelching any chance of a tying goal.

Around the Division: Hershey beats a very good Bridgeport’s team 4-3 in overtime…Lehigh Valley beats Springfield 2-1…Providence, the AHL’s top team, pounds Charlotte 5-2.

Standings: Providence 20 – Bridgeport 16 – Hershey 14 – Penguins 13 – Charlotte and Springfield 12 – Hartford 10 – Lehigh Valley 9

Wheeling Update: Nailers pound Kalamazoo at home 5-1. Taylor Gauthier picks up the win in goal for Wheeling, stopping 28 shots.

Video Highlights: 

Back at it Saturday with the Thunderbirds. More then.

Let’s Go Pens!

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Put this entire game on Jonathan Gruden’s highlight reel.

I’lll tell you, the Wilkes-Barre / Scranton Penguins will be in big, big trouble if Gruden gets a deserved recall or is injured. He was everywhere Sunday afternoon for the Penguins, who lose 4-3 to Hershey.

The Penguins had a feckless effort the first two periods of the game, trailed 4-0, outshot 26-13, but storm back with a 20-3 barrage of shots and come one goal short of a split with the Bears.

I mean it’s something to build off of after a 0-2 weekend, especially coming into the weekend as the sole unbeaten team in the AHL. Maybe Hershey let off, who knows.

But Gruden, man, what an effort.

Here’s how they lined up:

Lineup Notes: Raivis Ansons for the now injured Jamie Devane was the only lineup change. Pittsburgh reassigned Drew O’Connor right at puck drop.

First Period: Pens play fast and loose with the puck in their own end and it costs them twice. Ty Smith turns the puck over to Shane Gersich and then Mark Friedman tiptoes through tulips and sees Mason Morelli score. Pens get two shots on a late power play and the shot board read 8-4 for the home team. Here were the goals…

Second Period: Ethen Frank, who is slowly budding into a Penguins killer, goes for a cross crease pass to a teammate which deflects in for a goal to give Hershey 3-0 lead.

The assault continued. Henrik Rybinski scored his first pro goal on a rebound and it was 4-0 Bears.

Third Period: :14 in and Gruden scores to kick start the comeback.

Wilkes-Barre continued to buzz. Filip Hallander scored his first of two. Bears defender’s stick breaks, Jonathan Gruden, out there stirring the drink, puts a shot on net that Hallander slams home for a rebound that brings the Pens within two.

Penguins get a late power play and like last night with the goalie pulled Hallander scores his second to bring the score within one.

Penguins nearly were mining for a fourth but a too any men call late sunk any chances of a comeback.

Three Stars: 3) Ethen Frank (goal) 2) Filip Hallander (two goals, assist) 1) Henrik Rybinski (goal)

The Good: Besides that third period kickstarted by Gruden and Hallander, can’t really come up with anything.

The Bad: You cannot sleepwalk in Hershey for two periods, have two of your better and more experienced defensemen cough up pucks in their own zone and expect to win. It’s magnified more because of the record you had coming into the weekend, and tonight it cost you two points you are going to wish you had in the Spring.

Turning Point: Hard to pinpoint one when it was so teeter-totter, but the too many men on the ice call late put down any faint but getting louder noise the away team had at tying the score.

Around the Division: Providence clips Bridgeport 1-0.

Standings: Providence 18 – Bridgeport 15 – Penguins 13 – Hershey 12 – Charlotte 12 – Springfield 11 – Lehigh Valley 7 – Hartford 6

Wheeling Update: Nailers were off.

Video Highlights: I’ll edit them in if I see them.

This Week: Pens off until Friday against the Hartford Wolf Pack at home then Springfield rolls in Saturday. Hartford and Springfield play Wednesday in Hartford. Springfield will be in Allentown Friday before heading up to Wilkes-Barre Saturday.

Let’s Go Pens!