Chirps from Center Ice

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The Aiden McDonough – Tristan Broz – Avery Hayes line had three goals and five assists in a 6-2 win over the Lehigh Valley Phantoms Friday night.

This isn’t accounting for Danton Heinen who had a goal and an assist, and Sam Poulin who had the same.

The Penguins continue their mastery of the Phantoms and retake the Atlantic Division lead over idle Providence.

Here’s how they lined up…

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Lineup Notes: Tristan Broz, Danton Heinen, Alex Gallant and Raivis Ansons in for the recalled Boko Imama and Rutger McGroarty and the scratched Nolan Renwick and William Dufour up front and Sebastian Aho for Logan Pietila on defense.

First Period: They went over ten and a half minutes without a whistle. It was refreshing to see the action go uninterrupted like that.

Sam Poulin late knocked in a rebound of a Harrison Brunicke shot that hit the post and it was 1-0 Penguins…

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Aiden McDonough had a puck ricochet off of his stick in his defensive zone and Tucker Robertson scored to tie the game at one.

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Second Period: Penguins net a power play goal when an Avery Hayes shot is rebounded and put in by Tristan Broz for a 2-1 Penguin lead.

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Danton Heinen hack and whack job off of starting Phantoms goaltender Aleksei Kolosov and it’s 3-1…

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And then Avery Hayes knocked in a puck while falling over and it’s 4-1 Wilkes-Barre…

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Hayes, with all this offensive power around him, played an angry game Friday and was really good on every corner of the ice I thought.

Sergei Murashov was tested, but stopped all nine shots faced in the period.

Third Period: Devolved a bit into a thug fest, with no actual fighting, with six unsportsmanlike conduct 10 minute penalties assessed by referees Alex Lepkowki and David Elford with kept things to a slow simmer when the game got out of reach for the Phantoms. Atley Calvert scored to make it 5-1, Anthony Richard scored again against the Penguins to make it 5-2, then Aidan McDonough scored a power play goal to make it 6-2. Here they all are.

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Three Stars: 3) Tristan Broz (goal, assist) 2) Aidan McDonough (goal, two assists) 1) Danton Heinen (goal, assist)

The Good: Thought Hayes deserved a star here. Maybe the 10 minute misconduct had something to do with it? Power play scored twice and the penalty kill was a perfect 4/4.

The Bad: Harrison Brunicke will likely be heading back to juniors. He can’t play in the AHL because he’s too young. He is only here because of semantics and a conditioning stint and a wrinkle in the rule. He’s too careless with the puck, turns it over a ton and isn’t doing anything to show that he’s an NHL caliber player. Don’t look at the boxscore. The three assists mean nothing when you play on a team that is in first place in a tough division and put up a million goals a night. You or I could likely get an assist here or there too.

I’m not picking on the kid, I want them all to succeed, I just don’t see him sticking around in Pittsburgh once he gets called up at the end of his stint on Sunday.

Turning Point: That three goal output there in the second period buried the Phantoms deep.

Around the Division: Rochester doubles up the Checkers down in North Carolina 6-3….Hartford beats Springfield 5-2….Utica beats Bridgeport 5-1.

Standings: Penguins 33 – Providence 32 – Lehigh Valley 25 – Hershey 23 – Charlotte 22 – Hartford 20 – Bridgeport 16 – Springfield 14

Wheeling Update: The Nailers host the Greensboro Gargoyles, a division opponent, for three games this weekend in West Virginia. I would get tired of the same opponent three straight games in three straight days but such is life in the ECHL. Nailers take Game 1 by a 3-1 score.

Video Highlights:

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Back at it Saturday night in Hershey. More then.

Let’s Go Pens!

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2                              6

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I mean I guess you are entitled to a game or two here you don’t have it, but when you have three more games played than the team who is only a point behind you for the division lead, the margin of error is razor thin every night.

Wilkes-Barre loses 6-2 in Hershey Saturday night in an extremely ugly game where they didn’t have any cohesion. Hershey was idle Friday, likely smarting from the loss the Pens handed them Wednesday. The Bears may be young but they are a proud franchise.

Here’s how they lined up:

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Lineup Notes: Logan Pietila for Sebastian Aho was the only lineup change on defense but for some lineup shuffling up front.

First Period: Wilkes-Barre had an early power play but didn’t register a shot on goal. Later Graeme Clarke scored to put the Bears up early…

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Then a failed clear on a Hershey power play and Ilya Protas scores to make it 2-0 Bears.

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Jack St. Ivany brought one back for the Penguins with a goal late.

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Bad start but better finish for the Penguins heading into the…

Second Period: Sam Bitten made it 3-1 Bears about halfway through.

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I didn’t like Owen Pickering’s game Saturday. Depending on who you talk to there are folks that had this kid in the NHL already. I’m not seeing it. But maybe I am being too hard. I have also never played the position, so what do I know.

Wilkes-Barre loses Aidan McDonough to injury when McDonough blocks a shot.

Bad to worse, David Gucciardi scores to make it 4-1 and it certainly looked like one team played a rival the night before while the other didn’t play a game since Wednesday.

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But then Gabe Klassen makes it interesting and brings the Penguins back to within two.

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Klassen is a guy whom I wouldn’t mind getting hot.

Third Period: Penguins couldn’t capitalize on an early power play and the Bears would get an Ivan Miroshnichenko power play goal on Sergei Murashov who replaced Joel Blomqvist in net that made it 5-2.

Good news, Aidan McDonough returned for the third period.

Bad news, Harrison Brunicke was out to lunch on a puck back to him on a Pens face-off win and Ilya Protas scores on an empty net while Kirk MacDonald was getting aggressive.

If the kid can’t tear up the AHL (he hasn’t) then he’s not going to do anything in the NHL. Send him back to juniors and put him out of his misery already and let him be a kid.

For posterity, because I normally write these game recaps period by period when they play on the road, here’s the Miroshnichenko goal.

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Three Stars: 3) Clay Stevenson (35 saves) 2) Ilya Protas (two goals, assist) 1) David Gucciardi (goal, two assists)

The Good: Another point for Rutger McGroarty (assist) and Gabe Klassen I think is heating up.

The Bad: I don’t care that Hershey didn’t play last night. The Penguins were unprepared for this game and it showed from the beginning.

Turning Point: The Miroshnichenko power play goal ended whatever faint hope the Penguins had at a comeback.

Around the Division: Providence, who have three games in hand on the Penguins, win 6-3 in Belleville. The Bruins can retake the division lead with a win Sunday against the B-Sens….Bridgeport beats Springfield 3-2 in a shootout….Toronto beats Charlotte 5-3….Hartford beats Cleveland 3-2 and Lehigh Valley lose in a shootout to the Laval Rocket 5-4. Shootout ended at 10:08 p.m. for a game scheduled to start at 7:05 p.m. That’s just wrong.

Standings: Penguins 31 – Providence 30 – Lehigh Valley 25 – Hershey 23 – Charlotte 22 – Hartford 16 – Bridgeport 16 – Springfield 14

Wheeling Update: The Nailers hang eight goals on the Cincinnati Cyclones and win 8-3. Scooter Brickey scored another goal. Craig Armstrong had a goal and four assists. Randy Hernández had a pair of goals and a pair of assists.

Video Highlights: AHL VideoCenter is your best bet.

Back at it Friday against the Phantoms, then right back down to Hershey next Saturday. It’s December, right? Not Groundhog Day in February, right???

Let’s Go Pens!

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I never took French at any level of high school or college, so translate “Free Coffee” into French for your alternative headline for the night.

We will get to Rafäel Harvey-Pinard in a minute, but a moment for Sergei Murashov who was stellar in the third period when the Penguins were up 3-0 and the visiting Lehigh Valley Phantoms pushed and pushed and pushed. 14 shots in the period for the Phantoms and one of them went in to break up a shutout bid that the Penguins net minder had brewing. While the Penguins did have a two goal lead it felt like it wasn’t safe until Harvey-Pinard’s empty net goal sealed it. Penguins win 4-1 Friday night.

I kind of expect this every night from Harvey-Pinard but we just haven’t seen it this season. Tonight though was a different story. You hope that it continues.

Here’s how they lined up:

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Lineup Notes: Raivis Ansons and Zach Gallant out for William Dufour (WBS debut) and Nolan Renwick, Sebastian Aho for Logan Pietila on defense.

Personal Gripe: At the quarter pole of the season and are we already switching to the black jerseys at home? That’s what they wore Friday. Do less and stay whites at home please.

First Period: Aiden McDonough finds Gabe Klassen for Klassen’s first of the season and the Penguins were out to an early 1-0 lead.

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I don’t know what was nicer here, the goal by Klassen or the pass by McDonough.

Foreshadowing here, Harvey-Pinard had three good looks on net with about :20 left to play in the period.

Second Period: Harvey-Pinard finally gets a goal to go on a snipe at 9:03 and the Penguins doubled their lead.

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Felt like the Penguins were in control all period and a Rutger McGroarty power play goal that made it 3-0 proved that theory.

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All this kid does is score goals. Enjoy him here while you can.

Third Period: The patented Phantoms Third Period Push © was underway.

Seems like the entered third period was played in front of Sergei Murashov as the Phantoms dominated play from the drop. But for this Anthony Richard goal though, all was well.

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If by losing to the Penguins on three straight occasions by a 4-1 score, then yeah, that is how you do it.

Here’s the empty netter by Harvey-PInard because what the hell.

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Three Stars: 3) Rutger McGroarty (goal) 2) Sergei Murashov (31 saves) 1) Rafäel Harvey-Pinard (two goals)

The Good: They keep racking up points and are deep at all positions in a true next man up type of franchise.

The Bad: I think if it’s anyone else other than Murashov Lehigh Valley makes it closer. Do they let off knowing Murashov will bail them out?

Turning Point: The McGroarty power play goal put it a little too far out of reach for the visitors given who was standing in net for the home team.

Around the Division: Springfield rattles off six straight to overcome a this year is no different than last year Bridgeport Islanders team and win 6-3….Charlotte beats Toronto 5-1…Hartford beats Cleveland 6-4. Providence and Hershey were off.

Standings: Penguins 31 – Providence 28 – Lehigh Valley 24 – Charlotte 22 – Hershey 31 – Hartford 16 – Bridgeport 14 – Springfield 13

Wheeling Update: Nailers go into Toledo, a place that is not easy to win in, and throttle the Walleye 5-2. Scooter Brickey had a pair of goals and Finn Harding a pair of assists.

Video Highlights: 

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They will look to sweep the week Saturday in Hershey. More then.

Let’s Go Pens!

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6                             3

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It’s about damn time that two teams who are blood rivals that don’t like each other and play each other a ton of times had a game like this.

A fight in every period, and the Penguins win an almost two close to call Thanksgiving Eve game in Hershey 6-3.

Phil Tomasino making his Wilkes-barre debut had a goal, two assists and a fight for a Gordie Howe hat trick.

Rutger McGroarty stayed hot with another goal.

You won’t believe this, but it’s Joel Blomqvist’s first win against Hershey in Hershey.

So yeah, a good one to work up an appetite for tomorrow’s feasting.

Here’s how they lined up:

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Lineup Notes: Phil Tomasino and Sam Poulin for the recalled Tristan Broz and Nolan Renwick (who wasn’t recalled) up front and Harrison Brunicke and Jack St. Ivany for Sebastian Aho (scratch) and Finn Harding (Wheeling)

Prior to the game, Sergei Murashov was reassigned to Wilkes-Barre.

First Period: Bit of a feeling out period, but then Boko Imame finds himself behind the defense and is awarded a penalty shot.

He would score.

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Immediately after he would fight Dalton Smith.

Rutger McGroarty would continue his torrent pace with his third goal in as many games, after Phil Tomasino created a turnover.

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Then Avery Hayes would leak a puck through Garin Bjorklund that made it 3-0 Penguins.

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A good start against a team that is dealing with some injuries, call up and illness, G Clay Stevenson missed the game for the Bears with an illness.

Second Period: Quiet period. Phil Kemp laid a hit on a guy and fought Sam Bitten early on, nothing to write home about.

Brett Leason shoveled home a rebound that spittled away from Joel Blomqvist to put the Bears on the board with about four minutes left to play in the period.

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Third Period: Tomasino and Grant Cruikshank had a fight to start the third. Listen, Hershey is chasing a 3-1 deficit at this point and needed something to work up the jam to get them going in the form of a comeback.

It worked in part.

An Ilya Protas shorthanded goal cuts the deficit to one and here we go again?

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The Penguins would navigate these choppy waters with a power play goal on their second attempt at same since the Protas goal on a face-off dot violation on Hershey. Rutger McGroarty left a no look pass for Tomasino who slammed it home that gave the Penguins breathing room and made it 4-2.

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Hershey would vacate Bjorklund and Avery Hayes would shoot for the empty net, hit the post but chase his rebound into the far corner and shoot into the empty net at a bad angle to make it 5-2.

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Eriks Mateiko would score his first AHL goal on a one timer with 2:08 left and Hershey just wasn’t going away.

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But then Sam Poulin would shoot into another empty net from about 175 feet away and that would do it.

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Three Stars: 3) Brett Leason (goal, assist) 2) Rutger McGroarty (goal, two assists) 1) Phil Tomasino (goal, assist)

The Good: They beat up an undermanned Hershey team and took home two points.

The Bad: They let an undermanned Hershey team back into the game and almost lost two points.

Turning Point: The Tomasino goal that made it 4-2 took all the air out of the building and was a very big goal.

Around the Division: Springfield doubles up Hartford 6-3….Providence thumps Toronto 5-1.

Standings: Penguins 29 – Providence 28 – Lehigh Valley 24 – Hershey 21 – Charlotte 20 – Bridgeport and Hartford 14 – Springfield 11

Wheeling Update: Nailers stay hot with a 5-2 win at home against the Indy Fuel. Scooter Brickey had an assist and was +2. Maxim Pavlenko stopped 29.

Video Highlights: AHL VideoCenter you go!

Happy Thanksgiving. I’m thankful for you, the reader. And of course my cats, and my 51 VO2 max. Hills, people. Hills.

Talk to you Friday after the Phantoms come to town.

Let’s go Pens!

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I didn’t know what to make of this game, a 1-0 Wilkes-Barre win in Providence Saturday night where Rutger McGroarty scored an unassisted shorthanded goal.

Joel Blomqvist made 27 saves but really wasn’t tested. The Penguins were structurally better in comparison to Hartford on Friday, but you would think that a battle between the two best teams in the Eastern Conference would render a more exiting result. Who knows.

Here’s the McGroarty goal.

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Here’s how they both lined up:

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McGroarty for Matty De St. Phalle was the only lineup change. I would have thought there would have been some tinkering with defense after last night but Kirk MacDonald knew what he was doing.

The McGroarty goal came from nothing, he got a step, then another step then boom he was behind the defender and boom, he scored a goal.

The rest of the game seemed like a long feeling out period. I want to say that the Penguins had the better of the chances.

Feistiness picked up in the third period with Matt Poitras not making a lot of friends on the Penguins side. Zach Gallant and Colin Feliz fought and then later Gallant took a matching roughing penalty with Frederic Brunet.

Three Stars: 3) Valtteri Puustinen (7 shots) 2) Rutger McGroarty (goal) 1) Joel Blomqvist (27 saves)

The Good: They go back to the top of the Atlantic off of a solid performance by their goaltender. They may be a good team.

The Bad: Let’s just move on from this. I normally use this space to complain about the feed in Providence but it was clear and an enjoyable watch.

Turning Point: The McGroarty goal seemed innocuous at the time, but was the sole amount of offense in the entire 60 minute affair.

Around the Division: Lehigh Valley scores three in the third to beat Hartford 3-2….Cleveland beats Hershey 5-3….Syracuse does the same to Bridgeport with a 5-3 win….Grand Rapids beats Charlotte 2-1 in overtime.

Standings: Penguins 27 – Providence 26 – Lehigh Valley 24 – Hershey 21 – Charlotte 20 – Bridgeport 14 – Hartford 14 – Springfield 9

Wheeling Update: Nailers win 3-1 in Reading against the Royals.

Video Highlights: Link to AHL VideoCenter here.

Back at it midweek against old foes Hershey Wednesday. Weekend Preview will be up Wednesday morning. Talk to you then.

Let’s Go Pens!

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2                              5

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This game sucked.

Wilkes-Barre / Scranton was in control from the start but Hartford Wolf Pack goaltender Callum Tung settled in under the barrage of first period shots and the Wolf pack capitalized on turnovers from the Penguins, used that momentum to tip the game in their favor and skate away with a 5-2 win Friday night.

I guess every team in the AHL is allowed a clunker now and then and this one certainly was.

Here’s how they lined up. The Wolf Pack didn’t post a line graphic.

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Lineup Notes: Scheduled absent day for Rutger McGroarty per the team, Avery Hayes returned after a six game absence. Gabe Klassen also slotted back in up front. Sebastian Aho for Scooter Brickey on defense.

First Period: Penguins outshoot the Wolf Pack 22-6, yet the score was tied after one.

A turnover by Alex Alexyev sees ex-Penguin Derrick Pouliot score his first goal as a member of the Wolf Pack and it was Hartford that was out to a quick 1-0 lead…

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But then Owen Pickering scored to tie the game about three minutes later that tied the game at one.

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Second Period: Penguins would cash a power play goal when Rafäel Harvey-Pinard scored a tip in in front that put the Penguins ahead 2-1.

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But then Logan Pietila gives the puck away to future AHL Hall of Fame Trey Fix-Wolansky who scored and tied the game at two.

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The Penguins have controlled the game to this point from top to bottom, but it’s two bone head defensive giveaways that had the Wolf Pack on level terms.

Bad to worse, Anton Blidh scores a tip in in front and the Wolf Pack shockingly go ahead 3-2.

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They were making it harder then it needed to be.

Third Period: The Penguins made a push in the first half of the period, but Tung held firm and then Hartford iced the game away with a Brett Berard goal on a rebound in front that doubled the Wolf Pack lead.

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Adam Sykora salted it away on a two on one rush. Please drive home safely.

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Three Stars: 3) Anton Blidh (goal, assist) 2) Callum Tung (31 saves) 1) Derrick Pouliot (goal, two assists)

The Good: Have to love the start. 22 shots in the first period so they came ready to play.

The Bad: They were in the game and in control, but the turnovers defensively tipped momentum to Hartford and they played too tentatively after that. It’s hard to win when you are down a goal and playing not to lose when you are losing.

Turning Point: The Berard goal in the third iced it away. Figure if the Penguins tie it at three, they at least get a point or maybe win. That. never happened.

Around the Division: Charlotte deals the Grand Rapids Griffins their first regulation loss of the season with a 2-1 win in Michigan….Providence wins 3-2 over Lehigh Valley….Bridgeport wins 5-4 out in Rochester and Springfield shuts out Utica 2-0.

Standings: Providence 26 – Penguins 24 – Lehigh Valley 22 – Hershey 21 – Charlotte 19 – Hartford 14 – Bridgeport 14 – Springfield 9

Wheeling Update: Nailers lose 4-1 at home to Reading. Matt Quercia with the lone goal for Wheeling.

Video Highlights: AHL VideoCenter for the sickos in your life.

Back at it Saturday in Providence for what promises to be a tough one.

Let’s Go Pens!

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Let’s just get what they casuals love out of the way first.

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I am not a big analytic guy, but that post has over 24,000 views. Give the people what they want!

The casuals loved it.

The rest of us sickos loves this 3-1 Penguins win over the Springfield Thunderbirds. Like two ships passing in the night going different directions, the Penguins started on time Saturday night (unlike Friday) and teed off on last place Springfield to a tune of a 2-0 lead at the end of the first period. Bolstered by the Boko Imama / Kale Kessy heavyweight fight, in addition to Imama scoring a tip in front in the first, the Penguins were off to the races.

Gotta hand it to Kale Kessy. The guy is overmatched in height and weight but not heart. The man stands in there and takes on the toughest opponents all the time.

Anyway, here’s how they lined up.

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Lineup Notes: Oh yeah, burying the lede here, Joel Blomqvist and Rutger McGroarty were activated off of injured reserve and in the lineup. Other changes include Scooter Brickey for Sebastian Aho on defense, McGroarty and Raivis Ansons for Matty De St. Phalle and Gabe Klassen.

First Period: Kind of gave it away in the open, relentless pressure by the Penguins to start, Raivis Ansons slams one home at 2:20 after the Pensuins hemmed in Springfield for an extended amount of time to make it 1-0…

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See above for what happened next. It is rare anymore to see two dudes fight anymore and even rarer to see two dudes who actually know how to fight as well.

Here’s Boko’s tip in in front.

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Second Period: They let off or something seemed off. Again, you can get away with it I think against teams like Springfield and Bridgeport. I don’t know you about Hershey and definitely not Providence.

This despite Rutger McGroarty scoring just 66 seconds into the period.

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Aaron Huglen took a puck off the chops off an errant dump in by Phil Kemp and didn’t return.

Hugh McGing scored off the rush on a power play for Springfield late to break up any faint thoughts of a Blomqvist shutout bid.

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Third Period: Springfield played a better period but didn’t score despite lots of pressure, where they outshot the Penguins 12-4. Good defense by the Penguins and better goaltending by Joel Blomqvist keeps the Thunderbirds off the scoresheet.

Three Stars: 3) Joel Blomqvist (23 saves) 2) Rutger McGroarty (goal) 1) Boko Imama (goal, fight)

The Good: They are beating teams they should beat and amassing points.

The Bad: Sometimes the way they play teams they are beating isn’t good and I am concerned that when they play a better team they may not have as much success. Last week against Rochester comes to mind.

The Bad, Redux: They have one power play goal in the last 23 tries I thought I heard Nick Hart mention postgame. That isn’t good!

Turning Point: Pens had a kill around the five minute mark of the third period with Springfield pressuring and got the kill from there. If the Thunderbirds scored, I am not so sure the outcome would have been the same.

Around the Division: Charlotte shuts out Iowa 2-0…Providence beats Utica 3-2 in overtime….Laval beats Hartford 5-2…Rochester beats Bridgeport 5-3…Hershey beats Lehigh Valley with :13 left off a Ryan Strome goal and the Bears win 4-3.

Standings: Penguins 25 – Providence 24 – Lehigh Valley 19 – Charlotte and Hershey 17 – Bridgeport 12 – Hartford 10 – Springfield 6

Wheeling Update: Nailers beat the Maine Mariners 4-1. Mike Posma with two more goals against Maine. Long live the Portland Pirates.

Video Highlights: Not up yet, if I see them later I may edit them in, if not, AHL VideoCenter will have them for you.

They are off till next Friday which is nice because it gives you a break from the weekday games. Have a great week and we will talk next week for the Weekend Preview.

Let’s Go Pens!