Chirps from Center Ice

Penguins played in their final preseason game before the real thing starts next Saturday. They were in Allentown playing against the Lehigh Valley Phantoms. The Phantoms are next Saturday’s opponent. Let’s hope that tonight’s result, a 4-3 overtime loss, isn’t a preview of coming attractions for next weekend and beyond.

First, more housekeeping. The Penguins received Juuso Riikola and Michael Chaput from the Pittsburgh Penguins Saturday afternoon after the duo cleared waivers. Anthony Angello is on waivers presently.

Coal Street made some cuts today as well:

They also made cuts the other day too, and I never added those here over on the blog. So, here those are, but these are dated:

Preseason for me too.

Anyway, here is how they lined up tonight:

That’s a hell of a lineup. Let’s see how long it sticks together. If history is any indicator, not long.

For the Phantoms:

It was a fun first period, if you were a Penguins fan. The Phantoms found themselves on the wrong end of a 5-on-3 for 90 seconds, but were able to get out of it. They scored a few seconds later when Max Willman picked a ridiculous angle to beat Domingue for a 1-0 Phantoms lead.

But, on yet another 5-on-3, P.O. Joseph went bar down and in for a goal that tied the game at one a piece.

Kasper Bjorkqvist scored in the slot to make it 2-1. Sam Houde had a primary assist here, his fifth such assist in the preseason. Sometimes you just play your way onto a team, that’s what Houde is doing.

Nathan Legare scored his first goal in Wilkes-Barre via the short handed variety, giving the Penguins a 3-1 lead.

But then Samu Tuomaala scored with under 4 minutes left to play in the second period to cut the lead to one.

The one thing I will say is that there were way too many penalties in this game, with nine against the Penguins and eight against the Phantoms. You can’t establish anything close to a flow when there are referees arms going up every three minutes.

Morgan Frost tied the game at three after the Penguins killed a long five on three against.

In overtime, the aforementioned Frost crashed the net and beat Domingue to win it for the Phantoms.

These two teams do it for real in a week from Saturday in Wilkes-Barre. But for a few modifications here and there, this is as close as a dress rehearsal for the Penguins as you are going to find. They could get more help, but don’t count on it.

I’ll have a preview of the opponents for you Tuesday here on the blog. Sooner if there is anything newsworthy. I’m shaking things up this year with the Gameday Previews too. I think you’ll like it.

Before we get ripping on the game story, some news from earlier in the day.

The Penguins sent the following players to Wilkes-Barre:

Forwards Kasper Bjorkqvist, Filip Hallander, Nathan Legare and Sam Poulin. They also sent defensemen P.O. Joseph down as well.

Reassigned (after getting called up Wednesday) were forwards Jonathan Gruden and Valtteri Puustinen, as well as defensemen Niclas Almari and Taylor Fedun.

In a separate transaction, goaltender Louis Domingue was sent down later in the day.

Also, defenseman Juuso Riikola and forward Michael Chaput were placed on waivers on Friday.

That doesn’t mean necessarily that Riikola and Chaput get sent here automatically (provided they clear by 2 p.m. Saturday) but, like Domingue, if they clear it could be a matter of time.

Onto Friday nights on ice action…the Penguins hosted the Hershey Bears Friday night.

Here’s how they lined up:

Penguins jumped out to a 1-0 lead on a Jan Drozg dart. It’s Drozg’s second goal in as many games.

Bears respond in kind just after their power play expired on an Eddie Wittchow dart which tied it.

Later, a Cam Lee shot was stopped but remained in the slot long enough for a falling Matt Alfaro to sweep home to put Wilkes-Barre back ahead 2-1.

Early impressions of Lindberg is that he’s as athletic as they come. Bears had a handful of power play opportunities in the first, he handled it all well. He had a diving post to post stop about halfway through the period also. Wilkes-Barre may be deep in defensive depth, they are deeper in goal I think.

Eddie Wittchow scored again to open the second period just as a Penguin penalty had expired from the first to tie the score at two.

There were a lot more fights in this game then there were Wednesday. There are guys trying to make an impression and make the team. Well, Felix Pare is one of those guys. He fights Kale Kessy after a save. Kessy doesn’t need an invitation to fight. What’s Pare given? An instigator penalty which also comes with being thrown out of the game.

Ridiculous. You want to cut down in fighting but protect guys like Kessy whose only existence is to fight. It was a terrible decision by the officials (Hanrahan and Kamrass) throwing Pare out of the game like that.

Hershey scored on a power play later on with Lindberg screened to take the lead. Lindberg dazzled again with more sprawling post to post saves.

In the third, the teams switched goaltenders. Alex D’Orio for the Penguins and Ryan Bednard for the Bears. The Penguins peppered Bednard with shots and got goals from Jan Drozg (a nifty between the legs goal) and Justin Almeida for a 4-3 lead.

But Bednard settled in, something I didn’t think he would do, and the Bears got goals from Brett Leason on a power play and ex-Penguin Macoy Erkamps with a deflection in front to give Hershey a 5-4 lead with 63 seconds left to play.

Here’s the box, in case you want to check that out.

Eh, it’s exhibition. Onto Lehigh Valley Saturday night before the real thing next weeekend.

More tomorrow.

I was going to do math today and find out how many days it had been since I was last at the Arena to take in a game. I want to say March 2020. I got busy at work today and never got around to it.

Moral of the story is I still don’t like weekday games. Maybe later in the month and the first part of November when I’m back working from home it will be a little better, but you can have everything about weekday home games.

The Penguins played host to the Lehigh Valley Phantoms in a preseason home game Wednesday at the Arena. The Penguins beat the Phantoms 2-1.

Tommy Nappier opposed Kirill Ustimenko. Here were the lines:

I don’t think Lehigh Valley posted any. I didn’t look. It’s preseason. Also, their call letters are apparently ‘LHV’ now. Duly noted.

Not much happened in the first. The Penguins had two power plays. They didn’t score. Who needs preseason when your special teams are in midseason form.

One bit of action was when the Penguins Jake Flegal fought the Phantoms Quinn Schmiemann. With a name like Schmiemann, you’d think he’d be used to getting in fights. It did not go well for Schmiemann.

Jamie Devane, a regular you’ll be seeing a lot of this year, scored on a tip in front with 1:06 left to play off a nice setup from Patrick Watling.

Jan Drozg scored :21 into the third. Nice pressure to open and it was Sam Houde doing the dirty work to keep an uncontrolled puck controlled and over to Drozg for the goal.

So of course Lehigh Valley would respond on their very first power play of the season. Tommy Nappier was screened heavily.

Shaw Boomhower fought Brennan Saulnier. Two fights in one game? What is this, 1999?

No scoring in the third. Nappier played the whole game in goal for the Penguins. Pat Nagle took over for the Phantoms to start the period.

But for the logo being upside down, good to be back. The tickets on the phone thing worked fine, they have touchless hand sanitizer stations all over the place. About half the food vendors were open. I didn’t buy anything.

More Friday, sooner if I have to.

Thank god this “season” is over.

Never have I been more disinterested in a feeble of an attempt to play hockey. First, you only play four opponents, in front of no one, have a training camp delayed, other games delayed or rescheduled and then go in with an inexperienced team which is by some miracle a .500 team.

I really don’t feel like recapping this. Brett Brochu made his debut in goal for the Penguins in Hershey. He is the youngest player ever to play for the Pens at 18 years and some months. Hershey played a man short, were busted up and really it felt like a preseason game.

Hershey runs the Pens up to a 3-0 lead. Wilkes-Barre gets two back to make it a 3-2 game and make it interesting for a bit. They get in a few scuffles (more so than usual) and Hershey gets two more for a 5-2 final.

You expect better by coming and reading the blog, you really do and I didn’t give it to you this season because I just wasn’t interested. There would be several times this season I would just scan Twitter and half ass a game story off of that, vs. watching hem play this season. For that I apologize.

Better luck next year, I suppose. Hopefully under better circumstances.

Have a good summer.

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Much better effort the last time these teams met this past Sunday in a scrappy, tight affair.

Phantoms get a goal in the third to force overtime, but Kasper Bjorkqvist’s goal in overtime wins it for the Penguins in the second to last game of the season. Pens win 2-1 in overtime. They play in Hershey Sunday afternoon.

Here’s how they lined up.

https://twitter.com/bobrotruck/status/1393699068703125506?s=21

First Period: Jon Gruden on the back door past the half way point of the first on a nice feed by Nick Schilkey.

Pens outshot the Phantoms 13-6 in the period.

Second Period: No scoring, but there was this kick ass save by D’Orio in the dying embers of the period.

Third Period: Phantoms really poured it on, outshot the Pens 12-3 and Ryan Fitzgerald finished this one off to tie it at one.

Alex D’Orio has emerged as the goalie of the future for the Penguins. Remember Emil Larmi? Yeah, me either. Shane Starrett started hurt, played in a few games, got shelled and was never heard from again. Yes, Larmi, Starrett and D’Orio all played in front of this tinpot defense, but D’Orio made the best of a bad situation and has him set up as the #1 goalie come the Fall.

Overtime: About half way through, Bjorkqvist puts away the rebound of a Jordy Bellerive attempt. Ballgame.

Three Stars: 3) Alex D’Orio (23 saves) 2) Ryan Fitzgerald (goal) 1) Kasper Bjorkqvist (goal)

The Good: I think they have a good base of what will work and what won’t come the Fall.

The Bad: Have paid zero attention to the League this year, but the Penguins have not shutout a team yet this season. Almost had one tonight.

Turning Point: Overtime game winning goals are the easy obvious choice to Bjorkqvist’s goal gets it here.

Season finale Sunday afternoon in Hershey.

Let’s Go Pens!

Brennan Saulnier’s natural hat trick in the first period game the Lehigh Valley Phantoms all the momentum they needed as the Phantoms rolled past the Penguins 6-2 in Allentown Sunday.

Was out with my mother for a Mothers Day meal so didn’t catch any of the game. Doesn’t seem like the Penguins were competitive at all from the drop of the puck in this one. It happens. The season will be over in a week, with no playoffs really nothing to it.

The Hershey Bears could have won the division if the Penguins won today. They didn’t so the Bears have to wait.

Felix Robert and Josh Currie scored for the Penguins. Tommy Nappier stopped 20. His counterpart and thorn in the Penguins side Zane McIntyre stopped 29.

Penguins outshot the Phantoms 11-2 in the third. The Pens gave it away in the first and tried to get it back in the third. It didn’t work out that way with a good team like the Phantoms.

Back at it again in Allentown this Saturday before closing the books on 2021 in Hershey next Sunday.

Let’s Go Pens! Happy Mother’s Day!

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I’d like to thank Brad for the headline suggestion. Very creative.

Pens win their final home game of the 2021 season with a 4-1 win over Binghamton Saturday afternoon in the last ever game between the two cities. Seems like a no brainer win for the Pens, who were in control for a large part of the entire game.

Here is how they lined up:

The countdown is on! Take a look at tonight's #WBSPens lineup for tonight against the @BingDevils. pic.twitter.com/0ZBDky4NTq

— Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins (@WBSPenguins) May 8, 2021

The only change tonight is in net. Here's our projected lines against the Penguins! pic.twitter.com/fNAUQmGeWp

— Binghamton Devils (@BingDevils) May 8, 2021

First Period: They traded ten chances each. Devils had two power plays and the Penguins had one. Pens power play looked better than the Devils, for what it is worth.

Second Period: Pens break through when Nick Schilley comes screaming out of the penalty box at the net. Jon Gruden with the setup and it’s 1-0 Penguins about halfway through. 

#WBSPens GOAL VIDO – @Schilks007 puts the #WBSPens on the board. pic.twitter.com/GkVN8B9E4z

— Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins (@WBSPenguins) May 8, 2021

Tommy Nappier looked a lot more confident in net from last game as well, making some difficult saves look easy. 

Third Period: With the issue still in a little bit of doubt, Nick Schilkey slotted home his second of the game with a power play goal that made it 2-0. This seemingly put things out of reach for Binghamton, who weren’t going to come back after that.

In case there was any doubt, Anthony Angello turned on the jets and scored on a great individual effort that made it 3-0.

Napier’s would be shutout bid was broken up when Graeme Clarke came in on a three on one and beat the rookie from The Ohio State University to get the Devils on the board.

Binghamton immediately turned their goalie and Jon Gruden scored on the empty net to make it 4-1. A Gordie Howe hat trick for Gruden with a fight earlier as well as an assist.

Three Stars: 3) Tommy Nappier (22 saves) 2) Jon Gruden (goal, assist) 1) Nick Schilkey (two goals)

The Good: Binghamton is bad, but that was a good win.

The Bad: Nitpicking, but it would have been nice if they parked the bus late and tried to preserve a shutout for Nappier which would have been the first of the season.

They are back at it Sunday in Allentown against the Phantoms.

Let’s Go Pens! Stay safe.