Chirps from Center Ice

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Six game point streak ends Saturday in Syracuse. A game where they waited for something to develop but instead got developed. Syracuse wins 3-0, getting all of their offense in the second period. Samuel Montembeault with a 37 save shutout. Emil Larmi Started and took the loss.

Lineup:

https://twitter.com/nafsnep/status/1370885056965849088

Lineup Notes: Felix Robert was back after missing the game on Monday, replacing Kyle Olson who replaced him Monday. The Pens sent goalie Shane Starrett to Wheeling earlier in the day.

First Period: Penguins held the Crunch to just one shot in the first 10 minutes of the period but the Crunch caught up on the shot board and it was 8-7 Penguins advantage through the end of the period.

Both teams had a power play and didn’t connect. In the paper tomorrow, you may see, “After a scoreless first period…” because there wasn’t much if anything to write about in the period.

Moving on…

Second Period: Syracuse came alive and scored three goals.

Daniel Walcott off a deflection of a long shot from the point.

Otto Somppi catches the defense flatfooted, is denied on his initial, but follows up for a rebound goal and it’s 2-0.

The Penguins are running around in the defensive zone and Ben Thomas scores.

Yikes.

Third Period: Things settled down from there, Crunch go into a defensive shell to preserve the lead and the Penguins, despite outshooting the Crunch 16-6 in the period, fail to score.

Three Stars: 3) Otto Somppi (goal) 2) Ben Thomas (goal, assist) 1) Sam Montembeault (37 saves)

The Good: They, again, held the opponent to under 25 shots. The Crunch had 22.

The Bad: Syracuse didn’t have the quantity of shots but quality is where it counts. This is a game that the Pens should have won after that first. Syracuse dressed 10 forwards and 8 defensemen. Syracuse was the team scrambling coming in, and it was the Penguins on the ice who were scrambling all game, notably in the second period.

Turning Point: You are either giving it to Daniel Walcott who got the Crunch on the board or Otto Somppi who broke the dam open. There are times in games hone you watch and you know you are at the point of no return. I think Somppi’s goal accomplished that, but your mileage may vary and it could have been Walcott’s.

So they get another week of practice to regroup fro Friday against Lehigh Valley.

Don’t forget to turn your clocks ahead.

Let’s Go Pens!

Stay safe.

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Seems like they are on the right track as a team. They would be OK I think for playoffs, but I don’t think there will be any this season, pandemic and all.

Phantoms win this one 4-3 in overtime on Ryan Fitzgerald’s overtime game winning goal. These two teams are nearly identical and every game is close. This game was no different.

Prior to the game, the Pittsburgh Penguins announced that forward Josh Currie, defenseman Josh Maniscalco, and goaltender Emil Larmi were being re-assigned to Wilkes-Barre and forwards Anthony Angello (NHL) and Frederick Gaudreau (WBS) and goaltender Maxime Lagace (AHL) have been re-assigned to the taxi squad.

So here is how they lined up:

Lineup Notes: Josh Currie for Freddy Gaudreau and the graphic is wrong, Kyle Olson was in for Felix Robert. Martin Brochu backed up Starrett.

First Period: Kind of a benign first, I’ll let Taylor show you what exactly happened in the period which put the Phantoms ahead 1-0.

Pens killed a Josh Currie kneeing penalty.

Second Period: Phantoms, blatantly offside, score to go ahead 2-0. Sam Morin walks through a pair of defenders and dishes to Garrett Wilson for a goal.

Rare that something that egregious goes uncalled. Eh, mistakes happen.

Penguins get the two goals right back when Tim Scahller pounds home a loose puck in the crease to bring them within one.

Penguins tie the game on a great workmanlike effort from Drew O’Connor to keep the Phantoms from gaining possession of the puck when there was a delayed call against Lehigh Valley. Josh Currie scores to tie the game at two.

Third Period: A lot like the first with some mundane, back and forth hockey, until Pascal Laberge scores after Shane Starrett made a pair of saves but the puck squirts into the slot and put in by Laberge to give the Phantoms a 3-2 lead.

Penguins would get a power play late and would cash on it against the Phantoms #1 penalty kill.

Josh Currie’s wicked shot stings McIntyre who makes the initial save but Tim Schaller is tracking the puck the entire time and whacks in the rebound.

Only the second power play goal against for the Phantoms this season.

Overtime: After a bit of back and forth, Ryan Fitzgerald scores his second overtime game winning goal.

Three Stars: 3) Drew O’Connor (two assists) 2) Tim Scaller (two goals, assist) 1) Ryan Fitzgerald (overtime game winning goal)

The Good: Point streak is still alive. It’s six games now.

The Bad: Should have won this one. They did seemingly everything right. Good on PK, scored against the top rated Phantoms PK and got a good game out of their third string goalie.

Turning Point: What else but Fitzgerald’s overtime game winner.

Pens will get a week of practice and travel Saturday to Syracuse.

Let’s Go Pens!

Stay safe.

Late with this one because the family came in and we all went out for dinner Saturday night to celebrate my mother’s birthday. So I missed all of Saturday nights 6-3 win in Newark against the Binghamton Devils.

Here’s what I scraped together after going through the timeline of events:

• P. O. Joseph was back down from Pittsburgh and made his 2021 WBS debut paired with Jon Lizotte.
• Binghamton struck for three goals in the first ten minutes of the first. Two of them on the power play.
• Penguins roar back for two late in the first, both on a double minor power play.
• Wilkes-Barre clamps down from there and allowed Binghamton just three shots in the second and four in the third.
• Jon Gruden connects for his first Penguins goal on a power play about halfway through the second. Jon Lizotte adds an even strength goal with under four to play and Wilkes-Barre was in front.
• Jan Drozg connects 67 seconds into the third to quell any chances at a Binghamton comeback and Drew O’Connor gets his first pro goal with under five to play.
• Billy Sweezy and Ben Thomson fought in the third. It was the first fight of the season for the Penguins.
• Wilkes-Barre badly outshot Binghamton 43-21. Every Penguin player had at least one shot on goal.

Housekeeping: The Penguins parted ways with Jordan Nolan. Recall that he took a leave to be with family. In this pandemic world we are living in, who can fault him. I think the Penguins are doing just fine without him.

Video highlights here:

Back at it on TV a Monday at five against Lehigh Valley. Game day setup Monday at 1.

Let’s go Pens! Stay safe.

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Let’s get one little bit of housekeeping out of the way here first. With the announcement that fans will be allowed back into the Mohegan Sun Arena at Casey Plaza in limited capacity beginning March 19, Coal Street announced on Tuesday that they are changing their start times for the following games:

Friday, Mar. 19 vs. Lehigh Valley
Wednesday, Mar. 24 vs. Syracuse
Friday, Mar. 26 vs. Hershey
Friday, Apr. 16 vs. Lehigh Valley

These games were scheduled to start at 5 and were the only remaining weekday games. The home contests on Saturday and Sunday all will begin at 5 as previously scheduled.

Anyway, they let the Crunch get away with a win tonight.

They largely dominated the game in all three zones and in all facets yet see the Crunch score a goal in the third to force overtime and lose 2-1 in a shootout.

It’s a point lost. In a regular season,  especially now in March in the thick of a playoff hunt, it would have been a bad, bad point lost.

But it’s a forced season being played amidst a pandemic, so it probably doesn’t matter in the long run.

But still, a bad point lost.

Here is how they lined up:

https://twitter.com/nafsnep/status/1367251388611239942

Taylor had the injury update:

First Period: Syracuse has six guys injured and a bunch on recall. Call them Wilkes-Barre North cause we are used to that around these parts. The Pens ran them around the rink. Shots were 7-2 Pens. No one scored. I was commuting home but they were saying on the broadcast that it was a sloppy period.

Second Period: Jon Lizotte broke the deadlock with this shot which deflected.

It stayed that way for much of the period. Syracuse, despite all of the injuries and call ups, were hanging around.

Third Period: Syracuse got the goal they were looking for from Cole Schwindt.

So not a snipe or a five on three against, an odd man rush and a tap in. You’ve got to be kidding me.

So of course, in a game where not much happened, Syracuse ground down the game to get it to overtime.

Overtime: They traded power plays and didn’t get a goal.

Shootout: Radim Zohorna scored for the Pens, Cam Lee and Freddy Gaudreau didn’t. Taylor Raddysh and Otto Somppi scored on theirs. Ball game.

Three Stars: 3) Jon Lizotte (goal) 2) Cole Schwindt (goal) 1) Spencer Martin (30 saves)

The Good: Yikes, I don’t know. I was worried about a let down game after that stellar week that they had last week, getting a full six points. We got it here. Good that they got a point?

The Bad: They should have ran the damn Crunch out of the rink tonight. They outshot them 31-19. They let the Crunch rob them of a point.

Turning Point: Cole Schwindt’s goal that brought it level was all the Crunch needed here. The Pens weren’t creating enough chances that Spencer Martin couldn’t handle easily. Everything else was a bonus.

They are back at it Saturday in Newark against the Binghamton Devils.

Let’s Go Pens!

Stay safe.

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They were in a tight one tonight with a good team.

Back and forth they went, punching and counterpunching with Lehigh Valley.

Wilkes-Barre wins this one 5-4 in overtime. It was the battle of the backups, Shane Starrett for Wilkes-Barre and Felix Sandstrom for Lehigh Valley and I would say that both goalies showed themselves well.

The Penguins sweep the week against in state rivals and get six points out of the week. Not bad.

Lineup: 

Lineup Notes: Schilkey and Drozg swap spots. New third line with reinforcements back from Pittsburgh; Sam MIletic and Jordy Bellerive, Stevens and Joly went out for those two. Defense pairing unchanged. Shane Starrett made his debut in net for the Penguins.

First Period: Seems like both teams chased a bit all period and it was fair that it was 1-1 after 20 minutes.

Felix Robert opened the scoring with this nice goal leading a two on one.

But then Zayde Wisdom had a no look pass to Max Willman who connected for a goal which tied the game.

Wilkes-Barre would kill consecutive penalties.

Pretty even period. Shots nine a piece. I don’t think either team really liked they way that they played in the period.

Second Period: Jody Bellerive opened the scoring with this nice play from a pass from Sam Miletic.

I couldn’t tell live and still can’t really tell on replay if the puck ever even touched the ice when it got to Bellerive when he shot it. I mean it had to, right? What a play that gave the Penguins a 2-1 lead.

But, as the theme went all night, the Phantoms would score again when Max Willman continued his terror over the Penguins with this shot…

Which pinballed off of two Penguin defenders and handcuffed Starrett. Tie game yet again.

This time, the Phantoms would take the lead when Ryan Fitzgeral would clean up a puck to the right of Starrett and put it home to give Lehigh Valley a 3-2 lead on a power play.

But the Penguins would respond in kind.

Thank you Taylor for the description there and the video. You saved me a few keystrokes.

What a wild period with momentum swings flying in each direction.

Third Period: :27 in and Sam Miletic, fresh from reassignment from Pittsburgh, gives the Penguins a 4-3 lead.

Rebound of a Bellerive offering there I think.

Things settled a bit from here on the scoring front until Zayde Wisdom scored a power play goal. Penguins think they have it, go to clear, turn it over and before you know it Jon Pizotte is doing pirouettes in the slot and it’s a tie game yet again.

Overtime: 

Just :40 in and Freddy Gaudreau takes a gift of a turnover by Max Willman and goes to the net and scores to win it for Wilkes-Barre.

Just a bonehead turnover there. Goalie had no chance.

Three Stars: 3) Jordy Bellerive (goal, assist) 2) Max WIllman (two goals) 1) Freddy Gaudreau (overtime game winning goal, assist)

The Good: They seemed unfazed tonight in a game they very well could have lost. In this forced season in the midst of a pandemic, you aren’t playing 10+ opponents like you have in years past. Just be good against Hershey, Lehigh Valley, Binghamton and Syracuse. It seems like that is the plan and it looks like it’s working.

The Bad: I thought referees Mike Dietrich and Mason Riley were fine tonight. The Penguins had just one power play attempt and the Phantoms had five. You have to button that up going forward.

Turning Point: You all would have been happy with five of six points, so the Gaudreau goal that gave the Penguins the win is the obvious choice here. It gave the Penguins maximum points for the week.

I’ve decided to not pay any attention to the division play unless or until there is an announcement on playoffs. I don’t think there will be, so I don’t honestly think what Hershey, Syracuse, Utica, Rochester, Binghamton or Lehigh Valley do when the Penguins aren’t playing them matters. If there is something that comes down from Springfield that forces me to, then that will go here.

They are off now until a midweek game against Syracuse which will be televised again locally and out in Pittsburgh at 5. More then.

Let’s Go Pens!

Stay safe.

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Seems like they are coming together.

You could see it last Saturday in a close game and loss in Hershey. They said all the right things, it felt like a win despite a loss, etc.

Wednesday in the rematch with Hershey they play a complete game, probably the best game of the young season and hand the Bears their first regulation loss of the season.

Easy to replicate against the Phantoms, yeah?

In this case, certainly. A 4-2 win against the first of many with Lehigh Valley, handing the Phantoms their first regulation loss of the 2021 season.

These Penguins are trending in the right direction. Up.

Max Lagace opposed Zane McIntyre.

Lineup: 

Lineup Changes: 

Narrator: Anthony Angello was already recalled, you dummy. Pittsburgh re-assigned Jordy Bellerive at 5.

First Period: Pens struck first and quickly, Will Reilly with a shot through traffic that beats Zane McIntyre through the five hole to give that gives Wilkes-Barre an early 1-0 lead.

Wilkes-Barre would find itself in a bit of penalty trouble when they had to kill off a five on three. Lehigh Valley’s power play was dead last coming into today’s action or else the Penguins would have been in big trouble. A late block of a pass by Kevin Czuczman, playing in his 400th AHL game, at the end of the period while Wilkes-Barre was still killing the two man disadvantage was a key point.

Second Period: Jon Lizotte beats McIntyre through the five hole for a goal that gives the Pens a 2-0 lead.

About :20 later, Phantoms rookie sensation Zayde Wisdom does this:

You aren’t supposed to be able to that that at his age in this league. Two defenders riding him, he steps by them like they aren’t even there, makes another move and flips it into the net to respond.

Penguins would get McIntyre again through the five hole when Jan Drozg tips in a Lizotte shot which gave the Penguins a two goal lead.

Third Period: Felix Robert scores on an absolute dart to make it 4-1 Penguins.

High quality snipe by the neophyte, if I can steal a line from Clyde Frazier.

Max Willman would respond about :40 later as an uncontrolled, pinballing puck is collected by Max Willman and put in to bring the Phantoms back within two.

(Taylor didn’t GIF this one, use your imagination)

They clamped it down from there, I was almost waiting for them to make a mistake but that never happened despite Lehigh Valley getting some power play opportunities.

Three Stars: 3) Felix Robert (goal, assist) 2) Jon Lizotte (goal, assist) 1) Jan Drozg (goal, assist)

The Good: Doesn’t seem like there are any leaks right now with this team. The earlier issues have been buttoned up, team looks great.

The Bad: When you are struggling to come up with something, you know it was a good game.

Turning Point: Going to give it to Robert tonight and his goal that gave the Penguins a 3 goal lead at the time in the third period. The Willman goal got the Phantoms closer, but close only counts in horseshoes and hand grenades.

The two teams rematch Saturday in Allentown.

Around the Division: I don’t even know if Rochester or Utica or those other teams in the division are playing or not. Hershey and Binghatom are. That box is here. I don’t think there is going to be a playoff this season. If there was, you would think they would have announced something by now. They haven’t.

Gameday setup here Saturday at the more conventional 3 pm.

Highlights will be posted as a later edit provided I can get back around to a computer screen.

Let’s Go Pens!

Stay safe.

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Maybe too early to call it a breakout game for Radim Zohorna, who had a pair of goals and assisted on another in this 4-2 Wilkes-Barre win Wednesday night, but more games like this from the rookie and you can probably point back to this night as to where it all started.

The Penguins deal the Bears their first regulation loss of the season in probably their most complete game of the 2021 campaign. They were close Saturday when the last played against these Bears, but they didn’t get any offense and one player, Connor McMichael, supplied all of the offense for the Bears. Tonight, I didn’t hear play by play man Nick Hart say McMichael’s name very much and the Penguins get a good win against a hated rival.

Max Lagace opposed Ilya Samsonov.

Here is how they lined up:

Lineup Notes: 

First Period: Pens killed 1:06 of five on three quite effectively with some nice stick work by Will Reilly who broke up a pass attempt.

Bears got on the board first with a goal from Will Graber.

(the Bears didn’t GIF any goals and Taylor took the night off)

Radim Zohorna answered right back with a goal that tied it.

Nice play here. Guy riding him, he keeps control of the puck and scores the goal.

Second Period: Anthony Angello stuffed in a rebound of a Freddy Gaudreau shot to give the Pens a 2-1 lead.

Which didn’t really last long because Mike Sgarbossa inadvertently blocked a teammates shot, collected the puck and shot it in for a goal that tied the game at two,.

Radim Zohorna scores his second goal of the night with a very nice crossover move that put the Pens ahead. Just look at this…

Nifty move.

Third Period: Zohorna would set up Nick Schilkey for his first goal of the season with this nice pass and better shot that gave the Penguins a two goal cushion.

Penguins played it cool from there but not without some close calls. Mike Sgarbossa hits the post twice on one shift, for example.

The Bears would pull Samsonov but never found any success. Zohorna missed a chance at the wide open net and his hat trick bid.

Three Stars: 3) Nick Schilkey (goal, assist) 2) Anthony Angello (goal, assist) 1) Radim Zohorna (two goals, assist)

The Good: As I mentioned in the open, probably the most complete game of the young campaign. Seems like the wheels are chugging in the right direction.

The Bad: Can’t really come up with anything other than the start, taking three straight penalties to start the game and giving the Bears a five on three says to me that you weren’t prepared to play the right way. Thankfully, they came away unscathed.

Turning Point: Schilkey’s goal that gave the Penguins the two goal lead gets the nod here. Play an almost perfect game and get a goal to go up two, the opponent probably isn’t coming back from that.

Lehigh Valley and Binghamton also played Wednesday. Box here. They are ranking the teams by percentage because the Bears have more points than the Phantoms, but the Phantoms are ahead of the Bears coming into Wednesday’s action.

Wilkes-Barre’s next game is another televised deal on Friday against the Lehigh Valley Phantoms, at 5 pm.

If Coal Street runs a video package, it will go in this spot.

Let’s Go Pens!

Stay safe.