Chirps from Center Ice

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Two evenly matched teams squared off Tuesday afternoon in Springfield.

Your new rival is the Springfield Thunderbirds. Not Hershey or Lehigh Valley. It’s the Thunderbirds. They play the Penguins tough, strong and hard. They don’t lead the division by 15 points or beat teams by seven goals a night, they play a hard nosed, physical style just like the Penguins.

Springfield wins 5-4 in a shootout in a game that had everything. The game ending in a shootout was the least exciting thing about the entire contest.

Casey DeSmith opposed Philippe Desrosiers.

Lineup:

Lineup Notes: They released Sebastian Caron from his PTO about five minutes before they came out for the warmup, DeSmith started and Dustin Tokarski backed up. That was it. No imminent recall in the wake of Jake Guentzel’s season ending shoulder surgery off of the injury he sustained in Monday’s game against Ottawa.

Notable, Andrew Agozzino played in his 500th game. Also, Springfield didn’t post lines or any goal GIFs.

First Period: Period had pretty much everything.

First, two goals by the Penguins scored :18 apart. Anthony Angello drove the net and ripped a shot which was tipped but the rebound put in by Sam Miletic for a goal at 7:38.

Then, :18 later, a puck off of the chest of Andrew Agozzino and in for a 2-0 Penguin lead.

Oh and this too, depending on your view of what’s even strength or not.

To clarify, I’m talking about the goal Miletic scored in Rochester on December 11, not the one he scored Tuesday.

Springfield was never on the ropes, because they responded in kind to not only tie, but take the lead.

Paul Thompson’s initial shot is stopped, but the Thunderbirds captain follows his shot and puts it in to cut the deficit to one.

Later, Dryden Hunt tied the game on a tic tac power play goal.

Then Ryan Haggerty scored a goal in controversial fashion.

He put a puck in past DeSmith after the Penguins netminder made the initial stop, then never covered the puck which was loose in or around the crease. As Haggerty is knocked around, he makes contact with DeSmith as DeSmith is going down into a snow angel to hopefully cover up the puck before it crosses the line.

It did. Referee Dan Kelly was right on top of the play and signaled goal. This made Casey DeSmith very mad. He flung his blocker in the general direction of Kelly. Kelly then went to replay to review something. No idea what, as goalie interference calls when goals are scored and not called as such are not reviewable in the AHL. The goal stood and the place was hot.

I guess what I don’t understand is why that goal by Haggerty was allowed to stand with all that contact and the goal Bobby Nardella scored against Dustin Tokarski Saturday in Hershey wasn’t. Nardella sneezed on Tokarski and his goal was disallowed and yet DeSmith is knocked over, unable to play his position, and the goal stands. There is no black and white. There just isn’t. You can argue contact, but there is contact all the time.

Mike Vellucci then initially refused to send five players over the boards in a protest despite Dan Kelly’s petitioning to start play again at center ice.

Full marks to Kelly for not throwing Casey DeSmith out of the game. You can’t throw things at officials. Also, you are supposed to start play when the official signals. Kelly could have thrown gas on the fire by ejecting DeSmith and Vellucci but didn’t.

Oh, Jan Drozg scored a power play goal to tie the game at three.

(no goal GIF here or of the Haggerty one)

That was just the first period.

Second Period: A lot less controversy. The Penguins knuckle down and put 15 shots on Desrosiers, but the Thunderbirds netminder turned them all aside. Springfield took just six, one of them going in when Joel Lowry had a goal go in the opening minutes of the period.

Third Period: Penguins finally get one to go, this time off of the back of Desrosiers, when Thomas DiPauli was the last to touch the puck which tied the game at four.

Overtime: Pens had to kill a too many men penalty and did. No one really got close to scoring on either end.

Shootout: Henrik Borgstrom’s goal in the first round of the shootout stood up as the winner. Kevin Roy, Jake Lucchini and Anthony Angello all missed in that order for Wilkes-Barre.

The Good: Competitive game between to evenly matched teams gave the fans a good show. It’s always a battle and the Penguins and Thunderbirds sometimes bring out the best and worst of each other. Oh, and they rematch Saturday in Wilkes-Barre.

The Bad: Obviously the goalie interference no call, but the standard has no footing. No one knows what is or isn’t goalie interference.

Turning Point: Haggerty’s controversial goal gave Springfield the jam they were seeking. They kept out the Penguins in the second, and rode Desrosiers and a shootout to a win.

Around the Division: Hartford and Bridgeport were the only other game in town division wise, and the Wolf Pack handled the Sound Tigers beating them 3-2.

Standings: Hartford 45 — Providence 43 — Hershey 41 — Penguins 39 — Springfield 38 — Charlotte 35 — Bridgeport 31 — Lehigh Valley 29

Wheeling Update: Nailers hosted the Norfolk Admirals and beat them 6-1. Emil Larmi had 45 saves. Ryan Scarfo had a goal and an assist.

Video Highlights: Are here. The Haggerty goal is around the 1:50 mark.

Happy New Year. Don’t drink and drive, all that. Pens are back in action Friday when they host Hershey. Expect the All-Star rosters to be published sometime Thursday. I will be back then to let you know who made it from the Penguins plus looks at all the other players named. I think Casey DeSmith and Andrew Agozzino are locks, but I guess we will find out for sure then.

Let’s Go Pens!

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Another ridiculously tight, too close to call game between the Hershey Bears and the Wilkes-Barre / Scranton Penguins. The Penguins, despite a few blowouts and 1-0 shutouts against, have played decent hockey in the month of December but they lacked any type of scoring unless your name was Anthony Angello. The Hershey Bears haven’t lost a game in the month of December.

Until tonight. The Penguins win 2-1 Saturday night to end the Bears nine game winning streak.

I ran the numbers back to that December 11 game in Rochester where Sam Miletic and Oula Palve scored in the third period. Depending on what your view of an even strength goal is, Jan Drozg scored an even strength goal and then Sam Miletic scored one with an extra attacker on, Drozg’s goal came 365:37 minutes ago, Miletic’s was 361:56.

Well make it 425:37 or 421:56 (again, depending on your views of what is even strength) since a player not named Anthony Angello scored an even strength goal for the Wilkes-Barre / Scranton Penguins.

Angello scored the Penguins first goal and Thomas DiPauli, in his return from Pittsburgh, added on a power play goal and the Penguins tidily sweep the weekend.

Dustin Tokarski opposed Vitek Vanecek.

Lineup: 

Lineup Notes: Thomas DiPauli was returned from Pittsburgh, he replaced Jamie Devane on the fourth line. Casey DeSmith didn’t make the trip, Wheeling is in Indianapolis and Emil Larmi was up for the week and his itinerary included going back to the ECHL to get a bunch of games in during the Nailers crazy busy stretch coming up here so logistically he couldn’t rubber band back to town. Penguins signed Sebastian Caron to a PTO and he spent his afternoon / evening as the backup.

First Period: Was basically all centered around this play which a lot of Bears fans weren’t happy with.

Bobby Nardella puts the puck in the net but referee Michael Duco immediately washes out the goal and puts Matt Moulson in the penalty box for interference.

Soft call? Yes. Right call? Who knows. Whenever you think you know what a call is or isn’t, they move the target on you and you end up wrong.

These types of calls usually go for you and against you at least once a season.

There was no (legal) scoring in the period.

Second Period: Anthony Angello continued his goal scoring tear for the Penguins with this shot for a goal in the slot that gave the Penguins a 1-0 lead.

Hershey would get a two man advantage and Matt Moulson tapped in an easy goal that tied the game at one.

Cheeky point by Moulson there, mocking the referees that that one counted.

Penguins had a power play that went like this. Lose face off, give up two on none, then have this happen to your goaltender.

Third Period: Thomas DiPauli scored on a rebound of an Oula Palve shot. His offering dribbled up the back of Vancek and into the net.

Hershey responded in kind, by Penguins defenseman Michael Kim had a better shift, dropping to a knee to save a goal which preserved the Penguins one goal lead.

Bears pulled Vanecek in search of a tying goal, but weren’t able to get the equalizer. It was a ferocious final stand by Tokarski and the Penguins defense that preserved the win and ended the Bears winning streak.

Three Stars: 3) Anthony Angello (goal) 2) Matt Moulson (goal) 1) Thomas DiPauli (goal)

The Good: Despite the tumult, a nice turnaround by Wilkes-Barre / Scranton to sweep the weekend. They proved that they can hang and squeeze out goals when they need to in order to win hockey games.

The Bad: Really nitpicking as I am sitting here watching the cursor flash by on me as I am trying to think of one. Penguins played a great game, top to bottom with luck, and got the result they were seeking.

Turning Point: I’m going to let Tyler give this to you.

Hard to disagree with it. You could also go DiPauli’s goal which gave the Penguins a lead and then Tokarski shutting the door from there also.

Around the Division: Providence and Hartford are playing hot potato with the division lead, Hartford wins 4-1….Ethan Prow’s goal in overtime gives Springfield a 4-3 win over Bridgeport….Charlotte thumps Cleveland 5-1….Lehigh Valley loses at home to Utica 4-2.

Standings: Hartford and Providence 43 — Hershey 39 — Penguins 38 — Springfield 36 — Charlotte 33 — Bridgeport 31 — Lehigh Valley 29

Wheeling Update: Nailers are off tonight, play Indy Sunday. Emil Larmi may get that start.

Video Highlights: 

Pens are back in action Tuesday at 3 p.m. for a New Years Eve game at home against Springfield. Breaking news here as it warrants between now and then. If not, then look for the next blog update to come at 11 a.m. Tuesday for the Gameday setup for the clash with Ryan Haggerty and the Thunderbirds.

Let’s Go Pens!

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Some numbers for you.

The Wilkes-Barre / Scranton Penguins went 107:31 in between goals by Anthony Angello.

They go 243:07 since the last time a player not named Anthony Angello scored a goal for them of any kind since Thomas DiPauli’s empty net goal December 14 in Cleveland when Jake Lucchini scored a shorthanded goal in the third period.

Anthony Angello scored three goals for the Penguins tonight, the third being on an empty net and the Wilkes-Barre / Scranton Penguins roll the Lehigh Valley Phantoms 4-2 on Friday night.

Stefan Noesen was the straw that stirred the Penguins drink for the firs two months of the season. He’s gone now and someone, anyone, has to pick up the slack.

It’s Anthony Angello, who now after his three goal night, leads the Penguins in goals.

Coming into the season Angello was kind of at a crossroads. I felt he hit a wall last year and was just a body. Well now, he’s become an invaluable piece for a team which has lost a lot of offense due to call-ups or defections.

The other story on the night was the status of Casey DeSmith. He became ill during the game and was replaced by Dustin Tokarski to start the third period. The scuttlebutt was that he was throwing up in the locker room. No, he wasn’t traded, no he’s not injured.

DeSmith opposed Alex Lyon.

Lines were….

Lineup Notes: 

First Period: :31 in and the Phantoms were on the board. Gerry Fitzgerald pounced on a rebound and scored to make it 1-0 Phantoms.

(WBS social only tweeted Angello’s first goal and were out to lunch on his other, non-empty net goal and the Lucchini shorthander, so in the interest of consistency, no GIFs of the goals in tonights recap)

Alex Lyon had a good save on Chase Berger going post to post to deny the Penguins forward. Later, the Penguins thought they scored when Sam Miletic drove to the net and appeared to have scored, but parallax is a funny thing. After a video review, referees Patrick Hanhrahan and Reid Anderson confirmed the initial call on the ice of no goal.

Second Period: Anthony Angello (who else at this point) ended the Penguins goalless drought at 107:31 when he wired a shot over Lyon’s shoulder to tie the game at one.

(I know I said I wasn’t going to do it but I did)

Third Period: To the shock of many, Dustin Tokarski replaced DeSmith in net.

This is when the game really took off for both teams because no one held back anything.

Angello connected on the expiration of a Penguins power play to give his team a 2-1 lead.

Later, P-O Joseph led a shorthanded charge up ice and put a shot on that Jake Lucchini was there for the rebound to get past Lyon to extend the lead to 3-1.

Matt Strome connected for a goal as an expiration of a Phantoms power play had just expired to make it 3-2. The puck deflected off of a skate and in past Tokarski.

Tokarski would get some help from his teammates as Kevin Roy would sweep a puck off of the line to preserve the Penguins one goal lead.

The Phantoms, with time running out and the deficit still to one, pulled Lyon in the hopes of a game tying goal. Tokarski had a great stop with his pads on one attempt and finally the puck was cleared out to Andrew Agozzino who was off on a two on one with Angello. Angello collected the pass from his teammate and scored the hat trick into the empty net.

Three Stars: 3) Andrew Agozzino (three assists) 2) Jake Lucchini (goal) 1) Anthony Angello (three goals)

The Good: Angello is stepping up and scoring big goals when needed. The team overall isn’t playing bad, but the object of the game is to ultimately score, Angello just has been the only one doing it.

The Bad: Casey DeSmith leaving the game with sickness all but rules him out for Saturday in Hershey. The Penguins have Emil Larmi back on the roster and the thought is with the Penguins only having two games this weekend is to split the starts between DeSmith and Tokarski so it was always going to be Tokarski’s game Saturday regardless, but you hate to see a guy lost to sickness.

Turning Point: On a night where we have typed his name a lot, it isn’t Anthony Angello who get the rub here, it’s Jake Lucchini’s shorthanded goal that extended the Penguins lead to two that kind of put the game out of reach for the Phantoms to a point where you knew they weren’t going to be able to come back from it.

Around the Division: Hershey survives a scare in Utica to win their ninth straight, 5-4 in overtime. The Bears were leading 4-2 at one point….Bridgeport, who has been on the upswing, beats Hartford 5-1….Providence edges Springfield 4-3. Charlotte was off.

Standings: Providence 43 — Hartford 41 — Hershey 39 — Penguins 36 — Springfield 34 — Charlotte 31 — Bridgeport 30 — Lehigh Valley 29

Wheeling Update: Nailers lose 2-1 out in Toledo, Ohio. Cam Brown had the goal for Wheeling in the loss.

Video Highlights: 

Pens hit the road to Hershey Saturday. Bears have won nine straight and are on fire. Gameday setup hits the blog here Saturday at 3.

Let’s Go Pens!

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They got by with just one goal Friday at home against Providence and played well defensively and rode a hot goalie to a win over Providence.

But you can’t carry over momentum and cash them for goals, and the Wilkes-Barre / Scranton Penguins are shutout 3-0 Saturday night in Bridgeport. Dustin Tokarski, who we made a strong case to start this game did, but the goaltenders don’t score the goals.

They have scored just 14 goals all month. That’s…not good and also what happens when you lose your top scorer.

Dustin Tokarski opposed Jakub Škarek.

Lines were…

Lineup Notes: The same as it was Friday.

First Period: If I did a good and bad like I do from time to time here on the blog the good in this period would be the fact that the Penguins went 4-for-4 in the period on the penalty kill, including a 1:55 of two man disadvantage against. The bad would be the 1-0 deficit the Penguins chased all period. A Jan Drozg turnover resulted in a Kieffer Bellows goal at 1:11.

Shots were 11-8. Hard to get momentum when you are constantly killing penalties, no matter how bad the unit you are killing against is.

Second Period: Kevin Roy had the best chances to score in the period but couldn’t. First, he had a puck knuckled on him but Škarek went post to post to deny him. Then, on a two on one, the Penguins forward was again denied by the Sound Tigers goaltender.

Mike Cornell and Jamie Devane tangled, Cornell went to throw a punch and slipped. You really can’t constitue it as one.

Travis St. Denis would score on a fourth our fifth attempt on goal in a scrambling attempt on a Sound Tigers power play.

Third Period: Nothing of memory occurred until about half way through when the Penguins went on the power play. Mike Vellucci opted to pull Tokarski for an extra attacker to try anything to score a goal. The Penguins power play came and went but Tokarski stayed on the bench. Finally, a miscommunication in the neutral zone and Travis St. Denis finished off a pass from Josh Ho Sang to make it 3-0 into the empty net.

Three Stars: 3) Keiffer Bellows (goal) 2) Travis St. Denis (two goals) 1) Jakub Škarek (30 save shutout)

The Good: A week to regroup, the organization to heal up, maybe get bodies back and get ready for Lehigh Valley back at home next Friday.

The Bad: Still haven’t scored a ton of goals this month, that obviously has to change.

Turning Point: If you would have shut your radio off after Bellows scored 1:11 into the game tonight and said to yourself if recent history was any indication that was the game, you would have been right.

Around the Division: Providence is shutout in back to back games, 3-0 in Hartford against the Wolf Pack….Hershey beats Springfield 2-1 in overtime….Lehigh Valley beats Charlotte 3-2.

Standings: Providence 41 — Hartford 39 — Hershey 35 — Penguins 34 — Springfield 34 — Charlotte 29 — Lehigh Valley 29 — Bridgeport 26

Wheeling Update: Emil Larmi’s second ECHL game doesn’t go as well as his first, Kalamazoo beats Wheeling 3-1.

Video Highlights: I mean you have the goals up top and I don’t think Bridgeport really does a video highlight package but if they do, I will add them in this spot.

So they are off until next Friday. Blog wise, I’ll have the AHL Power Rankings early next week. Depending on how quick I get them done Monday you may see them then. If not, definitely Tuesday. Also, look for the stat board to get updated (the static one anyway, the one at the bottom auto updates) some time on Sunday, provided I get to it.

Enjoy the Christmas break.

Let’s Go Pens!

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Let’s recap the week that was on Coal Street, shall we?

They get throttled 6-0 Wednesday against the Providence Bruins in a lifeless, toothless, punch drunk affair. Casey DeSmith gets shelled and chased in the third period.

Thursday, they learn that Stefan Noesen was claimed on waivers by the San Jose Sharks. Noesen was, at the time he was signed and then recalled by Pittsburgh, the leading scorer.

On account of that fact and the other that Pittsburgh lost Justin Schultz to a knee injury, Thomas DiPauli and Kevin Czuczman were recalled Friday morning.

Friday night, the Wilkes-Barre / Scranton Penguins hosted the Providence Bruins in a rematch of Wednesday. The first place Providence Bruins and the same Providence Bruins who had a shutout streak of over 130 minutes going.

So of course the team that lost their leading scorer, one of their better penalty killers and a veteran presence on defense and shuts out the Providence Bruins 1-0. 23 saves for Dustin Tokarski, his 27th all time which ties him for 10th all time in AHL history.

Hockey is a funny sport.

I’m one of Casey DeSmith’s biggest fans. He’s in my top five of all time favorite Wilkes-Barre / Scranton Penguins players to come through here.

In no way shape or form, if I am Mike Vellucci, do I give him the net Saturday night in Bridgeport.

They are a different team with Tokarski in the net. They just are. Examples:

– After getting shutout in Cleveland last weekend, Vellucci turns to Tokarski and they win 3-1 the very next night. A steadier performance and the first win of the month.

– After getting bombarded by Providence with six goals Wednesday after Tokarski comes in, they allow just three and he stops them all.

You will hear me say all the time that I don’t coach the team, I blog about them and when you need to choose between a player at a position go with the guy with the NHL deal (DeSmith) over the one who doesn’t have one (Tokarski) but in. my opinion, Dustin Tokarski has played his way into a starters role and Casey DeSmith has played, maybe through no fault of his own (it isn’t the goaltenders job to score goals) his way out of the starters role. We will see what happens Saturday in Bridgeport, but I think that Dustin Tokarski should get the start and not DeSmith.

Anthony Angello scored the only goal and if you are thinking to yourself that I have brought his name up a lot you’d be right, he’s the only Penguin player to score a non-empty net goal for the team in the last four games.

A defense, with four rookies on it mind you, limit the Providence Bruins to just 23 shots after allowing 30 on Wednesday, six of those for goals.

Funny sport, that hockey.

I mean that’s pretty much it. A scoreless first and third. Providence had 11 in the first (which was their best period) and then six in the second and third. Anthony Angello was the last Penguin to touch a puck which deflected off Providence’s Jeremy Lauzon’s leg and past Dan Vladar on a power play. Wilkes-Barre only mustered 20 shots of their own, but they outshot Providence 38-30 Wednesday anyway and still lost 6-0.

Pretty vanilla game, but when you are a team in flux, with the loss of your leading scorer and two recalls which kind of were like a punch in the gut Friday morning, just what the doctor ordered.

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Three Stars: 3) P-O Joseph 2) Anthony Angello (power play, game winning goal) and 1) Dustin Tokarski (23 saves)

Around the Division: Springfield beats Saturday’s opponent Bridgeport 3-1. Some guy named Ryan Haggerty scored the game winning goal assisted by some other guy named Ethan Prow. Fire Jim Rutherford….Hershey, Lehigh Valley, Charlotte and Hartford were all off.

Standings: Providence 41 — Hartford 39 — Penguins 34 — Hershey 33 — Springfield 33 — Charlotte 29 — Lehigh Valley 27 — Bridgeport 26

Wheeling Update: 

That’s four straight wins for the Nailers, too. Here’s your box.

Video Highlights: 

Pens are in Bridgeport Saturday before the Christmas break. Gameday setup hits the blog Saturday at 3.

Let’s Go Pens!

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Work night home games are bad. Worse even when the officials are delayed 20 minutes like they were tonight. Still slightly better than Sunday afternoon home games but let’s digress.

Wrote this on the iPhone, so mind the spelling errors, morseo than usual.

Before I forget, Stefan Noesen is on waivers. Thursday at noon we will find out if he clears.

The Penguins better hope that he does, cause they looked listless, lifeless and totally overmatched and outplayed by the Providence Bruins on Wednesday night, who take this game 6-0.

Tommy Marchin scored his first two professional goals, so you understand the headline rub.

The two teams rematch Friday.

Casey DeSmith opposed Max Lagace.

Lineup:

Lineup Notes:

First Period: There was…not a lot of offense. Two similarly structured, very good hockey teams just battling.

Shots were 5-4 Bruins. Adam Johnson was featured prominently, his bid off a nice tic tac toe play was denied with the pad of Lagace about midway through and he took the only penalty of the period taking away the only other good scoring chance of the period belonging to Providence.

Second Period: Completely different period for the Providence Bruins who has a pair of rebound goals bookend a four goal explosion.

Pavel Shen on a rebound. 1-0 Providence.

Robert Lantosi split Matt Abt and Macoy Erkamps, broke in and scored. 2-0 Providence.

Penguins would get a power play chance after the first and second Bruin goals but did not score.

Tommy Marchin on a cross ice one time bomb. 3-0 Providence.

The passes. The passing killed them, setting up essentially easy goals or opportunities for goals.

Peter Cehlarik in the final minute of the second on a rebound again, 4-0 Providence.

The Bruins, in contrast to the first, completely obliterated the Penguins in the middle frame with speed and vision.

Third Period: The assault continued.

Jack Studnicka on a transition rush that went tic tac toe. 5-0 Bruins.

(you get the idea, not going to GIF anymore visitor goals)

Quickly, Tommy Marchin deflected a point shot and it was 6-0 Providence.

Enter Dustin Tokarski. He didn’t allow any goals. Penguins wised up and only allowed three shots. Hopefully, he gets the net Friday when they rematch.

This was at the end of the second, but an accurate description of the type of night Casey DeSmith had:

Three Stars: 3) Robert Lantosi 2) Tommy Marchin 1) Max Lagace

The Good: If you can’t say something nice…

The Bad: Penguins waited for something bad to happen and when it did, an avalanche of bad things happened.

Turning Point: Oh, that second period was bad, bad, bad.

Around the Division: Bridgeport beats beats Syracuse 3-2 and Charlotte obliterated Hartford 7-1.

Standings: Providence 41 — Hartford 39 — Hershey 33 — Penguins 32 — Springfield 31 — Charlottte 29 — Lehigh Valley 27 — Bridgeport 26

Wheeling Update: Nailers were off.

Video Highlights: I’ll work this in if I see a highlight package from Coal Street, they probably won’t, given the outcome.

Pens and Bruins rematch Friday in Wilkes-Barre. Now, what you want is that to be the next update here on the blog. If Noesen goes unclaimed, then I will not post that here unless its tied into other news of the day.

Let’s Go Pens!

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Like a tight game late in the eighth inning, Mike Vellucci walks up to the mound and calls in his closer.

Out of the bullpen steps Dustin Tokarski.

The one thing that the Wilkes-Barre / Scranton Penguins failed to do in this five game losing streak was closing out opponents.

A very tightly contested affair in Cleveland, the Penguins win 3-1. Two goals for Anthony Angello, 27 saves for Dustin Tokarski and the five game losing streak is over.

Tokarski opposed Veini Vehvilainen.

Lines were…

…not tweeted in a graphic by the Penguins tonight, so they went this way.

Sam Miletic – Andrew Agozzino – Anthony Angello
Jake Lucchini – Oula Palve – Thomas Di Pauli
Graham Knott – Jordy Bellerive – Ryan Haggerty
Andreas Martinsen – Chase Berger – Jan Drozg

Jon Lizotte – P-O Joseph
Kevin Czuczman – Niclas Almari
David Warsofsky – Macoy Erkamps

Dustin Tokarski
Emil Larmi

Lineup Notes: Pens play by play man Nick Hart said that Zach Trotman has a head injury. Kevin Czuczman slotted in for him. Graham Knott made his Penguins debut, for essentially Joseph Blandisi who was recalled by Pittsburgh under emergency conditions again Saturday morning. Ryan Haggerty swapped with Jamie Devane vet for vet.

For posterity, Cleveland lined up like this…

First Period: Sam Miletic took a big hit his first shift and didn’t return, I was out for birthday dinner and would have got the video. I may at some point, just not tonight.

Anthony Angello scored for the Penguins when it appeared that Vehvilainen kicked in the puck that gave the Penguins a 1-0 lead.

It was a good period overall, one penalty (Bellerive for a high stick) and the Penguins led 1-0. They limited Cleveland to just six shots and played a very good opening period.

Second Period: Anthony Angello scored his second of the night when Andrew Agozzino forced the issue and pressured the goaltender. Angello zipped a hell of a shot that went in.

Dillon Simpson scored for the Monsters which unleashed a calvacade of teddy bears on the Monsters teddy bear night.

Third Period: Two big saves under pressure by Tokarski to preserve the one goal lead for the Penguins.

Both teams had very good looks at the net but no one scored.

Penguins had to kill a Joseph cross check and did so easily.

Then with time dwindling and Cleveland still looking for the tying goal, Thomas DiPauli hit the empty net at center ice that iced its away.

Three Stars: 

Simpson had the only goal for the Monsters.

The Good: Hell if I am Mike Vellucci, I give Tokarski the net Wednesday at home against Providence and go from there. He was the factor tonight in the Penguins victory. An otherwise bland sixty minutes and the goaltenders usually steal the show. Angello got hot and bagged two, Tokarski took it from there.

The Bad: Cleveland’s power play is bad, the Penguins allowed them to score again tonight. That has to get tightened up.

Turning Point: Angello’s second goal which made it 2-0 seemed like a breath of fresh air for the Penguins who led by multiple goals and rode their veteran goaltender across the finish line.

Around the Division: Lehigh Valley beats Hartford 4-2….Providence beats Springfield 5-4 in overtime….Hershey has won five straight, beating Bridgeport 5-2….Syracuse beats Charlotte 5-4.

Standings: Hartford 39 — Providence 37 — Penguins 32 — Hershey 31 — Springfield 31 — Lehigh Valley 27 — Charlotte 25 — Bridgeport 24

Wheeling Update: Nailers close out the third game out in South Dakota with the Rapid City Rush. Box here.

Video Highlights: I didn’t see any package by the Monsters, so don’t expect one but if Coal Street does one and I can work an edit it will run here.

Pens bus back tonight and will have a few well deserved days off before they are back at it Wednesday at home against Providence in an important two game series with the Bruins. News as it comes from there.

Let’s Go Pens!