Chirps from Center Ice

The Penguins hit the halfway pole after Tuesday’s win in Norfolk and the Second Quarter Grades are due. Due to me getting a late start on them, Pittsburgh’s training camp, the All-Stars being announced and the recent news of Brian Strait being claimed off of waivers by the New York Islanders this afternoon, here they finally are!

Different from seasons past, I am grading off of second quarter production only. Some guys that got A’s in the first quarter are getting D’s. I figure doing it this way paints a finer picture as to what a player did in the second quarter vs. looking at things overall.

At the one quarter pole, the Penguins were 11-7, good for third in the division and fifth in the conference with 22 points. They struggled in the second quarter, going 7-10-2-1 good for 17 points and are fourth in the division and ninth in the conference with an overall record of 18-17-2-1 and 39 points. They currently have a modest three game winning streak.

Below is my humble take once again. Remember, the points production, games played and +/- for the second quarter only are listed in parenthesis. To compare this quarters grades from last, click here for the First Quarter Grades. Here goes:

Forwards

Beau Bennett – (2-9-11, +2, 12 GP) – Was hurt for a spell and his absence was felt, especially on the power play. Is always in the right place, almost like the game is scripted for him. Had a chance to show Pittsburgh brass what he could do in camp this week. Will be the lone Penguin in Providence at the All-Star Classic at the end of the month. Grade: A+

Philippe Dupuis – (0-4-4, -8, 16 GP) – His minus-8 is the worst +/- on the team for the second quarter. I projected a big second quarter out of Dupuis and all I got was a bust of a quarter. I think that he is in Hynes’ doghouse, too. Grade D

Bobby Farnham – (1-1-2, -2, 18 GP) – Gives 100% on every play. He agitates. Sometimes he goes over the top. Is a better fighter when provoked then when staged. Scored a goal this quarter, which is one more goal scored than Philippe Dupuis during this time period. Grade: C+

Benn Ferriero – (3-2-5, even, 14 GP) – I projected a big second quarter from Ferriero and he, like others, flopped. Had he had a big quarter, I think he would have earned a look in Pittsburgh. He had a mediocre quarter and his grade is reflective of that. Grade: C

Brian Gibbons – (2-5-7, -7, 19 GP) – Everyone is in the same boat this quarter because of the losing and lack of offense. Gibbons is in this boat as someone who you either noticed in the lineup or you didn’t. Grade: C

Riley Holzapfel – (5-9-14, even, 20 GP) – Led the team in points for the quarter. The inconsistent Penguins were lead by the consistent Holzapfel. Could he be a replacement player and go to Providence at All-Stars at the end of the month? Grade: A+

Steve MacIntyre – (0-0-0, -2, 10 GP) – His two punch KO of Portland’s Joel Rechlicz in December may rank as one of the highlights for the struggling Pens in the quarter. There is no greater protector in hockey. Grade: B

Jayson Megna – (3-1-4, -7, 15 GP) – Megna’s first full quarter. Must be doing something right because he has earned an invite to Pittsburgh’s training camp, which came as a shock to me. Look at those numbers again and ask yourself if those would be good enough numbers to give an undrafted kid a look at in NHL camp. Grade: C

Warren Peters – (3-2-5, -3, 20 GP) – Has appeared in every Penguins game this season. Outside of that, pretty average quarter for Peters. He’s in the same boat as Gibbons, Ferriero, Dupuis, et. al. Grade: C-

Zach Sill – (0-1-1, -2, 17 GP) – Sill’s first full quarter, as he was sidelined after the second game of the season. Some nights I barely notice him. For Sill that’s a detriment, because he’s not asked to score. Grade: C

Trevor Smith – (6-6-12, +2, 20) – One of the bright spots for the Penguins in the quarter.  I don’t think we have seen the best out of Smith yet. Grade: A

Eric Tangradi – (1-7-8, -3, 16 GP) – We have seen the last of Tangradi now that the lockout is over. He will need to take what he has learned here and make the most of it in Pittsburgh. Grade: B-

Paul Thompson – (6-3-9, +3, 17 GP) – When guys like Tangradi and Bennett are up in Pittsburgh, Thompson is going to be asked to carry the load. If he is involved in the offense (i.e. taking shots) then the Penguins are in good shape. If he’s disinterested, the Penguins suffer. It’s his time to step up and carry the load. Grade: B

Dominik Uher – (0-1-1. -3, 11 GP) – Is extremely good at drawing penalties. Will see more ice in the third quarter with the lockout ending. Grade: C+

Defensemen

Robert Bortuzzo – (1-1-2, -2 17 GP) – May have seen the last of Wilkes-Barre with the lockout ending. Like Tangradi, will need to take what he learned in the AHL and translate that to the NHL. Grade: B

Simon Despres – (2-0-2, -5, 9 GP) – We haven’t seen the last of Despres. Was hurt in the second quarter and missed games. Can be sent up and down between Pittsburgh and Wilkes-Barre as many times as desired. Unless he wow’s in Pittsburgh, will assuredly be back at some point to continue to improve, as it’s needed. Grade: C+

Brian Dumoulin – (4-5-9, -5, 19 GP) – I wasn’t impressed with Dumoulin at all in the first quarter. He is slowly, and I mean slowly, winning me over. The lockout ending is benefiting him and he is continuing to develop. My most improved player of the second quarter. Grade: B+

Alex Grant – (1-2-3, -1, 9 GP) – The lockout ending will benefit Grant because finally, he will see full time ice. I’m almost tempted to give him an “incomplete” this quarter, just because of how inconsistent he’s been in and out of the lineup. Grade: C

Joey Mormina – (1-0-1, +6, 11 GP) – Was in the same boat with Alex Grant as far as being scratched over the guys here because of the NHL lockout. Now that its over, this veteran will be relied heavily upon. Grade: C-

Joe Morrow – (0-5-5, -4, 16 GP) – He’s in a transition period right now. Last year, he was the last cut from Pittsburgh’s camp in his final year of junior eligibility. This year, he’s toiling about the minors in the locked out NHL. Now that the labor strife is over, we should really see what Morrow is made of and if he flourishes. Grade: C+

Dylan Reese – (1-4-5, +4, 17 GP) – Numbers are down this quarter, but he’s in the same boat with everybody as the team didn’t have a memorable second quarter. Grade: C

Philip Samuelsson – (1-3-4, -1, 18 GP) – Was the teams best overall defenseman this quarter. Pairing with Dumoulin actually helped both players in this case. Grade: B+

Brain Strait – (0-0-0, even, 12 GP) – In and out of the lineup due to injury. When he’s not there he leaves a big hole defensively. He and Steve MacIntyre are the only players on the team which have played 20 or more games that have yet to record a point. Was claimed by the Islanders off of waivers Friday. Grade: B

Goaltenders

Blogger note: I am not smart enough to calculate GAA or SV% for the quarter for Thiessen or Zatkoff. If anyone wants to show me how, please do.

Brad Thiessen – (7-7-1, 2.64 GAA, 0.902 SV%) – I said in the first quarter grade for Thiessen that he would need to be stellar in order to regain number one status again. Well, he has started the last three games and won all three, including a shutout. For a team which has been doing more recent losing than winning, that’s enough to get him back to number one status. Grade: B

Jeff Zatkoff – (11-12, 2.21 GAA, 0.911 SV%) – After being named November Goaltender of the Month, the wheels fell off. He went 2-5, 3.13 GAA and 0.871 SV% in December. A forgettable month by this former AHL All-Star’s standards. Grade: C-

Get your scorecards here! Can’t tell a player without a scorecard!

Players with five or less games, unless otherwise noted. No grades, just blurbs.

Chris Barton and Paul Crowder  – (both 0-0-0, -1, 2 GP) – Were called up when Pittsburgh’s camp started to replace Beau Bennett and Jayson Megna at the forward position. Neither set the world on fire, but neither looked out of place either. Will probably be re-assigned to Wheeling soon.

Tom Kuhnhackl – (0-0-0, +1, 2 GP) – Had season ended when he was injured in the December 2 St. John’s game and recently had season ending upper body surgery. Will be back next year.

Adam Payerl – ( 0-0-0, even 1 GP) – Just getting back from injury while with Wheeling. It remains to be seen whether or not he sticks in Wilkes-Barre or returns back to the ECHL.

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That is everybody. No mentions of Carl Sneep or Keven Veilleux because they did not play in the quarter.

Feel free to agree / disagree with me in the comments. They are open for business.

Quarterly Grades are back for another year. Didn’t plan on bringing these back this year, but it was a matter of me not having nothing to really write about this week. Yay fodder!

The Wilkes-Barre / Scranton Penguins sit third in the East Division, fifth in the Conference after 18 games. Their record is 11-7, good for 22 points. This is after starting the season 0-4, so take away the first four games and the Pens are 11-3 in their last 14 games. Impressive.

Okay, so the Penguins have only played 18 games. 19 games is technically “one quarter” – close enough.

Below is my humble take on the players that have skated for the team so far:

Forwards

Beau Bennett – (4-9-13, -2, 18 GP) – Looked at a score sheet the other day and saw that the first year rookie was leading the team in points. He’s exceeded expectations at this point. That’s all you really can ask for. Grade: A+

Philippe Dupuis – (2-5-7, +1, 18 GP) – Came over from Toronto in free agency. Solid player who centers between a second and third line. I’m projecting a big second quarter for him. Grade: A

Bobby Farnham – (0-2-2, +1, 9 GP) – When Zach Sill went down with injury, Farnham was recalled from Wheeling and signed to a PTO. Constantly plays like his hair is on fire. Is prone to a stupid penalty from time to time. Look up “rat” in the hockey dictionary and Farnham’s name is there. Grade: B

Benn Ferriero – (1-12-13, -1, 18 GP) – Another big free agent get, has surpassed last years assist total with Worcester. (11 in only 20 games) – Ferriero is another player I am projecting a big second quarter from. Grade: A

Brian Gibbons – ( 3-5-8, +2, 13 GP) – Was scratched last 5 games before finally getting in the lineup Sunday vs. Albany. Turned in a three point night, (1-2-3) and played like he never wants to be scratched again. Coaching staff looking for this from him on a nightly basis. If he can sustain that, this team will go far. Grade: B

Riley Holzapfel – (5-5-10, -1, 18 GP) – Prototypical third or fourth line center who plays a balanced game. Holzapfel is currently in a three way tie for second in points on the team. Sometimes sees second line duty, depending on production and situation. Has met expectations so far. Grade: A

Tom Kuhnhackl – (2-2-4, +3, 9 GP) – Before Sunday’s 2-1-3 performance vs. Albany had only one point. I don’t want to say that he’s getting lost in the shuffle with the talent that is currently here on the team because of the lockout, but if he doesn’t shine like he did Sunday, he will get lost in the shuffle with the talent that his here on the team because of the lockout. Grade: C

Steve MacIntyre – (0-0-0, even, 10 GP) – Is a deterrent for other teams goons and rats. Gives the rookies and point producers more room. You aren’t looking for him to produce more than you are to protect. He’s done that so far. Grade: B+

Warren Peters – (2-1-3, +1, 18 GP) – Faceoff stats aren’t registered as a statistic by the AHL, but if they were, Peters would be at the top of the list. Why is this important? When you need to win a big faceoff late in the game, Peters in your guy. He’ll probably be named captain soon. Grade: A-

Trevor Smith – (5-5-10, -1 ,18 GP) – Biggest free agent that the Penguins have landed in recent times. Moonlights between top line and second line. Always a threat to score. Can easily lead the team in goals scored by the end of the year. Grade: A

Eric Tangradi – (9-1-10, -5, 18 GP) – Depending on the camp that you are in, Tangradi either belongs in Pittsburgh or belongs on another team. Needs to put up video game numbers at the AHL level and has so far. If he continues this pace, with the improved projection of Dupuis and Ferriero in the second quarter, the Penguins will be at the top of the division at the halfway point. Grade: A+

Paul Thompson – (6-3-9, -2, 18 GP) – No sophomore slump here. Natural hat trick at Bridgeport upgrades him slightly in the grade department. Yet another I am projecting a big second quarter from. Grade: B+

Dominik Uher – (0-2-2, +1, 12 GP) – This rookie has been in and out of the lineup. Draws penalties like a veteran. Plays with a rat side to him. Will continue to improve. Grade: B

Defensemen

Robert Bortuzzo — (0-1-1, +4, 11 GP) – One of the steadiest defensemen Wilkes-Barre has ever seen. Another stat not kept by the league is blocked shots. Bortuzzo has a ton, and the best part about it is he’s fearless when the other teams sniper is loading up to shoot. Grade: A

Simon Despres – (2-3-5, even, 18 GP) – Despres is streaky. One night he is the best player on the ice, the next he looks lost. I think a lot of it has to do with who he’s paired with defensively. He’s a pedigree that is just biding his time in the AHL while the NHL labor strife gets worked out. Grade: B

Brian Dumoulin — (0-5-5, -2, 16 GP) – It’s okay, I’ll say it for you. I’m not impressed at all with Dumoulin. Granted, this is his first year of professional hockey, but he seems lost out there defensively. Coaching staff wants him to get AHL minutes, so that is why you see more of him than say, Alex Grant or Joey Mormina. Grade: D

Alex Grant — (0-1-1, -2, 6 GP) – Is a scratch more often than not. Guys like Brian Dumoulin and Joe Morrow are getting extended looks over him. I don’t know how, with the cannonade that Grant has in his stick, you justify scratching Grant. But, such is life in the locked out NHL version of the AHL. Grade: C

Joey Mormina – (0-1-1, -2, 7 GP) – Same as Alex Grant. A scratch more often because the younger guys are getting looks. Victim, really, of the NHL lockout because Mormina is too valuable an asset to sit while other guys constantly turn the puck over at the blue line. Grade: C

Joe Morrow – (1-2-3, -5, 14 GP) – You only get better by playing. You learn from your mistakes with experience. Morrow is certainly getting this. A trip to Wheeling would be a waste of his talent. By no means is he NHL ready, though. Grade: B

Dylan Reese – (2-6-8, +3, 15 GP) – Next to Bortuzzo and Brain Strait, one of the more steadier defensemen. May be emerging as a power play quarterback, as four of his points (2-2-4) have come on the man advantage. Grade: A

Philip Samuelsson – (0-1-1, +4, 10 GP) – Samuelsson is improving and not regressing, which is something that young defensemen in their second year are prone to. The lockout isn’t helping him, because he belongs in the lineup on a consistent basis. Grade: B-

Brian Strait – (0-0-0, even, 14 GP) – At his best when paired with Reese or Bortuzzo on defense. Has been a scratch recently. Don’t know what that is all about. Grade: B+

Goaltenders

Brad Thiessen – (3-2, 3.25 GAA, 0.884 SV%, 5 GP) – Has been relegated to backup. Will need to be stellar in order to re-gain number one status again. With the way Jeff Zatkoff is playing, may never happen. Has only been average and the grade that follows is reflective of that. Grade: C

Jeff Zatkoff – (8-5, 1.62 GAA, 0.938 SV%, 3 shutouts, 13 GP) – Said in the newspaper that he wanted to win thirty games this season. If the team in front of him keeps playing the way they are, and he continues to play the way he’s been playing when offense is scarce, will eclipse that easily. Is the teams MVP right now. Grade: A+

I’m sorry, who are you again?

Players with five or less games played fall into this category. No grades given out, just blurbs.

Jayson Megna – (0-2-2, +1, 4 GP) – Is coming off an ankle injury. Impressed enough in training camp to earn a contract to stay. But those games didn’t count, so we are left with an unsigned tryout with a bad ankle. Will need to have a huge second quarter, obviously.

Adam Payerl – (1-0-1, even, 5 GP) – Instead of letting him sit and not play, the Penguins sent him to Wheeling to get minutes. He got hurt, and currently is not playing for the Nailers, who are struggling.

Carl Sneep (0-0-0, even, 1 GP) – played one game then was shipped to Wheeling. If the lockout goes all year, may be there all season.

Zach Sill – (0-0-0, +1, 2 GP) – Injured in the second game. Will slot back into the rotation again when healthy (probably within days) but may have to have a bare knuckles fight with Bobby Farnham to get back in. Imagine that.

Keven Veilleux (0-0-0, -1, 4 GP) – To be fair, Veilleux is coming off of a massive knee injury he suffered in preseason last season and just recently was medically cleared to play. The coaching staff wants to be careful with him, because if he damages it again, it may end his career as a Penguin.

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Feel free to disagree with me in the comments. In fact, I want you to. If I don’t get any comments, it tells me that the reader (you) agree with the grades. That’s not what I am looking for. Let’s embrace debate!

The Penguins closed out the season with a 3-2 loss to the Bridgeport Sound Tigers yesterday and a 44-25-2-5 record good for 95 points, second place in the East Division and slotted fourth in the Eastern Conference Finals where they will open Friday night in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Quarterfinals against the Hershey Bears.

The Penguins, for the most part, were pretty much undented this year with major injuries or massive call-ups. In the rough times when they had to call in guys from outside the organization (see: Henningson, Dan) they weathered the storm. Would things had been different if Norfolk didn’t win 28 in a row to close out the season for the Division lead? Who knows. That Admirals team looks unbeatable right now and the odds on favorite to win the Calder Cup in June.

But it’s a new day. All 16 teams in the Calder Cup Playoffs are 0-0, with a magic number of 15.

Before we look ahead to the Playoffs opening this weekend, it’s time to pass out final regular season grades. As has been the case all year long, anyone who played in a game this season gets a grade. Here we go… after the jump:

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Three quarters of the season down on Sunday with the Pens taking a 32-18-2-5 mark good for second place in the East Division with 71 points.

After the bump, you will find the Grades. If you missed yesterday’s trade deadline aftermath, you will find it one post down.

In keeping with the First Quarter and Second Quarter Grades, anyone who skated this quarter gets a look. Here we go:

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Pens met the halfway point of the season with a 3-2 win Saturday night in Newfoundland and were 11-7-0-1 during the second quarter. No stats from Sunday’s 4-3 overtime win in St. John’s are figured into the stats below unless otherwise noted.

In keeping with the First Quarter Grades we will break this down by Forwards, Defense and Goaltenders. Anyone who got a sweater gets a grade.

My humble take…:

Forwards:

Nick Petersen: I said in the First Quarter Grades that Petersen was a rookie that the coaches trusted. Played 16 out of 19 games so the trust is still there, but sometimes looks like a rookie. Went 3-4-7 in second quarter and maintained his +6 rating. Grade: B

Brian Gibbons: Sometimes I forget he is on this team. Scored 1-2-3 and just a +1. Brought in to score, and hasn’t in this quarter. Need him to start filling the score sheet and quick. Grade: D

Ben Street: Is one of the threats to score on a nightly basis. Produced 9-5-14 in the second quarter. Can be a point a game type of player. Grade: A

Zach Sill: Scored 4 goals in the second quarter. Game isn’t flash, but grit. Can and will knock your enforcer out. Grade: B+

Colin McDonald: Team’s point leader and All-Star representative. Had a brief call-up to Pittsburgh. Went 4-5-9 during the second quarter. Won’t get 42 goals like he had with Oklahoma City last season, but still can put up points. Grade: A

Geoff Walker: Played every game this quarter. 5-6-11 to show for it. He’s a complete player who is a reliable asset to any team. Grade: A

Jason Williams: Runs an anemic power play. Do you fault him or is he a victim of systems? 1-7-8 in quarter two. Said in First Quarter Grades that if he gets hot he could stay hot. Still waiting… Grade: C

Bryan Lerg: 6-5-11 in the second quarter. Can certainly make a case that he was snubbed from All-Stars, but playing in a division with Hershey and Norfolk numbers like these aren’t going to get you there. Fine by Lerg as he still is an effective player. Grade: A-

Ryan Craig: Heart and soul of this team and is the reason the “C” is pinned on his chest. 3-7-10 during second quarter of season. Grade: B+

Matt Rust: This is actually his first quarter, as he only managed four games in the first 19 WBS games. Is 2-5-7 overall. Will need to get on the score sheet more if the team is going to have ultimate success. Grade: B

Brandon DeFazio: Sometimes he is scratched. I don’t think he should ever be scratched. I think he is the oil that keeps this engine going. Grade: B+

Eric Tangradi: Is currently getting an extended look in Pittsburgh. May be his last chance to prove he has what it takes at the NHL level. Here, played 14 games and went 6-5-11. Grade: A

Paul Thompson: Usually either he, DeFazio or Thompson are scratched. 4-5-9 for Thompson in the second quarter. Grade: B

Ryan Schnell: With Steve MacIntyre coming to town today his job may not be safe as the teams enforcer. One assist in 11 games overall. Grade: C

Cody Chupp: Is here because Tangradi is up. No other reason. Although I thought he’d be back in my First Quarter Grades. Grade: Incomplete

Defensemen:

Joey Mormina: Came back from injury Saturday. Made immediate impact by scoring a goal. He’s all defense, but when he scores it is an added bonus. Lower grade because of missed games. Grade: C

Carl Sneep: Is injured. Going to need him back if there’s going to be a run deep into the playoffs. Grade: C

Philip Samuelsson: Learning on the fly which will ultimately make him a better player in the long term but sometimes makes a boneheaded play that makes you cringe. Still believe that if the defense heals, he will go to Wheeling. Grade: B

Cody Wild: Brought in on a try-out and stuck. Mainly due to the bevy of injuries, but when the blueline finally heals will stick around. Grade: B

Robert Bortuzzo: Was hurt in Pittsburgh. When he came back was a big help on the blue line here which proves how big he was missed here. Grade: B+

Brian Strait: Due to injury and recall, has only played 15 games this season with 1-5-6 and a +5. Is an anchor here. His presence is definitely felt when he is in and out of the lineup. Grade: B

Alex Grant: Is the top point getter on the Wilkes-Barre blue line. This is a matter of happenstance as his game more of an offensive defenseman. Is another  player who could end up in Wheeling if Pittsburgh and Wilkes-Barre’s blue line is healthy. Grade: B+

Alexandre Picard: Is injured. Another player who needs to get healthy quick if this team has any hope of making a deep run come May. Grade: B-

Simon Despres: The player on the Penguins with the biggest NHL pedigree lies with Despres. Is injured with Pittsburgh. Will come back then we’ll have to wait and see what happens with Pittsburgh at the trade deadline. Grade: B

Gone but not forgotten…

The following are players who played during the second quarter. Guys like Devin DiDiomete aren’t listed here because he only played two games in the first quarter.

Niko Dimitrakos: Came back from overseas with the intention of playing in the NHL. When that did not pan out for him, he went back over. Shame, because he could have been successful here if he didn’t mind riding buses.

Chris Barton: I was excited when he got here because I wanted to see what he could do at the AHL level. Barton had success in Wheeling but hasn’t found the same results in Wilkes-Barre. If he comes back, it may be on a third or fourth line role only.

Steve MacIntyre: Is coming back and fans hope that he does more of this.

Goaltenders:

I am not savvy enough in the math department to give you the second quarter goals against or save percentage. I am sure I could figure it out if someone paid me, but sadly I do this for free.

Scott Munroe: At times has outplayed Thiessen. 15 games played with an 7-3-2 record with three shutouts. Has a 2.44 goals against average and a 0.911 save percentage. Yesterday’s win vs. St. John’s not factored into these stats. Grade: A

Brad Thiessen: Is slumping. Not the same goaltender we saw last year. Is it a product of a younger defense? I am starting to think yes, but Thiessen is a smart enough netminder to understand this and adjust, no? Is 14-10-2 with 2 shutouts and a 2.88 GAA with a 0.884 SV%. Grade: C

Comment section is open to tell me how harsh I was on your favorite player or how lenient I was on a player who draws your ire.

Let’s Go Pens!

So I managed to sneak away from Thanksgiving for a second to pass out some First Quarter Grades. The Penguins are 10-5-1-3 and currently lead the East Division with 24 points and sit second in the Conference overall.

We will break this down by Forwards, Defensemen and Goaltenders. Anyone who played gets a grade. Here we go:

Forwards:

Nick Petersen: In 12 games, Petersen shows 3-2-5 and a +6. Coming off of a concussion suffered in the rookie tournament in Ontario is learning the pro game. Out of all the rookies probably one whom the coaching staff trusts the most. Going to be fun seeing him develop. Grade: B

Brian Gibbons: In 18 games, Gibbons shows 5-8-13 and a +3. Small, quick, nice hands, will score some big goals. One of head coach John Hynes’ guys from the USA Hockey Development Program. Grade: B+

Ben Street: In 16 games, Street is 4-9-13 and a +6. Is our best option to score most nights. Took a while for him to find a goal and got two versus Syracuse this past Wednesday. Still a key contributor to this team. Grade: A

Zach Sill: 18 games played and shows a 2-1-3 and +1. Grit and guts centering a fourth line most nights. Not afraid to hit anyone.  He’s what you want your fourth line center to be. Grade: B

Colin McDonald: In 18 games has 4-12-16 and a +6. Was brought in for scoring after scoring 42 goals for Oklahoma City last year. I think he’s getting warm. If he gets on a roll, watch out. Grade: A

Geoff Walker: 12 games is 3-3-6 and even. If a chart was shown on a player’s performance Walker would be heading down right now. Coming off of a slight concussion. Walker is going to need to turn things around else he’ll get left behind. Grade: C+

Jason Williams: In 14 games, shows 3-10-13 and a +3. Runs the power play unit. More of a setup guy but I think he’s another guy that if he gets warm, he will get hot and may start scoring a lot of goals. Grade: B+

Bryan Lerg: 19 games for Lerg, 8-8-16 and +8. Is the teams best player. Can do it all for the team and is just an overall complete player. Got cold for a bit but that is a casualty to other teams scouting. Grade: A

Ryan Craig: 12 games, 2-1-3 and a +3. Craig had knee surgery and was back in two weeks, well before schedule. Most nights is the heart and soul of the team. As the captain, the leader of the team on the ice and off. Higher grade because of his quick recovery from surgery. Grade: B+

Matt Rust: 4 games 0-3-3 and +2. Has been hurt. Plays hard every night, or, plays like he doesn’t want to get shipped to Wheeling. Gotta love that. Grade: C+

Brandon DeFazio: In 17 games, is 2-1-3 and even. Most nights is a fourth /checking line winger. Coaching staff trusts him out there. Grade: B

Eric Tangradi: In 16 games is 8-6-14 and even. Is the teams first callup. Lots of eyes on this prospect. Can’t argue with performance. Only behind McDonald and Lerg in points on team by two. Grade: A-

Paul Thompson: 15 games, 3-4-7 and +6. Another first year rookie learning and adjusting to the pro game. He will make some mistakes but will learn from them. Grade: B-

Ryan Schnell: 4 games, 0-1-1 and +1. When here, is either a scratch. They want to have Schnell be the gritty fourth line banger. Sill and DeFazio are ahead of Schnell in this department however. Grade: C-

Niko Dimitrakos: After Keven Veilleux went down for the season with a knee injury, Dimitrakos was brought in and has played every game. 5-3-8 and a +3. Would Veilleux have the same numbers in the same amount of games? Probably not. But Dimitrakos is an adequate fill-in. Grade: B

Defensemen:

Joey Mormina: In 19 games, shows 2-1-3 and a -1. The -1 is a bit of a surprise, but Mormina is on this ice most nights against the oppositions best players. Grade: B-

Carl Sneep: Second year defenseman has played 18 games, 0-7-7 and a +7. He’s on track to be in Pittsburgh within the next two years provided he stays the course and doesn’t stray off track. Grade: A

Philip Samuelsson: 16 games, is 1-2-3 and +7. Sometimes seeing him play you’d think he belongs in Wheeling. I still think that once the defense in Pittsburgh heals up he will get sent down. Trial by fire so far for the rookie. Grade: B+

Cody Wild: Has played 11 games as has yet to register a point. Is +2. If Pittsburgh has a healthy blueline Wild isn’t even here in my opinion. Grade: C-

Robert Bortuzzo: 9 games, 1-2-3 and a +5. Plays shutdown defense. Played one game in Pittsburgh. Loves to block shots. You want him on the ice when the game is on the line. Grade: A-

Alex Grant: 7 games, 0-1-1 and +3. Really belongs in Wheeling. Is usually the scratch. Being a scratch and not playing and not making mistakes is really killing his development. Grade: D

Alexandre Picard: Teams best defenseman. 1-4-5 and a +10 in 10 games. Played up in Pittsburgh before returning this past week. If the other defenseman take Picard’s lead Wilkes-Barre could allow fewest goals in the league easily. Grade: A

Simon Despres: 19 games, 3-3-6 and a +2. Will be in Pittsburgh in a few years. Some nights looks great but has a tendency, at least to me, to take a few shifts off. More seasoned opponents feed off this and take advantage. Grade: B+

Gone but not forgotten…

This list is a group of players either up in Pittsburgh, or hurt. No Grades here.

Brian Strait: 5 games, 1-3-4 and a +6. Was called up to Pittsburgh and hurt. I can’t wait for him to get healthy and return. Some night’s his absence is as loud as the arena crowd.

Cody Chupp: 6 games, 0-2-2 and a +2. Is in Wheeling. Never saw anything above the fourth line. He’ll be back I think.

Dustin Jeffrey: In a two game conditioning assignment had one assist and was even. I think he dinged his knee up again at some point because he is back on injured reserve in Pittsburgh.

Devin DiDiomete and Steve MacIntyre: DiDiomete played two games and was shipped to Wheeling then was released. MacIntyre came down on conditioning and played four games and didn’t register a point but did this.

Goaltenders:

Scott Munroe: Has appeared in 6 games. Has two shutouts, a 2.25 GAA with a 0.904 SV%. Is a decent replacement to Thiessen and can be as good. Grade: B

Brad Thiessen: Has appeared in 16 games. Two shutouts, a 2.50 GAA and a 0.901 SV%. Will be in Pittsburgh next year. Numbers aren’t where he wants them to be. Expect him to change this in the next quarter and be back up among league leaders in GAA and save percentage. Grade: B

So there you all have it. Hope you enjoyed reading. If you agree, disagree or want to comment, please feel free.

Let’s Go Pens!