Chirps from Center Ice

The Wilkes-Barre / Scranton Penguins have 10 games in the month of March, so a light schedule in comparison to the other teams that have games in hand on them.

A chance to heal sore bodies while other teams run the risks of injury.

Scoreboard watching season has begun!

Music to Set the Mood…

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I spent longer than I should have trying to see if there were any songs that had “March” in them on Hair Nation, this was the best I could come up with, sorry.

A Quote…

March is the month of expectation, the things we do not know.
–Emily Dickinson

The Setup…

Home against Springfield tonight then a Friday trip to Syracuse. The rest of the weekend off!

Wilkes-Barre got three out of four points from Cleveland in Ohio after winning Friday and losing in overtime Saturday.

Syracuse beat division leader Laval last Saturday then thumped a reeling Rochester squad on Sunday. The Crunch are in Laval on Wednesday.

Springfield got three out of four points out of Charlotte at home this past weekend. The Thunderbirds need all the help they can get, sitting outside of a playoff berth at this time.

Records

Wilkes-Barre is 36-13-4-2 with 78 points in second place in the Atlantic Division.

Springfield is 21-25-5-2 with 49 points in seventh place in the Atlantic Division.

Syracuse is 32-17-3-1 with 68 points in second place in the North Division.

The Rest of Those Rascals…

Providence rebounded after dropping two last weekend with a pair of 3-2 wins over Bridgeport, one in a shootout.

Providence plays too many cupcake Atlantic Division teams and doesn’t play many North Division games. Nick Hart said over the weekend that the Bruins and Monsters played for the first time ever last season and that shocked me. They don’t travel and would rather feast on bottom dwelling teams year after year. I am trying hard not to believe that the Bruins are a paper tiger, but going undefeated against an Islanders team they play 12 times this season so far is making it difficult for me.

They may be second overall in the AHL behind Grand Rapids, but I do not see them as a top five team. Some combination of the Penguins, Griffins, Crunch, Laval, and/or Colorado/Ontario would get my vote.

The Bruins are an inflated 41-10-1 with 83 points and lead the division and play more divisional heavies in last place Hartford on Wednesday, Bridgeport on Saturday and a more respectable Hershey on Sunday.

Charlotte may be in danger of losing the three seed, just one point in Springfield this past weekend then a rare Monday / Tuesday meeting in Hershey where they lost Monday in OT and then was able to win in regulation on Tuesday. They sit third with a 31-18-8 record and 67 points. The Checkers are in Allentown this weekend.

Hershey is next with their 26-21-6-2 record and 60 points and before they hosted the Checkers for the rare Monday-Tuesday games, they thumped the Rockford IceHogs out in Illinois Friday and Saturday. The Bears are in Hartford and Providence this weekend.

Lehigh Valley took three out of four points from the visiting Hartford Wolf Pack this past weekend and then lost in Utica on Tuesday. They are 24-24-2-3 with 53 points and have a three in three this weekend where they host Charlotte for a pair and then bus up to Bridgeport Sunday afternoon.

Next is Bridgeport who took a shootout loser point home with them this past weekend in Providence. They are defending the last playoff spot in the division with a 22-24-3-5 record with 52 points. The Islanders are in Hartford Friday then will lose again to host Providence Saturday and Lehigh Valley on Sunday.

Gave you Springfield’s past weekend above with their record, they host the Iowa Wild this weekend for a pair of games.

You think Iowa would make use of their rare trip out east and hit Providence maybe? Yeah, no. That would require reciprocation with the Bruins spending money and heading out to Des Moines, but I bet the Bruins are kicking themselves because they can feast on some more last place divisional dreck against the last place overall team in the Wild.

Hartford took just a point out of Lehigh Valley after a 12 round shootout loss Saturday and a straight up loss against the Phantoms on Sunday. The Wolf Pack are 20-26-4-2 with 46 points and last in the division. Hartford have five straight at home, where they host Providence Wednesday, Bridgeport Friday and Hershey Saturday.

Who’s Up? Who’s Down? Who’s Out?

Up: Avery Hayes is on recall to the Pittsburgh Penguins. Wilkes-Barre recalled defenseman Scooter Brickey as well as forwards Nolan Renwick and Zach Urdahl on Monday.

Down: Forward Ryan McAllister, defenseman Emil Pieniniemi and forward Raivis Ansons are down in Wheeling.

Out: I didn’t like all those Wheeling recalls. Melvin Fernstrom is the only “official” injured Penguins with an day to day upper body injury, Tristan Broz left the game in the second period on Saturday in Cleveland.

Zach Gallant returned from injury and played Friday.

Player of the Month

Ville Koivunen. Six goals, ten assists in just 11 games. Impressive and well deserved.

What can we learn about the Penguins this week?

Can they defense or goaltend their way to more wins? They defended their way to a win Friday and to some extent on Saturday which got them a point. Right now it’s an offensive Sahara. Power play isn’t clicking, only four goals in Cleveland against a middling North Division opponent. Scoring eight against Springfield and only one against Syracuse isn’t impressive because it’s two teams on different ends of the spectrum.

Where will they end up this week? You hope it’s in between. It’s March now. They are in striking distance of the division lead and on the doorstep of punching a postseason ticket. The defense and goaltending are perpetual, it would seem, so get the offense going now and keep it rolling into late Spring.

Who’s in Goal?

I think you go Joel Blomqvist tonight and Sergei Murashov in Syracuse Friday.

Vadim Zherenko for Springfield and Brandon Halverson for the Crunch is my guess.

Who’s Running the Show?

Rob Hennessey and Matt Mannella have the Wednesday assignment with John Rey and Bill Lyons on the lines.

Friday in Syracuse sees Riley Brace and Jared Cummins working the discipline with Chris Martenet and Jason Brown on the lines.

Looking Ahead…

A three in three? A three in three! They don’t have to go far though, home against Hershey Friday, Lehigh Valley Saturday and then in Allentown on Sunday.

Give me your NASCAR pick…

I think you have to keep picking Tyler Reddick until another team steps up and beats him. The 45 23XI team has been head and shoulders above the rest of the field for three straight races now. No driver has won three straight to open the season until Reddick did it in impressive fashion Sunday in Austin. I don’t see any reason why he can’t contend and maybe win again Sunday in Phoenix.

Come on, City!

NYCFC will host Orlando and will win 2-0.

Give us a Bold Prediction….

They finally make Brandon Halverson look pedestrian and keep changing the questions on us, winning big in Syracuse on Friday.

The Wilkes-Barre / Scranton Penguins head to Ohio to take on the Cleveland Monsters for a pair of games this weekend.

Music to Set the Mood…

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Another First Wave staple on SiriusXM.

A Quote…

It means nothing to me, I have no opinion about it, and I don’t care.
— Pablo Picasso

Apropos nothing, ran across this one this week. The New York Times asked Picasso about the moon landing and he offered up that quote. It stuck with me. Everyone has to have an opinion about everything these days. I usually don’t because honestly, I don’t care.

The Setup

Two in Cleveland. It’s the yearly trip where they usually leave day early, stop in Pittsburgh for practice in Cranberry, PA, talk with media there and move on to Cleveland.

Friday’s game starts at 7, Saturday’s game starts at 4.

Last week the Penguins blew out the Springfield Thunderbirds, then swept the Bridgeport Islanders in a home and home. Providence stumbled, and the Pens cut the deficit to the Bruins lead on the division to two. More on the P-Bruins in a minute.

The Monsters beat the Toronto Marlies in a pair of games this past weekend and beat the Rochester Americans this past Wednesday. They have won three straight and are 7-2-1 in their last ten games.

Records

Wilkes-Barre is 35-13-3-2 with 75 points and second in the Atlantic Division.

Cleveland is 28-16-6-1 with 63 points and third in the North Division.

The Rest of Those Rascals…

Providence stumbled last week, tightening things up between them and the Penguins. After beating Belleville 5-2 Friday, they lost to the two non-playoff Atlantic Division teams in Springfield and Hartford and saw their 13 game win streak turn into a two game losing streak. They got back to winning ways with a 6-4 win in Allentown Wednesday. They host Bridgeport for a pair of games Saturday and Sunday. The Bruins are 39-10-1 and have 79 points and lead the division. They will shake out with three games in hand on the Penguins when the dust settles Sunday night.

Charlotte split with Syracuse in Syracuse last weekend and lost in overtime against Bridgeport on Wednesday. They are in Springfield Friday and Saturday and have a 29-17-4 record in third with 62 points. I think you may be okay if you pencil them in for third come mid-April.

Hershey got smoked by Lehigh Valley at home last weekend twice but got back to winning ways on Wednesday when they hosted Utica. They head to Rockford, IL this weekend. The Bears are 23-20-6-2 and have 54 points.

Bridgeport is next and I gave you their body of work above. They are 22-23-3-4 with 51 points and head to Providence this weekend. If they want to be considered a playoff threat, they need to win these games or play the Bruins close.

Lehigh Valley I also gave you above as to their ventures this past week. They are 23-23-2-2 and have 50 points in sixth place. The Phantoms host Hartford for a pair this weekend and then head to Utica Tuesday.

Springfield beat Bridgeport in a shootout last Friday then beat Providence clean. I think they are primed to unseat either Lehigh Valley or Bridgeport as a playoff team but have to get past a tough Charlotte team this weekend at home. 20-25-4-2 with 46 points is their record.

Hartford lost a close one to Utica last Friday, shutout Belleville then beat Providence. I don’t think they are out of it but they need to win games. They are in Allentown this weekend. They have a 19-25-4-2 record and have 44 points.

Who’s Up? Who’s Down? Who’s Out?

Up: Avery Hayes; recalled Monday.

Down: Several. Ryan McAllister went to Wheeling Monday, Raivis Ansons, Nolan Renwick, Emil Pieniniemi and Scooter Brickey followed on Tuesday.

Out: Just Zach Gallant, day to day with an upper body injury. Intrepid reporter Mike Flynn let me know this week that he froze his ass off watching the Penguins practice this past Tuesday and saw no red jerseys. Melvin Fernstrom left the game Sunday with apparent injury, but he may be good to go.

Are they 100% healthy? It’s looking like it.

What can we learn about the Penguins this week?

Cleveland isn’t a pushover. Will the Penguins be favorites in the playoffs? I think so. Avoid Charlotte and I think you are okay. Do I like their chances in a Best of Seven Eastern Conference Final against a North Division opponent? I do not. Here are your suspects:

Laval: Don’t know, haven’t played them yet. They lead the division by seven points.

Syracuse: Nope. Crunch in six. I think they wear the Penguins down.

Cleveland: Best matchup I think, Penguins can win a series in five or six I think.

Toronto / Rochester: I like them over Rochester, but Rochester has to watch they don’t fall out.

Okay so maybe I have talked myself into a pathway to a Calder Cup Final, but they have to avoid Charlotte, Syracuse and maybe Laval.

The Monsters at home are okay, just 14-6-4-1. I think I favor the Penguins here because they have been head and shoulders one of the best teams in the League vs. a Cleveland team who are a good North Division team. Zoom out and take the better team in the League. But be careful.

They see the standings and know Providence is faltering and have injuries in goal. I think they understand the assignment here.

Who’s in Goal?

Sergei Murashov goes tonight, Joel Blomqvist goes Saturday.

Ivan Fedotov goes tonight, Zach Sawchenko goes Saturday.

Who’s Running the Show?

Stephen Hiff and Koletrane Wilson on Friday with Dylan Blujus and Craig Ford on the lines.

Chris Conway tags in for Hiff, Chad Fuller tags in for Blujus on Saturday.

Looking Ahead…

March. They host Springfield Wednesday then are in Syracuse Friday.

NASCAR Soccer Balls…

SVG at COTA on Sunday. NYCFC over Philly from a mild Chester 2-0 on Sunday also.

Give us a bold prediction…

What’s that, another hat trick you say? One of them gets one. My pennies are on Rutger McGroarty.

Just checking on how many of these Weekend Previews I have rolled out so far this season and this one is the nineteenth!

Music to Set the Mood…

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This one comes on SiriusXM First Wave every now and then.

Also, listen to that synth. This is April of 1985! Hardcastle was ahead of his time!

A Quote…

Perseverance is falling 19 times and succeeding the 20th.
— Julie Andrews

The Setup…

Weekday trip to Springfield and then another Friday off then a home and home with the Bridgeport Islanders.

Winnable games, sure.

The Penguins played their worst game of the season on Friday when they had their heads handed to them by the Syracuse Crunch and lost 5-0. They had just 16 shots on goal all game! They returned on Sunday for an afternoon home game with the Cleveland Monsters and lost in overtime 4-3.

Springfield was in Iowa this past weekend and won both games 6-3 and 8-6. After hosting the Penguins on Wednesday, Bridgeport comes in Friday, Providence comes in Saturday.

Bridgeport lost both games to the Providence Bruins this past weekend 4-2 and then 3-2 in overtime. They hosted the Utica Comets on Tuesday and won 2-1. They will be in Springfield on Friday night before heading to Wilkes-Barre for Saturday.

Records

The Penguins are second in the Atlantic Division with a 32-13-3-2 record and 69 points. Springfield has a 18-24-4-2 record in seventh good for 42 points and Bridgeport sits fifth with a 21-21-3-3 record good for 48 points.

Bridgeport can’t beat Providence at all and play the Bruins a lot, imagine where the Islanders would be if they won, say, half of the games that they played against the Bruins.

The Rest of those Rascals….

You want to see Providence run away from you if they win their games in hand on the Penguins. The Bruins have four games in hand on the Penguins coming into the week. You do not want to see the Bruins slip away from you when you embarrass yourself in front of a big crowd Saturday when they win and then lose in overtime when they win in overtime, which is exactly what happened for the Bruins against the Islanders this week. Providence is an eye popping 37-8-1 with 75 points and lead the division and are tied for the league’s best. They have a very Providence three in three where they host Belleville on Friday, then travel 90 minutes to Springfield Saturday and then host Hartford on Sunday.

Charlotte lost to the Hartford Wolf Pack 3-2 on Saturday then the roof leaked at Bojangles Coliseum and the Sunday game was pushed to Monday and the Checkers hung nine goals in a 9-0 win against the Wolf Pack where Hartford had just 20 shots on goal. Woof. The Checkers are 27-16-3 and have 57 points in third. They, too, have four games in hand on the Penguins. The Checkers are in Rochester Wednesday then in Syracuse for a pair Friday and Saturday. They are not home again until the middle of March.

Hershey had a semi-OK weekend where they lost 6-1 in Laval Friday, won 6-3 in Belleville on Saturday and lost in Belleville on Monday. The Bears are 21-18-6-2 good for 50 points and fourth in the division and have a trip to Toronto on Wednesday before returning home for a pair against Lehigh Valley on Friday and Saturday.

Lehigh Valley lost both games they played to Cleveland and Syracuse this past weekend and are 21-22-2-2 in sixth in the division with 46 points and have a pair in Hershey this weekend.

Hartford, I gave you above with the Charlotte mention. How do you lose 9-0? The Wolf Pack host Utica Friday, Belleville Saturday and finish off their three in three weekend with a trip to Providence. The Wolf Pack have a 17-24-4-2 record and 40 points.

Who’s Up? Who’s Down? Who’s Out?

Up: No one as the NHL is on Olympic break for a few more days.

Down: Scooter Brickey and Nolan Renwick went to Wheeling last weekend.

Out: Ryan McAllister, Zach Gallant are out with upper body injuries Alex Alexeyev went back to on the injury list, Raivis Ansons (week to week, upper) is also there too. I forgot about Sebastian Aho, he’s there as well.

Conditioning: Filip Hallander was assigned five minutes before the preview went up at 11 a.m. to Wilkes-Barre for a two week conditioning stint.

Joona Koppanen came off the injured list and played in both games for the Penguins.

What can we learn about the Penguins this week?

Cleveland and Syracuse are stiff North Division competition as any team in that Division has to be because one bad weekend and you fall a few spots. Springfield can be beat and Bridgeport may give you a stiffer fight but the Northeast corner of the Atlantic Division is full of really bad teams (Hartford, Springfield) and when you have a really good team like Providence that can feast on three teams they just pummel that explains why the Bruins are head and shoulders above everyone in the division, the Penguins included.

The Penguins will likely have a tough week of practice and video review this week and should, hypothetically, be re-dialed in to feast on some average to below average competition that is on their schedule this week.

You can start to worry if they only take two out of a possible six points, while Charlotte pursues from behind and Providence gets smaller and smaller in the windshield.

I Looked Up a Stat…

The Providence Bruins are 17-3 against Springfield (4-2) Hartford (5-1) and Bridgeport (8-0) this season.

Hey Ma, We are on TV!

Wednesday’s game will be on NHL Network, Saturday’s game will air across the AHL’s socials.

Who’s in Goal?

I would let Joel Blomqvist wash off the stink that was Sunday where he was pulled after giving up the third goal, but I think Sergei Murashov is the bonafide number one so you let him take Wednesday and Saturday and then let Blomqvist start Sunday.

Vadim Zherenko, Marcus Högberg and Henrik Tikkanen is my guess for the competition this week.

Who’s Running the Show?

Jim Curtin and Johnny Daniels have the job Wednesday in Springfield with Jack McQuesten and Trevor Disbennett on the lines. You’ll never get a bad word out of the work that Curtin puts in, he’s a fine AHL referee.

Jack Young and Patrick Hanrahan have Saturday’s duties with John Rey and Bill Lyons on the lines. Sunday sees Young in tow to Bridgeport where he meets up with Ben Betker. Jake Herzog and Kevin Briganti work the lines.

Looking Ahead…

A trip to Cleveland, next Friday at 7, next Saturday at 4.

Automobile Race Choice…

I joked about it with last weekends Preview but had a few people come up to me last weekend and said they liked me throwing a Daytona 500 pick in here in the blog so what the hell, let’s run with it.

They are going to ringing the sigh-reen in Dawsonville, Georgia when Chase Elliott wins at Atlanta this weekend.

Any Soccer Heads?

NYCFC kicks off their MLS season with a big 2-1 win out in Los Angeles against the Galaxy on Sunday.

Okay, blog boy, give me your bold prediction for the Penguins!

They win all three and in one they score a power play goal in overtime.

The Wilkes-Barre / Scranton Penguins return from the All-Star break tomorrow when they host the Syracuse Crunch and the Cleveland Monsters on Sunday. They are in second place in the Atlantic Division, three points off of the equally hot Providence Bruins and overall the third best team in the league.

Music to Set the Mood…

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This track has been getting a lot of play on my iPod after hearing it on SiriusXMU and it runs at least once a day on my walks. No rhyme or reason with this one, just a good catchy tune. Also a fun fact about the music video, legend has it was shot in one take.

A Quote…

We don’t grow when things are easy, we grow when we face challenges.
— Anonymous

The Setup…

Home with Syracuse Saturday, home with Cleveland on Sunday.

Last week the Penguins swept through Pennsylvania with two wins against Hershey and Lehigh Valley, beating the Bears in regulation on Friday and in overtime on Saturday and beating the Phantoms in regulation on Friday.

Syracuse beat Belleville twice in a home-and-home series.

Cleveland was up in Laval, QC last weekend and lost both games. They are in Allentown on Saturday.

Records

Wilkes-Barre is second in the Atlantic Division with a 32-12-2-2 record good for 68 points.

Syracuse is second in the North Division with a 26-16-3-1 record good for 56 points.

Cleveland is fourth in the North with a 23-15-6-1 record and 53 points.

The Rest of Those Rascals…

Providence is on a 10-game winning streak. They are 35-8-1 and have 71 points and lead the Atlantic Division. They swept Hartford in a home-and-home series last weekend and beat Bridgeport that prior Wednesday. They have a home-and-home with the Islanders this weekend.

Charlotte is third in the division and split a home series with the number one team in the AHL, the Grand Rapids Griffins, this past weekend. They host Hartford this weekend looking to build on their 26-15-3 record and 55 points.

Hershey is fourth in the division with a 20-16-6-2 record and 48 points. They start the second half of their season in Canada and are in Laval Friday and then Belleville Saturday and Monday. The Bears only had the Penguins on their schedule last week and lost both.

Lehigh Valley is 2-8 in their last ten games thanks in large part to failing to beat the Penguins a bunch of times, losing Friday (and the Sunday before that) and losing to Bridgeport last Saturday. The Phantoms will swap opponents with the Penguins, hosting Cleveland Saturday and Syracuse Sunday. Lehigh Valley has a 21-20-2-2 record and 46 points.

Bridgeport is sixth in the division with a 20-20-2-3 record and 45 points. They lost to Providence Wednesday, Utica in a shootout on Friday, and beat Lehigh Valley at home on Saturday. They have Providence for a home-and-home this weekend.

Springfield is next with a 16-24-4-2 record and 38 points. They lost in Syracuse last Wednesday, Rochester on Friday, and Toronto on Saturday. They host the Iowa Wild this weekend for a pair of games.

I’d like to host the Iowa Wild one day. Make it happen, Coal Street!

Hartford is last in the division with 38 points and a 16-23-4-2 record. They lost both games (Saturday was in a shootout) to the Providence Bruins. They are in Charlotte this weekend.

Who’s Up? Who’s Down? Who’s Out?

Up: No one as the NHL is on an Olympic break.

Down: Daniel Laatsch, Zach Urdahl, and Brayden Edwards were sent to Wheeling last week.

Out: Ryan McAllister, signed to an AHL contract for the remainder of the season, was injured in his debut by Garrett Mitchell of Lehigh Valley, who also caught Zach Gallant in the same transaction. Both have upper body injuries (concussions), and because they are different for everyone, we will have to see when either gets back into the lineup again. Tristan Broz and Alex Alexeyev finally came off, and Raivis Ansons (week to week, upper body) and Joona Koppanen (lower, week to week) remain on the injured list.

Two Hats

Matt Dumba had a hat trick for the Penguins Friday in Allentown, and Avery Hayes had a hat trick Saturday in Hershey. It was the first hat trick in both players’ professional careers.

Two Players of the Week Awards

Avery Hayes was named AHL Player of the Week on Monday after a dream week where he make his NHL debut, scored two goals and then returned to the AHL and had a hat trick, where he scored his third goal in overtime on a power play.

What can we learn about the Penguins this week?

I don’t know about you, but I get the sense that this team is different from any team I have seen in the last ten years. Deep everywhere, extremely well coached, and all pulling in the same direction. I think they can go deep, but we have been in this situation before where it all comes easy when we are wearing coats, boots, and shoveling snow, but the second the allergies hit and you start thinking about cutting the grass again, they are down 4-2 in Game 2 against Lehigh Valley, already down 1-0 in the best-of-three series, and it’s an early exit.

Syracuse kicked the snot out of them in the beginning of January, but the very next time they met, it was a methodical takedown. Cleveland has never beaten the Penguins in Wilkes-Barre, so it is certainly shaping up to be another weekend where you can expect four points.

But tread carefully. The NHL trade deadline is looming, and that piece I ran a few weeks ago could hit home.

Who’s in Goal?

Since Sergei Murashov was in Rockford being an All-Star and participating in the games, I think he will get Saturday off, and you see Joel Blomqvist with Murashov starting Sunday against Cleveland.

Brandon Halverson for Syracuse and Ivan Fedotov for Cleveland is my educated guess.

Who’s Running the Show?

Bobby Jo Love and Koletrane Wilson have the assignment on Saturday with Davids Rozitis and Bill Lyons on the lines.

Sunday sees Riley Brace and Jarrett Burton in the orange armbands with John Rey and All-Star linesman Jud Ritter on the lines. Ritter was a linesman in Rockford this week at the All-Star Classic.

Looking Ahead…

Midweek matchup against Springfield in Springfield on Wednesday, another Friday off home with Bridgeport on Saturday, and they will race back to Bridgeport for a Sunday afternoon game. A 5 o’clock Sunday start? Yuck!

Give us a bold prediction…

No reason he can’t go back-to-back, William Byron wins the Daytona 500 – wait, sorry, the Penguins win both games and will NOT have a player that records a hat trick in either game.

The second place Wilkes-Barre / Scranton Penguins kept pace with the first place Providence Bruins who did the Penguins a solid in sweeping the third place Charlotte Checkers in North Carolina this past weekend.

After a week prior where they coughed up a lead against a Belleville team and lost in overtime and got blasted at home by the Checkers, it was a weekend of trepidation for the Penguins.

They had a Syracuse team that embarrassed them at the start of January and a Lehigh Valley team that always plays them tight.

They won both games handily, going away.

Even better, a guy that people from all walks of life and every corner of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania ragged on in Matt Dumba, shut us all up with a goal and FIVE assists in the two games. More on him in a bit.

But that’s just one weekend in many of them. No time to rest on your laurels, Tux, it’s time to keep going and don’t stop!

Music to Set the Mood…

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My tan is fading. Aw, hell, who am I kidding, my tan is faded.

A Quote…

If things don’t come easy, there’s no premium on effort. There should be joy in the chase, zest in the pursuit.
– Branch Rickey

The Setup…

Home Wednesday with Hershey then a trip back down to Allentown on Friday and then to Hershey on Saturday.

The Penguins thumped the Syracuse Crunch and Lehigh Valley Phantoms this past weekend. It was the AHL debut for Emil Pieniniemi and Tanner Howe. Pieniniemi on Saturday, Howe on Sunday.

The Bears lost in Rochester Friday and then won in overtime against Utica on Saturday.

Lehigh Valley had a three in three where they lost 2-1 in Springfield, beat Bridgeport at home 5-3 and then lost to the Pens 6-2.

Records

The Penguins are 29-12-2-2, good for second in the Atlantic Division with 62 points.

The Hershey Bears are 20-15-5-2, good for fourth and 47 points.

Lehigh Valley is 21-18-2-2, fifth, with 46.

The Rest of those Rascals…

As mentioned off the hop, Providence did the Penguins a solid with a sweep of the Checkers in North Carolina. The Bruins are an impressive 32-8-1 with 65 points and lead the Atlantic. The Bruins are in Bridgeport Wednesday, then have Hartford in a home and home. The Bruins still have four games in hand on the Penguins but won’t be eating into any of those this week.

Charlotte has a 25-14-3 record and are third in the Atlantic with 53 points, nine off the Penguins with three games in hand. The Checkers host the number one team in the American Hockey League, the Grand Rapids Griffins, this weekend for a pair of games.

Hershey’s games are exclusively against the Penguins this week. Lehigh Valley is off Wednesday, hosts the Penguins Friday then travels up to Bridgeport on Saturday.

Bridgeport is still playing some sneaky good hockey these days. They beat Hartford Friday, lost to Lehigh Valley on Saturday then shutout Springfield 4-0. They are a playoff team with a 19-19-2-2 record and 42 points and sixth in the division. They host Providence Wednesday, are in Utica Friday and host the Phantoms on Saturday.

Springfield took 4 out of 6 points out of the weekend, beating Lehigh Valley and Hartford before getting shutout Sunday to the Islanders. That trip to Bridgeport kicks off a six game road trip for the Thunderbirds, who visit Syracuse Wednesday, Rochester Friday, and Toronto on Saturday looking to improve on their 16-21-4-2 record and 38 points.

Hartford is playing like a team that is checked out. They have lost four straight, losing this weekend to Bridgeport and Springfield. The hits surely will continue this weekend with a home and home with the Providence Bruins although the last time they met, Hartford thumped the Bruins 5-1 on January 10. The Wolf Pack are 16-22-4-1 with 37 points in last.

Who’s Up? Who’s Down? Who’s Out?

Up: Rutger McGroarty to Pittsburgh last week. Forward Melvin Fernström will join Wilkes-Barre from Sweden as the Penguins want a geographical closer look at the guy.

Down: G Filip Larsson will have his contract terminated. He’s 27 and is probably heading back overseas or has another deal lined up with maybe another AHL team.

Out: Daniel Laatsch (week to week, lower body), Sebastian Aho (week to week, lower body), Alex Alexyev (day to day, upper body), Raivis Ansons (week to week, upper body) are injured. Add Joona Koppanen (lower, week to week) to the list.

AHL Player of the Week

With a goal and five assists with a +4 rating in two games this past weekend, Matt Dumba finally said f*** them kids and played like King Kong and won AHL Player of the Week last weekend. You want to see it continue for as long as it can here, what with the amount of money Pittsburgh is paying him.

What can we learn about the Penguins this week?

They started on time against the Crunch on Friday and finished on time against the Phantoms on Sunday. Kick MacDonald coached them up with a week of practice and extracted their best. That’s a hell of a coach right there to get the most out of what he has.

Goaltending remains otherworldly with Sergei Murashov and Joel Blomqvist. No worries there.

Finn Harding is coming into his own. I really liked his game this weekend and If you get Emil Pieniniemi rolling I think a rising tide lifts all boats.

No reason to believe that the Penguins can’t put away their in state rivals and pick up six more to keep up with Providence and to separate themselves from Charlotte this week.

Who’s in Goal?

I think Murashov will start the games against Hershey and Blomqvist gets Lehigh Valley again. Or maybe it goes Murashov-Murashov-Blomqvist. Again, I don’t think it really matters in this department.

It’s probably the Mitch Gibson show with the Bears with the goaltender injuries in Washington. He probably gets both games against the Pens this week, considering the Penguins are the only team on the schedule this week.

Aleksei Kolosov should start for the Phantoms Friday.

Who’s Running the Show?

Andrew Bell and Patrick Hanrahan are here Wednesday with Jud Ritter and Ryan Knapp on the lines.

Alex Lepkowski and Mike Dietrich have the assignment from Allentown on Friday with Dylan Blujus and Patrick Dapuzzo on the lines.

Sigh, Lepkowski and Dietrich hop in a car and are the assigned officials Saturday in Hershey with Blujus in tow. They will meet up with Tommy George. Where is the parity??

Looking Ahead…

Syracuse next Saturday and then Cleveland Sunday, both at home. Three games with the Monsters this month!

Give us a bold prediction…

A hat trick and a shutout will be seen in at least one of the three games this week.

The Wilkes-Barre / Scranton Penguins have a lot of guys injured. Despite this, they are only three points off of the Providence Bruins coming into the weekend.

The guys that were traded are gone and aren’t walking through that door ever again. So they have to manage with the guys that they have, but help has to get here soon or else the Penguins are in danger of falling out of the top two in the division thus putting them in a dreaded Best of Three series against Lehigh Valley.

Music to Set the Mood…

–

I guess you can see where I am going here.

A Quote…

Properly used, positive reinforcement is extremely powerful.
– B.F. Skinner

The Setup…

Home against Syracuse Saturday, a road trip to Allentown Sunday afternoon. Simple enough.

Was last week a good week for the Penguins? They lost in overtime last Wednesday at home against Belleville and had their $2.6M man Matt Dumba on ice for all of the goals against, beat Hershey in Hershey on Friday and then were subjugated Saturday against a hard charging Charlotte Checkers team.

They fell out of first place to a Providence Bruins team that has a ton of games in hand on them so that may have been inevitable, but now the Pens are three points off the Bruins and have to keep pace, while slipping.

Syracuse split a home and home with the Utica Comets last weekend where the home team won and hosted Laval last night and lost in overtime. They come to Wilkes-Barre with a 23-15-3-1 record with 50 points and second in the North Division.

The Lehigh Valley Phantoms got blasted by the Charlotte Checkers 8-5 last Friday, then beat Hershey 4-3 in overtime Saturday and lost in Springfield Friday. They host Bridgeport Saturday and have a 20-17-2-2 record with 44 points and are fifth in the Atlantic Division.

Records

The Penguins have a 27-12-2-2 record and have 58 points in second place in the Atlantic Division. I gave you Syracuse and Lehigh Valley’s records above.

The Rest of those Rascals…

This should be easy because Providence and Charlotte play each other down in North Carolina this weekend starting Saturday afternoon.

Providence had a three in three last weekend and won all three. Belleville in OT Friday; Bridgeport via shootout on Saturday and Toronto in overtime on Sunday.

Charlotte smoked the Phantoms and Penguins as noted above and then obliterated the Hartford Wolf Pack 7-1 on Wednesday.

The Bruins lead the Atlantic Division with a 30-8-1 record and 61 points. Charlotte has a 25-12-3 record for 53 points in third.

Hershey spent the week in Rochester, beating the Americans on Wednesday and then lost 3-1 on Friday. Hershey is in Utica on Saturday and have a 19-14-5-2 record and are fourth in the Atlantic with 45 points.

Bridgeport lost in Hartford last Friday then lost via shootout to the Providence Bruins. The Islanders then destroyed the Hartford Wolf Pack last night. They are in Allenton Saturday and then host Springfield on Sunday. The Islanders have a 18-18-2-2 record, good for 40 points and sixth in the Atlantic.

Bridgeport is turning into a sneaky good team. Watch out.

Hartford and Springfield bring up the rear, with the Wolf Pack beating the Islanders last Friday then losing big to Toronto 4-1 on Saturday then just embarrassing themselves against Charlotte on Wednesday (7-1) and going down 5-0 after two periods against Bridgeport last night. The Wolf Pack have Springfield Saturday and have a 16-21-4-1 record for 37 points and seventh in the division.

Springfield certainly isn’t playing like a last place team per se. They beat Toronto in overtime last Friday, lose 1-0 to Belleville on Saturday and then won 2-1 against the Phantoms last night. The Thunderbirds host Hartford tonight and then head to Bridgeport Sunday evening. Springfield has a 15-20-4-2 record with 36 points.

Who’s Up? Who’s Down? Who’s Out?

Up: Bryan Rust was suspended three games necessitating a Rutger McGroarty recall to Pittsburgh on Thursday.

Down: David Breazeale was sent to Wheeling in a swap for Emil Pieniniemi. Pieniniemi is about three months late. He didn’t make the AHL team out of camp, pointed and went home, they suspended him and then they made amends and he returned to the States. Coal Street also recalled Forward Brayden Edwards on Thursday in the wake of the McGroarty recall.

Out: Daniel Laatsch (week to week, lower body), Sebastian Aho (week to week, lower body), Alex Alexyev (day to day, upper body), Raivis Ansons (week to week, upper body) are injured. Add Joona Koppanen we think, who blocked a shot last Wednesday and didn’t play Friday or Saturday.

Reading the teal leaves….

Makes me think since they recalled Edwards that they aren’t expecting any of the forwards who are injured to return this weekend. Which kind of nixes the whole “reinforcements” trope. Oh, well.

What can we learn about the Penguins this week?

Syracuse can give them fits. They are a competitive team out of necessity. You can start the weekend in second place and if you don’t watch out, can end the weekend in sixth place. They are also very well structured and well coached. I don’t want to use the word “overcome” here for a team that has led it’s division all season for the most part, but the dynamic of this team isn’t the same dynamic as it was two months ago when they were just running over teams and getting excellent goaltending.

Whatever forward and defensive group that Kirk MacDonald put out there this weekend have to play nearly. perfect in order to put themselves in a position to win I think.

I’m more worried about Syracuse than I am Lehigh Valley and I shouldn’t be, given it’s been the Phantoms the last two seasons which have sent the Penguins into the summer.

Who’s in Goal?

Murashov – Blomqvist Saturday / Sunday. Ryan Fanti for the Crunch and Aleksei Kolosov for the Phantoms is my educated guess.

Who’s Running the Show?

Austin Rook and Hayden Verbeek have the assignment Saturday in Wilkes-Barre with John Rey and Davids Rozitis on the lines.

Sunday sees Liam Maaskant and Sydney Harris with Rozitis manning the lines again with Patrick Dapuzzo joining him.

Looking Ahead…

All Pennsylvania, all the time. Home against Hershey Wednesday, a trip back to Allentown Friday, then Hershey on Saturday.

Give us a bold prediction…

They get one of the guys on the injured list into a game this weekend, winning both.

The Wilkes-Barre / Scranton Penguins will look to keep the momentum rolling with a midweek drop in. by the Belleville Senators and then a Friday trip to Hershey and then returning home to close out the season series with the Charlotte Checkers on Saturday.

Music to Set the Mood…

–

The team went with a beach theme last weekend and was almost trolling us with the warm vibes and music I play out by my pool.

A Quote…

“Smell the sea, and feel the sky. Let your soul and spirit fly.”
– Van Morrison 

Okay, okay, enough of wishing it were June. I have to move this along because I have snow to shovel.

The Setup…

Gave it to you in the opening paragraph. Belleville at home, Hershey on the road, Charlotte at home.

Last week, the Penguins beat the Providence Bruins 4-1 in a head to head in Providence. This would give me calm that there isn’t anything that the Penguins would necessarily need to be worried about when going straight up against the Bruins. It’s just that Providence won’t go away, staying in lock step with the Penguins all season.

Then the Pens split with Hartford, losing Friday and winning Saturday.

A quick bus ride to Springfield on Monday saw the Pens win a squeaker against the Thunderbirds in their first trip up to Massachusetts this season.

Belleville won in overtime on Wednesday in Laval and then Friday at home against Rochester and then won in a shootout against Utica at home Sunday.

Hershey lost in overtime at home against Hartford last Wednesday, beat Charlotte in overtime and then lost in a shootout against the Checkers and then lost in overtime to the Wolf Pack on Tuesday. The Bears travel to Allentown on Saturday and then host the Checkers Sunday.

Charlotte, as you saw above, did what they did at home against Hershey and will be in Lehigh Valley Friday, in Wilkes-Barre Saturday and in Hershey on Sunday.

Records

The Penguins are 26-11-1-2 and have 55 points and are in first place in the Atlantic.

Belleville is 17-18-6 with 40 points in fifth place in the North Division.

Hershey is 18-14-4-1 with 41 points in fifth in the Atlantic.

The Checkers are 22-12-3 with 47 points and third in the Atlantic.

The Rest of those Rascals

Providence hosted Cleveland for a pair this weekend and swept the Monsters. They have the same amount of points as the Penguins (55) with a 27-8-1 record and are second in the Atlantic and host Belleville Friday, Toronto on Sunday and in between travel to Bridgeport Saturday.

Lehigh Valley had a bit of a rough weekend, scoring just one goal in home losses to Bridgeport and Syracuse. They went up to Bridgeport on Monday and lost their fourth straight. The Phantoms host Hershey and Charlotte this weekend looking to build off of their 19-15-2-2 record with 42 points in fourth in the division.

Bridgeport has been on a bit of a tear, beating the Phantoms on the road Friday then Springfield at home on Saturday and then winning their fifth straight against the Phantoms on Monday. The Islanders are 17-17-2-1 and have 37 points and in sixth place and travel to Hartford Friday and then host Providence on Sunday.

Hartford bert Hershey in overtime, then split with Wilkes-Barre this past weekend. They concluded their Pennsylvania trip with a big overtime in Hershey Tuesday. The Wolf Pack host Bridgeport and Toronto this weekend and have a 15-18-4-1 record and have 35 points in seventh place in the Atlantic.

Springfield were shelled in Charlotte midweek, then lost 4-1 in Bridgeport Saturday lost a competitive one against the Penguins Monday and are 13-19-4-2 with 32 points in last place in the Atlantic looking to ascend the standings this week hosting Toronto and Belleville Friday and Saturday.

Who’s Up? Who’s Down? Who’s Out?

Up: Joona Koppanen was recalled to Pittsburgh on Sunday. Zach Urdahl, David Breazeale remain on recall from the Wheeling Nailers.

Down: In the Koppanen transaction, Pittsburgh sent back Rutger McGroarty. Brayden Edwards and Max Graham went back down to Wheeling.

Out: Caleb Jones was here for a conditioning stinting got hurt. I don’t know the rules on how that works, so forget him. Daniel Laatsch (week to week, lower body), Sebastian Aho (week to week, lower body), Alex Alexyev (day to day, upper body), Raivis Ansons (week to week, upper body) are injured.

Traded: Valtteri Puustinen to Colorado. Pittsburgh is trading dead end players for a future. You don’t know what that future is until Crosby, Malkin and Letang are retired, but you can’t fault them for making moves. Puustinen had no future in the organization. It sucks to lose the firepower, but that’s what a minor league franchise is for. We are pawns in a bigger game.

Avery Hayes returned from his upper body injury and played Monday in Springfield.

What can we learn about the Penguins this week?

I would like to think that this is as important as week for the Penguins as any other. You had an average Belleville team here for a midweek game then head to a warming up Hershey Bears team that may be finding themselves and then host a team that has given you headaches in Charlotte? Why aren’t the Penguins six points up on Providence? You can point to Charlotte. The Checkers aren’t going away.

If you put that effort that they put in Providence and apply it to every game going forward, then I will see you in June. They are getting me to believe that they might just.

Who’s in Goal? 

I’d find a way to have Sergei Murashov start Saturday against the Checkers and work backwards. That means he starts Wednesday against Belleville and Joel Blomqvist starts Friday in Hershey.

Hunter Shepard (late of Hershey if the name sounds familiar) Clay Stevenson, Kirill Gerasimyuk would be my guess for the opposition.

Who’s Running the Show?

Damian Figueira and Andrew Bell are in charge Wednesday with Jud Ritter and Josh Cleary on the lines.

Friday in Hershey Mike Campbell and Patrick Hanrahan are the referees with Cleary again and John Rey on the lines.

Saturday sees Campbell and Rey again with Jack Young joining Campbell in dishing out discipline and Davids Rozitis on the lines with Rey.

Looking Ahead…

Off next Friday, home against Syracuse Saturday and then a trip to Lehigh Valley Sunday.

Give us a bold prediction…

Put at least four more points in the can.