Chirps from Center Ice

The Wilkes-Barre / Scranton Penguins have an extremely busy week ahead of them that starts Tuesday night at home vs. (checks time, 6:35 p.m.? really? yeah, that’s the time) Utica, then a three in three weekend that takes them to Hershey Friday, then two home games that start at 6:05 home against the Hamilton Hammers Saturday and then again against Lehigh Valley on Sunday.

A Word to the Front Office…

If you are going to do Sunday games, I’d rather them at 1 o’clock on Sunday then at 6:05 on Sunday. If you could do away with them entirely, that would be aces, but since you can’t, a 6:05 Sunday game seems cruel. Don’t.

Music to Set the Mood…

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(I’m a closet Sabrina fan, don’t tell anyone)

A Quote…

“Don’t get so busy making a living that you forget to make a life”.
— Dolly Parton

The Setup

Gave it away at the top. Utica tonight, Hershey Friday, Hamilton Saturday and Lehigh Valley Sunday.

The Penguins were in Charlotte last weekend and swept the Charlotte Checkers, something they have not done down there since 2025. They beat them in overtime on Friday and mollywhopped the division leaders on Saturday.

I think we are seeing the there there with this team. A team that never says die like they exhibited on Friday, rallying from down 0-3 in the third to win in overtime shows they know that they can win and then to respond the next night when you know the home team is going to come out snarly and just bottle them up and beat them 4-1 shows that while there may be bumps, this team can win.

Utica comes to Wilkes-Barre winners of four in a row. A hot team. They beat Syracuse and Rochester at home this past weekend and have an 8-2 record, good for third in the North and 16 points.

Hershey split a pair in Springfield this past weekend. They host Hamilton on Wednesday, the Pens Friday then the Checkers on Sunday. The Bears are 8-6, with 16 points and are second in the Atlantic.

The Hamilton Hammers are the old Bridgeport Islanders team. Mind numbing that the Islanders would move their affiliate farther away, to a different country, but here we are. The Hammers have struggled, with a 4-9-0-2 record, in dead last in the North and 10 points. They lost to Providence in embarrassing fashion Friday and beat Lehigh Valley on Saturday.

Lehigh Valley split in Canada, beating Belleville and losing to Hamilton. The Phantoms will host the Hammers Friday, the Checkers on Saturday and then head to Wilkes-Barre on Sunday. They have a 5-7-1 record good for 11 points and sixth in the division.

Records

Gave them away above but for the Penguins, who are 7-4-1 and have 15 points and third in the Atlantic

The Rest of those Rascals…

Gave you Charlotte’s body of work above. They are 8-5-1 and have 17 points and lead the Atlantic. The Checkers have an extremely busy week a well, hosting Providence Tuesday and Wednesday and then going to Allentown Saturday and Hershey Sunday.

Hartford is fourth in the division with a 7-8-1 record and 15 points. The Wolf Pack lost in Rochester Friday but headed east on I-90 and beat Syracuse Saturday in overtime. Hartford travels to Springfield Tuesday, then host the Thunderbirds on Saturday.

Providence is fifth with a 6-7 record and 12 points. The Bruins stormed for five goals in Hamilton Friday and won clean and then lost in Belleville Saturday. They head to Charlotte Tuesday and Wednesday before returning home Friday against Springfield and then hosting Toronto on Sunday.

Springfield brings up the rear in the division with a 4-5-2-1 record, splitting with Hershey this past weekend. They host Hartford Tuesday, then go to Providence Friday and Hartford on Saturday.

Who’s Up? Who’s Down? Who’s Out?

Up: I think this will be the last time I mention Ilya Solovyov being up. Rutger McGroarty went up Sunday. David Breazeale remains up from ECHL Florida. Forward Max Graham was recalled from Florida Tuesday morning.

Down: Maleek McGowan and Tiernan Shoudy are with the Florida Everblades.

Out: Tanner Howe longer term, Harrison Brunicke is day to day. This past weekend we learned about David Gustafsson and his upper body injury and Owen Pickering left Saturday’s game and didn’t return.

What can we learn about the Penguins this week?

I think they may have fixed their goalie problem, putting Taylor Gauthier out there Friday, but then Joel Blomqvist goes out the next night and shuts down the Checkers. I think this week will put more pieces in the puzzle, possibly, which I will discuss more below.

With four games this week and a lot of other teams playing three or more, it’s time to start making hay on the pretenders and catching the contenders. It’s conceivable that the Penguins, if things break the way we hope, lead the division when the dust settles this Sunday.

It’s not an unreasonable expectation in the slightest and should be the objective if not the goal, especially with the way they have been playing in their current form.

But, the depth is starting to be tested. Pittsburgh realizes they are old and can’t contend anymore but for flashes, and injuries are hitting the home front. How ready are the reinforcements in Florida if called upon?

Who’s in Goal?

I think you find a way get Taylor Gauthier three games this week and here’s how. Utica, Hershey and Lehigh Valley. But do you want Blomqvist to accumulate rust? No, but I think they are primed to stack wins. I think Gauthier is a step in that direction.

Jakub Máłek, Mitch Gibson, Josh Kotai, Carson Bjarnason for the opposition, subject to change.

Who’s Running the Show?

Nolan Bloyer and Mason Riley have the Tuesday assignment with John Rey and Patrick Dapuzzo on the lines. No rosters yet for the Friday, Saturday and Sunday games, which is usual for the early week games such as this one.

Looking Ahead…

Home with Milwaukee next Wednesday, a Friday trip down the Turnpike to Allentown on Friday then Rochester stops in Saturday.

Give us a bold prediction…

They are a point off the Atlantic Division lead when the dust settles Sunday night.

The, “win one, lose one, win one, lose one” run that the Wilkes-Barre / Scranton Penguins is a fun little nugget to refer to from time to time, but is not sustainable in the slightest.

We will get to the why’s in a bit, but I just want to throw that out there.

Music to Set the Mood…

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Yeah, no idea either. It fit, so I went with it.

A Quote…

Be yourself, everyone else is taken.
— Oscar Wilde

The Setup

Two in Charlotte, who lead the division.

Last weekend, the Penguins lost Friday in Utica after getting scored on in the span of eight seconds in the second period and with 30 seconds to play in regulation they let in the game winner and lose 4-3. They then go to Hershey on Sunday night, a tough place to play let alone win, and their backup goaltender gets them 43 saves and they blast the Hershey Bears 5-0.

Charlotte was in Loveland, Colorado and Des Moines, Iowa and split with the Eagles and swept the Wild. Scores were 6-3 win, 3-0 loss, 6-3 win and 5-4 overtime win.

Records

Charlotte leads the Atlantic with a 8-4 record good for 16 points and the Penguins are fourth in the division with a 5-4-1 record and 11 points.

The Rest of Those Rascals

The Bears lost both contests last weekend in Toronto 5-3 and then getting shutout by the Pens on Sunday. They hosted Hartford and won. They have a 7-4  record good for 14 points and second in the division and have a pair in Springfield this weekend.

Hartford has picked themselves off the mat quite nicely. They swept the weekend with wins in Belleville (4-1) and Springfield this past weekend and then went to Hershey on Wednesday and lost. They are 6-7-1 and have 13 points and are third in the division.They are in Rochester and Syracuse this weekend.

The best team in the division may actually be the Providence Bruins who put up 15 goals this weekend with a 7-6 overtime win in Springfield on Friday and an 8-0 throttling of the Lehigh Valley Phantoms on Sunday. The Bruins are 5-6 with 10 points. They are in Hamilton on Friday and Belleville on Saturday.

Lehigh Valley and Springfield I think have the most problems. The Phantoms because I don’t think they are really good and the Thunderbirds because I think they should be way better then their record indicates. Let’s start with the Phantoms, who were smoked in Rochester 6-3 on Friday and then smothered 8-0 on Sunday at home against the Bruins. They traveled up to Laval on Wednesday and won in overtime.  They have a 5-5-1 record good for 11 points and are in Belleville Friday and Hamilton on Saturday.

Springfield has a 3-4-2-1 record and are in last place in the division with 9 points. They coughed up a lead against the Bruins Friday and lost 7-6 in overtime and fell apart against Hartford Sunday and lost 4-2. The task gets tougher when Hershey sets up shop this weekend for a pair in Massachusetts.

Who’s Up? Who’s Down? Who’s Out?

Up: Ilya Solovyov is still with Pittsburgh. Justin Brazeau’s conditioning stint ended and he went up Monday. Jake Livanavage went up Tuesday but was returned Friday morning. As a result, David Breazeale was recalled from ECHL Florida.

Down: Maleek McGowan and Tiernan Shoudy are with the Florida Everblades.

Out: Tanner Howe longer term, Harrison Brunicke is day to day.

What can we learn about the Penguins this week?

They play better with Taylor Gauthier in net. He was under the cosh the first period last Sunday in Hershey and didn’t crack then and didn’t crack at all Sunday, shutting out the Bears 5-0. It was a team effort but the goaltender had a lot to do with it. I think if I am Kirk MacDonald I ride the hot hand and set the tone for the weekend and start Gauthier on Friday. Again, with only five teams in the division making the playoffs, win, lose, win, lose, win is not sustainable. There is there there with this team, you just have to have all the right ingredients in place. Having Gauthier in between the pipes I think is step one.

Has he been shaky? Has he been fluky? Have any of his wins been suspect? Not in the slightest. That’s the sign of a true number one.

That all said, they still need to go on the road and try to take two wins home with them in a place that is not easy to do that. You need the right ingredients!

Who’s in Goal?

Taylor Gauthier Friday and Joel Blomqvist Saturday, I know you all want Gauthier both days. That isn’t realistically possible.

Some combination of Kirill Gerasimyuk and Tyler Muszelik for the Checkers.

Who’s Running the Show?

Adam Tobias and Tyler Spott have the weekend assignment and Luke Pye and Shane Gustafson work the lines Friday.

Tyler Madanski tags in for Gustafson on the lines Saturday, with the three men listed above in charge otherwise.

Looking Ahead…

An extremely busy week that sees Utica drop in at 6:35 p.m. on Tuesday then the first three in three of the season that sees them in Hershey Friday, home against Hamilton on Saturday and then home against Lehigh Valley on Sunday (sigh) at 6:05 (double sigh)

Donuts on the Pitch…

This will be the last Donuts on the Pitch until February as NASCAR and MLS (well, NYCFC) conclude their seasons. Heads are going to roll at City Football Group next week. City will draw 2-2 with DC United this weekend.

Give me Tyler Reddick to win in Phoenix and Kyle Larson to win his third Championship.

Give us a bold prediction…

It doesn’t do the “win, lose, win lose, win, lose” any good, but they get 3 of 4 points in North Carolina this weekend.

The Wilkes-Barre / Scranton Penguins hit the road again for four more games over the next two weeks. They are in Utica, New York on Friday and then visit Hershey for the first time this Sunday.

Music to Set the Mood…

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A Quote…

The Setup

So, how do you feel? I heard this song on Sirius XM’s The Spectrum Sunday morning driving to church and it fit immediately. Thus far, it’s been good times and bad for the Wilkes-Barre / Scranton Penguins, who lost in a bad way on Friday at home against Belleville 7-3 and then picked themselves off of the mat twice in the third period on Saturday night to stun Hartford and win 3-2. It’s been a mix of good and bad for the Pens.

Utica won in Rochester on Wednesday 5-3 then lost in Providence 5-2 on Saturday.

Hershey has been on a roll for a bit, scoring five straight at home against Belleville Saturday and then winning 3-2 against Rochester in New York on Wednesday.

Records

Wilkes-Barre is 4-3-1, good for 9 points and third in the division.

Utica is 4-2 with 8 points and in seventh in the North.

Hershey is 6-2 with 12 points and lead the Atlantic.

The Rest of Those Rascals…

Charlotte split a pair with the Springfield Thunderbirds at home this past weekend and then flew to Loveland, Colorado for a date with the Colorado Eagles and split, winning 6-3 on Tuesday and losing 3-0 on Wednesday. They are 6-4 and have 12 points and are second in the division. The Checkers are now in Des Moines, Iowa for a pair with the Iowa Wild this weekend. Two out of division, out of conference opponents? Those guys have all the fun.

The Bears will be in Toronto on Friday before hosting the Penguins, record and prior results above.

Hartford shutout Providence Friday 2-0 and then came to Wilkes-Barre and lost. They went to Hamilton, Ontario on Thursday and lost in overtime 5-4. They are in Belleville Friday, off Saturday then are in Springfield on Sunday. The Wolf Pack have a 4-6-1 record for 9 points.

Springfield is 3-3-1-1, good for 8 points and fifth in the division after a weekend that saw them split in Charlotte. The Thunderbirds return for a five game homestead where they host Providence and Hartford.

Lehigh Valley is 4-3-1 after a weekend that saw the Phantoms get creamed at home 7-2 by the Syracuse Crunch and then shutout the Belleville Senators 2-0 against the Belleville Senators on Sunday. The Phantoms host Providence on Sunday.

The Bruins were shutout in Hartford on Friday and then beat Utica at home 5-2 Saturday. They are in Springfield Friday and Allentown on Sunday. They are 3-6 and have 6 points in last in the division, for now.

Who’s Up? Who’s Down? Who’s Out?

Out: Rafael Harvey-Pinard and Tanner Howe.

Up: Ilya Solovyov, Rutger McGroarty are with Pittsburgh. Chase Pietila and Avery Hayes were too, but they were sent back on Wednesday.

Conditioning: Justin Brazeau was activated from injured reserve and assigned to the AHL on a conditioning loan. This happened with the Pietila / Hayes transaction.

Down: Ryan Mast, Maleek McGowan are with ECHL Florida. Tiernan Shoudy joined them this week, having been re-assigned Tuesday, David Breazeale joined him there Wednesday.

What can we learn about the Penguins this week? 

They thought they could waltz through a team they see twice this season in Belleville after the road trip they just came off of and were slapped across the face with a fish Johnny Knoxville style. That didn’t work. I think they got the message because they got down but were never really out of the Saturday game against Hartford and snatched victory from the jaws of defeat.

No lineup changes from Friday to Saturday, which I found odd, but maybe out of necessity with call ups and all, but the message was received.

It’s a young, talented team, that will have bumps. We are in it now. MacDonald has to coach the bad out of them and will, it just takes time. Also it is still very early!

Do I think they play better on the road? I do. Expect them to battle Utica to the end and then get up and measure themselves against a Bears team that is off to a hot start on Sunday.

No reason to think they can’t win both. I just tune out those who automatically expect them to win every game.

Who’s in Goal?

Honestly I think you sent Taylor Gauthier out there Friday and see how he performs and if he exceeds expectations, send him out there Sunday in Hershey. That’s what I would do, but I don’t coach the team. A reasonable expectation is to see Joel Blomqvist at some point, I just don’t know when.

Jakub Málek for Utica and Garin Bjorklund for the Bears is my estimated guess.

Who’s Running the Show?

Luc Brzustowski and Hayden Verbeek have the assignment on Friday in Utica with Tory Carissimo and Jake Herzog working the lines.

Nick Parody and Jack Young have the Sunday at 5 p.m. (sigh…) assignment in Hershey with Judy Ritter and Richard Jondo working the lines.

Looking Ahead…

They are in Charlotte to face off against the Checkers for a pair Friday and Saturday.

Give us a bold prediction…

I see a shutout looming, just don’t know whom. They take 3 of 4 points home.

Donuts on the pitch!

Time is running out on NYCFC to make a playoff push. They won against Atlanta FC on Wednesday to keep their dim playoffs hopes alive. If not, heads will roll inside City Football Group. A match at home against last place Montréal is a prime opportunity for a 2-0 City win.

Give me Denny Hamlin at Martinsville to lead 350+ laps and win on Sunday.

The Wilkes-Barre / Scranton Penguins return home after a four game road trip that saw them go 3-1. They host the Belleville Senators and the Hartford Wolf Pack Friday and Saturday.

Music to Set the Mood…

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I have always considered Classic Rock to be anything before the year 1980. Then I turned on the local classic rock radio station on the other day and they were playing Nirvana. I then remembered that the definition of “classic rock” is anything 25 years or older.

Damn, I must be old. Back to Hair Nation on Sirius XM where I belong.

Anyway.

A Quote…

You only have 12 notes. Do what you want with them.
– Eddie Van Halen

How did I get on a rock and roll kick out of the gate? I like to have my headline match the music. I looked up and saw that The Guess Who aren’t in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. They should be. They were huge in Canada. So were the Beatles overseas and they are in. Why not The Guess Who?

Anyway, the idea of the headline, in case you are more confused then ever, is Hartford Wolf “Pack” and the Belleville Senators are from “Canada” – now you know!

The Setup

Belleville makes their only stop of the year Friday at 7:05 and Hartford is back on the schedule for the 976th time this month.

The B-Sens (still feels weird calling them that, miss you, Binghamton) picked up points in all three games played this past weekend. They lost in OT at home against Laval Friday then swept the defending champion Toronto Marlies at home in OT on Saturday and clean on Sunday.

Hartford lost both contests in Charlotte this past weekend. The Wolf Pack have lost five straight.

The Penguins lost in Cleveland on Friday and then won a special teams battle Saturday afternoon.

Records

Wilkes-Barre is 3-2-1, good for seven points and third in the Atlantic Division.

Belleville is 3-2-2 and have eight points and are in fourth in the North Division.

Hartford is 3-5 and have six points good for fifth in the Atlantic.

The Rest of Those Rascals

Hershey hosted Providence and split with the Bruins, winning 5-3 Saturday and losing 6-1 Sunday. The Bears are 4-2 and have eight points and lead the Atlantic Division. They host Belleville Saturday and then head to Rochester for a midweek matchup with the Americans on Wednesday.

Charlotte swept the Wolf Pack and are tied with the Bears with eight points and identical 4-2 record. Springfield swings by Friday and Saturday and then, get this, the Checkers head to Loveland, Colorado for a Tuesday / Wednesday matchup with the Colorado Eagles. Ah, to have a major airport hub nearby.

The Phantoms have won three straight and are fourth in the division with a 3-2-1 record and seven points, just like the Penguins. This past weekend saw the Phantoms win a pair in Springfield, one in overtime. The Phantoms host Syracuse Saturday and then Belleville Sunday. So the Senators will be playing a weekend three in three itching to get the game going at 3:05 on Sunday to get back to Canada and will have to wait because the Phantoms don’t know what starting on time is (TV, I know, I know, it’s a bit, relax)

Gave you Hartford above. The Wolf Pack are hosting the Providence Bruins on Friday.

Springfield is sixth in the division and have a 2-2-1-1 record good for six points. The Thunderbirds are on a 0-2-1-1 skid after their week one hot start. Gave you their results in the Lehigh Valley capsule above and you know if you are paying attention they are in Charlotte this weekend.

Providence finally busts out of their slump in a big way Sunday in Hershey but are still in the Atlantic Division cellar with a 2-5 record. The Bruins spent the weekend in Hershey and lost 5-3 Saturday before winning 6-1 Sunday. The Bruins are in Hartford Friday and then host Utica on Saturday.

Who’s Up? Who’s Down? Who’s Out?

Ryan Johnson was officially assigned to Coal Street Sunday, but in a corresponding transaction Pittsburgh recalled Ilya Solovyov.

Wednesday saw David Breazeale get recalled from Florida and Maleek McGowan and Ryan Mast get sent to Florida to get reps.

Thursday saw Rutger McGroarty and Chase Pietila go up. It’s Pietila’s first NHL recall.

The only injured player that we know of is Rafael Harvey-Pinard.

What can we learn about the Penguins this week?

I’m not so sure the defense is as elite as we thought it was at the start of the season and by we I mean me. I think the only defenseman with any type of NHL future is Harrison Brunicke, Finn Harding next, Jake Livanavage next and then the rest of them are question marks. I don’t think Owen Pickering has much track left in the organization and wouldn’t be surprised to see him traded by years end. I just don’t see it with him anymore. I called him the next Derrick Pouliot on Twitter Saturday and that got some traction, with about 80/20 agreeing with me.

So what can we learn? The power play success is there (I think) and they have two really good goaltenders who will look to outdo the other for the foreseeable future. Mix that in with Avery Hayes (while you have him) Tristan Broz and a you better get to know his name quick Atley Calvert and this team can do good things with Kirk MacDonald pushing all the right buttons.

They are keeping pace now early on here in the (checks watch) fourth week of the season. That’s a good thing. You don’t want to fall behind the eight ball like a number of teams.

I Looked Up a Stat…

The Penguins have the fourth best power play in the league, but the 25th ranked penalty kill. That’s good and bad!

Who’s in Goal?

No reason to mess with the Joel Blomqvist Friday / Taylor Gauthier Saturday plan.

Jonas Johansson is 3-1-1 with a .912 save percentage and a 2.92 goal against. He’s probably out of the chute first Friday for Belleville.

Gabriel Carriere for Hartford is my guess as Callum Tung is the Pack’s number one and will likely go Friday against Providence.

Who’s Running the Show?

Luke Stork and Mathieu Menniti will dole out the discipline Friday with Jud Ritter and Luke Pye on the lines.

Saturday sees the debut of referee Jared McIsaac, paired with Menniti. Depending who you talk to, not many have good things to say about Menniti, so let’s hope it ain’t the blind leading the blind on Saturday.

Ryan Knapp and Davids Rozitis have the lines Saturday.

Looking Ahead…

Back on the road for four more. They are in Utica next Friday and then Hershey on Sunday with a Saturday off in between. Trip to Charlotte in a fortnight.

Give us a bold prediction…

These are games you have to win if you want to be considered an early front runner. They do, but one of ’em goes into overtime.

Doing Donuts on the Pitch…

City’s playoff hopes are dimming and a date with Orlando is next on Saturday. I can see City ekeing out a 3-2 win, but let’s just go 2-2 draw and hope for the best.

Oh boy, Tyler Reddick is getting hot again but Talladega looms. Give me a wild card here. Carson Hocevar is the last car standing when he causes a last lap ‘big one’ and rallies from 12th to the checkered flag Sunday in ‘Dega.

The Wilkes-Barre / Scranton Penguins knock out their Cleveland, Ohio trip early this season, with a pair against the Cleveland Monsters Friday and Saturday.

Music to Set the Mood…

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I’ll always use an excuse to use this when the Pens are out in The Land.

A Quote…

There’s no straighter road to success than exceeding expectations one day at a time.
— Robin Crow

The Setup…

Two in Cleveland, if you haven’t been paying attention. Friday’s game starts at 7, Saturday’s game was moved to 3 because of baseball.

Last week the Penguins mollywhopped the goaltenders they faced, but unlike opening weekend where a ton of shots never got through, the Pens outscored their opponents 13-3 across a 7-1 drudging of the Hartford Wolf Pack on Saturday and a 6-2 whooping of the Providence Bruins on Sunday.

Cleveland spent the weekend in Allentown and beat the Phantoms 5-4 in overtime on Saturday and then 5-2 on Sunday.

Records

The Penguins are 2-1-1, good for five points and third in the division.

Cleveland is 3-1 over in the North with 6 points and in fourth.

The Rest of those Rascals…

Hartford went 1-2 on the weekend after shutting out Providence on Friday, losing to the Penguins on Saturday and again to the Laval Rocket on Sunday 5-2. They hosted the Lehigh Valley Phantoms on Wednesday and lost 4-1. The Wolf Pack are 3-3, have lost three in a row and have 6 points in a tie for first in the division. Hartford heads to Charlotte this weekend.

Hershey hosted the Texas Stars this past weekend and swept them. The Bears are 3-1 with six points and host the Providence Bruins for a pair this weekend.

Springfield lost clean to Laval on Saturday 5-2 and then lost to the Charlotte Checkers 2-1 in a shootout on Sunday. The Thunderbirds are 2-1-0-1 with five points and host the Phantoms this weekend for a pair.

The Charlotte Checkers will have their home season opener when they host the Hartford Wolf Pack. I gave you the Checkers body of work this past weekend if you were paying attention above, but didn’t mention what they did Saturday. They lost to Providence 6-2. The Checkers are 2-2 with four points.

Providence played three games this past weekend and went 1-2, where the losses included a blowout and a shutout. The Bruins are 1-4 with a paltry two points and are in Hershey for a pair this weekend.

Lehigh Valley brings up the rear, but picked up their first win of the season Wednesday in Hartford but lost in overtime to Cleveland in OT on Saturday and clean on Sunday. The Phantoms head to Springfield for a pair this weekend and have a 1-2-1 record with three points.

Who’s Up? Who’s Down? Who’s Out?

Rafael Harvey-Pinard and David Gustafsson are sidelined with injuries. There was a trade this week, Ryan Johnson was traded here for Caleb Jones and Daniel Laatsch. Johnson, a defenseman, is likely headed here. There are no recalls from ECHL Florida, who open their season this weekend with a home and home with the Orlando Solar Bears.

What can we learn about the Penguins this week?

Are they more of what they were on opening weekend or more of what they were last weekend? I don’t really know. They dominated both games and one of them (Hartford) was the second meeting of the season. Providence stinks right now, so it’s hard to give you a definitive answer. Cleveland should push the Penguins, but will they? They swept a winless at the time Lehigh Valley team and their only loss is to a Grand Rapids team that sit near the top of the North Division.

It should be a good test, for both clubs.

Who’s in Goal?

Joel Blomqvist Friday, Taylor Gauthier Saturday. I don’t think one has established as front runner over the other yet, but that’s a good thing.

Pheonix Copley Friday and Evan Gardner Saturday, as these two are splitting the net like the Penguins.

Who’s Running the Show?

Nick Isaacson and Liam Maaskant have the assignment on Friday with Joe Sherman and Bryan Gorcoff on the lines.

Saturday Alex Gagné tags in for Maaskant and you get brand new linemen with Brendan Lewis and Joey Kramar working the lines.

Looking Ahead…

They return home next Friday when Belleville makes it yearly visit and then Hartford (again!?!) stops by for the third time this young season on Saturday. No Sunday home games this time! Yahoo!

Give us a bold prediction…

I think they split, further mystifying the question of what team we have under us at this point.

Doing Donuts on the Pitch…

NYCFC let 10 man Chicago score twice and lost 2-1 and then the offense was limp in a poor midweek showing against Inter Miami where the pigeons lost 2-0. LAFC stops by Citi Field this Saturday. That’s gonna be tough and with this run of form I can see them losing 3-1. Hope I am wrong.

Denny Hamlin atones for his Phoenix flub last year and wins out in the desert this weekend.

The Wilkes-Barre / Scranton Penguins will go into the second weekend of the season still seeking their first win of the season after a pair of setbacks last weekend.

Music to Set the Mood…

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One of Panic at the Disco’s major hits. They sometimes play this at the hockey games sometimes. I don’t particularly care for the song being used at a hockey game because it isn’t that deep at it’s base, but it kind of works here.

A Quote…

“Hope is a waking dream.”
— Aristotle

The Setup…

Hartford Saturday and Providence Sunday, all on the road. It’s Hartford’s home opener!

Last week the Penguins mollywhopped Georgii Romanov to the tune of 45 shots, but Romanov stopped 43 of them and Springfield wins the game in overtime. The next night Hartford comes in and narrowly beats the Penguins 3-2 in regulation.

Records

That means the Penguins are 0-1-1 and in fifth in the seven team Atlantic with a point.

Hartford sits atop the division with a 2-0 record and 4 points.

Providence sits last in the division with an 0-2 record and 0 points.

The Rest of those Rascals…

Let’s start at the top and work our way down.

Springfield, after picking hockey rubber out of Georgii Romanov’s ears, take a red eye to Providence for a 3 p.m. start and shut the Bruins out 2-0 and are off to a hot 2-0 start with 4 points. The Thunderbirds host Laval Saturday, Charlotte Sunday.

Hartford beat Lehigh Valley and spoiled the Phantoms home opener on Saturday, then come to Wilkes-Barre and hang in there with the Penguins and walks away 3-2 winners. They, too, are 2-0 with 4 points. The Wolf Pack are in Providence Friday, home against the Pens then Laval comes to Hartford Sunday. They have a midweek meeting with the Lehigh Valley Phantoms on the following Wednesday.

Charlotte and Hershey split regulation wins in Hershey this past weekend and are 1-1 with 2 points.

Charlotte is in Providence Saturday, Springfield Sunday.

Hershey hosts Texas for a pair Saturday and Sunday. Those guys have all the fun.

Lehigh Valley played just one game, lost and are 0-1 with 0 points. The Phantoms host the Cleveland Monsters this weekend, then head to Hartford on Wednesday.

The Providence Bruins have just 1 goal to show for their week after a 2-1 Friday setback to Utica and then getting shut out Sunday at home against a wary Springfield team. The Bruins have their first three in three weekend, all at home, against Hartford Friday. Charlotte Saturday, Wilkes-Barre Sunday.

Who’s Up? Who’s Down? Who’s Out?

No one is in Pittsburgh. Max Graham and Tiernan Shoudy went to Florida on Monday as the Everblades camp opened this week.

What can we learn about the Penguins this week?

Are they a different team then they were last weekend or is it going to be more of the same? I don’t think the first couple of shifts will answer this honestly, and we may not know the answer to the question until the end of the weekend. Go 0-4 (let’s just count the Springfield OTL as a regulation loss) and perhaps it is time to get in the same room as the panic button. If they win both, then which team is it?

Life’s great mysteries!

I think they have fixable issues except for the power play. That stinks and is beyond repair. Why, late Sunday, was Harrison Brunicke on the bench when the Pens were chasing one against the Wolf Pack?

So manage to fix the brakes on the car, but the A/C still doesn’t work. The car works and gets you from Point A to B, right?

Kirk MacDonald is a hell of a coach and it’s a good early test for the man.

Who’s in Goal?

Failed to mention opposition goaltenders in last weekend’s piece so I will go ahead and do so now. I think they see Hartford’s Callum Tung again Saturday and Simon Zajicek for the P-Bruins on Sunday.

Joel Blomqvist should go Saturday against Hartford and Taylor Gauthier Sunday against the P-Bruins.

Who’s Running the Show?

Cole MacDonald and Jordan Deckard have the Saturday assignment in Hartford with Cameron Carlson and Jake Herzog on the lines. Jack Young and Alex Lepkowski have the Sunday assignment in Providence with Jack McQuesten and Chris Martenet on the lines.

Looking Ahead…

They knock out their Cleveland trip next Friday and Saturday.

Give us a bold prediction….

Let’s hope this one goes better than last week where I am at least somewhat right. Here goes…

They win both games, one via shootout, that one comes in Providence.

Football at the Race Track

I’ll go a 2-2 draw for NYCFC against the Chicago Fire on Saturday and give me Tyler Reddick Sunday in Charlotte.

Man, I love summer. I mean, I really love summer.

Afternoons by the pool. After 8 p.m. sunsets. Walking around the backyard in bare feet. What are shoes? What are socks?

Music to Set the Mood…

–

This song slaps, and I broke records listening to this on walks and out by the pool….

Yeah you can have Spring, Fall and Winter. Like, take them away. I want my summer back.

I used to think Seasonal Affective Disorder was a joke. Nah, buddy, I’m the living embodiment of it today.

Sigh.

Anyway, back and marginally better for the god-knows-how-long-it’s-been time (16 years?), I’m back in full time blogging up the local hockey team. You can’t get rid of me that easily!

A Quote…

Summertime is always good. It is what it is.
— Oscar Peterson

The Setup….

Out of the box I expect them to contend this year better than they did last year. They normally hit the ground running in October and the first parts of November, but they finally have a fully stocked prospect system which, barring trades and the plague affecting the team in Pittsburgh, should keep a large cadre of hungry, good prospects here chomping at the bit keeping the wheels going on the farm.

Oh, opening night Friday off, they open with Springfield on Saturday and then are (sigh) right back at it Sunday at home against Hartford, the first of EIGHT Sunday home games this season.

Records

Neither Springfield or Hartford play Friday. Hartford is in Allentown Saturday.

Ch-ch-changes…

So here’s the major hits in case you have been under an umbrella at the beach or out by the pool all summer, like I have been….

– They have a new ECHL affiliate. It’s the Florida Everblades who have won three straight Kelly Cups. The Hoffmann Family, who, now owns the Pittsburgh Penguins, already had the Everblades in their portfolio. Yeah, it sucks losing Wheeling as an affiliate, but it’s a business. Get ready for a lot of Reading, Trenton, Adirondack, etc. PTOs if bodies are needed in a pinch. Closest Florida comes up to these parts is Cincinnati, I think. And, yes, airplanes exist. I am aware!

– The Nailers partnered with the Columbus Blue Jackets, so they landed on their feet, so to speak.

– The Pens have a new radio home, moving to Fuzz 96.1 FM

– The AHL will let coaches challenge for offsides now. Let’s just call this the Providence Bruins rule.

– Big offseason adds from Coal Street include Hugh McGing, late of Springfield, Ryan Mast, late of Rockford and Rafael Harvey-Pinard, who needs no introduction, to straight up AHL deals.

The Rest of those Rascals…

Charlotte is in Hershey for a pair to start the season….Lehigh Valley only has one game against Hartford Saturday….Providence hosts Utica Friday, Springfield Sunday.

It’s too early for this!

Give me a bunch of sentences on the rest of the division…

Boy you are asking a lot just coming off a summer break, but here goes….

Providence: I would expect them to contend again with the Pens for tops in the division all season.
Hartford: Biggest unknown. Same thing with them year after year, they look great on paper in October but are out of it by Christmas.
Springfield: Could contend / could surprise. How do they survive playing Providence a thousand times with Bridgeport gone will be the answer, I think.
Hershey: Scrambling late, because they lost Clay Stevenson to waivers this week and don’t have a bonafide number one goaltender. They will play the Pens tight, as always.
Lehigh Valley: I don’t see them as a playoff team. Jonathan Gruden plays for them now. Could be a pain in the ass team, as per usual.
Charlotte: I expect them to contend but in no way do I think they are better then the Penguins or Providence.

 Records

Everyone is 0-0. Again, it’s too early for this!

Who’s Up? Who’s Down? Who’s Out?

Tristan Broz made the NHL team but Broz is banged up, so he remains up. EDIT: In staying in ‘this always happens after I publish these things’ Pittsburgh sent Broz and new acquisition Oliver Okuliar (late of Charlotte) to Wilkes-Barre Friday afternoon … Owen Pickering, Harrison Brunicke are down. Rutger McGroarty joined them Thursday. Wilkes-Barre sent a bunch of bodies to Wheeling, err, Florida, (where’s that fine jar?) earlier in the week.

What can we learn about the Penguins this week?

First impressions are lasting ones. I don’t see any reason why they can’t win both of these games easily, but I really haven’t paid attention to what they did in the offseason or preseason. They only had one scheduled home game which was last Friday but that got cancelled due to “mechanical” issues at the arena.

(Guess the ice wishes it was a pool, too)

No reason to think however, based off of the current roster construct, that they can’t pick up where they left off last season and run at the top of the division.

They will be strong on defense, probably the deepest corps in the Atlantic to start, Conference to challenge and League to be seen.

Only question I have is how AHL ready Taylor Gauthier is. He set every record imaginable in Wheeling last year in goal and is more than ready. But the AHL is a level up and it’s own animal.

Also, some of the rookies and first year guys may be tested. It’s 72 games and a grind of a season, after all, but the defense is elite and goaltending is more than capable, so we will see.

Are they better then they were last year? Let’s temper our expectations on this no matter what happens this weekend, or this month.

Who’s in Goal?

Joel Blomqvist should start Saturday and then Taylor Gauthier should make his debut Sunday.

Who’s Running the Show?

Mason Riley and Adam Tobias don the orange arm bands with Dominic Moore and Onni Hautamäki running the lines on Saturday. Sunday sees Mathieu Menniti and Graedy Hamilton in town with Moore and Hautamäki sticking around and keeping them onside.

Looking Ahead…

They aren’t home again until October 23, next weekend takes them to Hartford next Saturday and Providence on Sunday. They knock out their Cleveland trip in a fortnight.

Give us a bold prediction…

They win both games, handily, and at the end of the weekend they will be in the top five on the power play.

YOU DIDN’T THINK I WOULD FORGET DID YOU!

NASCAR: I don’t see any reason why Yung Money can’t continue his run of form and win in Vegas, but give me Denny Hamlin.

MLS: New York City Football Club is off till October 10. They need points if they are to make playoffs. A trip to Chicago October 10 isn’t going to be easy, but you can never count the pigeons out.