Chirps from Center Ice

What is this, last week? Phantoms and Wolf Pack again? Again? It’s the third week in a row we’ve played these clowns!

Oh, hey, Providence. They are new.

Anyway, let’s get into this weeks preview.

The Setup

Last week the Pens hosted the Phantoms for a midweek game then took off to Hartford and Springfield for a weekend road trip. They got points out of all of the contests. They have points in five straight actually. Last week it was a 4-2 win at home against Lehigh Valley Wednesday, a 3-2 shootout loss in Hartford Friday and a 4-3 overtime win in Springfield on Saturday.

This week it’s a Wednesday jaunt down the PA Turnpike to Allentown followed by a Friday home game against Providence then a Saturday trip back up to Hartford.

The Phantoms played up in Utica last Friday then hosted Syracuse Saturday. They are still winless. They had leads they couldn’t hold onto in Utica and again at home against Syracuse. As mentioned in my AHL Power Rankings from just yesterday, this team stinks.

The Bruins hosted the Checkers Friday then traveled to Bridgeport Saturday. They beat the Checkers and lost to the Islanders. The Bruins are struggling too, but not on the level of the Phantoms.

Hartford hosted Charlotte Saturday then went trick or treating Sunday in Bridgeport. They lost to Charlotte but pasted Bridgeport Sunday.

I’m sick of Lehigh Valley and Hartford!

Just wait, after this week, you’ll be sick of Charlotte who the Penguins see four times in November. There are two more meetings with Providence in there too.

And we haven’t even gotten to Hershey yet, who isn’t even on the schedule until December.

The Records

Pens are 5-1-0-1, good for second in the Atlantic. Phantoms are 0-5-2-0, good for last. Wolf Pack are fourth (5-2-1-0) and Providence is seventh (2-3-1-1)

Who’s Up, Who’s Down, Who’s Out?

Anthony Angello is still, “day to day” with a lower body injury. I don’t know how you can say that with a straight face when, seven games into a season and already through a month, Angello has yet to appear in a contest. Joining him from Saturday were Michael Chaput and Jamie Devane, with day to day lower body injuries. Whether either are available this week is anyone’s guess. Kasper Bjorkqvist was returned from Pittsburgh on Saturday. Radim Zohorna was injured Saturday in Springfield. P.O. Joseph went up Sunday because two defensemen went in the COVID protocol. On Tuesday morning, Coal Street recalled Justin Almeida and signed Matt Alfaro to a PTO from the Wheeling Nailers.

Zohorna was injured on this hit that Tanner Kaspick laid on him and Kaspick was suspended for one game on Wednesday by the AHL.

Who’s in Goal?

It’s probably the same as it was last week, Filip Lindberg Wednesday, Louis Domingue Friday and then Lindberg again Saturday. For the opposition expect Felix Sandstrom Wednesday, Kyle Keyser for Providence on Friday and then likely Adam Huska for the Wolf Pack since Hartford will likely roll out Keith Kinkaid when they host Bridgeport the night prior on Friday.

What can we learn about the Penguins this week?

Are they lucky or good or a little of both? Forget about Lehigh Valley for a second. They make everyone look good. The Penguins were outplayed in Hartford last Friday and lucky to earn a point. The Penguins were outclassed in the third period up in Springfield and lucky enough to not blow the lead entirely and good enough to win in overtime. So maybe it’s a little of both, and that can be a good thing.

I still don’t think we get an answer because Providence hasn’t been playing the best of late either and the Penguins always manage to eke out a point against Hartford. There’s always next week.

Who’s running the show?

Scheduled refereess for this week is Reid Anderson and Mason Riley with Josh Cleary and Tom DellaFranco on the lines on Wednesday. On Friday in Wilkes-Barre, it’s Patrick Hanrahan (again, third time so far) and Stephen Hiff handing penalties with Jud Ritter and J.P. Waleski on the lines. Then Saturday in Hartford, Rob Hennessy and Michael Zyla get the officiating assignment with Kenneth Gates and Brent Colby on the lines.

Looking ahead…

Three straight home games. Rochester makes their only trip of the season on Wednesday, then Charlotte sets up shop for a Friday / Saturday series. I’d rather it flipped, having Charlotte here Wednesday and Friday, that way you get Rochester, a team that comes in every now and then, in front of more folks on a Saturday instead of about 2,000 on a goofy midweek Wednesday. But I don’t make the schedule.

Remember that those Saturday home games in Wilkes-Barre start at 6:05.

Give us a bold prediction…

Valtteri Puustinen breaks out in a major way this week and transfers that strong showing into AHL Player of the Week honors next week.

I totally don’t know what a, “Phantom Thunder Pack” is, but with Halloween this coming Sunday, it had to be a scary theme so with three games this week with Lehigh Valley (Wednesday) Hartford (Friday) and Springfield (Saturday) it kind of fits with the idea I kind of am painting myself into a corner with.

The Setup

Last weekend the Penguins hosted the Hartford Wolf Pack on Friday and then had their first road game of the season Sunday in Allentown. They won both games in overtime. Kasper Bjorkqvist played the hero Friday against Hartford, Valtteri Puustinen played the hero on Sunday against Lehigh Valley. 

The home and home with Lehigh Valley gets paid off with Wednesday’s week night home game (yay!) and then the Penguins take a road trip to Hartford Friday then Springfield Saturday.

Wolf Pack were in action last Saturday when they visited the Phantoms and won in regulation 3-1. Pack are off to a surprising 3-1-1 start. 

Springfield stayed rather busy last weekend with a good old three in three, taking five of six points in a home and home against Bridgeport and a Sunday game against Providence. Springfield has Wednesday and Friday off. Hartford has off Wednesday too. Lucky dogs.

These Guys, Again?

Yeah, such is life in the American Hockey League. This is the third meeting with the Phantoms so far, one more again November 3rd, then that’s all for them until January. Those other PA rivals in Hershey the Pens don’t see till December. Gotta get these games out of the way with the teams only playing 72 games (Hartford)

The Records

Pens are 3-1, good for third in the division behind Springfield and Hershey; the Phantoms are in dead last in the division with an 0-3-1 record. Springfield leads the division with a 4-0-1 start and Hartford is 3-1-1, right behind the Penguins in fourth.

Who’s Up, Who’s Down, Who’s Out?

Through October 27, Justin Almeida and Tommy Nappier were assigned to Wheeling on Tuesday. Kasper Bjorkqvist was recalled to Pittsburgh Monday and Juuso Riikola was recalled sometime last Saturday. Anthony Angello remains day to day with a lower body injury, but should be back sooner than later.

Who’s in Goal

I’d go right back to Domingue Wednesday if I am J.D. Forrest. Styles make fights and Domingue had a hell of a showing for him Sunday in Allentown. But it’s probably Filip Lindberg in the cage Wednesday, then probably again Friday in Hartford then Domingue Saturday in Springfield. 

Opposition wise, expect the starters for every opponent since they all play the Penguins first this week. So that’s Felix Sandstrom this Wednesday at home against the Phantoms, Keith Kinkaid Friday in Hartford and then Joel Hofer Saturday in Springfield.

What can we learn about the Penguins this week?

Winning is fun, isn’t it? The Penguins are off to a decent start. They have a rough rack of opponents to navigate through this week with another shot at Lehigh Valley Wednesday, then up to Hartford who played them tight last Friday in Wilkes-Barre then to Springfield who very may well be the best team in the AHL right now, rested and ready for anything the Penguins throw at them Saturday night. 

You aren’t winning the division in the first month of the season, but I am going to be really interested in seeing how they come out Saturday against a rested, ready and really good Springfield side. Sweep the week or get 5 of 6 points, then maybe the Penguins could possibly be better than that six seed we predicted they finish in. For now, as again you aren’t winning a division at the beginning of the season with all the ups and downs that come with it.

Who is running the show?

Mike Dietrich and Patrick Hanrahan, who had Sunday’s assignment in Lehigh Valley, work Wednesday’s game with linesmen Ryan Knapp and Michael Magee. For Friday in Hartford, Mathieu Menniti is joined by new referee Dominic Cadieux with Glen Cooke and Kevin Briganti working the lines. On Saturday in Springfield, two brand new referees in Sam Bernier and Jack Young get the assignment with Caleb Apperson and Nick Briganti (Kevin’s brother, I think) working the lines.

Looking ahead…

Lehigh Valley next Wednesday, but at their place, followed by a home game Friday against Providence then back on the road up to Hartford. Equally, I think we have seen too much of the Wolf Pack also, as this will be the third meeting of the season between these two clubs, which is wild when you consider there 29 other teams in the league you can play (I know, I know…) but Wilkes-Barre won’t see the Wolf Pack again till March 13.

Give us a bold prediction…

The Penguins will shutout one of their opponents this week.

I don’t know about you, but I think “Phantom Wolf” would make for a hell of a team name. Maybe there is a high school somewhere in Nebraska who are known as the Phantom Wolves. All black jerseys, big, howling wolf that just intimidates opponents.

The Setup

Penguins coming off opening night weekend with a Jekyll and Hyde performance against Lehigh Valley (a win) and Charlotte (a loss) where they looked like two different teams. A gritty 2-1 win against the Phantoms followed up by a dud the next night with a 4-1 loss to the Checkers. 

Hartford comes in Friday, having their 2021-22 campaign begin with a good ol’ three in three. They beat Bridgeport last Friday 2-1 in their home opener, then lost 2-1 the next night in Springfield and then finished off the three in three weekend with a gritty 4-3 shootout win against the Providence Bruins. 

Then Penguins get Saturday night off, then square off against Lehigh Valley in what will end up being a home and home, Sunday in Allentown and next Wednesday in Wilkes-Barre. Lehigh was in Hershey last Sunday and lost 2-1. By the time the Pens face them Sunday, they will have played the Wolf Pack this Saturday night.

The Records

Coming into this weekend’s action, the Pens are 1-1, .500 and 6th in the Atlantic Division. The Wolf Pack are 2-1, .667 and 4th in the Atlantic and Lehigh Valley is in last place, 0-2 with a .000 percentage point.

Who’s in Goal

I got this completely wrong last week. I expect that to continue heading into week two, but here goes. Filip Lindberg will get one of the games, my guess Friday, and since Alex D’Orio was reassigned to Wheeling on Monday of this past week, either Tommy Nappier or maybe Louis Domingue coming off injury gets the road start Sunday in Allentown. But Domingue or Lindberg may be headed up, as it was revealed Thursday that Tristan Jarry was placed in COVID protocol. So, one of either Domingue / Lindberg are likely going up. With three goalies here, you don’t need to recall D’Orio. For the opposition, my guess is Keith Kinkaid for the Wolf Pack Friday and, with Lehigh playing the night before, backup Samuel Ersson for the Phantoms Sunday afternoon.

What can we learn about the Penguins this week?

Oh boy, where to start. They looked like two completely different teams in each game. You want more of what you saw Saturday, obviously, than you did Sunday. But, it is a young team that will probably be chomping at the bit after a week of hard practice to get out there again for another home game Friday and then for a road trip to Allentown Sunday. Hartford can run and gun it looks like, so the Pens will need to keep that in check. Normally you know where you stand in the first ten minutes of a hockey game after a bad performance like the one you saw Sunday. Then, with Lehigh Valley, the Phantoms are getting these same Wolf Pack on Saturday, having off Friday. No one can discount the firepower that the Phantoms possess. Gotta keep that in check in a hostile environment Sunday. 

Who is running the show?

Scheduled referees as assigned by the American Hockey League are Rob Hennessey and Beau Halkidis Friday night in Wilkes-Barre and Dan Kelly, who you may remember as a referee last year and Tyler Loftus on the lines. Kelly switched to linesman late last season. For Sunday, it’s Halkidis again joined by Patruck Hanrahan calling penalties with John Rey and J.P. Waleski handling the lines.

Looking ahead…

Lehigh Valley is in next Wednesday to pay off the home and home, then the Pens take to the road with a game in Hartford next Friday and then a Saturday game in Springfield to close out the month of October.

Give us a bold prediction…

The Penguins score five goals this weekend and win both games. 

I am replacing the old “Gameday” setups for something new, a Weekend Setup which for me is going to be easier to write and put together. Most of what was contained in the Gameday setups will carryover in these, but instead of writing 76 of them, which is a bear when you really don’t want to sometimes, I am only going to run these once or so a week previewing the weekend set of games ahead. Every game that the Penguins play this season will get a mention, so I am not going to miss any game, don’t worry. Your input is vital to these, so let me know what you think.

Also, NEW CATEGORY ALERT – say hello to “Weekend Preview”

Anyway, here we go…

The Setup

The Penguins are off on opening night in the AHL, with 12 teams playing Friday night and just two (Bridgeport visits Hartford) Atlantic Division teams getting started tonight. It’s a rare, but usual Friday at the start of the season, night off for Wilkes-Barre / Scranton.

Wilkes-Barre hosts Lehigh Valley Saturday night at 6:05 and Charlotte Sunday afternoon at 3:05. Charlotte will be in Hershey Saturday before trekking up to visit the Penguins for a Sunday matinee.

It important to note that for Saturday night home games in Wilkes-Barre this season, every game will start at 6:05. Jeff Barrett explained why:

“We made a conscious effort to move our Saturday home games to an hour earlier in order to accommodate our many families who come to the games with young children,” said Penguins CEO Jeff Barrett. “Down the line, we hope to have the opportunity to host some post-game events for these nights, too. Fans should stay tuned on that front.”

Who’s in Goal

It’s probably going to be the Alex D’Orio show Saturday then Louis Domingue Sunday against Charlotte. I’d guess that Felix Sandstrom goes for Lehigh Valley Saturday and Christopher Gibson goes Sunday for the Checkers.

What can we learn about the Penguins this week?

It’s really going to be interesting, because you have one subset of fans that thinks they can be a playoff team and another cadre of fans that don’t have them winning more than 30 games. It’s a young, hungry side playing against a team that is better than them and more established on paper in Lehigh Valley (also a blood rival they will see 11 more times this weekend) and a Charlotte team that didn’t play last year because of COVID and splitting an affiliation with Seattle that looks good, at least on paper. Do you take a 1-1 start right now? Do you feel good starting 0-2? It’s a lot to build off of. It’s going to be a competitive division and every percentage point is going to count. Get off on the right foot and catch some teams sleeping now while you have the home ice advantage.

Who is running the show?

History is going to be made Saturday night because for the first time ever in the AHL, you will have a woman calling penalties. Katie Guay makes her AHL officiating debut donning the orange armbands, joined by Brandon Schrader. Guay is part of nine other female officials hired by the League this year. Joined on the lines with Guay and Schrader, J.P. Waleski and Patrick Dapuzzo will call offsides, break up scrums, handle most of the faceoffs and rule on icing calls. On Sunday, Michael Zyla, another new referee this year is joined by Brandon Schrader, who will stick around after Saturday’s assignment. On the lines Sunday afternoon are Jud Ritter and J.P. Waleski.

Looking ahead…

Pens have a home game next Friday, October 22 against the Hartford Wolf Pack, then a rare Saturday night off, then make their first road trip of the season down the PA Turnpike to Allentown to play the Phantoms next Sunday afternoon. Lehigh Valley returns the favor and visit the Penguins for a Wednesday night game in Wilkes-Barre on October 27. The season series against the Phantoms will be 25% over before November 1!

Give us a Bold Prediction

I still won’t like Sunday afternoon games.