Chirps from Center Ice

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…

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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…

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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.

The Wilkes-Barre / Scranton Penguins, decimated by injuries, enter a vital week where they wrap a road trip with a Wednesday stop in Providence to take on the Bruins, then return home for a pair with the hapless but still pesky Hartford Wolf Pack on Friday and Saturday.

Music to Set the Mood…

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When you need inspiration, throw on some Dokken. This is off their second album of the same name. Where were you in 1984?

A Quote…

Desperate living, driving me mad
Writing’s on the wall
Crushed all our hopes and the dreams we once had
Just to watch them fall

— (Brown / Dokken / Lynch / Pilson)

In keeping with the above video, this is the first verse. If you have followed this team for years, that verse hits the nail straight on the head.

The Setup…

Their final head-to-head with the Providence Bruins, then a pair with the Hartford Wolf Pack at home and then head up to Springfield for a Martin Luther King, Jr. Day matinee on Monday.

Last weekend in Charlotte, the Penguins split a pair of 5-1 decisions winning Friday and losing Saturday in a pair of polar opposite games where everything seemed to go right for them Friday and everything was working against them on Sunday.

The Bruins had a three in three weekend where they beat Bridgeport, lost to Hartford and then won against Lehigh Valley to outright claim first in the Atlantic Division. The Bruins are 25-7-1 and have 51 points. After hosting the Penguins on Wednesday, Cleveland is in for the weekend for a Saturday and Sunday visit.

Hartford also had a three in three, where they beat Springfield, Providence and lost against Bridgeport. The Wolf Pack are 12-17-4-1, in last place in the Atlantic with 29 points and are in Hershey on Wednesday before heading to Wilkes-Barre.

Springfield beat Hartford then lost to Lehigh Valley this past weekend. They then headed south for Charlotte and lost big, 8-2, on Tuesday and will rematch the Checkers on Wednesday. The Thunderbirds have a 13-16-4-2 record and have 32 points and will host the Pens on Monday for an MLK Day bash.

Side note, three in threes for Providence, Bridgeport, Hartford and Springfield are different then there in threes for the Penguins, Bears and Phantoms. You are in your own bed every night and only on a bus for an hour or less.

Records

Gave you Providence, Hartford and Springfield’s above. The Penguins are 23-10-1-2 and good for 49 points and are second in the Atlantic. That’s the halfway point for the Pens this season and would put them on 98 points. 96 points won the Division for Hershey last year.

The Rest of those Rascals…

Lehigh Valley is staying hot on the trail of the Penguins and Bruins and are in third place and have a 19-12-2-2 record and 42 points. The Phantoms beat Springfield Saturday and lost to the Bruins on Sunday. The Phantoms host Bridgeport and Syracuse this Friday and Saturday and then are in Bridgeport on Martin Luther King, Jr. Day on Monday.

I gave you what the Charlotte Checkers did above with the Pens, splitting a pair of 5-1 decisions this past weekend. Charlotte hosted Springfield Tuesday and smoked the Thunderbirds 8-2. The Checkers will be looking to improve upon their 20-12-2 record and 42 points when they host Springfield again tonight, then Hershey on Saturday and Sunday.

The Hershey Bears hosted the Cleveland Monsters this past weekend and beat the Monsters on Saturday and then lost in overtime on Sunday. The Bears host Hartford on Wednesday before heading south for Charlotte for a pair this weekend. The Bears are 17-14-2 and have 36 points in fifth in the division.

Bridgeport had a three in three where they lost in Providence, beat Utica at home and then beat Hartford at home. The Islanders are 14-17-2-1 with 31 points and seventh in the Atlantic. They are in Allentown Friday, host Springfield on Saturday and the Phantoms on MLK Day on Monday.

Who’s Up? Who’s Down? Who’s Out?

Up: Zach Urdahl, Max Graham, Brayden Edwards, David Breazeale remain on recall from the Wheeling Nailers. Rafaël Harvey-Pinard was sent back Tuesday, but Ryan Graves and Tristan Broz went up.

Down: Define down. This is a broad definition, given the circumstances. Gabe Klassen came off the injured list and Ville Koivunen was returned from Pittsburgh. Dave Breazeale was sent back to Wheeling on Monday. Caleb Jones, a defenseman, is here on a conditioning stint. Anything is better than Matt Dumba.

Out: Aidan McDonough (day to day, upper body), Avery Hayes (week to week, upper body), 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.

What can we learn about the Penguins this week?

Are they more like the Friday team or the Saturday team? A cop out is a little of both.

Look, I think you can pencil them in as a playoff team barring a major disaster. As of right now though I don’t think they are playing like a division leader and I would even argue that they are in danger of losing a bye bid. Which means they are in the Best of Three First Round series again, this time probably against Hershey because Lehigh Valley is gunning for a bye.

Charlotte gives them problems. They play Providence tight because the two teams are carbon copies of one another. They can outclass Hartford.

I think they are okay, for now, but they are in the second half of their season now and time is going to start running out.

Who’s in Goal?

Sergei Murashov should start Wednesday and Saturday, let Joel Blomqvist start Friday. The better of the two starts Monday.

Mike DiPietro should get the net for the Bruins Wednesday , then you should see Callum Tung and Dylan Garand in some capacity on Friday and Saturday. Vadim Zherenko is my guess for Springfield on Monday.

Who’s Running the Show?

Austin Rook and Jim Curtin have the assignment on Wednesday in Providence. Curtin is my favorite ref out of there. Dylan Blujus and Jack McQuesten Work the lines.

Friday sees Adam Tobias and Luke Stork work the game with Richard Jondo and T.J. Dockery on the lines. Stork stays the night in Wilkes-Barre and meets up with Hayden Verbeek. Dockery too, as Bill Lyons tags in for Jondo.

No crew listed for Monday’s game yet.

Looking Ahead…

The Belleville Senators stop in on Wednesday for their only visit of the season, then it’s off to Hershey for a rare Friday Bears home game and then the Pens are home Saturday against the Charlotte Checkers for the season series finale between the two teams.

Give us a bold prediction…

7 of 8 points this week, fighting for every point tooth and nail, like the title above says.

The Wilkes-Barre / Scranton Penguins are battling injuries to their core players and the healthy core players that remain are either wholly ineffective or inexperienced or have been traded.

It does happen to every team. But it always seems to happen to this team.

They need to battle through it, because they are in the heart of the schedule now.

Music to Set the Mood…

–

A Quote…

We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit.
— Aristotle

The Setup…

A pair in Charlotte Friday and Saturday. Seems like all of their troubles started with the Checkers.

Last weekend, the Penguins were embarrassed in probably one of the worst games in franchise history and shutout 6-0 in Syracuse on Saturday. They were down 3-0 before the game was even five minutes old, losing 5-0 after the end of the first and only had four first period shots.

Thankfully, mercifully, that was it for action.

Charlotte was in Cleveland last weekend and were swept which is typical Charlotte. Against top tier teams they look like world beaters, against a fifth place in the North team like the Monsters, they look like punks. It’s mind blowing.

Records…

The Penguins are 22-9-1-2 and still lead the Atlantic Division for now with 47 points.

Charlotte is in fourth in the division with an 18-11-2 record, good for 38 points.

The Rest of Those Rascals…

Providence is 23-6-1 and tied with the Penguins in points with 47 but in second, for now. They beat the hapless Hartford Wolf Pack 4-1 on Friday, then hosted the Springfield Thunderbirds and won. Seems like the Bruins and Thunderbirds flip flop wins. The Bruins have a good old three in three weekend staring them in the face hosting Bridgeport and Lehigh Valley Friday and Sunday and traveling to Hartford on Saturday.

Lehigh Valley is 18-11-2-2 with 40 points and in third. The Phantoms were in Canada last weekend and beat Belleville on Saturday and then won against Toronto on Sunday. The Phantoms are in Springfield on Saturday and then Providence on Sunday.

Hershey is 16-14-1 in fifth in the division with 33 points. Hershey hosted the Rockford IceHogs this weekend and swept them. The Bears continue their homestead with the Cleveland Monsters stopping in this weekend.

Springfield is 12-14-4-2 and sixth in the division with 30 points. The Thunderbirds are playing a game of leap frog with the Wolf Pack and Islanders for last place. They beat Bridgeport at home Friday and then lost against Providence on Sunday. They took a midweek trip out to Utica on Wednesday and got throttled 5-1. They host Hartford Friday and Lehigh Valley on Saturday.

Hartford is seventh in the Atlantic with a 11-15-4-1 record with 27 points. The Wolf Pack lost to the Providence Bruins on Friday and beat the Bridgeport Islanders both by 4-1 scores. Hartford is in Springfield Friday, host Providence Saturday and are in Bridgeport Sunday.

Bridgeport is last in the Atlantic with a 12-16-2-1 record and 27 points. Bridgeport lost both games to Springfield and Hartford. They have Providence, Utica and Hartford this weekend.

Who’s Up? Who’s Down? Who’s Out?

Up: Zach Urdahl, Max Graham, Brayden Edwards, David Breazeale are on recall from the Wheeling Nailers.

Down: No one, as they are all up here. Ville Koivunen was returned to Wilkes-Barre Thursday morning which was a welcome sight.

Out: Aidan McDonough, Gabe Klassen, Avery Hayes, Daniel Laatsch, Sebastian Aho, Alex Alexyev are injured. Laatsch and Aho are week to week. I didn’t see any moves this week with guys getting moved to or from Wheeling as a tea leaf reading on a possibility of getting guys back.

What can we learn about the Penguins this week?

I would say that they should dig deep and grit points away, but it’s hard when every game someone is getting traded or getting hurt. It messes with chemistry, etc. but they are all professionals and hockey is a simple enough of a game.

They need to get guys back from injury and quickly if they want to stay at the top of the division. Otherwise, it’s a slow decent into second, then getting chased down for third, and then all of a sudden the regular season is over and you’re in another best of three with the Lehigh Valley Phantoms again.

The rest of them, specifically looking in the direction of Tristan Broz, Valtteri Puustinen and Rafaël Harvey-Pinard, need to be better. They need to lead. They need to score points. Broz has been invisible since his recall. In his last ten games, a goal and two assists. That’s not going to cut it and I have no idea why Kirk MacDonald has him centering a top line with that putrid production. Getting Koivunen should help a bit.

Kirk MacDonald is a hell of a coach. You’d like to think he earns his money trying to coach the best out of his team.

They can beat Charlotte, as they proved the last time that they played here.

Who’s in Goal?

I would go with Filip Larsson if Joel Blomqvist can’t go for whatever reason and let Sergei Murashov have a game off. Hell, I would even give Murashov the entire weekend off. Perhaps he’s hitting a wall. He’s under immense pressure pressure to perform as they all him booked as Pittsburgh’s #1 goaltender for a decade or longer. Pressure busts pipes.

Cooper Black / Louis Domingue is the duo the Penguins will be facing in some combination this weekend.

Who’s Running the Show?

Ben Betker and Damien Figueira are the refs for the weekend. Luke Pye and Jake Rennert have the lines Friday, Brian Pincus tags in for Rennert on Saturday.

Looking Ahead…

The hits continue. The final trip to Providence this Wednesday followed by a pair at home against Hartford and then a Martin Luther King, Jr. matinee day game next Monday in Springfield.

Give us a bold prediction…

They manufacture two points out of the weekend and things start tightening up in the division. 😬

The Wilkes-Barre / Scranton Penguins return from Christmas break on top of the Atlantic Division and need (I believe) just two more points to send Head Coach Kirk MacDonald to Rockford, Illinois to coach the Atlantic Division All-Star team next month. The coach of the first place team in each division gets that honor at the end of the calendar year.

Music to Set the Mood…

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Again, not exactly pandering to anyone born after 1980. But it is what it is.

A Quote…

A good coach will make his players see what they can be rather than what they are.
— John Wooden

I think MacDonald has gotten about all he can out of his players which have rewarded the second year coach with a first place showing for most of, if not all of this still young season. I think that the sky is the limit with this team.

The Setup…

Home with Hershey Saturday, on the road with the Phantoms on Sunday and then hosting the Charlotte Checkers on Tuesday again. I think that Tuesday game is one that a lot of the players have circled in the locker room.

Last week the Penguins took 5 of 6 points out of games with the Utica Comets (a win in Utica Friday followed by a home shootout loss) and then a Sunday win against the Bears.

The Bears beat Bridgeport last Saturday and then lost to the Penguins.

The Phantoms lost to the Islanders Friday then needed a shootout to take down the Hartford Wolf Pack. They host the Checkers on Saturday.

Charlotte returned home and lost clean to the last place Springfield Thunderbirds Saturday then exacted some overtime revenge against the Birds on Sunday with an overtime win. They are in Allentown on Saturday, Hershey on Sunday before heading up to Wilkes-Barre on Tuesday.

Records…

Wilkes-Barre is 21-7-1-1 with 44 points and lead the Atlantic.

Hershey is 14-11-1 with 29 points and are fifth in the Atlantic.

Lehigh Valley is 14-11-1-2 with 31 points and are fourth in the Atlantic.

Charlotte is 15-9-2 with 32 points and are third in the Atlantic.

The Rest of those Rascals…

The Checkers are trying to make it a three horse race but so far it’s basically the Penguins and Providence Bruins who are the class of the field. The Bruins are 20-5-1 and have 41 points in second in the Atlantic and have four games in hand on Wilkes-Barre. They beat the Syracuse Crunch last Saturday. They have Springfield this Saturday in Massachusetts. At the end of the night on Tuesday, they will have SIX games in hand on the Penguins. One of those will be burned off when they play the Thunderbirds on the road this coming Wednesday.

After Tuesday, the Penguins aren’t in action again until Saturday in Syracuse, so let’s run through everyone else’s schedule up until then.

Charlotte doesn’t play till Saturday when they are in Cleveland.

The Phantoms will host the Bears on Wednesday, then off till Saturday (at Belleville)

Same for Hershey, who will host the Rockford IceHogs next weekend.

Springfield is one of the hotter teams in the AHL right now and went from last place in the division all the way up to sixth with a 9-11-4-2 record and 24 points. I gave you what they did against Charlotte last weekend above. They host Providence this Saturday, then Bridgeport on Sunday and then host the Bruins on New Years Eve. They will host the Islanders again on January 2.

Bridgeport is 11-13-1-1 and have 24 points in seventh. It’s been a struggle for the Islanders who beat Lehigh Valley and then lost to Hershey last weekend. They host Hartford Saturday, travel to Springfield Sunday then are in Hartford on New Years Eve. They return back to Springfield on January 2.

I would like to think at this time that one of the three teams between Springfield, Bridgeport and Hartford are going to make playoffs. I don’t think it will be the last place Hartford Wolf Pack however. They are 9-13-4-1 and have 23 points. They lost at home against Syracuse last Friday, then in Allentown via shootout on Saturday. They have a home and home with Bridgeport that starts Saturday in Connecticut and is paid off on New Years Eve in Hartford. They will host the P-Bruins on next Friday.

Who’s Up? Who’s Down? Who’s Out?

Aaron Huglen, Sebastian Aho and Alex Alexyev are still injured. The ECHL went on strike today so players like Mathieu De St. Phalle and David Breazeale may be recalled to the AHL while the collective bargaining gets figured out. Taylor Gauthier will be playing in the Spengler Cup. There are a couple others who may end up here while the Nailers are on lockout.

I haven’t seen Danton Heinen’s name appear much in Pittsburgh so I wonder if he will get shipped back at some point. Rutger McGroarty has graduated I think and so has Ville Koivunen.

What can we learn about the Penguins this week?

I think you can pencil them in as better than Hershey and Lehigh Valley but note that they need to play a full 60 to beat those clubs. They can’t play disinterested or loose hockey and expect to just pull four goals out of their arse in the third period and coast to a win. It’s Charlotte that has my attention based of off how pedestrian the Checkers made the Penguins look.

Also, they are missing Sam Poulin, who was traded. You need a lethal scoring threat. Joona Koppanen stepped up last weekend with 5 points but that’s not his repertoire, so to speak. I want to see some combination of Phil Tomasino, Rafaël Harvey-Pinard or Tristan Broz just explode and start pouring in points. Valtteri Puustinen remains a lethal threat but he’s on track to be the next Sam Poulin if he doesn’t start producing on a more consistent basis.

This team is in first place because of those players, but in order to stay there everyone has to pull the same rope, proverbially.

Who’s in Goal?

Sergei Murashov – Joel Blomqvist then whoever plays the best of those two gets the net Tuesday against the Checkers. I think Blomqvist has been outplaying Murashov by an eyelash recently, so it’s going to be interesting to see who gets the net Tuesday.

Clay Stevenson, Carson Bjarnason, Cooper Black is my guess for the opposition.

Who’s Running the Show?

Chris Conway and Austin O’Rourke have the assignment on Saturday with Jud Ritter an J.P. Waleski on the lines.

O’Rourke will follow the team to Allentown Sunday and pair up with Mathieu Menniti with Davids Rozitis and John Rey on the lines.

No Tuesday crew assignment yet. Surprise refs!

Looking Ahead…

Tuesday is the last home game until January 16 but the games are spread out and pretty much all in the same place. They have one game next weekend and that is Saturday in Syracuse. I’ll have a lot of time on my hands next weekend. Too bad it’s January and not June.

Give us a bold prediction…

Handshakes for Kirk MacDonald Sunday in Allentown as he will be announced as the head coach of the Atlantic Division All-Star team at that time.

The Wilkes-Barre / Scranton Penguins hit some turbulence Sunday and Tuesday of this week after two rough losses to the Charlotte Checkers, and now turn their attention to their first three in three weekend of the season beginning with a home and home with the Utica Comets and then a Hershey Bears drop in Sunday afternoon.

Music to Set the Mood…

–

A Quote…

The measure of who we are is how we react if something doesn’t go our way.
— Usain Bolt

The Setup…

First three in three of the season with a trip to Utica, then a home game with the Devils and a Sunday home game against Hershey.

The Penguins blanked the Hartford Wolf Pack 3-0 with a 34 save performance from Sergei Murashov last Wednesday. They had Friday off then took Providence to overtime and a Valtteri Puustinen overtime goal gave the Penguins their first home win over the Bruins since 2019.

Then Charlotte. They laid an egg Sunday and lost 6-2 and on Tuesday were a bit more competitive but lost 2-1 to the Checkers.

The Comets lost to Hartford 2-1 last Friday, Springfield 3-2 Saturday and then beat Rochester 3-2 Wednesday.

Hershey lost 4-1 to Providence last Friday and then shutout the Charlotte Checkers 4-0 on Saturday. The Bears host Bridgeport Saturday and will take on a Penguins team playing its third game in three days Sunday.

Records…

Penguins still lead the Atlantic with a 19-7-1 record and 39 points.

Utica is last in the North with a 6-14-3-1 record and 16 points.

Hershey is 13-10-1 and have 27 points in fifth place in the Atlantic.

The Rest of those Rascals…

The biggest winner this week were the Providence Bruins. The Bruins have two games in hand on the Penguins and are tied in points with Wilkes-Barre with a 19-5-1 record. Providence was off this week and have one game, Saturday against Syracuse, this weekend. They will four games in hand on the Penguins after this weekend.

Charlotte looks like a team on the rise, sweeping the Penguins for a pair this past week. They are third in the division with a 14-8-2 record. You shouldn’t focus so much on the Phantoms and Bears and really should be concerned about the Checkers. The Grand Rapids Griffins are off to the best start in AHL history with just one regulation loss. That loss was dealt to them by the Charlotte Checkers. They are giant killers. They host Springfield Saturday and Sunday.

Lehigh Valley is fourth in the division with a 13-10-1-2 record and 29 points. The Phantoms lost in Syracuse last Friday, won in Rochester Saturday via shootout then lost to last place Springfield on Wednesday. They host Bridgeport and Hartford this weekend.

Hartford is 9-12-4 with 22 points and sixth in the Atlantic. They beat Utica last Friday then got smoked in Syracuse 7-2 last Saturday. They host the Crunch tonight then travel to Allentown Saturday.

Bridgeport is 10-12-1-1 with 22 points and seventh in the Atlantic. They beat Laval clean and then Belleville in overtime last weekend, and then lost 5-0 on Wednesday at home against Syracuse. Go figure. The Islanders are in Allentown tonight and Hershey tomorrow.

Springfield is 8-11-3-2 with 21 points and in last in the Atlantic but with the way they are playing won’t be for long. The Thunderbirds have points in four straight. They will be tested this weekend in Charlotte.

Who’s Up? Who’s Down? Who’s Out?

David Breazeale was up and then back down to Wheeling without appearing in a game.

Matt Dumba cleared waivers and played his first AHL game in over a decade on Tuesday.

Sam Poulin was traded to Edmonton with Tristan Jarry.

Aaron Huglen is week to week with an upper body injury.

Sebastian Aho and Alex Alexeyev are also injured, but with Breazeale going back down maybe one of them are back this weekend.

I think that is everything.

What can we learn about the Penguins this week?

I mean they should get a start out of Sergei Murashov this weekend and would likely win that game. How much do they have left in the tank Sunday at home against Hershey playing their third game in a row when the Bears were home all weekend and just had Bridgeport in Saturday.

It would behoove them to win these games because Providence will have four games in hand and Charlotte is on the come.

Also, Alexeyev and Aho aren’t really the straws that stir the drink defensively, are they? Let’s hope we don’t have to answer this question and they are back this weekend at some point.

Who’s in Goal?

I’d like to see Filip Larsson get back in there against Utica and have them use all three goaltenders this weekend but that isn’t how it always works. Murashov – Blomqvist – Murashov would be the safe bet.

Nico Daws and Jakub Málek will see work for the Comets this weekend against the Penguins and then probably Mitch Gibson for the Bears Sunday.

Who’s Running the Show?

Jordan Deckard and Jared Cummins will adjudicate in Utica with T.J. Dockery and Jason Brown on the lines.

Deckard will drive I-90 West, then merge onto I-81 South in Syracuse, blitzkrieg past the home of the Crunch, blow past Binghamton and will meet up with Chad Ingalls on Saturday to work the rematch with Jud Ritter and John Rey on the lines.

New refs on Sunday. Ben Betker and Koletrane Wilson will work the matinee with the Bears with Dylan Blujus and J.P. Waleski on the lines.

Looking Ahead…

Merry Christmas. Saturday at home against the Bears on December 27 and then another Sunday game (this time on the road) against the Phantoms and then another Tuesday home game against the Charlotte Checkers.

Next week’s Weekend Preview will include that Tuesday game against Charlotte.

Give us a bold prediction…

They will win all three games with a power play goal in each and Sergei Murashov gets named AHL Player of the Week with only one game allowed on 60+ shots.

The Penguins have four games in seven days, three at home and one on the road. That game is Wednesday in Hartford. Let’s take a look cause it’s a lot of ground to cover.

Music to Set the Mood…

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Ahh.. another SiriusXMU banger.

A Quote…

Just as there are four seasons, four phases of life, and four directions, the number 4 represents the natural order and balance in the universe. It reminds us to embrace both the light and the dark, as they are integral parts of our journey.
– Unknown

The Setup…

Four games this week, in Hartford Wednesday night, a Friday off, Saturday at home against Providence then a Sunday (💆‍♂️) afternoon home game against Charlotte then the Checkers are back here Tuesday night.

They swept Lehigh Valley and Hershey Friday and Saturday respectively in resounding fashion. When do you start having the discussion that the Penguins are in another class over these two opponents?

Hartford beat Springfield Friday at home and then lost big in Bridgeport on Saturday.

Providence needed overtime to beat a last place Springfield team on Saturday and then in the rematch with the Thunderbirds at home on Sunday they lost 3-1. The Bruins are in Hershey Wednesday and Friday before stopping in Saturday. Important to keep in mind that the Bruins have a game in hand on the Pens at this time.

Charlotte split with the Rochester Americans, beating them in OT on Saturday and losing clean to them on Friday. They hosted Cleveland last night and lost 3-1 and rematch with the Monsters Wednesday before heading up to Hershey on Saturday.

Records…

The Penguins are 17-5-1 and have 35 points in first place in the Atlantic.

Hartford is 8-10-4 and have 20 points in sixth.

Providence is 17-5 and have 34 points in second place in the division.

Charlotte has a 11-7-2 record and have 24 points and sit fifth in the division.

The Rest of Those Rascals…

Lehigh Valley lost to the Penguins Friday night then needed overtime to beat a four win Utica team in overtime Saturday. They went to Hershey Sunday and lost 3-2. They have a 12-8-1-2 record and have 27 points in third in the Atlantic. They are in Syracuse Friday, Rochester Saturday then return home for the rest of the month with six home games.

Hershey lost to the Penguins on Saturday and then hosted Lehigh Valley and beat the Phantoms. The Bears have a 12-8-1 record and have 25 points and are fourth in the division. Hershey hosts Providence Wednesday and Friday and then the Checkers on Saturday.

Bridgeport lost big in Utica on Friday and then walloped the Wolf Pack at home Saturday. They are 8-11-1-1 and have 18 points and are seventh in the division. The Islanders are in Laval Saturday and Belleville on Sunday.

Springfield lost clean in Hartford on Friday and then took the Bruins to the limit on Saturday but lost in overtime. On Sunday, they beat the Bruins clean. Despite this, they are 6-11-3-2 and have 17 points in last in the division.

Who’s Up? Who’s Down? Who’s Out?

Aaron Huglen is week to week with an upper body injury.

Jack St. Ivany and Harrison Brunicke were recalled after their conditioning assignments Sunday.

Boko Imama was returned to Wilkes-Barre Sunday.

Finn Harding was recalled from Wheeling Sunday.

Scooter Brickey followed on Monday. Why they staggered the two I’ll never know.

Danton Heinen and Sam Poulin went up Tuesday.

What can we learn about the Penguins this week?

I think they are in good shape and deep at all positions. They likely are tired of beating each other up in practice so I bet they are chomping at the bit to get some live fire in their face and play these games.

Gotta be careful though. Hartford can trip them up, Providence is as good as they are and Charlotte plays like a wild card. I think it’s another week they are favored in all the games, but as always need to be careful.

I liked how they ran away from the Phantoms and Hershey and just stepped on the accelerator, scored a bunch of goals and just sat on the lead. It’s a good strategy. Could it be dangerous like a cat playing with its food? (My cats don’t) Sure, but I think Kirk MacDonald has shown to all that he’s a hell of a coach that his players respect.

No reason to believe they can’t win all four games and put eight more points in the bank.

Who’s in Goal?

Murashov – Murashov – Blomqvist – Murashov would be my ideal setup. If you want them to get equal run in goal, then let Blomqvist start for you in Hartford, but by hook or by crook, Sergei Murashov starts Saturday against the Bruins.

Dylan Garand for the Wolf Pack, Simon Zajicek for the Bruins, Louis Domingue and Cooper Black for the Checkers in that order for the competition if you are making my guess which if you are reading this, you are.

Who’s Running the Show?

Good cop / bad cop situation in Hartford. One of my favorite referees, Jim Curtin is flanked by a guy who I think is out of his depth in Mike Sullivan. Kevin and Nick Briganti will work the lines.

Riley Brace and Nick Isaacson are the refs Saturday with J.P. Waleski and John Rey on the lines.

Sigh…Brace and Isaacson stick around, Jud Ritter tags in for John Rey and Wales sticks around on the lines Sunday when they host Hershey. Again, there are tons of referees in the league these days and they run the same two on back to back nights.

No referee data yet for Tuesday’s game with Charlotte. Hopefully by then, Isaacson and Brace skip town.

Looking Ahead…

Their first three in three of the year starts next Friday in Utica, then home with the Comets and then another Sunday home game against the Hershey Bears before the Christmas break.

Give us a bold prediction….

Kirk MacDonald will be packing bag for Rockford, Illinois. No, he’s not getting fired, he’s going to be named the coach of the Atlantic Division when All-Stars rolls around in January. The teams with the best records at the end of the year in each division send their head coach to the All-Star games. MacDonald will be set up for this dubious distinction after his team sweeps these four games.