Chirps from Center Ice

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Penguins lose 5-2 in Game 2 in Charlotte early Sunday afternoon off three points doom Checkers leading scorer John Leonard. The Checkers have all the tie breakers on the Penguins now as the two teams wrap up their regular season series.

The good news is that both teams are still within arm reach of the Hershey Bears for the division lead. The bad news is that if the Checkers and Penguins are tied in points at the end f the season, the Checkers would get the higher seed in the division.

They will have a week off then restart things next weekend in Cleveland.

Here’s how they lined up:

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Lineup Notes: Tristan Broz was suspended for the game because of the cross checking incident from Saturday where he paid a 4:00 penance in the penalty box. The league then comes over the top and tacks on a suspension. Everything is made up and the points don’t matter to the League. Guy gets called for a double minor, league comes over the top and sits him a game. Either hire more competent officials who throw him out of the game when it happens, or make it make sense.

With Broz turfed for the game, they went 11 forwards and 7 defensemen. Kyle Jackson, who they called up in the wake of McGroarty and Koivunen going up, made his AHL debut. Mac Hollowell returned from injury, Mathias Laferrière is day to day with an upper body injury. Scooter Brickey was also back in on defense with just Nate Clurman scratched.

First Period: Sergei Murashov lets in the first shot he sees off the stick of Matt Kiersted on what really was a wicked shot, that gave the Checkers early 1-0 lead at 4:39 then the Checkers kill a Penguins power play and a few seconds later off the rush ex-Penguin Jesse Puljujarvi scores to expend the lead to two.

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I liked what I saw from Kyle Jackson, who had two Grade A opportunities and seemed to me to have a nose for the net.

Second Period: Checkers really hounded the Penguins looking for a third goal that did not come. The Penguins withstood this and got a really greasy goal from Atley Calvert that brought Wilkes-Barre to within one.

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Third Period: Valtteri Puustinen tied the game at two with a nice shot.

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But then this is where John Leonard went to work.

On the first power play of the day for Charlotte, Leonard scores to re-establish the Checkers lead.

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And then the Penguins were unable to score on back to back power play opportunities and then with time dwindling had to kill one of their own. With Sergei Murashov pulled for an extra attacker, Leonard scores from deep to make it 4-2 then Ramsus Asplund follows up by walking a puck in to make it 5-2.

Three Stars: 3) Kaapo Kähkönen (24 saves) 2) Matt Kiersted (goal, assist) 1) John Leonard (two goals, assist)

The Good: They manage a split against a really good Charlotte team but their fate as it is with the Checkers alone, is not in their hands.

The Bad: Failing to score on back to back power play chances seemingly, when they needed it most.

Turning Point: When they didn’t get a goal on either of the late chances you know they were going to be desperate and Charlotte is too good and too skilled to let an extra man goal happen to them when they, too, needed the points.

Around the Division: Boxes on today’s action which is on or will be getting on by the time this goes up here. The important ones are Springfield / Providence and Utica / Hershey.

Standings: Three off the Bears are both the Checkers and Penguins, but the Bears are in action late at home against Utica.

Wheeling Update: Nailers were off.

Video Highlights: Will be located someplace here.

Week off for them to heal up, hopefully get some bodies back and then it’s off to a sliding Cleveland team next weekend.

AHL Power Rankings will be up Monday.

Let’s Go Pens!

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The Wilkes-Barre / Scranton Penguins won 5-3 Saturday afternoon in Charlotte to propel themselves back to second place in the Atlantic Division and ties the Checkers with the second tire breaker, being regulation or overtime wins with some really good special teams play.

They killed off a Tristan Broz double minor and then another in the first period against a Checkers power play which is ranked third in the AHL.

Then, the Penguins scored a power play goal when Vasily Ponomarev scored with under seven minutes to play against the Checkers top ranked penalty kill.

The teams will rematch at 1 p.m. Sunday. I’ll be asking my priest to hurry up his sermon at the 11 a.m. mass I plan on attending.

Here’s how they lined up:

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Lineup Notes: AHL pro debut for Harrison Brunicke. Rutger McGraorty and Ville Koivunen were recalled to Pittsburgh and Joona Koppanen was sent back. Alex Gallant and Koppanen were in for those two and Brunicke went in for Scooter Brickey.

First Period: No scoring. Jack St. Ivany had yeoman like work on the Penguins penalty kill, which the Pens needed to do three times where one was a double minor Tristan Broz infraction.

Filip Larsson had a hell of a save on one of the closing sequences.

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Second Period: Sam Poulin scores when the puck gets lost in the pads of Checkers goaltender Cooper Black.

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Later, Valtteri Puustinen muscled his way into the Checkers zone and wired one past Black that made it 2-0 Wilkes-Barre.

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Then Charlotte started a furious push in the final five minutes of the period.

Nicholas Zabaneh played pitch and catch with Oliver Okuliar after creating a turnover and scored to get the Checkers on the board.

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Then Harrison Brunicke had a rookie mistake. He tried to bank a pass to himself off of the net he was defending and Sandis Vilmanis made him pay.

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To this point, I thought Brunicke looked good. He had some power play time as well.

Third Period: Fast forward to the 13:07 mark of the period where Wilmer Skoog was called for hooking. On the ensuing power play, Atley Calvert set a screen in front and Vasily Ponomarev unleashed a hell of a shot that beat Cooper Black to give the Penguins a 3-2 lead.

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As described above, first pro point for Harrison Brunicke who assisted on the power play goal.

With Black pulled for an extra attacker, Matt Nieto scored from about 185 feet away into the empty net and then Joona Koppanen muscled his way through all three zones to score an empty netter of his own to seal it for the Penguins.

Justin Sourdif had a wrap around chance that deflected off of the skates of Owen Pickering in front as a consolation goal for the Checkers with :36 left.

Three Stars: 3) Nicholas Zabaneh (goal) 2) Valtteri Puustinen (goal) 1) Vasily Ponomarev (power play goal)

The Good: Huge two points Saturday and they get to roll out Sergei Murashov out Sunday who has not lost in the AHL yet. Special teams ruled the day for the Penguins and this is a huge two points.

The Bad: Charlotte never went away and if it wasn’t for the late special teams theatrics for the Penguins, could have been a different result, but that’s a stretch.

Turning Point: Glaringly obvious here, the Ponomarev goal gets it here.

Around the Division: Well, hate to do this to you but with them playing early Saturday and even earlier Sunday, these won’t be here this weekend. I will leave links to the daily box here and Sunday if I remember. Heh.

Standings: As it stands the Penguins are three off Hershey for tops in the division with 82 points, but the Bears are in Utica Saturday night.

Wheeling Update: Nailers are hosting the Cincinnati Cyclones in a few hours.

Video Highlights: AHL VideoCenter is likely your best bet.

Back at it early Sunday afternoon.

Let’s Go Pens!

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Avery Hayes’ overtime game winning goal with under :20 to play in Wednesday’s nights thriller of a hockey game propels the Wilkes-Barre / Scranton Penguins to a berth in the 2025 Calder Cup Playoffs.

Okay, so getting to overtime secured the spot, but let’s just roll with the good vibes.

Penguins win in overtime 4-3, but could have and should have lost this game because Hartford was playing some good and some desperate hockey, fighting for their own playoff lives.

Quick one tonight as it’s 10:45 on a Wednesday and the real job starts at 8:30 a.m. sharp. So let’s ride…

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Lineup Notes: Hartford didn’t post lines. Laferriere for Gallant up front; Brickey and Clurman for Pietila and Renouf on defense.

First Period: Valterri Puustinen worked a give and go with Tristan Broz and Nate Clurman and scored at 11:16 to give the Pens an early 1-0 lead.

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But then Alex Belzile scored shorthanded and the Wolf Pack tied it at one.

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Avery Hayes scores his first of the night on the power play that re-establishes the 2-1 Penguin lead.

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Second Period: Extremely sloppy. Probably their worst period of recent memory where they weren’t getting scored on in every shift like last Friday against Providence. Jaroslav Chmelař scored an unassisted goal to tie it at two, then a Connor Mackey shot from the point was deflected in by Brendan Brisson for a power play goal that gave the Wolf Pack the lead heading into the third period.

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Third Period: They buttoned up the gaps big time and got a goal just :28 in from Ville Koivunen that tied it at three.

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What vision by Sebastian Aho there.

I thought refs Austin Rook and Mason Riley were a bit overdone with their calls, especially in the third. Dylan Roobroeck runs Rutger McGroarty over with a truck, fights Avery Hayes and they take Hayes, Roobroeck AND McGroarty. It also took them five minutes longer than it should have on a Wednesday night to figure it all out. Come on and move it along.

Overtime: With the point secured, the Penguins were in the playoffs. The question would be how would the vibes be?

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Pretty, pretty good.

Obligatory: 

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Three Stars: 3) Tristan Broz (two assists) 2) Ville Koivunen (goal) 1) Avery Hayes (two goals, game winner in overtime)

Sergei Murashov is now 11-0 in the AHL, breaking the record set by Matt Murray.

Around the Division: Hershey wins 4-1 in Bridgeport …. Charlotte beats Providence 5-2.

Standings: Hershey 85 – Charlotte 80 – Penguins 80 – Providence 77 – Lehigh Valley 69 – Springfield 66 – Hartford 62 – Bridgeport 35

Wheeling Update: The Nailers were off.

Video Highlights: 

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They fly to Charlotte for an extremely important series with the Checkers that starts Saturday at 4. Don’t be late.

Let’s Go to bed Pens!

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Wilkes-Barre wins 5-2 in Bridgeport against a last place Islanders team that has only won five times at home all season and re-establishes second place in the division and are five off Hershey for the division lead. They can punch their ticket to the postseason with a win Wednesday at home against Hartford.

What a few hours for the Penguins, huh? OT win against the Bears Saturday and then today’s result. Makes the 10-2 thrashing Friday at home against Providence seem like a distant memory, right?

Here’s how they lined up – Bridgeport didn’t post the lines and never do. Where have you gone, Mike Fornabaio?

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Lineup Notes: Chase Pietila and Dan Renouf for Scooter Brickey and Mac Hollowell on defense and Sam Poulin for Mathias Lafferiere at forward.

First Period: Penguins were peppering Jakub Skarek and scored four times.

Sam Poulin opened the scoring then also chipped in two more assists. Matt Nieto tipped in a Filip Kral shot to make it 2-0, then Valtteri Puustinen layered in a power play goal to make it 3-0 and then Boris Katchouk scored in the final minute to make it 4-0.

It was a boffo period for the Penguins, who had four goals on just eight shots, and the end of Skarek’s services in net. Here’s the goals….

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Second Period: Henrik Tikkanen took over and calmed things down for the Islanders who clawed back at the tune of two goals from Marshall Warren from a tip from the point and then Alex Jeffries beating Filip Larsson that made what was a comfortable lead on a Sunday afternoon a bit of a nail biter.

Note about these goals, it was the first time the Islander scored a goal against the Penguins since November 16.

Normally now the next goal is vital in these situations.

Zach Gallant, who earned himself a second game, was wrecking shop behind the Islanders net and this chaos found its way to Chase Stillman, who wired home his first as a Penguin to make it 5-2 and give the Penguins some much needed room.

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Third Period: Quiet period. Penguins killed two penalties and the Islanders got no closer.

Three Stars: 3) Matt Nieto (goal, assist) 2) Sebastian Aho (three assists) 1) Sam Poulin (goal, two assists)

The Good: 3) They go 2-1 on the weekend after getting smashed 10-2 Friday at home against Providence and Filip Larsson gets a confidence building win. They have a chance to punch a ticket to the postseason Wednesday at home against Hartrfod.

The Bad: Did they let off or were they really that bad in that second period where Bridgeport was in control and got two goals?

Turning Point: Obvious here, Stillman’s goal that made it 5-2 gets it here. It was a very big goal.

Around the Division: Shocking that on a Sunday, there were no other teams in action in the Division.

Standings: Hershey 83 – Penguins 78 – Providence 77 – Charlotte 76 – Lehigh Valley 69 – Springfield 66 – Hartford 61 – Bridgeport 35

Wheeling Update: Nailers are out in Indiana taking on the Indy Fuel. Box here.

Video Highlights: Your best bet is here if you really want to see them, but I pretty much gave you the details above.

Power Rankings will be up Monday afternoon. Please check them out when you can.

Let’s Go Pens!

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Atley Calvert had a pair of goals but it was Avery Hayes’ goal in overtime that gives the Wilkes-Barre / Scranton Penguins a 3-2 overtime win over the Hershey Bears on Saturday night.

Good wash away game for the Penguins after Friday’s monstrosity against Providence.

Onto Bridgeport Sunday, with a chance to close the magic number even closer to zero.

Here’s how they lined up…

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Lineup Notes: Sam Poulin was suspended a game by the AHL early Saturday for a slew foot. He was called for a hold :31 into the third period Friday but I thought it had the look of a slew foot and I was right. He was out, Marc Johnstone is hurt so that meant Matt Nieto and Zach Gallant were in up front. For Gallant it was his Penguins debut. On defense Sebastian Aho and Scooter Brickey were in for Dan Renouf and Nate Clurman.

First Period: Tamer start in comparison to the low bar based off of Friday, Filip Kral was called for a high stick and the Bears played pitch and catch with the puck and Mike Vecchione slammed one home to give the Bears a 1-0 lead.

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Give a great team like the Bears an inch and they take a mile.

Second Period: Atley Calvert cleaned up the trash around the front of the net and scored to get the Penguins on the board at 3:49.

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Penguins to this point still hadn’t had a power play. That said, Casey Terreri and Mike Dietrich called a fantastic game.

Third Period: Calvert nets his second of the game at 6:52 off a nice feed from Zach Gallant to push the Penguins ahead 2-1.

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Turning Point: Wait, what? Just work with me here. Henrik Rybinski high sticks Filip Kral and draws blood, Penguins to a 4:00 power play. They do not score. They do not threaten. The Bears kill it easy.

Then with Hunter Shepard pulled, Mike Vecchione nets his second of the game off of a deflection.

(Hershey didn’t offer video. Many in the arena thought it was a kick, but Terreri and Dietrich reviewed and adjudged good goal)

Overtime: 

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Ballgame.

Three Stars: 3) Sergei Murashov (24 saves, 10-0 in AHL) 2) Atley Calvert (two goals) 1) Avery Hayes (overtime game winning goal)

The Good:  Way to wash to stink off that loss Providence handed you. It was one game, crumble it up and throw it in the bin and move on to the next one. They didn’t make the same mistakes and it got them the win.

The Bad: Giving another point to a team you are trying to chase down is a fools enterprise.

Gave you the turning point above. Get one, maybe two power play goals, and the Hayes heroics are not needed.

Around the Division: Hartford beats Milwaukee in overtime 2-1. The Penguins cannot clinch a spot this weekend. I think that’s the only score that matters. The rest of the boxes are here.

Standings: Hershey has 83. The Penguins have 76. With these Saturday game starting an hour earlier, I ain’t sticking around for the remaining finals.

Wheeling Update: Nailers are in Toledo. Box here.

Video Highlights: Usually how these go as the moment I hit publish the video highlight will go up.

More tomorrow against Bridgeport Sunday afternoon.

Let’s Go Pens!