Chirps from Center Ice

         @        

3                           5

–

Sometimes you run into a hot goalie and Saturday, the Wilkes-Barre / Scranton Penguins ran into Colten Ellis who stopped 31 shots faced and stymied the Pens who lose 5-3.

The scoreboard out of town set up nicely for the Penguins who could have drawn to within a point of Hershey, but that didn’t happen.

Onto Providence, who lost to hapless Hartford, Sunday.

Here’s how they lined up…

–

Lineup Notes: Emil Bemstrom was sent back to Wilkes-Barre but didn’t make it to the game in town. Will see what his status is for Sunday in Providence. Matty De St. Phalle made his Penguins season debut replacing Atley Calvert.

First Period: Teams trade power plays. I didn’t like the power play all night. No one scored on the man advantage.

Wilkes-Barre bottled up the Thunderbirds in the period and got a 1-0 lead they took to intermission off a Corey Andonovski turnover that Ville Koivunen capitalized on.

–

Second Period: Thunderbirds waste no time and score :31 in where Aleksanteri Kaskimäki scores a beauty of a goal.

–

Less than a minute later, Boris Katchouk scores to re-establish the Penguins lead.

–

Otto Stenberg is a highly touted prospect for the St. Louis Blues and he showed why when he scored from the high slot that tied the game for Springfield.

–

Penguins had a power play late and kept it in for a good 90 seconds but could not crack Colten Ellis. Just at the end of the kill, Springfield scores to go ahead via a Corey Schueneman goal that Tristan Jarry thought should have been whistled down for icing.

–

Three goals past Jarry. Are they all his fault? I don’t think so. Beat on a dirty first goal, high slot through a screen on the second and maybe he could have had the third goal. Who knows. There’s a lot of pressure on the guy getting waived and underwhelming.

Third Period: Penguins got themselves a nice kill to start the period and were buzzing for a tying goal but Ellis shut the door at every offering. They continued to press Ellis, but came away empty.

Then a failed clear by Wilkes-Barre sees Matthew Peca score and the hill gets steeper for the Penguins who are now chasing a two goal deficit.

–

The Penguins do get a late power play goal from Valtteri Puustinen that give them some life…

–

…but it came too little too late. With Jarry pulled for an extra attacker, Nikita Alexandrov scores into the empty net to make it 5-3 and sealed the game away for the Thunderbirds.

Three Stars: 3) Ville Koivunen (goal, two assists) 2) Otto Stenberg (goal, assist) 1) Corey Schueneman (goal, assist)

The Good: Strong game by Ville Koivunen, factoring into all three Penguins goals.

The Bad: That effort was wasted. Golden opportunity to get a point behind Hershey with some separation to Providence back at the three spot, but this closes everything up and is a net positive for a team like Charlotte.

Turning Point: The Schueneman goal late in the second gets it here.

Around the Division: Lehigh Valley is out in Rockford, that box is here….Charlotte gets a late goal and an empty netter to beat Hershey 3-1….Hartford beats Providence 6-5 in a track meet….Utica beats Bridgeport 4-2.

Standings: Hershey 65 – Penguins 62 – Providence and Charlotte 61 – Lehigh Valley xx – Springfield 55 – Hartford 48 – Bridgeport 29

Wheeling Update: Nailers repay the favor and shutout the Tula Oilers 2-0. Sergei Murashov with an eye popping 42 save shutout.

Video Highlights: Go to the AHL VideoCenter if you are a sicko.

Back at it Sunday afternoon against Providence. Talk to you then.

Let’s Go Pens!

          @          

4                             1

–

A methodical takedown of a struggling Hartford Wolf Pack team on Friday sees the Wilkes-Barre / Scranton Penguins win 4-1 to close to within three points of the first place Hershey Bears.

Didn’t want to mention it in the Weekend Preview, but if the cards fall right now that the Penguins have won Friday, Wilkes-Barre could hypothetically wake up Monday morning in first place in the Division.

But let’s get there when we get there, if we get there.

Here’s how they lined up. Hartford never posts lines.

https://twitter.com/WBSPenguins/status/1893081968675275229

–

Lineup Notes: Vasily Ponomarev returned from his one game suspension and replaced the recalled Emil Bemstrom. Isaac Belliveau replaced Scooter Brickey on defense. Filip Larsson got the start, which surprised me.

First Period: It got ugly for the Wolf Pack and quickly.

Louis Domingue lets in the first shot he sees at :29 off the stick of Rutger McGroarty.

–

Hartford got in penalty trouble, taking consecutive penalties putting their 27th ranked penalty kill against the #1 ranked power play in the Penguins (still feels weird typing this) and Avery Hayes made them pay that made it 2-0 on a hack and whack job in the crease.

https://twitter.com/WBSPenguins/status/1893096158261612910

–

The Penguins made it 3-0 when Ponomarev, Ville Koivunen and Boris Katchouk played pitch and catch with the puck which saw Katchoukl score.

https://twitter.com/WBSPenguins/status/1893097302497051104

–

Second Period: I didn’t like the response at all by the Penguins out of the room. Hartford scored and the Penguins only had two shots for the first 15 or so minutes of the period. They couldn’t do anything wrong in the first and everything was going in, but in the second Filip Larsson was under bombardment, stopping 12 of 13 shots. The one goal he allowed came off of the stick of Maxim Barbashev.

–

Third Period: Teams traded a Filip Kral delay of game and a Connor Mackey high sticking penalty but neither team notched a power play goal. At no point was it a, “next goal is important here” because it was a much more even period.

With Louis Domingue pulled, Marc Johnstone scored an empty net goal.

–

Have to feel for Louis Domingue. He had some great saves for his team and without him it’s probably a five or six goal win for the Penguins.

Three Stars: 3) Maxim Barbashev (first AHL goal) 2) Filip Kral (two assists) 1) Rutger McGroarty (goal, assist)

The Good: I liked the start. A goal :29 in? Let’s go!

The Bad: I didn’t like that second period. If a better team makes adjustments it could have been a lot worse. Oh no!

Turning Point: That Katchouk goal seemed like a back breaker.

Around the Division: Light Friday as a theme here in the Atlantic. Lehigh Valley is out in Western Michigan taking on the Griffins and lose in a shootout 5-4. Providence hosted Utica and wins 4-2. The rest of them were off.

Standings: Hershey 65 – Penguins 62 – Providence 61 – Charlotte 59 – Lehigh Valley xx – Springfield 53 – Hartford 46 – Bridgeport 29

Wheeling Update: Tulsa Oilers are in for a visit and shutout the Nailers 3-0. Luke Lush, which is a hell of a name, had a 17 save shutout.

Video Highlights: Bookmark the AHL VideoCenter this weekend on your browser as that’s likely your best bet.

Talk to you tomorrow after the Springfield game.

Let’s Go Pens!

         @        

4                            3

–

They had it, then almost lost it but the Wilkes-Barre / Scranton Penguins hold on and win 4-3 Sunday afternoon in Allentown against the Phantoms.

They put away a game they were in control of for the most part but almost lost. Sound familiar? Just be glad they get a clean win and use a game in hand on Hershey to inch closer to the 13 time champs.

Here’s how they lined up:

–

Lineup Notes: Vasily Ponomarev was suspended a game for receiving his match penalty Saturday against Hershey. Atley Calvert went in for him. Isaac Belliveau for Scooter Brickey on defense.

First Period: Joel Blomqvist was under early fire stopping the first seven shots of the game in a row by the Phantoms.

But then Avery Hayes stayed hot and scored off a nice feed from Sam Poulin.

–

Then Sam Poulin bagged himself a goal picking off a pass in the slot and made it 2-0 for the Penguins.

–

Second Period: Parker Gahagen was keeping the Phantoms in it, I heard Hart on radio say it could have gotten, “seriously ugly” if not for Gahagen’s efforts in net.

Tristan Broz beat him on a defection off an Avery Hayes pass that made it 3-0 Wilkes-Barre.

–

Phantoms were under bombardment in the period from all four lines, but got a goal from JR Avon off a clean face-off win that made it 3-1.

–

Third Period: Roles flipped. Phantoms bombed the Penguins zone with time and hit Blomqvist with shots. They would get a shorthanded goal to open the period to bring it to 3-2.

–

That was Friday’s shootout hero Rodrigo Ābols getting the goal there.

Next goal was going to be huge and this time it was the Penguins that got it off of a laser from Filip Kral.

–

But then the Phantoms would come closer off of a goal from Helge Grans off of another face-off play that made it 4-3 and a one goal game again.

–

Blomqvist would continue to face heavy fire but the Penguins stayed strong and didn’t allow the Phantoms to score with an extra man on the ice with Gahagen pulled.

Three Stars: 3) Rodrigo Ābols (goal, assist) 2) Sam Poulin (goal, assist) 1) Filip Kral (goal, assist)

The Good: Managed to get over the hump and etch out a regualtion win and stop this mini sump there are on.

The Bad: Are they becoming complacent? Certainly looks like it.

Turning Point: Kral’s goal that makes it 4-2 gets it here.

Around the Division: Bridgeport finally beats Providence for the first time this season 4-2. Charlotte and Hartford are still in action as this goes up. Box here.

Standings: Hershey 65 – Penguins 60 – Providence 59 – Charlotte can tie the Bruins with a win over Hartford, but let’s worry about that when we have to.

Wheeling Update: Nailers lose in Greenville against the Swamp Rabbits 5-2.

Video Highlights: AHL VideoCenter is your best bet.

AHL Power Rankings may be delayed till Tuesday because there are a lot of games Sunday and a bunch Monday. Stay tuned, I guess.

Let’s Go Pens!

           vs.          

4                                 3

–

The Wilkes-Barre / Scranton Penguins mounted a third period comeback in the third period and were 12.5 seconds away from getting things right and snapping out of this slump that they are in.

The Hershey Bears had other plans.

Chase Priskie’s goal with 12.5 seconds left ties it, then Hendrix Lapierre’s goal in overtime ended it. Wilkes-Barre loses 4-3 in overtime.

The Penguins will look to get right Sunday afternoon in Allentown.

Here’s how they lined up…

–

Lineup Notes: Mathias Laferrière made his Penguins debut for Jonathan Gruden (I heard on TV that Nick Hart said Gruden was injured. Gruden was in the locker room for a large part in the second period but finished out the game.) Filip Larsson’s first start in over a month in goal.

First Period: Physical period. Ville Koivunen injured Hendrix Lapierre, Lapierre returned later but they were taking runs at Koivunen all period.

Avery Hayes picked off a pass in the Bears zone and the Penguins were up 1-0.

–

Second Period: Penguins stared the period on a power play but don’t connect. Hershey would on theirs when Alex Limoges tipped in a shot from the far wall that tied the game at one.

–

I thought it was a better two periods as opposed to what you saw the night before against Lehigh Valley.

Third Period: Hershey would go up 2-1 on a Pierrick Dube deflection in front that put the Bears ahead 2-1.

–

But the Penguins showed great resolve, and got a Valtteri Puustinen goal in the slot that tied the game at two.

–

Puutstinen had time and space and picked his spot there. What a goal.

1:35 later, Avery Hayes scored his second goal of the night with this highlight reel tally that gave the Penguins a 3-2 lead.

–

But then the Penguins found themselves in some penalty trouble when Vasily Ponomarev was assessed a match penalty for fighting giving the Bears a 3:00 major power play. They would not score but this was late and likely wore them down a bit.

With starting goaltender Clay Stevenson pulled, the Bears would indeed find the equalizer and scored to tie the game with 12.5 seconds left. Chase Priskie with the rebound.

Overtime: It wasn’t a possession fest like it was the night prior against the Lehigh Valley Phantoms, more even here but Hendrix Lapierre found time and space at the top of the slot and world one past Filip Larsson to give the Bears the extra point.

–

Three Stars: 3) Pierrick Dube (goal) 2) Chase Priskie (goal) 1) Hendrix Lapierre

The Good: Hung in there with the back to back defending champs and gritted out a point.

The Bad: Kirk MacDonald has his hands full. They were 12.5 seconds away from a four point deficit on Hershey for the division lead. These points count all the same now and in April.

Turning Point: Another game that chased it to the end, the Lapierre overtime game winner gets it here.

Around the Division: I wasn’t at the game in person tonight because I get these half colds that run through me in the span of like 72 hours. That said, with it being a 6:05 start I am not sticking around for the 7:05 starts. That’s Lehigh Valley hosting Syracuse and Springfield having all the fun out in Rockford. Boxes in the links for the respective games. In the earlier games Charlotte shutout Hartford 4-0 and Providence did the same to Bridgeport 5-0.

Standings: Hershey 65 – Providence 59 – Penguins 58 – Charlotte 57 — the rest are still in action the time this goes up but won’t catch the top four no matter what they do Saturday.

Wheeling Update: Nailers lose 3-1 in the low country, or in South Carolina against the Stingrays. Sergei Murashov stopped 35.

Video Highlights: Whistling past the graveyard here again….

Back at it to close out the three in three Sunday afternoon against the Lehigh Valley Phantoms on Sunday afternoon.

Let’s Go Pens!

         vs.        

3                                2

–

No one else will say it, so I will say it.

I think they are slumping.

You saw it against a bad Bridgeport team that yes, they shutout last Friday and in the first half last Saturday against Cleveland and much more against stiffer competition Tuesday in Hershey.

Mistakes here and there and a lack of execution. They sucked Friday against the Lehigh Valley Phantoms who hung around like an unwanted houseguest and the Penguins lose 3-2 in a shootout.

No slowing down now, Hershey is less than 24 hours away.

Here’s how they lined up…

–

Lineup Notes: Scooter Brickey for Nikolai Knyzhov was the only change they made on defense.

First Period: You could see signs it was going to be a slog. Sam Poulin tips in a shot in front to give the Penguins a 1-0 lead…

–

But the Phantoms hung around and it was only a one goal lead heading into the…

Second Period: Lehigh Valley scores on a sequence where Joel Blomqvist is bowled over.

–

No call on the ice by the referee, who huddled with the other officials and then signaled goal.

Look, it isn’t reviewable. Even if it was, no one knows what goaltender interference is anyway.

I think there’s a case both ways. Scooter Brickey checks Massimo Rizzo onto Blomqvist. There’s no whistle and the puck goes in. If there’s no infraction for Rizzo bowling over Blomqvist, then the goal should stand.

Wilkes-Barre responds in kind via a late Tristan Broz power play goal and the Penguins retook the lead.

–

Third Period: Penguins had a few opportunities to make it a 3-1 lead and couldn’t.

Exhibit A: Puck hits both posts and stays out. In the ensuing play, Parker Gahagen goes down and needs a minute to regain himself but Wilkes-Barre can’t score as he’s prone on the ice.

Jacob Gaucher deflects a Phantoms power play goal to tie the game at two for the visitors.

–

Exhibit B: Penguins get a power play at about halfway of the period and cannot score.

A month or so ago, I think they do.

They somehow manage to get to overtime.

Overtime: Solved nothing. Wilkes-Barre possessed for about three and a half minutes if not longer, couldn’t score. A month ago I think they do.

Shootout: Parker Gahagen stops all three shooters he sees (Ville Koivunen, Emil Bemstrom, Tristan Broz) and Joel Blomqvist stops Olle Lycksell and Samu Tuomaala but not Rodrigo Ābols in the bottom of the third and the Phantoms take the extra point.

–

Three Stars: 3) Samu Tuomaala (goal) 2) Jacob Gaucher (goal) 1) Rodrigo Ābols (assist, shootout winning goal)

The Good: Managed a point they probably didn’t deserve.

The Bad: I think they are becoming one dimensional. Like, they are good and the talent is there, but teams get film on you and can counter. It’s doing the same thing over and over and expecting results you had at the start of 2025.

Turning Point: I think the lack of success on the last power play they had late bit them badly.

Around the Division: There’s no meat on the schedule on this Friday despite Lent not starting for a few more weeks. Providence beat Utica 5-1.

Standings: Hershey 63 – Penguins 57 – Providence 57 – Charlotte 55 – Lehigh Valley 52 – Springfield 51 – Hartford 45 – Bridgeport 27

Wheeling Update: Nailers were off.

Video Highlights: Let’s keep whistling past this graveyard tonight.

Back at it Saturday against Hershey.

Let’s Go Pens!