Chirps from Center Ice

A fan blog about the AHL's Wilkes-Barre / Scranton Penguins

GAMEDAY: @ Grand Rapids 3/2

Comments Off on GAMEDAY: @ Grand Rapids 3/2 Posted by on March 2, 2018

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Who: Grand Rapids Griffins

Where: Van Andel Arena

When: 7:00 p.m.

Last Game: Sunday at home against Hershey, the Penguins won 3-2. Adam Johnson’s goal at 10:06 of the third period was enough to hold up against the Bears. Casey DeSmith stopped 22 of 24 shots. For Grand Rapids, the Griffins hosted the Tucson Roadrunners on Wednesday and also won 3-2. Ex-Penguins led the way for the Griffins against the Roadrunners. Ben Street had a goal and an assist and Eric Tangradi led the way with a pair of goals.

Record: For WBS: 32-16-4-1 (69 pts., 2nd place Atlantic Division) // For GR: 31-19-1-6 (69 pts., 2nd place Central Division)

Referee(s): Jesse Gour / Stephen Thomson

Linesmen: Justin Cornell / Pat Richardson

Why You Should Care: Big test for both teams unfamiliar with the other on similar tracks. Both teams have identical points and are chasing down a division leader heading into the weekend are out of touch at this point in time. A win tonight keeps pace. Should be a good, competitive hockey game against two very good teams.

Other Game to Watch: Charlotte and Providence meet up in a battle between the three and four seeds in the Atlantic Division.

Next Five Games: @ RFD 3/3, @ MIL 3/4, @ BNG 3/9, vs. GR 3/10, @ CHA 3/13

Gameday

Greg McKegg Traded at the NHL Deadline 2/26

Comments Off on Greg McKegg Traded at the NHL Deadline 2/26 Posted by on February 26, 2018

Probably not the biggest ripple effecting the parent team, but Penguins Jim Rutherford made a move on the NHL trade deadline that had a direct result on his AHL team in Wilkes-Barre.

The Penguins acquired Josh Jooris for Greg McKegg in essentially a swap of AHL eligible players on NHL contracts. Jooris will report to Wilkes-Barre and McKegg goes to Charlotte to be with the Checkers.

Nick Hart with the scouting report…

Jooris was with the Carolina Hurricanes and has played in 37 games for them. He has over 200 games of NHL experience. I’ll consider this an upgrade for Wilkes-Barre. McKegg started in the NHL and was waived down, then sort of just got lost in the shuffle. Jooris steps down from the NHL and hopefully brings the right attitude for the Penguins and contributes.

As of 4 pm Monday. it doesn’t look like there were any more trades made effecting the organization. I didn’t see anything on the AHL Transactions page about players being assigned to Wilkes-Barre for the purposes of being eligible to play in the AHL after today.

UPDATE: As I was getting ready to close up shop for the night, Pittsburgh assigned Tristan Jarry and Dominik Simon to Wilkes-Barre and recalled Casey DeSmith. Zach Aston-Reese was not part of the news. Aston-Reese is the only other player on the NHL Penguins roster to be eligible for assignment to the AHL. Unless he shows up on a paper move, he’s up for good. EDIT: Aston-Reese was papered down per the AHL Transactions page. Dominik Simon is a huge add for Wilkes-Barre and DeSmith is indeed eligible for re-assignment since he was on the AHL roster at the 3 p.m. deadline.

Other news of the day…

Word out of practice was that Murray took a shot off of the head from an Olli Maatta stick.

If any other moves are made, I will either update this post or add another. This is a long way of saying keep checking back.

Pittsburgh, The AHL, WBS

AHL Power Rankings: Week 21

2 Comments Posted by on February 26, 2018

Boo!

Scare you? No? Well, there is a team at the top of the Week 21 edition of the Chirps from Center Ice AHL Power Rankings that is dominating the Atlantic Division at the moment and they are the new number one team in Week 21.

Phantoms are followed by Grand Rapids, who are on a tear right now and Tucson who remain in third solidly at the top of the Pacific Division.

In fourth is the Texas Stars, who look like the only team at the moment that can contend with Tucson and Chicago, who are up this week after going 7-3 in their last ten.

Pop past the Wolves to see six on back. Enjoy!

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 Last Week: LV 6 @ UTI 4, LV 1 @ SYR 2, LV 2 @ BNG 1
8 points up on Wilkes-Barre for the top spot in the Atlantic. Phantoms are 8-1-0-1 in their last ten and pulling away from the other teams in the division.

+3

 This Week: vs. HER 3/2, vs. BNG 3/3, @ HER 3/4
Record: 35-15-3-4

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 Last Week: CHI 5 @ GR 2, IA 1 @ GR 2, IA 2 @ GR 3 (SO)
8-1-0-1 for the Griffins who maybe, just maybe, be the team that can knock off Manitoba for the top spot in the Central.

+3

 This Week: vs. TUC 2/28, vs. WBS 3/2, vs. MIL 3/3
Record: 30-19-1-6

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 Last Week: BAK 3 @ TUC 2, SA 1 @ TUC 2 (OT), SA 1 @ TUC 0 (OT)
Gap could have gotten wider against the other teams in the Pacific. Maybe those points play into it later on, maybe not.

n/a

 This Week: @ GR 2/28, @ CLE 3/2, @ CLE 3/4
Record: 29-16-3-1

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 Last Week: TEX 1 @ IA 2, MIL 1 @ TEX 3, MIL 2 @ TEX 5
Swept the Admirals at home this week. Probably the only contender for the top spot in the Pacific, something that the Roadrunners currently own.

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 This Week: @ CHI 2/27, @ RFD 2/28, vs. CHI 3/3, @ SA 3/4
Record: 29-19-5-2

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 Last Week: CHI 5 @ GR 2, CHI 0 @ MTB 2, CHI 5 @ MTB 2
Wolves are 7-3 in their last ten, bested only by a Grand Rapids side doing a lot better. Texas teams on the menu this week.

+1

 This Week: vs. TEX 2/27, @ SA 3/2, @ TEX 3/3
Record: 28-18-6-2

Click through here to see teams 6 through 30

Power Rankings

Johnson’s Workshop — Pens WIN 3-2

2 Comments Posted by on February 25, 2018

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Adam Johnson chipped in a pair of goals, Daniel Sprong also helped with two assists and the Wilkes-Barre / Scranton Penguins take 4 of 6 points out of the weekend and defeat the Hershey Bears 3-2 Sunday afternoon in Wilkes-Barre.

These two players played on the fourth line for the Penguins. When you have your parent team acquiring throw ins in a blockbuster trade to help the NHL team and essentially decline or are in no need of the players that Pittsburgh acquired in Tobias Lindberg and Vincent Dunn, your Wilkes-Barre / Scranton Penguins are stacked.

Important, because the Penguins burned off a game in hand on Lehigh Valley, and also won with Providence also victor Sunday afternoon against Hartford.

It’s that time of year where every point counts.

Casey DeSmith opposed Pheonix Copley

Lines were…

Thomas Di Pauli – J-S Dea – Reid Gardiner
Garrett Wilson – Gage Quinney – Tom Kostopoulos
Tom Sestito – Jarrett Burton – Joseph Cramarossa
Adam Johnson – Teddy Blueger – Daniel Sprong

Kevin Spinozzi – Ethan Prow
Kevin Schulze – Kevin Czuczman
Jarred Tinordi – Jeff Taylor

Casey DeSmith – Anthony Peters

Lineup Notes: Greg McKegg was a scratch. He picked up a knock in the Syracuse game and is day to day. The Tom’s, Sestito and Kostopoulos, were back in after having Saturday off in Syracuse.

First Period: A no look pass from Travis Boyd to Riley Barber put the Bears on the board early on.

Immediately thereafter, Tom Kostopolous scored a one time from the mid-slot that tied the game.

It was one of those periods that everything notable happened in the first five minutes.

Second Period: Casey DeSmith made a ten bell save on a Hershey power play that kept the game tied at one.

Penguins scored on their first power play of the game when Adam Johnson deflected in an Ethan Prow shot from the point that put the Penguins ahead 2-1.

But then Tyler Graovac responded quickly thereafter on a tic tac toe play that DeSmith and the Penguins had zero chance on.

That angle didn’t give that play any justice, Graovac was wide, wide open.

Shots after two period was 16-14 in favor of the Bears. I don’t know if both teams were gassed at the tail end of their three in three weekends or if it was something else, but it was an even match heading into the…

Third Period: Daniel Spring was tripped entering the zone, on a delayed call he slid a pass to Teddy Blueger who put a shot on Copley and the rebound kicked straight to Johnson for the slam dunk for his second goal of the game and a Wilkes-Barre lead.

Hershey shot themselves in the foot with a late penalty that they were able to kill off, not before they had two great opportunities shorthanded.

With Copley pulled, the Bears were never able to find the equalizer.

Three Stars: 3) Tom Kostopoulos (goal, +1) 2) Daniel Sprong (two assists, +1) and 1) Adam Johnson (two goals, +1)

Around the Division: Providence shutout Hartford 2-0 and Bridgeport did the same to Charlotte, 1-0. All other teams in the Atlantic were off.

Standings: Lehigh Valley (.675 percentage points) — Penguins (.651) — Providence (.627) — Charlotte (.570) — Bridgeport (.527) — Hartford (.509) — Hershey (.474) — Springfield (.473)

Wheeling Update: The Nailers received Cody Wydo, Troy Josephs and Freddie Tiffels and the impact was immediate, Freddie Tiffels scored twice but the Nailers fell 3-2 to the Adirondack Thunder.

https://www.echl.com/stats/game-center/15656

Injury updates: 

Pens have a light week practice wise…

AHL Power Rankings hit the blog Monday at 4. Trade deadline is Monday also. If anything affects Coal Street, then I will have a blog update Monday sometime.

Let’s Go Pens!

Postgamer

RAPID RECAP – Pens WIN 3-2

Comments Off on RAPID RECAP – Pens WIN 3-2 Posted by on February 25, 2018

Full game piece will be on a bit later. Errands on Sunday.

Pens beat rival Hershey 3-2 in a knockdown drag out affair on home Ice. Adam Johnson had a pair of goals, Daniel Sprong had a pair of assists and Casey DeSmith was again stellar in goal, stopping 20 of 22 Hershey shots.

More in a little bit.

Rapid Recap

GAMEDAY: vs. Hershey 2/25

Comments Off on GAMEDAY: vs. Hershey 2/25 Posted by on February 25, 2018

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Who: Hershey Bears

Where: Mohegan Sun Arena at Casey Plaza

When: 3:05 p.m.

Last Game: Last night in Syracuse the Pens lost 3-1. Freddie Tiffels scored on the first shot of the game for Wilkes-Barre but the Pens couldn’t get anything else pasty Connor Ingram. For Hershey, the Bears scrapped with the Rockford IceHogs to a 4-3 overtime loss.

Last Meeting: February 2 in Wilkes-Barre, the Penguins won 4-1. Tristan Jarry stopped 25 of 26, Andrey pecan scored two goals and Daniel Sprong added two assists.

Record: For WBS: 31-16-4-1 (67 pts., 2nd place Atlantic Division) // For HER: 23-25-4-4 (54 pts., 6th place Atlantic Division)

Referee(s): Sean MacFarlane / Troy Murray

Linesmen: Ryan Knapp / Luke Murray

Why You Should Care: Hershey comes in this afternoon winners of 5 of their last 6 games with that setback coming in overtime against Rockford last night. Bears are a lot better than they have been the last time you saw them and the Penguins are shucking along letting the division get away from them. About that, this will be the first of five games in hand that the Pens have on teh Phantoms that will get burned off today. Games in hand only matter if you win them.

Promotion(s): Tux’s Birthday! – Kids 14 and Under Free (with paid adult ticket),  & Postgame Kids Skate

Other Game to Watch: Charlotte and Bridgeport rematch from last night where the Checkers beat the Sound Tigers 2-1.

Next Five Games: @ GR 3/2, @ RFD 3/3, @ MIL 3/4, @ BNG 3/9, vs. GR 3/10

Gameday

The Score is the Season Series — Pens LOSE 3-1

Comments Off on The Score is the Season Series — Pens LOSE 3-1 Posted by on February 24, 2018

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Syracuse wins 3-1 tonight against the Wilkes-Barre / Scranton Penguins and take the season series 3-1.

Utica last week, Rochester the day before, the Penguins need to figure out the North Division if they want to have overall success this Spring, if they even get to that point.

The Crunch skated circles around the Penguins all night, heavily outshooting them through two periods. Syracuse finally blows up the dam and sinks the Penguins in the third period with a pair of goals to pull away.

Anthony Peters opposed Connor Ingram.

Lines were…

Thomas Di Pauli – J-S Dea – Reid Gardiner
Garrett Wilson – Gage Quinney – Jarrett Burton
Freddie Tiffels – Greg McKegg – Joseph Cramarossa
Adam Johnson – Teddy Blueger – Daniel Sprong

Kevin Spinozzi – Ethan Prow
Jeff Taylor – Kevin Czuczman
Jarred Tinordi – Kevin Schulze

Anthony Peters – Casey DeSmith

Lineup Notes: Planned nights off for Tom Kostopoulos and Tom Sestito, who will be back in tomorrow afternoon against Hershey. Jarrett Burton and Freddie Tiffels slotted in. No changes on defense for the Penguins.

First Period: It was a blitzkrieg of shots for the Syracuse Crunch Hockey Club. Seventeen in total. Anthony Peters was making saves like these…

Joseph Cramarossa was getting in fights like these trying to speak his team…

But they don’t judge games off of shots and fights, they score them on goals. The Penguins had the only goal in the period with this nice goal from Freddie Tiffels.

Wilkes-Barre had just four shots and one of them went in. Luck? Good goaltending?

Second Period: Syracuse scores shorthanded against the Penguins again, their third shorthanded goal of the season against Wilkes-Barre and eleventh overall. Gabriel Dumont with a great individual effort and in the process just embarrasses J-S Dea…

Penguins were still getting outshot by Syracuse, 11-8 in the period, and Anthony Peters continued to keep them in it heading into the…

Third Period: Crunch were knocking on the door for the first two period and got tired of waiting and just kicked the door in in the third period.

Board battle. Puck squirts out to Alex Volkov who was racing down the slot. Volkov wastes no time to make it 2-1 Syracuse.

Penguins take another penalty. Not doing themselves any favors in this situation, Anthony Cirelli tips in a shot from the point from Mathieu Joseph that makes it 3-1 Crunch and essentially puts the game out of reach.

Penguins could never find another goal even with Peters pulled with a late flurry at the end.

Three Stars: 3) Daniel Walcott (assist, +1) 2) Alex Volkov (goal, +1) and 1) gabriel Dumont (goal, assist, even)

Ingram really deserved a star in the game, getting beat on his first shot on goal, then buckling down and not allowing another goal from there.

Around the Division: Charlotte beats Bridgeport 2-1…Hartford beats Providence 2-1…Rockford clips Hershey 4-3 in overtime…Lehigh Valley beats Binghamton 2-1…Springfield holds off Utica 3-2.

Standings: Lehigh Valley (.675 percentage points) — Penguins (.644) — Providence (.620) — Charlotte (.580) — Bridgeport (.519) — Hartford (.518) — Hershey (.482) — Springfield (.473)

Wheeling Update: Nailers play Sunday vs. Adirondack.

Video Highlights: 

Gameday setup for Sunday afternoon’s game vs. Hershey hits the blog Sunday at 11.

Let’s Go Pens!

Postgamer

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