Chirps from Center Ice

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There were 17 total power plays issued in this game officiated by referees Reid Anderson and Jeremy Tufts. 10 for the Checkers and 7 for the Penguins.

But it’s not a reason why the Penguins lost.

Sean Maguire started his first game for the Penguins this season and stopped 28 of 30 shots.

But it’s not a reason why the Penguins lost.

OK, so you want to know why the Penguins lost tonight? I will let you. A team coming into a Friday night game against a division rival that they only play four times this season needs to get off to a hotter start then the Penguins did tonight. The Penguins only managed four total first period shots on Checkers starting goaltender Jeremy Smith tonight and didn’t register their first until 8:49 of the period. The Checkers fired 14 shots on Maguire and took control of the game from there.

Maguire was fine tonight. I hate to be the bearer of news you don’t want to hear, but the Penguins are in this funk that they are on right now with out without Casey DeSmith.

You can’t come out and just put up an anemic four shots on goal in the first period, give up two goals in the second then chase the game the rest of the way and look like you are involved in the game in the third period when you are fighting the opponent and two referees slowly losing control of the game.

Pens lose 2-1. With other finals in the division tonight Wilkes-Barre goes from first to fourth in the ultra competitive Atlantic Division.

Lines were…

Josh Archibald – J-S Dea – Ryan Haggerty
Zach Aston-Reese — Colin Smith – Gage Qunney
Garrett Wilson – Greg McKegg – Daniel Sprong
Tom Sestito – Teddy Blueger – Thomas DiPauli

Andrey Pedan – Zach Trotman
Chris Summers – Kevin Czuczman
Jarred Tinordi – Lukas Bengtsson

Sean Maguire – Anthony Peters

Lineup Notes: Greg McKegg and Dominik Simon swapped positions with the Pittsburgh Penguins. In an unrelated move Wilkes-Barre sent Jarrett Burton sent to the Wheeling Nailers.

First Period: Penguins got the first power play of the game but were unable to get anything going because they couldn’t establish any offensive zone production. Forward tries to bring the puck in the zone, is knocked away by a defenseman. Regroup. Dump and chase. Puck skips and goes back out. Rinse and repeat.

Checkers had three power plays in the first and Maguire was up to the task. Shots after one were 14-4 Charlotte heading into the…

Second Period: Andrew Miller opened the scoring when the Penguins collapsed on the near side and him. Play was set up by Daniel Sprong listening to the fans yell SHOOT! all night…

https://twitter.com/CheckersHockey/status/939303186078359553

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Checkers connected on a power play goal when Andrew Poturalski sniped this one in to put the Penguins in a big hole….

https://twitter.com/CheckersHockey/status/939304890488279041

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Third Period: Penguins got a power play :34 into the period.

:03 in, J-S Dea wins a face-off back to Daniel Sprong….

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Penguins lose Jarred Tinordi to a blocked shot. He didn’t return. Donatelli told Tyler postgame that he didn’t think it was anything major.

After this, every penalty was met with a scrum or pushing and shoving. Garrett Wilson and Jarred Tinordi were thrown out of the game after a feeble attempt by Tufts / Anderson to get the game under control.

Then, on a Penguins power play, Checkers clear the puck out to Jeremy Smith. He comes out of his crease to play the puck and his run into by Ryan Haggerty. I don’t know who made contact with who but Haggerty was assessed a charging penalty.

The whole goaltender leaving the crease to play the puck is a gray area that should be addressed. They open themselves up to “fair game” but are protected by the referees. Either don’t allow a goaltender to play a puck or eliminate the “fair game” part of the rulebook.

Through the mess of what was supposed to be a hockey game at the end, the Penguins would lose 2-1.

Three Stars: 3) Daniel Sprong (goal, -1) 2) Andrew Miller (goal, assist, +1) and 1) Andrew Poturalski (goal, assist, +1)

Around the Division: Lehigh Valley fights off a late third period charge from the Hershey Bears and win 5-4….Providence takes a shootout win over Hartford 4-3….Rochester takes down Springfield 2-1. Bridgeport was off.

Standings: Providence (.682 percentage points) — Lehigh Valley (.660) — Charlotte (.646) — Penguins (.636) — Bridgeport (.591) — Hershey (.500) — Hartford (.420) — Springfield (.365)

Wheeling Update: The Nailers lost 3-2 in Indiana tonight against the Indy Fuel. Troy Josephs assisted on both goals scored by Riley Bourbonnais.

Doubt there will be any video highlights but if there are I’ll run an edit.

Pens have the night off Saturday. Phantoms and Hershey rematch Saturday in Hershey, Providence hosts Utica, Charlotte visits Binghamton and Bridgeport is in Springfield. I may run late Saturday final score updates here, but if not, look for the next post to be the 1 p.m. Gameday setup against Hershey Sunday afternoon.

Let’s Go Pens!

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Penguins have now dropped 5 of 6 games since the Thanksgiving break.

They haven’t scored a power play goal in for as long as I can remember.

They continue to give up shorthanded goals.

Results are expected, a 5-0 whitewash at the hands of the undermanned at defense Lehigh Valley Phantoms tonight in Allentown. First time that the Penguins have been shutout this season.

Anthony Peters opposed Dustin Tokarski

Lines were…

Adam Johnson – Colin Smith – Dominik Simon
Zach Aston-Reese — J-S Dea — Josh Archibald
Garrett Wilson – Gage Quinney – Daniel Sprong
Tom Sestito – Teddy Blueger – Thomas Di Pauli

Lineup Notes: On Wednesday morning, the Penguins shipped Forwards Freddie Tiffels and Troy Josephs along with defenseman Ethan Prow and goaltender Colin Stevens to the Wheeling Nailers. The Nailers visited the Reading Royals so it was a short trip for the quartet. Also, at noon Wednesday, it was learned that Gregg McKegg was placed on waivers by Pittsburgh. If no one claims him, he’ll report to Wilkes-Barre. It’s roster jockeying by Jim Rutherford in the wake of the injury to Justin Schultz last night against the New York Rangers. As a precaution, defenseman Frank Corrado was a healthy scratch for Wilkes-Barre tonight.

Adam Johnson slotted in at left wing with Colin Smith and Dominik Simon on the top line, Tom Sestito went back to the fourth line with Blueger and DiPauli. Chris Summers jumped in on defense with Corrado likely to be recalled.

First Period: Strong opening start by the Penguin, outshooting the Phantoms 4-0 through the first five minutes. Phantoms would find themselves on a power play, didn’t score on it, but rode tat momentum into a 3-0 lead after the first period.

Pass to Mikhail Vorobyev from behind the net to him in front and all he did was directed the puck past Peters and in. 1-0.

Turnover in front of the net by Dominik Simon found Corban Knight’s stick and past Peters for a 2-0 lead. Peters got most of it, but it squirted through the pads and rolled harmlessly across the line.

Daniel Sprong tried to force a pass at the blueline which sprung Corban Knight and Oskar Lindblom on a two on one. 3-0.

So it was a positive start by the Penguins that snowballed into a 3-0 deficit in a span of 3:44 after the first period.

Second Period: Tyrell Goulbourne scored shorthanded on teh Penguins first power play of the game and that ended Anthony Peters night. Peters stopped 15 of 19 shots and the Penguins allowed their 7th shorthanded goal of the season. They only had 4 last year.

Wilkes-Barre wasn’t doing themselves any favors, only having one shot on goal for a good portion of the opening half of the period.

On another power play, Head Coach Clark Donatelli decided to put his fourth line out on a power play unit.

Maguire stopped all seven shots faced in the period.

Penguins to this point were playing well enough to win but were not helping themselves with turnovers and shorthanded goals and were just unable to solve Tokarski to this point.

Third Period: Penguins put up 14 shots on Dustin Tokarski, but he stopped them all. A shot was blocked by Andrey Pedan but the puck caromed to Matt Read who scored on Maguire to extend the lead to 5-0.

Wilkes-Barre’s inability to score on the power play and inability to score on Tokarski were all that the Phantoms needed to coast to the easy victory.

Three Stars: 3) Tyrell Goulbourne (goal, +1) 2) Corban Knight (goal, assist, +3) and 1) Dustin Tokarski (39 save shutout)

Around the Division: They all watched us.

Standings: Penguins (.667 percentage points) — Providence (.667) — Lehigh Valley (.646) — Charlotte (.630) — Bridgeport (.591) — Hershey (.521) — Hartford (.417) — Springfield (.380)

Wheeling Update: The Nailers fell in Reading tonight 2-1. Hunter Fejes had the only goal for the Nailers.

Depending on schedules, I may have a blog on more moves in Pittsburgh, Wilkes-Barre and Wheeling. If not, check back for the Gameday setup Friday at 3 against the Charlotte Checkers.

Let’s Go Pens!