Last Game: Last night in Albany, the Pens were shutout 4-0 by the Devils. For Springfield, the Thunderbirds hosted Utica and won 5-2. Mackenzie Weegar had a goal and an assist for first star honors.
Last Meeting: December 27 in Wilkes-Barre the Penguins won 5-3. Jake Guentzel had a hat trick, David Warsofsky had three assists. Mackenzie Weegar scored two goals for Springfield in the loss.
Record: For WBS: 37-12-3-0 (77 pts., 1st place Atlantic Division) — For SPR: 18-23-7-2 (45 pts., 6th place Atlantic Division)
Why you should care: Springfield has played the Penguins tough in their meetings with Wilkes-Barre this season. The Penguins can’t look past this game against the Thunderbirds at all and will be looking to bounce back after last nights disappointing loss in Albany.
Other Game to Watch: Bridgeport visits Albany tonight. The Sound Tigers have been ascending through the Atlantic Division and stop off in the Capital District for a meeting with the Devils.
Next Five Games: @ PRO 2/19, @ UTI 2/24, @ LV 2/25, @ HER 3/4, @ HFD 3/5
Pessimistic: Pittsburgh recalled all our damn players!
Optimistic: Albany scored :58 into the game, blocked a ton of shots the remainder of the game, the Penguins didn’t eclipse the 20 shot total till two minutes left to play in the game and the three goals scored in the third period were meaningless. The Penguins weren’t going to score because the Devils were really good at blocking shot lanes. Chasing the game late, they make a few mistakes that the Devils capitalize on.
Sorry, but Carter Rowney and Steve Oleksy are probably having their shots blocked in this game too. I choose the optimistic approach here.
First shutout for the Devils this season and the first professional clean sheet for Mackenzie Blackwood for Albany. Fifth time that the Penguins were shutout this season and they now have been shutout on back to back Friday’s.
Tristan Jarry opposed Mackenzie Blackwood.
Lines were…
Sahir Gill – Kevin Porter – Tom Kostopoulos
Tom Sestito – Oskar Sundqvist – Danny Kristo
Dominik Simon – Teddy Blueger – J-S Dea
Christan Hilbrich – Jarrett Burton – Ryan Haggerty
Stuart Percy – David Warsofsky
Derrick Pouliot – Barry Goers
Tim Erixon – Ethan Prow
Tristan Jarry – Casey DeSmith
Lineup Notes: No immediate recall from Wheeling for a defenseman. Wilkes-Barre is OK right now with the six that they have. Garrett Wilson is week to week with an upper body injury and is 4-6 weeks away from a return. Thomas DiPauli is still week to week but is with the team. Remember that Head Coach Clark DOnatelli indicated that DiPauli should be back in the lineup at the end of February.
First Period: It was a sleepy start for the Penguins. :58 in, ex-Penguin Brian Gibbons picks the pocket of Tristan Jarry and Blake Coleman scored to give the Devils a 1-0 lead…
Albany had the only power play in the period and Oskar Sundqvist led a two-on-one with Teddy Blueger. Sundqvist had literally all day, waited out a guy and passed over to Blueger who swung and missed on the shorthanded bid.
Wilkes-Barre continued to sleepwalk and were getting throttled on the shot board 9-0 at one point. Jarry, after his initial gaffe with the puck was sharp the remainder of the period. Shots to conclude the first were every bit of 16-7 Albany heading into the….
Second Period: Mike and Nick mentioned it on the broadcast that it seemed like the Penguins had more shots than the Devils and while that may appear true to the naked eye, Albany outshot Wilkes-Barre 12-8 in the period. The Devils simply blocked a ton of shots in the period.
No scoring in the period. Tristan Jarry was excellent in net for the Penguins, stopping a Ben Sexton rebound attempt with his arm diving over to make a save:
Third Period: Penguins think that they score after J-S Dea makes a power move toward the net and in the pile of bodies Teddy Blueger kicks a puck in. Referee Tom Chmielewski washes the goal out on the kick, he and Chris Brown review the video and confirm their call on a kick. Both I and Mike and Nick on the broadcast agreed with the call. For what it’s worth, Chmielewski and Brown were outstanding tonight, allowing two good teams to play. There were only four power plays in this game.
That goal that didn’t go for the Penguins will be my turning point in this game as Ben Sexton pounces on a turnover by the Penguins and blasts one past Jarry to make it 2-0.
Soon, the Penguins turn over the puck again and Max Novack comes in on a three on one and scores to make it 3-0.
Nick Lappin added an empty netter that just added the sprinkles (or jimmies, depending on what end of the state you are from) on the icing on the cake on this one.
Three Stars: 3) Yohann Auvitu (two assists, +2) 2) Max Novack (goal, +1) and 1) Mackenzie Blackwood (24 save shutout)
Last Game: Tuesday at home against Lehigh Valley, the Penguins won 5-1. Oskar Sundqvist scored twice as the Penguins opened up an 11 point leadon the second place Phantoms. For Albany, the Devils hosted the Syracuse Crunch Wednesday and won 6-1. Six different Devils scored.
Last Meeting: October 26 in Wilkes-Barre, the Penguins won 3-1. Josh Archibald, Jake Guentzel and Chad Ruhwedel all scored for the Penguins and Tristan Jarry stopped 19 of 20 to pick up the win. Nick Lappin scored for the Devils. Albany was previously undefeated coming into that game.
Record: For WBS: 37-11-3-0 (77 pts., 2nd place Atlantic Division) — For ALB: 29-21-1-1 (59 pts., 2nd place North Division)
Why you should care: The Penguins begin their seven game road trip tonight in Albany against a Devils team which has been pushing Syracuse for the top spot in the North Division. Look for Albany to push the Penguins tonight. Wilkes-Barre will be without the servises of Garrett Wilson, who is out with an upper body injury suffered Tuesday in the game against the Phantoms.
No such luck for Justin Schultz, who was hit along the boards by Dustin Byfuglien. Still don’t know if it’s upper or lower body or what the timetable is.
With Pittsburgh playing again tonight against Columbus, Sunday against Detroit, Tuesday against Carolina, Pittsburgh took two players from Wilkes-Barre.
Out of available players, Gaunce and Oleksy are probably the easiest for Pittsburgh to recall and Wilkes-Barre afford to lose. Derrick Pouliot, David Warsofsky, Tim Erixon and Stuart Percy remain in the AHL. Warsofsky is too valuable to recall, then possibly lose to waivers like he was last year. In the Gaunce / Oleksy recall, you are recalling one player to play with Chad Ruhwedel already in Pittsburgh and one player to sit. It’s probably Oleksy again.
If you haven’t realized yet, 50+ games into the season, Wilkes-Barre’s greatest strength is defense and goaltending. Pittsburgh can recall all the Jake Guentzel’s or Carter Rowney’s they want to, the defense is what gets the AHL Penguins to the best record in the AHL and a 10 point lead on the second place overall team in the league.
Penguins of all levels will be fine, provided no other injuries hit in the coming days. Wilkes-Barre should be seeing some combination of Josh Archibald or Carter Rowney back in town soon with Carl Hagelin and Conor Sheary making progress.
Wilkes-Barre recalled Christan Hilbrich from Wheeling before the defenseman recalls. They haven’t announced a move for another player from Wheeling in light of the recalls from Pittsburgh as of noon Friday.
In other news, the AHL Playoff Primer is out. Wilkes-Barre’s magic number is currently 37. A new twist this season is strength of schedule, listed in purple. The Penguins current strength of schedule is .576, third in the Atlantic Division. That number will change daily.
More later with the 3 p.m. Gameday setup against Albany and the post game recap later tonight.
Morin was only given a cross checking penalty. 28.1 in the rule book is supplemental discipline in which a team asks the league to review a sequence. I think in order for there to actually be a suspension, the other player involved had to have sustained an injury. There are other factors involved, such as whether the player has a history and Morin hasthat.
Wilson is currently week to week with an upper body injury. Penguins will be leaving later today for their thee game trip through the North Division beginning Friday night in Albany.
The Wilkes-Barre / Scranton Penguins conclude their six game home stand with a 5-1 win over the Lehigh Valley Phantoms on Tuesday night. The lead for the Penguins now is 11 on the second place Phantoms team.
Oskar Sundqvist had gone cold for a bit then caught one and missed practice yesterday. He came to the rink ready to roll and scored twice tonight as the Penguins easily beat a Lehigh Valley team that never really were able to get going Tuesday night.
Taking the veteran option on the lines tonight because, if you didn’t know already, I do not like work night home games. A 72 game schedule would be aces for this blogger. Anyway, here’s tonight’s lines…
Teams trade power plays after then later Sahir Gill throws a hit to make a play. Players spill into the boards, J-S Dea comes over to collect the puck and finds Dominik Simon cutting to the net unabated and Simon scores to make it 2-0:
Shots were 15-7 Penguins after the first in a period that they were ready for. Lehigh Valley didn’t register a shot on goal till 7:59 and were making bad passes all over the place.
Second Period: Pens had to kill a carry over penalty to begin, Oskar Sundqvist scored shorthanded on this move…
Phantoms appeared to have scored right back but the puck popped up over Jarry and onto the net where it was re-directed in via Colin McDonald high stick.
Tristan Jarry was really on point in the period making some excellent post to post stops on the Phantoms. He made two stellar saves on a penalty kill.
Nicolas Aube-Kubel finally solves Jarry following up his own shot post to post from behind the net that broke up the goose egg on the board for the Phantoms.
Nic Aube-Kubel collected his own rebound, went around the net and banked the puck in for the #LVPhantoms first goal of the game. pic.twitter.com/HxRQQF3Bva
Phantoms played a good majority of that period as the better team but the Penguins manage two goals in the period anyway to maintain a three goal lead heading into the…
Third Period: Sundqvist made it 5-1 on this impossible goal from the corner you need to see to believe:
Pretty blah period with the Penguins protecting a lead against a Lehigh Valley team that is dynamite in the third period and continued to press for more goals at the same time. It’s a beautiful balancing act when executed properly and Wilkes-Barre pulled it off nicely. Penguins nearly doubled up the Phantoms in shots in the period.
Three Stars: 3) Tristan Jarry 2) Dominik Simon (goal, assist) 1) Oskar Sundqvist (two goals)
Wheeling Update: The Nailers host the Brampton Beast tomorrow.
Postgame, Penguins Head Coach Clark Donatelli advised Tom and Seth and other WBS media that Garrett Wilson is week to week with an upper body injury and is having x-rays tomorrow. He also stated that he and his coaches are reviewing the hint to see if they will send it to the League for review and Supplemental Discipline.
I wanted to look up the Phantoms third period goal differential. Against the rest of the AHL teams except that Penguins it’s +34. Against Wilkes-Barre it’s +1. That’s remarkable and a testament to the coaching staff on game preparation.
Video highlights…
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Pens are off on the road now until a March 8 home date with these Phantoms beginning this weekend in Albany on Friday. But for breaking stuff, look for the next blog update to come then.
Last Game: Saturday at home against the Binghamton Senators, the Penguins won 4-2. Sahir Gill scored two goals for the Pens inserted into the top line with Tom Sestito out of the game with an injury. For Lehigh Valley, the Phantoms hosted the St. John’s IceCaps and lost 4-3. Mark Zengerle and Colin McDonald both scored a goal and added an assist.
Last Meeting: February 4 in Wilkes-Barre, the Penguins crushed the Phantoms 7-1. Tom Kostopoulos scored two goals, Josh Archibald did too, and Tristan Jarry stopped 30 of 31. Chris Conner scored the only goal for the Phantoms in the loss.
Record: For WBS: 36-11-3-0 (75 pts., 1st place Atlantic Division) — For LV: 32-14-2-0 (66 pts., 2nd place Atlantic Division)
Why you should care: These two teams are the exact opposite of Valentines on this day for love. Can Lehigh Valley overcome the throttling the Penguins gave them he last time these two teams met? Have they shaken off the loss that the IceCaps gave them Saturday? Will the Penguins be more disciplined than they were on Saturday against Binghamton?
Other Game to Watch: Late game. Two of the hottest teams in the Western Conference meet tonight in San Diego when the Iowa Wild visit the San Diego Gulls.
Next Five Games: @ ALB 2/17, HER 2/18, @ PRO 2/19, @ UTI 2/24, @ LV 2/25
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Chirps from Center Ice 