Last Game: Wednesday in Toronto, the Penguins manufactured yet another third period comeback and won 2-1. Tom Sestito’s goal with about three minutes left was good enough to lift the Penguins to their fifth win in a row, keeping them unbeaten in 2017. For Rochester, the Amerks hosted Hartford Wednesday and lost 3-1. Cole Schneider scored the only goal for Rochester.
Last Meeting: December 16 in Wilkes-Barre, the Pens won 4-1. Lukas Bengtsson scored his first professional goal in North America as the Penguins cruised.
Record: For WBS: 26-7-3-0 (55 pts., 1st place Atlantic Division) — For RCH: 16-20-0-1 (33 pts., 6th place North Division)
Why you should care: Penguins should easily cruise here but it’s these types of games that are perfect trap games for good teams like Wilkes-Barre. It will take a full 60 minute effort for the Penguins to keep unbeaten here in 2017.
Other Game to Watch: Hershey is in Allentown. The Bears are ready to put last weekend behind them and the Phantoms need to stay in touch with teh Penguins at the top of the division.
Next Five Games: @ SYR 1/14, @ SYR 1/16, @ HER 1/18, @ LV 1/20, HER 1/21
Defenseman Chad Ruhwedel was returned to Wilkes-Barre by Pittsburgh. It was Ruhwedel’s second recall of the season only this time he nevere appeared in any games. David Warsofsky it appears fro now has the dubious distinction of staying up on NHL recall while Brian Dumoulin recovers from his broken jaw.
I’m curious to wonder if Pittsburgh will send Warsofsky back at some point and recall another defenseman to avoid exposing him to waivers.
Out the door, you can watch the AHL All-Star Classic on TV again this year. The AHL announced details today. It will be on MyNetworkTV locally as well as other regional sports channels.
Pens are back on the ice Friday in Rochester. Gameday setup hits the blog Friday at 3.
Comments Off on Finding Ways to Win — Pens WIN 2-1
Posted by nafsnep on January 11, 2017
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The thing about great teams is that they always, no matter the circumstances, find ways to win.
They can blow out an opponent, like the Penguins did last Friday at home against the Hershey Bears.
They can go up early, lose the lead in the middle, rally and win like they did Saturday at home against Binghamton.
They can win firefights, with multiple lead changes in the third period at the tail end of a three in three and win in overtime like they did Sunday in Hershey.
They can win a goaltenders duel, like they did tonight in Toronto by a score of 2-1.
A Marlies skater playing in his fourth AHL game this season scores on a lucky shot late in the second period to open the scoring of a game largely dominated by the goaltenders. Any average AHL team starts to pack it in and take risks. Not the Wilkes-Barre / Scranton Penguins.
Jake Guentzel is the first player in the AHL to 20 goals when he pounces on a turnover and scores to tie the game at one a piece.
Later, and with only minutes left, Tom Sestito, of all people, scores again to put the Penguins ahead for good and they hold on and win.
Five wins in a row for Wilkes-Barre, unbeaten in 2017. It seems that whatever you throw at this team, fastball, curveball, changeup, screwball, slurve, eephus, knuckleball, spitter, whatever, they are parking it 20 rows deep in center field.
Tristan Jarry opposed Garret Sparks.
Lines were…
Dominik Simon – Kevin Porter – Tom Kostopoulos
Garrett Wilson – Oskar Sundqvist – Josh Archibald
Jake Guentzel – J-S Dea – Danny Kristo
Tom Sestito – Teddy Blueger – Ryan Haggerty
Derrick Pouliot – Tim Erixon
Cameron Gaunce – Ethan Prow
Stuart Percy – Barry Goers
Tristan Jarry – Casey DeSmith
Lineup Notes: Tristan Jarry was reassigned from Pittsburgh today and David Warsofsky was recalled to Pittsburgh because the flu is going through the room up top. Jarrett Burton was sent to Wheeling earlier this week.
First Period: It was a very quick, crisp period by both teams. No penalties. Shots were 11-9 Penguins and it was Wilkes-Barre that dominated stretches of play. Garrett Sparks denied Dominik Simon twice in one shift then Tristan Jarry denied a Colin Greening shot on a three on two a few minutes later. The one thing I picked up the most in this overly uneventful period was Nick Hart on color describing the Penguins / Marlies shot chart. He described the Penguins shot chart looking like a bees nest and the Marlies shot chart looking like an umbrella.
Second Period: First half of the game was a goaltending duel between Tristan Jarry and Garrett Sparks. Sparks denied Ethan Prow in the slot, a Sundqvist one timer, then Jake Guentzel hit a post followed up by Dominik Simon.
Later, Tony Cameranesi scored his first goal of the season on a low angle turn around shot on Jarry that game then Marlies a 1-0 lead…
Four goals in the last four games for Sestito. Even me, the math idiot, can tell you that is a goal a game for a player known more for his fists than his goal scoring prowess.
Three Stars: 3) Tom Sestito (goal, +1) 2) Garrett Sparks (32 saves on 34 shots) 1) Tristan Jarry 27 saves on 28 shots)
Wheeling Update: The Nailers remain to be the stone in the shoe for the ECHL’s best Toledo Walleye. Nailers win 5-2. Sean Maguire named third star with 31 saves on 33 shots.
Video highlights…
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Pens will bus to Rochester and practice there in advance of Friday’s game with the Americans. If there is anything blog-worthy I will have something here Thursday. If not, look for the next update for the blog at 3 Friday for the Rochester Gameday setup.
Last Game: Sunday in Hershey, the Pens won in overtime against the Bears 6-5. David Warsofsky scored the game winner, to go along with another goal which helped him earn the AHL Player of the Week award. For Toronto, the Marlies hosted the Rochester Americans and lost 4-3 in overtime. Ex-Penguin Kasperi Kapanen had a pair of goals in the loss.
Last Meeting: November 11 in Wilkes-Barre, the Penguins were shutout 3-0. Antoine Bibeau had a 19 save shutout.
Record: For WBS: 25-7-3-0 (53 pts., 1st place Atlantic Division) — For TOR: 15-16-2-1 (33 pts., 4th place North Division)
Why you should care: Toronto is a different team from the last time we saw them. In their last ten games, the Marlies are 3-6-1-0 and have been trending in the wrong direction for the last month and a half. The Penguins on the other hand have remained at the top of the AHL for that time. The Penguins will need to come out strong and limit mistakes if they want to get this road trips started off on the right foot tonight.
Other Game to Watch: I like Milwaukee and Chicago out West. Two teams battling for second place in the Central Division square off tonight in Rosemont.
Next Five Games: @ RCH 1/13, @ SYR 1/14, @ SYR 1/16, @ HER 1/18, @ LV 1/20
Comments Off on Wheeling Wrap 1/10
Posted by nafsnep on January 10, 2017
Noon Tuesday and it’s time for another look at how the Wheeling Nailers did this week.
The Nailers played just two games this weekend and split them both, but took three points out of the week. Let’s take a more in depth look…
Friday, the Nailers took it to the best team in the ECHL the Toledo Walleye. The Nailers walloped the Walleye by a score of 6-0. Sean Maguire started the game for the Nailers in net and picked up his first ever shutout as a professional with a 25 save performance. Wheeling struck twice on its two power plays and got pair of goals from Garrett Meurs and Nick Sorkin. Christian Hilbrich, Tyler Currier, Jordan Kwas and Brett Stern all had two assists each.
Sunday, Wheeling hosted the Cincinnati Cyclones and lost 3-2 in overtime. The Cyclones jumped out to a 2-0 lead at the end of the first but goals in the second and third period by the Nailers endured that Wheeling would take at least three points out of the weekend and it was just that as the Cyclones scored in overtime to beat the Nailers. Sean Maguire only faced 19 shots. Gage Quinney and Garrett Meurs scored for the Nailers. Wheeling wasn’t able to score on five power plays.
With the three point week, the Nailers draw closer to the fourth place Adirondack Thunder, just two points off with 35 and a 16-12-3-0 record.
This week, the Nailers play home and homes with Toledo and Kalamazoo. They face the Walleye this Wednesday at home, then Friday in Toledo. Then, the Nailers return home for a date with the K-Wings and then load a bus bound for Michigan for a 3 p.m matinee game Sunday with the Wings.
Comments Off on AHL Power Rankings: Week 13
Posted by nafsnep on January 9, 2017
A minor bump on the road which is the regular season was what had the AHL leading Wilkes-Barre / Scranton Penguins out of the top spot in last weeks Double Issue of the Chirps from Center Ice AHL Power Rankings.
Four straight wins seemingly four different ways propels the Penguins back to the top spot in Week 13.
But there is a team on the rise in the Atlantic that may be better than the Penguins. No, it’s not the Phantoms. Find out more below or pop through the jump if you didn’t link in direct.
Comments Off on Snub This – David Warsofsky Named AHL Player of the Week
Posted by nafsnep on January 9, 2017
Remember on Saturday when I told the tale of my buddy Bill who sits in front of me at the Penguins games and how he thought, jokingly, Tom Sestito could get named AHL Player of the Week?
Well, Sestito didn’t but another player on the Penguins did. David Warsofsky was just named AHL Player of the Week Monday afternoon.
Warsofsky has been on a tear of late. I don’t know how players are wired when it comes to these things, but I think that Warsofsky was snubbed for the All-Star Classic selection. Now yeah, it’s a divisional based thing and every team needs representation, but Warsofsky was robbed I think in not getting named.
So what does he do in return? Two goals, Five assists and a +6 rating in four games for the Penguins last week and helps Wilkes-Barre forget about its two game losing streak and flips it into a four game winning streak to remain the best team in the AHL. One of those goals was an overtime game winner in Hershey Sunday.
Seth dug this one out…
Warsofsky has 15 points over the course of a current eight-game point streak. (4G-11A)
WBS News
Chirps from Center Ice 