Comments Off on RAPID RECAP: Pens WIN 4-1
Posted by nafsnep on December 16, 2016
Wilkes-Barre wins its fourth straight with a 4-1 beating of the Rochester Americans.
In a game which was well decided goal wise, Casey DeSmith stole the show with a dazzling flurry of saves late in the second period while Rochester was on a power play. A sampling…
Last Game: Wednesday in Hartford, the Pens cruised to a 6-2 victory. Dominik Simon had four assists, the power play clicked twice. For Rochester, the Amerks hosted and defeated the Toronto Marlies 5-2. Nick Baptiste had a hat trick. Dan Catenacci set him up for all three goals and had three assists.
Record: For WBS: 17-5-3-0 (37 pts., 1st place Atlantic Division) — For RCH: 10-15-0-1 (21 pts., 6th place North Division)
Why you should care: Second trap game in a week for Wilkes-Barre that should thoroughly thrash this listless Rochester Americans team which was swept out of Pennsylvania last time they were here last weekend. Expect Rochester to get up for this game and if the Penguins aren’t ready, they may end up getting upset.
Promotion(s): WBRE Fan Friday ($14 Tickets), January Magnetic Schedule (First 5,000), Postgame Autographs, $2 Draft Beers (6-7:30 p.m.)
Other Game to Watch: Providence puts their 12 game point streak on the line against a Bridgeport team who has lost two games in a row, the first time that has happened all year.
Next Five Games: SPR 12/17, @ BNG 12/26, SPR 12/27, PRO 12/30, @ BNG 12/31
Comments Off on Czech Your Apples — Pens WIN 6-2
Posted by nafsnep on December 14, 2016
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Here’s where I think that the game was decided tonight in favor of the Penguins and sort of shut down the Hartford Wolf Pack’s attempts at giving the Penguins a run.
Second period of a 1-0 Penguins lead Niklas Jensen, fresh off NHL re-assignment, scored to make it a tie game at 1-1. Hartford had been building a crescendo all period to bring it level and finally did.
Ensuing face-off at center ice, :16 later, Wilkes-Barre regains the lead. Lukas Bengtsson puts a shot on starting Hartford goaltender Magnus Hellberg, rebound spills to Kevin Porter who cashes on the rebound and the Penguins are back out in front 2-1 and never look back.
6-2 the final tonight and the Penguins cruise over a bad luck Hartford side. Dominik Simon had four assists. For someone who had been slow to get out of the gate to start the year, Simon has 1-9-10 in his last eight games. He’s shaking off his sophomore slump in a big, big way.
I was out celebrating the ninth anniversary of my 29th birthday tonight, so I only got to watch the third period in front of the computer. So I am going to piecemeal this recap the best I can.
Lines were…
Dominik Simon – Kevin Porter – Tom Kostopoulos
Jake Guentzel – J-S Dea – Danny Kristo
Garrett Wilson – Oskar Sundqvist – Josh Archibald
Tom Sestito – Teddy Blueger – Ryan Haggerty
Derrick Pouliot – Chad Ruhwedel
David Warsofsky – Stuart Percy
Cameron Gaunce – Lukas Bengtsson
Tristan Jarry – Casey DeSmith
Lineup Notes: Ryan Haggerty for Reid Gardiner was the only lineup change from Sunday in Bridgeport.
Garrett Wilson scored in the first period off of a Hartford turnover. He followed his shot and roofed his own rebound into the net behind Hellberg.
Kevin Porter on a rebound of a Lukas Bengtsson shot that made it 2-1 Penguins and as I mentioned in the lede, where Wilkes-Barre really sucked the life out of the Wolf Pack.
Wilkes-Barre extends the lead to 3-1 on Cameron Gaunce’s first in a Penguin sweater with :29 seconds to play in the period…
In the third, the Pens made it 5-1 before Hartford responded to make it 5-2. Tom Sestito then scored on a power play late that brought the score to its final at 6-2.
No really, Tom Sestito scored a goal. On the power play. He also set up this Ryan Haggerty goal to make it 4-1 Penguins…
Sestito played in a milestone AHL game, his 300th, tonight.
If Hartford had any thoughts of coming back in this game, giving the Wilkes-Barre / Scranton Penguins three straight power plays wasn’t the best game plan.
Pens didn’t cash on the first one, but they are up 4-1 cruising in a weekday game.
OK, so you’re giving us a second one? We will score on that one. Tom Kostopoulos, ladies and germs…
If you are thinking that the Penguins have been scoring a lot of power plays recently you are not wrong, that’s seven straight games where the Penguins have scored at least one power play after going cold and not scoring a single power play in almost 30 attempts.
Late, Tom Sestito scored with one second left in a power play that turned this one into a laugher. 6-2 Penguins, what a pass by Teddy Blueger here…
Sestito was a fight away from a Gordie Howe with an assist and a goal. When you are getting these types of results from these types of players, you know that no matter what you step in, you know it’s going to turn up gold.
Three Stars: 3) Tom Kostopoulos (power play goal, +2) 2) Dominik Simon (four assists, +2) and 1) Kevin Porter (goal, assist, +2)
Jake Guentzel registered four shots and was a -1. He did not record a point tonight.
Around the Division: Lehigh Valley sees a 5-1 lead evaporate in 7:40. Bridgeport ties it at 5-5, but Lehigh Valley ultimately wins 8-6. This is the number one reason why you can’t trust the Phantoms. All-Star defense, lets four goals past in 7:40? Calder Cup winning teams don’t allow this. I can’t take this team seriously, sorry. Everyone else in the division was off.
Wheeling Update: The Nailers were defeated at home by the Orlando Solar Bears 5-2. Sean Maguire stopped 25 of 30 and was pulled after the fifth Solar Bears goal. Doug Carr stopped all 8 shots he faced. Christian Hilbrich and Cody Wydo scored for the Nailers. Orlando struck twice on the power play.
Video highlights…
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Pens are back in action Friday at home against Rochester. But for anything newsworthy Thursday, next blog update comes at 3 p.m. Friday for the Gameday setup against the Americans.
Last Game: Sunday in Bridgeport, the Pens won 4-1. Teddy Blueger scored his first professional goal, Stuart Percy scored his first as a Penguin and Tristan Jarry stopped 26 of 27 shots. For Hartford, the Wolf Pack were in Providence Sunday and defeated by the Bruins in a shootout, 2-1. Matt Carey scored the only goal for the Wolf Pack in regulation and Magnus Hellburg turned aside 40 of 41 shots.
Last Meeting: Sunday, November 13 in Hartford, the Pens won 4-1. The Penguins used two first period power play goals, limited Hartford to just 23 shots and took 40 of their own on a tail end of a three in three weekend.
Record: For WBS: 16-5-3-0 (35 pts., 1st place Atlantic Division) — For HFD: 7-13-3-1 (18 pts., 7th place Atlantic Division)
Why you should care: Penguins face a midweek trap game with Hartford. The Wolf Pack have been up and down of recent. Wilkes-Barre will need a strong start in order to get the win tonight because if you leave Hartford hanging, they may just snap up and get you.
Comments Off on Wheeling Wrap 12/13
Posted by nafsnep on December 13, 2016
It’s another Tuesday and time for the weekly Wheeling Wrap, where we look back at the goings on with the ECHL affiliate, the Wheeling Nailers.
This one is going to be quick this week, because the Nailers were in Canada this week and were handed a 4-2 defeat by the Brampton Beats twice.
On Friday, the Nailers penalty kill unit allowed two power play goals to the Beast. Miloš Bubela’s first goal of the season tied the game in the third period :17 in, but the Beast scored the second of their power plays to edge ahead of the Nailers about halfway through the period. The Beast hit an empty net with Doug Carr pulled. Carr stopped 21 of 24 shots.
Sunday, Sean Maguire made his season debut for the Nailers in goal. It was Sean Maguire’s first look at live fire this season after recovering from an injury that paused his start of play this season. The Nailers couldn’t hold onto a 2-0 lead on the Beast and see Brampton score four unanswered goals. The Beast connected again on two power plays. Derek Army, fresh from his AHL call-up from Milwaukee, scored a power play goal. Maguire stopped 28 of 32 and from what I was following on Twitter Sunday afternoon, some of them were really highlight reel worthy.
The Nailers currently sit fourth in the North Division with just 24 points good for a 11-8-2-0 record.
The Nailers week ahead looks like this. They host the Orlando Solar Bears Wednesday then play a home and home with the Fort Wayne Komets Friday and Saturday beginning Friday in West Virginia.
Comments Off on AHL Power Rankings: Week 9
Posted by nafsnep on December 12, 2016
We are here in Week 9 in the AHL Power Rankings and there is not an Atlantic Division team in the number one slot this week.
The first Atlantic Division team featured in the rankings isn’t even a playoff team.
Wait, what?
The Stockton Heat have consistently been a good team and one that is been at the top of the Pacific Division all season. So have the Wilkes-Barre / Scranton Penguins you say, but they aren’t the number two team.
That team is the Providence Bruins, a team on an absolute tear, with points in 12 straight games. With how top heavy the Atlantic is, it’s Providence that has maintained the most consistent of the top four teams in the Atlantic, so that is why they are number two this week.
Jump through to see it all laid out with the logos of the teams instead of me explaining it to you in the long form version.
Comments Off on Catch a Tiger by His Tail — Pens WIN 4-1
Posted by nafsnep on December 11, 2016
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Here’s something to consider.
The Bridgeport Sound Tigers are 16-8 this season and a damn good hockey team.
Four of those eight losses have come against the Wilkes-Barre / Scranton Penguins.
What does that make the Penguins?
The best team in the AHL right now based off of percentage points. There are a lot off good teams in this league. Four of them are at the top of the Atlantic Division alone. Milwaukee is good. Stockton is a surprise, lots of good teams.
For the Penguins organization, who is as healthy as ever, the hope is that this run keeps on keeping on.
Dominik Simon – Kevin Porter – Tom Kostopoulos
Garrett Wilson – Oskar Sundqvist – Josh Archibald
Jake Guentzel – J-S Dea – Danny Kristo
Tom Sestito – Teddy Blueger – Reid Gardiner
Derrick Pouliot – Chad Ruhwedel
David Warsofsky – Stuart Percy
Cameron Gaunce – Lukas Bengtsson
Tristan Jarry – Casey DeSmith
Lineup Notes: Fourth line switch up again for Clark Donatelli’s crew as the line of Sestito-Blueger-Gardiner played Friday against Hershey and replaced Patrick McGrath, Jarrett Burton and Ryan Haggerty from last night’s win against the Bears. On defense, Lukas Bengtsson drew in for Ethan Prow. Josh Archibald left Saturday’s game with what appeared at the time to be a bad knee injury, but he actually was on the ice for warmups in Bridgeport and played.
First Period: Despite outshooting the Sound Tigers by a two to one margin (10-5) the Penguins trailed 1-0 off of a Kane Lafranchise goal with Josh Holmstrom screwing in front. J-S Dea left the game in the first period when a puck deflected by Ryan Pulock deflected up high and caught him in the mouth. Dea left the ice to the locker room for a repairs.
Reid Gardiner was robbed by this nice save by Stephon Williams…
Williams was dialed in, also stopping Jake Guentzel when the Penguins rookie weaved past all five Sound Tigers skaters but was denied by the Bridgeport netminder.
Second Period: Teddy Blueger collected his first professional goal with this deflection of a Jake Guentzel shot…
Third Period: Its as all about either preserving or extending the lead for the Penguins because with Bridgeport being rested having not played Friday, it could have been a different result had the Sound Tigers tied the game.
It didn’t happen.
Stuart Percy collected his first goal as a Penguin when his shot went off of Travis St. Denis stick and past Williams that made it 3-1 Wilkes-Barre.
Then Jake Guentzel just walked the dog on Williams and scored his goal of the game that made it 4-1 Wilkes-Barre.
No scoring the rest of the way as the Penguins were trying to preserve the lead and the Sound Tigers were shuffling line combinations to kickstart anything in their favor.
Three Stars: 3) Tristan Jarry (26 saves on 27 shots) 2) Jake Guentzel (goal, assist, +2) and 1) David Warsofsky (goal, two assists, +1)
Around the Division: Hershey pounds Rochester 6-1 and Providence keeps their point streak running to 12 with a 2-1 shootout win at home against Hartford. Springfield is flying back from Newfoundland and Lehigh Valley was off.
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WBS News
Chirps from Center Ice 