Chirps from Center Ice

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

Trade: Plotnikov for Plachta

Comments Off on Trade: Plotnikov for Plachta Posted by on February 29, 2016

Quick blog post to let you know that the Pittsburgh Penguins have traded away Sergei Plotnikov to the Arizona Coyotes for a conditional seventh rough draft pick and Mattias Plachta.

Trade not official yet from the teams, but it’s been confirmed on Twitter by all the heavyweights:

Made official by Pittsburgh mid-Monday morning.

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On Plachta, he’s 2-5-7 in 46 games with AHL Springfield. There is a local connection to the coaching staff in Wilkes-Barre as Plachta won the DEL Championship with Adler Mannheim last year, the same team that Jay Leach coached.

Quick scouting report on Plachta:

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Perhaps a change of scenery will help him.

If there is another move, I’ll throw a brief quip up on the blog. My AHL Power Rankings hit the blog today at noon.

Pittsburgh, WBS

Short Handed Shots — Pens LOSE 3-2

Comments Off on Short Handed Shots — Pens LOSE 3-2 Posted by on February 28, 2016

   button_adk200       @       WBS

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Tristan Jarry faced a firing squad today. They wore white Providence Bruins jerseys and shot 50 pucks at him Sunday afternoon.

The Wilkes-Barre / Scranton Penguins did not allow the top rated Providence power play unit to score with the man advantage today, scoring twice shorthanded. The Penguins had two shorthanded goals scored all season coming into this game.

The Penguins came up short this afternoon and lose 3-2. It was an effort that, but for all the shots in the first period, the Penguins could have came out on the better end of.

Tristan Jarry vs. Zane McIntyre

More videos in this postgame so if you didn’t link in direct, hit the jump to see the rest.

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GAMEDAY: @ Providence 2/28

Comments Off on GAMEDAY: @ Providence 2/28 Posted by on February 28, 2016

@     15PRO

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Away Game: 30

AHL Game: 820

Who: Providence Bruins

Where: Dunkin’ Donuts Center

When: 3:05 p.m.

Media Kit

Last Game: Last night in Springfield, the Pens lost 5-2. Tom Kostopoulos and J-S Dea had the goals for the Pens in the loss. For Providence, the Bruins lost in Bridgeport against the Sound Tigers 3-1. Justin Hickman scored the only goal for the P-Bruins in the loss.

Last Meeting: January 24 in Providence, the Penguins lost 5-2. J-S Dea and Josh Archibald scored the goals for the Penguins in the defeat.

Record: For WBS: 33-17-4-1 (71 pts., 1st place Atlantic Division) — For PRO: 26-18-8-2 (62 pts., 4th place Atlantic Division)

Why you should care: Penguins look to close the weekend out on a winning note with a strong performance against the P-Bruins. Everyone is seeing through the fact that the Penguins just aren’t getting any production consistently from anyone, so if the Penguins are to win this game today, expect a player who will surprise you to have a big game.

Referee(s): Peter Tarnaris / Geoff Miller

Linesmen: Ed Boyle / Kenneth Gates

Twitter: @WBSPenguins / @WBSGameDay / @AHLBruins

Facebook: /WilkesBarreScrantonPenguins // /providencebruins

Instagram: wbspenguins / ahlbruins

Beat Writers: @CVSethLakso and @TLTomVenesky / @MarkDivver

Broadcasters: WBS: Mike O’Brien @MikeOBrienWBS / PRO: Nick Gagalis @NickGagalis

Fan Bloggers: @nafsnep 

Radio: For WBS: WILK NewsRadio / For Providence: WNRI 1380 AM

Television: AHL Live

Other Game to Watch: Eyes should be on the Hershey / Utica contest.

Next Five Games: @ LV 3/4, @ HER 3/5, HER 3/6, LV 3/9, BRI 3/12

Gameday

Fast Lane to a CunningHat — Pens LOSE 5-2

Comments Off on Fast Lane to a CunningHat — Pens LOSE 5-2 Posted by on February 27, 2016

WBS          @          button_spr200

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This was a game that the Wilkes-Barre / Scranton Penguins had to have. Plain and simple.

The Penguins came into Springfield owning the Falcons, beating them eight straight times before. You looked at the schedule of games this weekend on Wednesday afternoon after getting crushed by Hershey the night before and put all of your money on this game tonight as one that the Penguins would easily win.

Well, I have some bad news for you. The Penguins lost tonight by a score of 5-2. Springfield captain Craig Cunningham had a natural hat trick and Phil Lane added two more goals.

I have determined that the problem is one part coaching and one part player attitude. There is no one on a consistent basis that stands out for the Wilkes-Barre / Scranton Penguins anymore on a nightly basis. It used to be Conor Sheary, Scott Wilson and Bryan Rust but those players are in Pittsburgh now. In Wheeling, a team that is pillaged by recalls equally as bad as the Penguins, they battle. They continue to win. Those players want it. There has not been a single player in the past few weeks that has stood out to me as a player in danger of a recall. Not one. Carter Rowney, Tom Kostopoulos and Sahir Gill are all AHL contracted players. They call can’t carry the load night in and night out. You have guys like Josh Archibald and J-S Dea that are just “bodies” and not players or difference makers. You have excellent goaltending in Tristan Jarry that’s wasted because players coast. I am going to start calling it the, “Wilkes-Barre Mentality” of just put the uniform on and expect that the other team is going to lay down before you and hand you the win.

It doesn’t work like that, sadly. Everyone wants the big time. No one wants to work for it.

Anyway, gamer with video highlights is after the jump. Caveat Emptor.

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GAMEDAY: @ Springfield 2/27

Comments Off on GAMEDAY: @ Springfield 2/27 Posted by on February 27, 2016

@     spr14

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Away Game: 29

AHL Game: 809

Who: Springfield Falcons

Where: MassMutual Center

When: 7:00 p.m.

Media Kit

Last Game: Last night in Portland, the Penguins won 3-2 in a shootout. Kael Mouillierat had a goal, an assist and the game winning shootout goal for the Pens in the win. For Springfield, the Falcons won at home against Albany in overtime 4-3. The Falcons came back from a 3-1 deficit and Eric Selleck scored the overtime game winning goal.

Last Meeting: February 5 in Springfield, the Pens won 4-3 in overtime. Carter Rowney scored the overtime game winning goal, but wasn’t named a star of the game somehow.

 Record: For WBS: 33-16-4-1 (71 pts., 1st place Atlantic Division) — For SPR: 20-26-3-4 (47 pts., 8th place Atlantic Division)

Why you should care: Both teams are coming off of big wins tonight. If you looked at the schedule of opponents that the Pens were playing this weekend, you would have circled Springfield as the team that the Penguins had the most likely chance of beating this weekend. But the Falcons beat a really good Devils team last night. The seed is planted in their minds that they can do the same to the Wilkes-Barre / Scranton Penguins. Expect the Falcons best tonight.

Referee(s): Mark Lemelin

Linesmen: Brent Colby / Kevin Briganti

Twitter: @wbspenguins / @WBSGameDay // @TheFalconsAHL

Facebook: /WilkesBarreScrantonPenguins // /falconsahl

Instagram: wbspenguins / falconsahl

Beat Writers: @CVSethLakso and @TLTomVenesky

Broadcasters: For WBS: Mike O’Brien @MikeOBrienWBS / For SPR: Andy Zilch @andy_zilch

Fan Bloggers: @nafsnep

Radio: For WBS: WILK Newsradio / For Springfield: WHYN News Talk 560

Television: AHL Live

Other Game to Watch: I am liking Rockford and Lake Erie in the rematch between these two teams. The Monsters beat the IceHogs last night and are closing in on the Central Division leaders.

Next Five Games: @ PRO 2/28, @ LV 3/4, @ HER 3/5, HER 3/6, LV 3/9

Gameday

Shooting Away a Losing Streak — Pens WIN 3-2 (SO)

2 Comments Posted by on February 26, 2016

WBS            @            POR

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First impressions are lasting ones. It’s an old saying. In an important weekend for the Wilkes-Barre / Scranton Penguins with the Hershey Bears dangerously breathing down the necks of the Penguins, a strong start to a five game road trip beginning with a three in three starting in Portland, Maine was key to keeping the Penguins at the top of the Atlantic Division.

It took a shootout this time, but the five game losing streak is over. The Wilkes-Barre / Scranton Penguins defeat the Portland Pirates by a score of 3-2 in a shootout.

It was Matt Murray vs. Mike McKenna in goal in what turned out to be a classic battle between an old lion in McKenna and a young lion in Murray.

Lots of video highlights in this one again as I am working on my terrible video edit skills. So please, jump through if you didn’t link in direct.

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GAMEDAY: @ Portland 2/26

Comments Off on GAMEDAY: @ Portland 2/26 Posted by on February 26, 2016

@     por15_200

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Away Game: 28

AHL Game: 793

Who: Portland Pirates

Where: Cross Insurance Arena

When: 7:00 p.m.

Media Kit

Last Game: Tuesday at home against Hershey, the Penguins lost 4-1. Carter Rowney scored the only goal for the Pens in the loss. For Portland, the Pirates were in Hartford Wednesday and beat the Wolf Pack 1-0. Sena Acolytes scored the only goal in the contest and Mike McKenna had a 35 save shutout.

Last Meeting: February 14 in Wilkes-Barre, the Penguins lost in overtime 3-2 to the Pirates. Will O’Neill had a goal and an assist in that game.

Record: For WBS: 32-16-4-1 (69 pts., 1st place Atlantic Division) — For POR: 30-20-2-0 (62 pts., 3rd Atlantic Division)

Why you should care: The Penguins simply need to win. Standing in their way is a Portland Pirates team that is third in the division and looking to get by the Bears in second and the Penguins in first. Wilkes-Barre should be bolstered by the return of Oskar Sundqvist, who was returned from his NHL recall by Pittsburgh Thursday.

Referee(s): Mark Lemelin / Jamie Koharski

Linesmen: Joe Ross / Brendan Blanchard

Twitter: @wbspenguins / @WBSGameDay / @portlandpirates

Facebook: /WilkesBarreScrantonPenguins // /PortlandPirates

Instagram: wbspenguins / piratesahl

Beat Writers: @CVSethLakso / @TLTomVenesky // @Chris_MHJ

Broadcasters: WBS: Mike O’Brien @MikeOBrienWBS / POR: Jeff Mannix @JeffMannix

Fan Bloggers: @nafsnep 

Radio: For WBS: WILK NewsRadio / For Portland: News Talk 1310 WLOB

Television: AHL Live

Other Game to Watch: Toronto hosts Hershey tonight. This matchup should be a great test for both clubs.

Next Five Games: @ SPR 2/27, @ PRO 2/28, @ LV 3/4, @ HER 3/5, HER 3/6

Gameday

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