Chirps from Center Ice

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So the Wilkes-Barre / Scranton Penguins ran into a really good goaltender on Friday night.

I don’t know the whole story, but Devon Levi started the season in Buffalo playing in the NHL, was sent to the AHL to get reps. There was a necessity to make a recall, and Levi wasn’t selected, ex-Penguin Dustin Tokarski was.

I think if Levi keeps playing the way that he did Friday, Buffalo brass will have no choice but to recall him. His day will come, rest assured.

Penguins lose 5-3. I had a few Amerks fans counter me on Twitter when I said that the Pens “ran into a hot goalie” with that this is the way Levi plays. He stopped 41 shots.

The other end of the spectrum is Magnus Hellberg. I think we have to start having a discussion about Hellberg. As I mentioned in this weeks Weekend Preview, he’s only won 2 out of his last now 6 starts. Meanwhile Taylor Gauthier is having a career year in the ECHL. When does Gauthier get a look? I don’t know the answer. He gets all the starts for Wheeling. If they made a move, he wouldn’t get anything like that in Wilkes-Barre. Joel Blomqvist is the number one in these parts. It’s a fine line you have to walk with winning and development. Hellberg, while I won’t pin the loss all on him Friday, wasn’t good enough for the Penguins.

Here’s how they lined up. Rochester didn’t post lines:

Lineup Notes: Oh boy, a lot. Pittsburgh recalled Valtteri Puustinen, Jonathan Gruden and Vinnie Hinostroza on Thursday. The Pens recalled Justin Addamo and Max Cajkovic from Wheeling. Those two were in, Joona Koppanen missed the game or personal reasons, per Nick Hart. Because of this, they went 11 forwards. 7 defensemen with Taylor Fedun joining the six defensemen who skated in Toronto on Wednesday afternoon.

First Period: Pens had a bit of jump, could not Devon Levi. Rochester scores when Michael Mersch tipped in a shot from Mason Jobst. It looked borderline high, but was ruled a good goal.

These should be allowed to be reviewed, even if the review takes 10 seconds. Get it right.

I had no issue with the goal, by the way.

They navigated through some penalties, Levi continued to stymie them. But then Ryan Shea and Radim Zohorna scored 31 seconds apart and Wilkes-Barre lead 2-1.

Bit of a reward for them continuing to force the issue and they all of a sudden find themselves ahead.

Second Period: Penguins had 16 shots on goal in the period, all really goo, high danger shots, and Devon Levi stopped them all. Off one of those sequences, Levi would make a save and in transition the other way Michael Mersch would net his second of the game to tie the game at two.

Then a bit of goaltending adventurism by Magnus Hellberg.

Here, Hellberg should know better. He doesn’t stop the puck, falls over and spills everything on the ice while the goal is scored. Rochester takes a 3-2 lead when Tyson Kodak scores.

Devon Levi continued to stymie the Wilkes-Barre / Scranton Penguins.

Third Period: Jiri Kulich scores to make it 4-2 at 8:21.

Tough shot. Two Penguin defenders in front of Hellberg may have changed the trajectory. I never played the position, I doubt you have either. Nevertheless it was a goal you didn’t want to see them give up.

Ty Smith scored at half way and the Pens looked like they may have been back in it.

Wilkes-Barre would get a power play that they had some good looks on but they could not solve Levi and continued to trail by a goal. J.D. Forrest puled Hellberg for the extra attacher and Rochester’s Linus Weissbach would score into the empty net to make it 5-3.

Three Stars: 3) Tyson Kozak (goal) 2) Mason Jobst (three assists) 1) Michael Mersch (two goals, assist)

The Good: 5 for 5 on the penalty kill.

The Bad: Seemed like it was death by a thousand paper cuts. 0 for 2 on the power play. Shaky back up goaltending. Yeah, half of their core went up to Pittsburgh and they were missing a forward in Koppanen. They need to regroup, quickly.

Turning Point: Kulich’s goal in the third put a seal on the fate for the Penguins.

Around the Division: Bridgeport beats Providence clean 3-2 with a goal by Cole Bardreau with :25 left in regulation….Laval beats Hartford 5-2. Everyone else had Friday off.

Standings: Hershey 76 – Providence 63 – Penguins 57 – Hartford 53 – Charlotte 50 – Springfield 49 – Lehigh Valley 47 – Bridgeport 32

Wheeling Update: Nailers are out in Utah taking on the Grizzlies. That box is here.

Video Highlights: I must direct you to the AHL Video Center once they are uploaded there.

Back at it as they morph into the Pittston Tomatoes Saturday against the Laval Rocket.

Let’s Go Pens!

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The weird thing about an away game in the morning is that you never know what you are going to get.

But the Wilkes-Barre / Scranton Penguins played a structured game and go into Toronto and win 6-1 on Wednesday early afternoon. The game was hairy at times, but a strong third period by the Penguins is enough to get them a clean two points against an out of division rival and will keep them ahead of Hartford in fourth place who still have five games in hand on the Penguins and will inch them closer to second place Providence. Nothing more you really could ask for in a road game,

Here’s how they lined up:

Lineup Notes: Raivis Ansons was back up from Wheeling and replaced Matt Filipe up front. Filipe was added to the injury report and is considered week to week. No status changes on the other players. Jack St. Ivany returned from injury and replaced Taylor Fedun.

First Period: Breezy start, few whistles. Penguins carried offensive play and finally got a goal with a nice give and go between Jonathan Gruden and Joona Koppanen. It was on one of those, “oh no, what are you doing why don’t you shoot the — oh! I see what you are doing! Yess they scored!!” moments….

Pretty quick period by standards. No penalties, few offsides.

Second Period: Not the best start for the Penguins as an innocuous shot is blocked but then put gun by Dylan Gambrell to tie the game at one just 65 seconds into the period:

Penguins had a five on three man advantage for over 90 seconds but a giveaway leads to a breakaway for the aforementioned Dylan Gambrell and Joel Blomqvist comes out of his crease near the far face-off dot for a poke check. The Pens managed just one or two shots on goal up two men and didn’t score.

Here’s that Blomqvist sequence…

Wilkes-Barre reestablishes its lead when Jack St. Ivany steps into a shot off of a face-off win that beats Keith Petruzzelli off the glove and in.

Feeling in the game was that the Penguins controlled it in parts and the parts they didn’t was a puff out your cheeks moment on every Marlies chance.

Third Period: I will never complain when the Penguins get scoring from their fourth line.

Corey Andonovski, with friends and family in attendance for the game, scores at 3:37 to make it a two goal Penguins lead.

Penguins continued to pile on when Peter Abbandonato stuck to a puck like white on rice along the boards and shuffled a pass to Jack Rathbone who found Alex Nylander across the ice. Nylander had time and space and scored to make it at three goal lead for the visitors.

Really nifty, team setup on that one.

Then Toronto pulls Petruzzelli in a home run attempt to get some goals and Radim Zohorna scores on the empty net to ice the game away essentially and made it 5-1. But then rubbing salt in the wound, with Petruzzelli re-established firmly in net, Jack St. Ivany rips another for a goal that made it 6-1. Here are each of the goals.

Three Stars: 3) Corey Andonovski (goal) 2) Alex Nylander (goal) 1) Jack St. Ivany (two goals)

The Good: They bottled up Toronto and were the better team at even strength and came away with a very business like two points.

The Bad: Game in the balance, you gotta get a goal on th two man advantage. I heard play by play man Nick Hart say that Petruzzelli had given up something like 20 goals in his last five starts, you have to find a way to put pucks at him to force him to stop it no matter how bad your look is. The power play is slowly starting to be one of the weaker points with this team and the lack of success is going to cost them the further we go into this 25th season.

Turning Point: So many to pick from, but Corey Andonovski’s goal in the opening moments of the third period gave the Penguins the momentum to coast down the hill and into a cool two points and out of Toronto with a blowout win.

Around the Division: Weird that on a Wednesday in the AHL that no other Atlantic Division team was in action.

Standings: Hershey 76 – Providence 63 – Penguins 57 – Hartford 53 – Charlotte 50 – Springfield 49 – Lehigh Valley 47 – Bridgeport 32

Wheeling Update: Nailers were off.

Video Highlights: 

They are back Friday in Rochester. More then.

Let’s Go Pens!

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No, it’s not a poop joke. Matt Brown, a call up from the ECHL affiliate of the Lehigh Valley Phantoms the Reading Royals and the Royals leading scorer, used a trick move and beat Joel Blomqvist in the top of the fourth inning in the shootout on Friday, the Penguins first shootout of the season and Wilkes-Barre loses 5-4.

Brown only has 5 AHL games, total, under his belt. That’s 5 more than you or I, and that move took some stones man. Nothing you could do but just stare in awe.

Anyway, it’s a game that they battled back from two goals on in the third period and they get another point and have the rest of the weekend off and will be back at it Wednesday morning in Toronto.

Here’s how they lined up:

Lineup Notes: Jesse Puljujarvi signed an NHL contract with Pittsburgh. The Penguins sent Raivis Ansons to Wheeling on Thursday and recalled Dillon Hamaliuk and Lukas Svejkovsky. Reason? Marc Johnstone and Sam Poulin are injured:

They can live with Poulin and St. Ivany being day to day. You can manage that. They will miss Marc Johnstone. The kid did everything. Played with his hair on fire every shift. If it’s a separated shoulder (he was tripped hard into the boards) it’s a 3 month (May 2024) recovery period. If it’s a broken collarbone it could be sooner, but you have to immobilize. I’m not going to play doctor.

First Period: One thing I noticed off the jump was that the power play was immediately better with Lukas Svejkovsky on it.

It was Wade Allison opening the scoring late while they were four on four.

Off the bar and in.

:33 later, while the Penguins were on a power play, Vinnie Hinostroza had an immediate response and tied the game at one.

Couple seconds after that, Peter Abbandonato would whiff o a wide open net but would get himself in position to tip in a shot and give the Penguins a 2-1 lead.

Three goals in 1:43. A frenetic finish.

Second Period: Penguins got jumped for three goals in a 112 second span.

On a power play, Bobby Brink wheels around the net and connects with teammate Rhett Gardner for a tap in goal that tied the game at two.

Then Xavier Ouellet was covering Brandon Furry in front, falls down and Furry continues to hack and whack for a goal that makes it 3-2 Phantoms.

Then the Phantoms put on the three man weave like in basketball and JR Avon scores to make it 4-2.

Remember how I kept banging the drum on when the Penguins would be  down in a  game and would benefit from cashing on a power play?

They had two opportunities in the period and looked good. They generated shots, but weren’t able to crack Felix Sandstrom.

Third Period: At the expiration of a power play, Vinnie Hinostroza scores to bring the Penguins to back within one.

1:10 later, it was Ty Smith with a bomb from the point that tied the game.

Relentless forecheck from Austin Rueschhoff to set the whole damn thing up.

They went back and forth some more then the Penguins found themselves in more penalty trouble with 3:29 left to play but got out of it OK. No scoring the rest of the way and it was off to…

Overtime: They never seemed to get out of the chute the right way and I thought it was curtains on them a few times but Joel Blomqvist made a hell of save that preserved the deadlock. It was then off to the…

Shootout: First of the season for WBS. Here’s where they miss a guy like Puljujarvi or Poulin.

– JR Avon with a nifty pull the string backhand roof job in round one.
– Alex Nylander made too many moves.
– Bobby Brink made a hundred moves and didn’t get a good shot off.
– Lukas Svejkovsky had a neat stutter step and scored.

Then Wade Allison makes a move in Round 3, falls and bumps into Blomqvist and the puck goes in. After a brief conference by the officials, Patrick Hanrahan and Jackson Kozari consulted video review and ruled no goal.

After all that waiting, Vinnie Hinostroza stepped up and lost the handle.

Then Matt Brown stepped up and did his thing. Scroll back up and watch that again. Peter Abbandonato had to score and couldn’t. Phantoms win.

Three Stars: 3) Matthew Brown (disgusting shootout goal) 2) Vinnie Hinostroza (goal, two assists) 1) Wade Allison (goal, assist)

Honorable Mention: Jonathan Gruden had three assists.

The Good: Dug deep and gritted out a point when they were down two goals coming into the third.

The Bad: They did this against the seventh place team in the division, Hershey or Providence doesn’t allow this to happen.

Turning Point: The Ty Smith goal that gets them the point gets it here. The Shootout is a circus act that just guarantees a winner.

Around the Division: Charlotte with a big 4-3 OT win in Cleveland….Hartford wins 4-1 in their 2,000th AHL game over Bridgeport who they have played 1750 times out of those 2000 it seems….Hershey beats Providence in a battle of division heavies 3-1.

Standings: Hershey 76 – Providence 61 – Penguins 55 – Hartford 53 – Charlotte 48 – Springfield 47 – Lehigh Valley 45 – Bridgeport 31

Wheeling Update: Nailers have 11 straight wins. Justin Addamo scores the overtime game winner and the Nailers beat the Reading Royals 2-1. Taylor Gauthier with another win.

Video Highlights: Not up yet. AHL VideoCenter is likely your bets bet.

Weekend Preview returns to its regular scheduled slot likely Tuesday night to get it out front of the Wednesday morning game in Toronto. Talk to you then.

Let’s Go Pens!

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So the Lehigh Valley Phantoms beat the Hershey Bears Friday night. Not many teams beat the Hershey Bears.

The Phantoms are pushing for a playoff spot, sitting seventh in the division and right behind sixth place Springfield.

But the Penguins are a resilient bunch, who fought back from three goals down Friday in Hartford to lose in overtime.

They know that when you play a non-playoff team like the Phantoms, there is an opportunity for two points.

Penguins win 3-1 in what was a solid game all around.

Well, expect for special teams. But I don’t want to spoil it for you. Please read on…

Here’s how they lined up…

Lineup Notes: I learned on the broadcast that Jack St. Ivany was injured on Wednesday and they haven’t yet thrown a timetable on his injury. This presents a problem for them as they just have Owen Headrick as the only non-veteran defenseman not named Xavier Ouellet or Taylor Fedun, who were both in the lineup Saturday for the Penguins.

John Ludvig was out, will probably get recalled from his conditioning stint. Matt Filipe was in for Jesse Puljujarvi. This is where you run into a potential problem.

Puljujarvi is a veteran, but since St. Ivany is hurt that necessitates either Ouellet or Fedun drawing in, using up a veteran spot. I’m hoping it isn’t a bad injury because this is a bad spot to be in.

First Period: Well, that bad spot didn’t look like it at all in the first period. A dominating period by the visitors who dominated in shots (10-2) and in the face-off dot (12-3) and went up 1-0 on a Ty Smith shot that squeaked through Parker Gahagen.

Second Period: Talked Friday about how the Penguins power play was 3/39 in January. So a full 2:00 two man advantage should heal this ail, correct?

Wrong.

They ran into Parker Gahagen and he shut down the entire two minute two man advantage. It was frustrating to watch, honestly.

Wilkes-Barre still led heading into the…

Third Period: So it’s funny because the Penguins played a disciplined game, couldn’t score on a two man advantage and ten seconds into a Phantoms power play, their first of the night, Joona Koppanen scores shorthanded to make it 2-0.

But the Penguins would lose Marc Johnstone when he was tripped / checked into the boards by Emil Andrea late and was writhing in pain. Later Sam Poulin looked like he took an elbow to the face by Ronnie Attard.

Jon-Randall Avon busted up the Blomqvisyt shutout bid with 1:54 left to play in regulation. No GIF of this.

But then :30 later with Gahagen pulled, Jonathan Gruden would strip Avon and score into the empty net to ice the game away for the Penguins.

Three Stars: 3) Ty Smith (goal) 2) Joel Blomqvist (20 saves) 1) Joona Koppanen (goal, assist)

The Good: Nice to see that they get to the all star break third in the division all things considered. Could be slightly better, sure, but could be a lot worse.

The Bad: The power play is a mess, but they are better (if that makes sense) shorthanded.

Turning Point: The Koppanen shorthanded bid gets it here. You could feel the Phantoms making a push, then they go on a power play in the third down one but Koppanen lets all the air out of the balloon.

Around the Division: Providence beats Charlotte 4-2 … Springfield beats Hartford 6-3 … Hershey shuts out Bridgeport 4-0.

Standings: Hershey 74 – Providence 61 – Penguins 54 – Hartford 51 – Springfield 47 – Charlotte 46 – Lehigh Valley 43 – Bridgeport 31

Wheeling Update: Nailers win 4-3 over the Orlando Solar Bears. Justin Addamo with the OT game winning goal and a goal in regulation.

Video Highlights: I will check for them and edit where I can, but bookmark the AHL Video Center.

They are off till next Friday and I am assume will enjoy the week. You do the same. We will be back here Friday for a Gameday setup against these same Lehigh Valley Phantoms. Yep, I am going old school next Friday as next Friday is the only game they are playing next weekend.

Let’s Go Pens!

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The Wilkes-Barre / Scranton Penguins took a 4-1 deficit and manufactured a point out of a Hartford Wolf Pack team that has five games in hand on them. Hartford wins 5-4 in overtime.

It’s technically a three game losing streak, their longest of the season, but they gritted a point out of a game where at time it looked like hope was lost.

I think it shows the tenacity of the team to pick themselves up and get themselves something positive.

I don’t want to call Saturday in Allentown must win, but you want to head into the All-Star Break with a win.

Here’s how they lined up… Hartford didn’t post lines.

Lineup Notes: Xavier Ouellet for Jack St. Ivany was the only line up change.

First Period: It didn’t take them long to score the last time these two teams met, and it didn’t take them long to score on Friday.

That’s Joona Koppanen scooping up a blocked Xavier Ouellet shot and scoring it to give Wilkes-Barre an early 1-0 lead.

But then bodies started to pile up in front of Magnus Hellberg and Adam Sykora tipped in a shot past Hellberg to tie the score.

Vinnie Hinostrioza split two defensemen and had a good look, Valtteri Puustinen hit a post. The Penguins were the better team I thought.

Second Period: Penguins take back to back icings and Alex Belzile scores on a play similar to Joona Koppanen from the first period; initial shot blocked to Belzile who scores to give the Wolf Pack a 2-1 lead.

Then Hartford scores again when Matthew Robertson finished a four on two with guys in black standing around.

And then Brennan Othmann scored :07 into a Hartford power play to make it 4-1.

I know that half the team is standing around and sleepwalking through the game, but it’s two shots over the glove now. The Penguins are not getting reliable goaltending from their backup of late.

Peter Abbandonato scored to cut the lead back to two and there was a little bit of a push.

Third Period: That Abbandonato goal was foreshadowing, because they got two gritty goals and outshot the home team 18-7.

Vinnie Hinostroza on a deflection of a Jack Rathbone shot. One thing I will say about Rathbone was that it looked like he was shot out of a cannon all game and was everywhere.

Penguins didn’t have a power play goal in this game but I liked the setups on the two that they had in the game, here in the third period. On one of them Domingue robbed Radim Zohorna point blank.

With Hellberg pulled, the Penguins did find an equalizer when Vinnie Hinostroza scored his second of the game that tied the game at four.

Overtime: 

That’s Brett Berard scoring a goal that wins the game for the home team. He essentially takes on the entire team and wires a shot past Hellberg to win it.

Nothing you could do there. Guy was shot out of a cannon. Great shot. Take the point and move on.

Three Stars: 3) Alex Belzile (goal, assist) 2) Vinnie Hinostroza (two goals) 1) Brett Berard (game winning goal)

The Good: Good point to put in tour pocket and get out of there with.

The Bad: Power play went 3 for 39 in January and was 0 for 2 Friday. They got a goal that got them to overtime, but there’s a 2-1 loss on the horizon where they get two third power plays and don’t score.

Turning Point: The Berard game winner gets it here as any game winning overtime winner would.

Around the Division: Springfield’s woes continue, losing 5-1 to the Bridgeport Islanders….Providence beats Charlotte 4-2….Lehigh Valley beats Hershey 4-1.

Standings: Hershey 72 – Providence 59 – Penguins 52 – Hartford 51 – Charlotte 46 – Springfield 45 – Lehigh Valley 43 – Bridgeport 31

Wheeling Update: Nailers race out to a 4-0 lead and hang on to win 4-3. Taylor Gauthier picks up another win, barely.

Video Highlights: AHL VideoCenter I think is your best bet.

Back at it Saturday in Allentown against the Phantoms.

Let’s Go Pens!