Chirps from Center Ice

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I am not one of those fans that expect to win every game 10-0 and then when they do, complain that it wasn’t 11-0.

Tonight, however, was a game I was expecting them to win.

The Penguins got a shot of reinforcements from Pittsburgh in the form of Valtteri Puustinen, Ryan Shea, John Ludvig and the returning from injury Jonathan Gruden.

But it was the Toronto Marlies who win 4-1 Wednesday night. The Marlies dominated the game in all facets, and despite the fact they scored two empty net goals late in the third, controlled the game in large enough stretches to come to Wilkes-Barre on a Wednesday night and grit out a win.

I won’t keep you if you have work (like me) or school tomorrow. Heard it may rain tomorrow, you may get a delay. Kids are soft these days.

Here’s how they lined up…

Lineup Notes: As I mentioned off the jump, four reinforcements were in. Yielding were Corey Andonovski and Matt Filipe up front and Xavier Ouellet and Owen Headrick on defense.

First Period: Harbinger of what was to come was the fact that the Penguins went over ten minutes in the period without registering a shot on goal. The Marlies registered the first nine with the assistance of a power play. Wilkes-Barre made a bit of a push but wasn’t able to solve Marlies All-Star goaltender Dennis Hildeby.

Second Period: Needed a dirty goal to get the jump and it was Toronto that struck first when Josiah Slavin cleaned up loose change like a bum on the sidewalk when a shot went off the mask I thought of Blomqvist and swept in by Slavin.

Penguins had :43 of two man advantage and later a 4 on 3 power play they were not able to cash on. A good power play would have got them one here and it was frustrating seeing Puustinen back and not getting anything on a power play.

Third Period: Jonathan Gruden got a goal to go on this play here.

No immediate point from ref Mason Riley, but after a very brief video review it was clear that the puck crossed the line.

John Gruden is the Toronto Marlies head coach and father of the Penguins forward.

Gruden’s pop took a puck off the side of the face back in the first and didn’t bat an eyelash.

Just :18 later, Toronto responds in kind when Nick Abruzzese scored to push the Marlies back out in front again.

I did not like that goal. They were caught with their pants down and caught watching and it cost them.

It was elementary after that. They didn’t really threaten, even with Blomqvist pulled with about three minutes left in regulation and the Marlies scored a pair of empty net goals (Logan Shaw at 17:28 and Zach Solow at 18:08) to rub additional salt in the open wound.

Three Stars: 3) Johnathan Gruden (goal) 2) Dennis Hildeby (31 saves) 1) Nick Abruzzese (goal)

Rejected Pun Headlines: A play on Abruzzese’s name to the tune of zzz’s signifying sleepwalking or Solow signifying the lone goal they scored.

The Good: Nice to see Gruden didn’t really miss a beat for the 10 or so days he was out of work for.

The Bad: Rest assured, these are two points they are going to want come April.

The Bad 2: 0/3 on the power play when you really, really could have used one.

Turning Point: Nearly a minute of two man advantage when they were chasing a goal in the second. They didn’t get it. Toronto overcame and used their All Star goalie to win.

Around the Division: Not all bad, all things considered. Hartford loses 4-2 to Charlotte (good) – Providence was off (bad, Pens burned a game in hand and lost) – Springfield loses 3-1 to Bridgeport (good) – Hershey wins against Lehigh Valley 4-2 (indifferent, the Bears are 50 miles ahead of everyone in the AHL)

Standings: Hershey 72 – Providence 57 – Penguins 51 – Hartford 49 – Charlotte 46 – Springfield 45 – Lehigh Valley 41 – Bridgeport 29

Wheeling Update: Nailers were in Cincinnati and won 6-3. Issac Belliveau had a pair of goals. Justin Addamo had three assists Lukas Svejkovsky had a goal and an assist. Taylor Gauthier picks up another win and had 22 saves. Wheeling is third in the Central with 46 points, ten off first place Toledo, who are always at the top of whatever division you put them in.

Video Highlights: Not up yet. Check AHL’s Video Center if you really want to put yourself through the misery.

Back at it Friday in Hartford. More then.

Let’s Go Pens!

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Sam Poulin’s goal with 5.9 seconds left to play in regulation and the Penguins on a power play with Joel Blomqvist pulled was called back on account of a high stick.

100% the right and correct call. I knew it the second I saw it and half celebrated in disbelief that the officials would allow the goal to stand.

But alas, after a brief conference, the goal was disallowed.

You can’t redirect pucks with your stick if the stick is above the cross bar. Poulin’s stick was way above that.

Penguins lose 3-2.

Felt like a playoff game, same intensity. Same back and forth. I had the feeling that the Penguins were playing with house money a bit based off of their recent run and Hershey was due for a loss. No, Hershey is levels above at this juncture. The Penguins kept it close. But it really is like wrestling a bear. You may tire the bear out, but the bear in the end is going to eat you alive if you make a mistake.

Grotesque comparisons aside, let’s get into this one. Here’s how they lined up…

Lineup Notes: Xavier Ouellet for Taylor Fedun on defense is was the only change.

First Period: Just 1:05 in, Radim Zohorna catches Hershey playing patty cake with the puck and scores to make it 1-0 Penguins.

But then Ethen Frank, who you don’t want to give time and space to, got himself time and space and just watch this…

If Joel Blomqvist wants to succeed at the next level, he has to stop these because every shot is going to look something like this.

Second Period: Pierrick Dube at 6:24 of the period on the power play. Looked methodical.

You gotta move him out of the dot.

But then Vinnie Hinostroza evened it on a power play (second in as many games, woo!)

Third Period; Momma, there goes that man again.

I think I have developed enough of an eye to see it coming at this level and I saw this one coming. Just an absolutely filthy shot by Frank.

Then the Penguins found themselves on a 4:00 power play with 3:01 left. A timeout. Blomqvist pulled.

Sam Poulin scores but with a blatant high stick. Goal was initially awarded by referee Andrew Bell but taken off the board by conference from Chandler Yakimowicz, John Rey (linesmen) and fellow referee Patrick Hanrahan.

The right call. Not reviewable, which I disagree with. If Hanrahan and Bell want to move up to the NHL, where they have reviews on the type of stuff, they should have this at the AHL level also. It a developmental league for officials too.

Three Stars: 3) Vinnie Hinostroza (goal) 2) Mike Sgarbossa (three assists) 1) Ethen Frank (two goals)

The Good: Hung in there and went 15 rounds with the champions. Lost on points.

The Bad: Weren’t able to score late on a power play that would have gotten them at least a point. That thing I have bee saying about them needing an opportune time to score a power play goal?

Turning Point: Then they had a 4:00 power play late and needed to score, it was either a good thing and they get a point or a bad thing and they walk away empty handed. Victory was snatched from the jaws of defeat, as the Poulin goal was too high to count.

Around the Division: Springfield beats Charlotte 6-1…Hartford sweeps Cleveland and wins 3-2….Providence scores three in the third to win in Bridgeport 3-1…Toronto beats Lehigh Valley in a shootout and win 4-3.

Standings: Herhey 68 – Providence 55 – Penguins 51 – Hartford 49 – Springfield 45 – Charlotte 44 – Lehigh Valley 41 – Bridgeport 27

Wheeling Update: The Nailers may never want to leave Reading or may ask to be placed back in the Eastern Conference. They smash the Royals for the second time in as many nights and win 8-2. Lukas Svejkovsky with a pair of goals. Tanner Laderoute with two assists. Dillon Hamalkiuk, who was reassigned today had a pair of goals.

Video Highlights: 

They are off a few days before Toronto stops by for their only visit around these parts this season on Wednesday. Weekend Preview is yours around lunch time then.

Let’s Go Pens!

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Jack St. Ivany’s postgame interview with in arena host Rachel Malak gave me the headline idea tonight.

Malak asked St. Ivany what led to a 4-1 Penguins win over the Hartford Wolf Pack on Wednesday night and he answered the question by stating the team started on time.

Two goals before the game is 3:45 old and the Penguins race out to a hot start and again ride another strong performance by Joel Blomqvist but fall short of getting him his first career shutout, and they are two off of Providence and four clear of the aforementioned Wolf Pack who now have a five and a half hour drive out to Cleveland for a pair of games with the North Division leading Monsters.

Work night, school night. let’s get this show on the road already!

Here’s how they lined up. Hartford is one of the few teams in the AHL who don’t post lines.

Lineup Notes: Matt Filipe for Dillon Hamaliuk up front and Will Butcher for Xavier Ouellet. Still no Jonathan Gruden, classified as day to day last I heard.

First Period: 65 seconds in and Jesse Puljujarvi scores to give the Penguins a 1-0 lead.

Hell of a shot here and one that you’d think Domingue makes the save on.

Assault continues and as pretty as a play you will see with the passing of the puck and Alex Nylander scores to make it 2-0.

Look at all the space and the time Nylander has here. You give him all that space and a sniper like him is going to score and he did.

Shots were 9-1 Penguins to this point. Looked like they were going to run it up.

It leveled off from there, however.

Second Period: Jack St. Ivany is feeling his oats.

That’s a hell of a shot right there from a guy you don’t expect that from. If you get a guy like St. Ivany, a defensive defenseman, warm on the offensive side, look out!

Another pretty play as Jesse Puljujarvi and Sam Poulin connect to make it 4-0.

A great first step by Puljujarvi, a pass to Poulin he doesn’t connect with entirely but stays with, stabs at the puck and it flips into the air and past Louis Domingue.

Domingue did not have a great game, by his standards.

If they could pull a move to where they recall both Poulin and Puljujarvi at the same time, they have to keep them together because they are better on the ice as a pair. Puljujarvi has lifted Poulin’s game tenfold of recent and these two are steering the team up the standings.

Third Period: Corey Andonovski takes too many damn penalties.

His second of the game costs Blomqvist a shot at a shutout, as Brennan Ohtmann scores to put Hartford on the board.

That minor blemish spoiled what was overall a complete game by the Penguins who showed up and got the job done.

Three Stars: 3) Joel Blomqvist (27 saves) 2) Jesse Puljujarvi (goal, assist) 1) Jack St. Ivany (goal, assist)

The Good: They started on time, and not just because it was a work / school night, but because they were up against a team that has five games in hand on them and are breathing down their necks for third in the division. They smacked back at that Wednesday, and you want to see them ascend up the standings even more.

The Bad: Seriously Andonovski has 63 PIMs and takes way too many. Four more minutes tonight.

Turning Point: The St. Ivany goal turned it into a laugher.

Around the Division: Hershey hosted Springfield and beat them 4-1.

Standings: Hershey 66 – Providence 51 – Penguins 49 – Hartford 45 – Charlotte 44 – Springfield 41 – Lehigh Valley 40 – Bridgeport 27

Wheeling Update: Just down the road, the Nailers were in Reading and took on the Royals and beat them 5-4 in overtime. Big night for Lukas Svejkofsky, who had a pair of goals including the OT game winner. Taylor Gauthier, who is tearing up the ECHL this season, was in goal and got the win. Gauthier was named ECHL Goaltender of the Week for the second time this season on Monday.

Video Highlights: 

Back at it Friday in Allentown at an advertised start at 7:05, but more like 7:18. The Phantoms, unlike the Penguins Wednesday night, never start on time,

Let’s Go Pens!

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Have to feel for the Springfield Thunderbirds.

Reeling, three game losing streak coming in, come to Wilkes-Barre and are dealt a 2-1 setback. Now losers of four straight, 2-7-0-1 in their last ten.

The Penguins have been there and will be there again someday.

Only today ain’t that day.

They took care of business in what could be described as an ugly win, and got the two points to solidify themselves third in the Atlantic.

Massive game Wednesday with Hartford, two points off the Pens for third and with an astonishing five games in hand. Gotta make these head to head matchups count.

But that’s for Wednesday.

Here’s how they lined up:

Lineup Notes: As the graphic says above, it was Dillon Hamaliuk’s debut. Matt Filipe came out of the lineup for him. No other changes.

First Period: They played too cute with the puck all night, and it was on full display when Jacob Vrana scores on a breakaway.

But then Owen Headrick scored at 16:33 when Vinnie Hinostroza dropped a pass for him and he one timed it in.

I thought they were the better team at 5 on 5 last night against Hershey. They sleepwalked through the first period Sunday and were lucky to only be tied.

Second Period: 94 seconds in and Vinnie Hinostroza scored to push the Penguins ahead.

Malcolm Subban was spilling rebounds all over the place, but was vulnerable five hole. Go figure.

They were less careless with the puck but it’s still a one shot contest.

Third Period: Thunderbirds had a power play about midway through and couldn’t cash, taking a penalty. They couldn’t score after a timeout and with Subban pulled either. The Pens walked a fine line of pushing for the insurance but protecting a one goal lead.

Referee Appreciation: Give me more of Jack Young and David Elford. We had them in Hershey Saturday and again Sunday and I thought they ran a great game, letting the players essentially dictate play, get after it within the rules and didn’t make themselves the stars. More of this, please and they are welcome back anytime.

Three Stars: 3) Alex Nylander (two assists) 2) Owen Headrick (goal) 1) Vinnie Hinostroza (goal, assist)

The Good: They took care of business, as the headline reads, and took two points away from a team gifting them nowadays.

The Bad: Didn’t score a power play goal. Eventually, the time is going to come and they will need one.

Turning Point: The kill midway through the third is what its going to get it here. You had that “oh no” thought when the referees halted play and called a penalty and had another “oh no” moment when it was going against the home team. They navigated out of it and played, as I said above, a fine game of looking for insurance while protecting a lead.

Around the Division: Providence plays last place Bridgeport three times in a row, and in Game 1 beat the Islanders 2-1 in overtime….Toronto does the Penguins a solid and sweep the Checkers 4-1.

Standings: Hershey 64 – Providence 51 – Penguins 47 – Hartford 45 – Charlotte 44 – Springfield 41 – Lehigh Valley 40 – Bridgeport 27

Wheeling Update: Nailers were off.

Video Highlights: 

More Wednesday around lunch for the Weekend Setup. Sooner if needed. I haven’t gone for a walk in a week with how cold it’s been. That changes Monday.

Let’s Go Pens!