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After losing 5-1 Friday night to the Providence Bruins, the Penguins were not happy. You are never happy when you lose.

It showed in Portland last night, as the Pens cruised to a 4-2 win over the Pirates.

Sunday afternoon, it showed again, only this time with a bit more fervor.

The Penguins blitzkrieg the Providence Bruins in the first period, scoring three goals, then use defense and more goals in the third period to steamroll the home team and repay Friday’s 5-1 beat down by Providence with a 5-1 pounding of their own.

Eric Hartzell vs. Jeff Jakaitis

No lineup changes from last night for John Hynes.

First Period: In sum, the best first period played by these current Penguins in some time. The Penguins came out and stifled the Bruins in all aspects to begin. Anton Zlobin opened the scoring on a dart to put the Pens on the board 1-0. Pens get two power plays but don’t score then what appeared to be Dominik Uher scoring on the doorstep of Jakaitis turned out to be Zack Torquato making it 2-0 Penguins. Then the Penguins ended up on the wrong end of a 4:00 power play, but were able to keep the Bruins away from all the scoring areas and managed to kill it. Oh, and for good measure, a Simon Despres pass meant for Denver Manderson deflected in off of a P-Bruins skate and into the net for a 3-0 Penguins lead.

Second Period: Providence looked out of synch to start the period, which could have been carryover from the first but they did get it together and started getting after it. Not much offense this period for Wilkes-Barre, but with a 3-0 lead why pile on? Pens had some good defensive plays and whatever got through to Hartzell he saw with laser-like focus.

Third Period: Providence came out and jumped on the Pens. Both teams were in the final period of a three in three and the Bruins looked fresher. Then, the Penguins took two penalties and were all of a sudden down 5-on-3 for a full 2:00. Ex-Penguin Joe Morrow slammed one home at the top of the far circle to put the Bruins on the board and the score was 3-1. Then, the Penguins had to kill another penalty. The thought here is that if the Bruins get a second, they will probably get a third.

It didn’t happen. Instead, the Pens would kill the penalty, and Tom Kostopoulos would strip Jeff Jakaitis behind the net and dish to Nick Drazenovic in the slot who scored on an open net and it was 4-1 Wilkes-Barre. Later, Kostopoulos would score on a breakaway to make it 5-1 and essentially put the game away for the Penguins.

Three Stars: 3) Joe Morrow (goal, -1) 2) Eric Hartzell (33 saves on 34 shots) and 1) Harry Zolnierczyk (two assists, +3)

Five different Penguins scored goals. Five different Penguins had multiple point nights. Spread the love!

Around the Division: Hershey finds themselves down 3-1 at one point early in the third to come back to tie it and win 4-3 in the shootout vs. the Albany Devils. The Norfolk Admirals and ol’ buddy Brad Thiessen lose in a shootout to the Charlotte Checkers 4-3 also. Thiessen faced 52 shots and stopped 49 of them, which is tied for the most saves in the AHL this season.

Standings: Pens get back to a point behind the B-Sens with the same amount of games played. Binghamton 53 — Penguins 52 — Norfolk 48 — Hershey 44 — Syracuse 40

Conference: 1) SPR (58) 2) MCH (58) 3) BNG (53) 4) WBS (52) 5) ALB (52) 6) NOR (48) 7) PRO (48) 8) HER (44)

Wheeling Update: The Nailers were off today.

SendToNews: Checked on the edit, Providence didn’t have them. Use your imagination or just watch the Vines I made.

The Week 16 Chirps from Center Ice AHL Power Rankings will run tomorrow at noon, instead of their regular 4 p.m. That’s because there are a bunch of afternoon games because of the Martin Luther King, Jr. holiday. Please adjust your blog viewing schedules.

Let’s Go Pens!!!

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Offense has been struggling of late for the Wilkes-Barre / Scranton Penguins.

So, how do you fix that? Trade? No. Call-ups from Wheeling? They are all here.

(points to the blue line) Up there! Up there!

The Penguins tonight win in Lewiston, Maine by a score of 4-2 with ALL of the goals scored by Penguins defensemen. Philip Samuelsson figured into every goal as well, going 1-3-4. Cartrer Rowney and Reid McNeill both notch their first points as Penguins. For McNeill, it is his first AHL regular season point.

Eric Hartzell vs. Mark Visentin

Only one lineup change for John Hynes as Denver Manderson was in for Tom Kuhnhackl. Harrison Ruopp took warmups but was scratched for the second straight night.

First Period: Much like last night, there was a penalty in the opening minute. Only this time, the call was in favor of Wilkes-Barre. Scott Harrington made quick work of the power play with this goal to put the Penguins up 1-0. Penguins all of a sudden then found themselves on the wrong end of a 5-on-3, but with some timely clears and some big saves by Hartzell, were able to kill the penalty. But then later, Eric Hartzell was beat on a bad angle shot by Brandon McMillan to tie the game at 1-1.

Second Period: Penguins open with some early jump. Then, Simon Despres and Philip Samuelsson toss the puck to each other a few time on the blue line and Despres scores through a crowd to put the Penguins up 2-1. Later, Philip Samuelsson would get on the board with this goal to put the Pens ahead 3-1.

It was nice to see the Pens jump on and ahead of the Pirates and capitalize on opportunities given.

Third Period: Penguins continue to pressure the Pirates and Simon Despres gets his second goal of the night with this blast from the point to make it 4-1 Pens. Paul Thompson would try to score a goal for the forwards tonight, but would be denied twice. Once on a shot that sails over the crossbar and another on a breakaway that hits the cross bar.

Pirates get one back on a Brandon Gormley rebound while the Pirates were on a power play.

Portland would end the period on a double minor power play, but Hartzell made the saves necessary to preserve the two goal lead and the two points in the standings.

Three Stars: 3) Brandon Gormley (goal, assist, even) 2) Simon Despres (two goals, +1) and 1) Philip Samuelsson (goal, three assists, +2)

Around the Division: Binghamton beats Syracuse in Syracuse 6-3. Hershey gets a late goal Brandon Segal, who has been on a tear lately for the Bears and get by the Bridgeport Sound Tigers 4-3 and Norfolk beats Worcester in overtime in Virginia 1-0.

Standings: Binghamton 53 — Penguins 50 — Norfolk 48 — Hershey 42 — Syracuse 40

Conference: 1) SPR (58) 2) MCH (58) 3) BNG (53) 4) ALB (51) 5) WBS (50) 6) PRO (48) 7) NOR (48) 8) STJ (43)

Saturday afternoon I watched a Western Conference game this afternoon and it was totally worth my while. I watched the Iowa Wild defeat the Lake Erie Monsters 1-0 on Warren Peters’ third period power play goal and I also watched John Curry make 45 saves, the most saves in a shutout in over three years in the AHL. I saw on Twitter that Curry was getting the start and tuned in since I have the ability to do so on AHL Live. He didn’t disappoint. Curry was like the Curry of old that Penguins fans came to know and love making some spectacular saves keeping his Wild in the game.

Wheeling Update: The Nailers were blanked in Greenville by Jason Missiaen’s (remember him with Hartford?) 40 save shutout 3-0.

SendToNews Highlights: Don’t think Portland has them. If I remember I will look again later and link in if they do.

Pens bus back to Providence tonight for a 3 p.m. start with the Bruins Sunday afternoon. Gameday for that will be up at 11 a.m.

Let’s Go Pens!!!

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Hockey is a funny game really. If you don’t think karma plays a role, you just aren’t paying attention.

The Wilkes-Barre / Scranton Penguins made history in Providence last Spring becoming the only team in AHL history to come back from an 0-3 hole and win Game 7 on the road. The goalie they defeated? His name was Niklas Svedberg. He was in goal for the Bruins tonight and assisted the Bruins in defeating the Penguins tonight 5-1.

The Pens never really looked into the game, and just looked flat. You know that this will not sit well with Head Coach John Hynes, who will probably be breathing fire on the team all the way up to Lewiston, Maine for tomorrow night’s tilt vs. the Portland Pirates.

With the returns of Simon Despres, Nick Drazenovic and Pierre-Luc Letourneau-Leblond, Denver Manderson was scratched up front, and Nick D’Agostino didn’t even warm up. Harrison Ruopp took warmups but was scratched too.

Jeff Deslauriers vs. Niklas Svedberg

First Period: Providence would strike early, heading to a power play in the games first minute. Reid McNeiil fans on a bouncing puck in front of Deslauriers’ crease and Justin Florek knocked it in for a 1-0 Providence lead. Penguins would head to a power play soon after that and while they would not score, I liked the look of the setup in it. Closest they would get to scoring would be when Brendan Mikkelson would hit the top of the crossbar, but the puck deflected under Svedberg and the Bruins goaltender fell on it.

Later, Mikkelson is hit hard on the boards behind Deslauriers net. Referee Jon McIsaac seemed disinterested in calling a penalty on Bobby Robins. Mikkelson was looking for retribution on the heavy hit delivered to him by Robins and in the process lost Robins who drove the net and scored to make it 2-0 Providence.

Shots were 7-7 in the first period, but it sure didn’t feel like it from a Penguins perspective.

Second Period: No scoring this period but it was all Providence who, at times, seemed a step ahead of the Pens all period. Best chance was really a Bobby Farnham shot from the slot. Later, the P-Bruins had a long period of offensive zone time that the Pens sustained. Shots this period were 13-5 P-Bruins and this time, really felt like it.

Third Period: Bruins score two goals in 2:22 seconds to put the game away. Craig Cunningham, 5-hole and in on Deslauriers on the power play then Zach Trotman on a laser beam dart at the top of the slot even strength that chases Deslauriers.

Harry Zolnierczyk scores a goal on a hack and whack on Svedberg to put the Pens on the board.

Alex Khokhlachev scored later, shaking off the pursuing Brian Dumoulin to snuff out whatever was smoldering on a Wilkes-Barre comeback to make it 5-1 Bruins.

Three Stars: 3) Alexander Khokhlachev (goal, assist, +3) 2) Bobby Robins (goal, +1) 1) Zach Trotman (goal, assist, +3)

How doesn’t Nik Svedberg get a star of the game there?

Around the Division: Binghamton beats Bridgeport 6-2 in Binghamton. Syracuse gets by Hershey 3-2 in Central New York and Norfolk gets a goal late to tie Worcester and forces a shootout but lose to the Sharks 3-2.

Standings: Binghamton 51 — Penguins 48 — Norfolk 46 — Syracuse 40 — Hershey 40

Conference: 1) SPR (56) 2) MCH (56) 3) BNG (51) 4) ALB (49) 5) WBS (48) 6) PRO (48) 7) NOR (46) 8) STJ (43)

Wheeling Update: The Nailers are in the Carolinas this weekend and beat the Greenville Road Warriors 5-2. Chaz Johnson had a goal and an assist and Cody Sylvester had a goal too. Peter Mannino backed up Mike Condon in goal.

SendToNews Highlights: Not up yet and I don’t remember if Providence does ’em. With the Pens losing 5-1 tonight, what really is there to look at unless you are a displaced Bruins fan living in Forty Fort?

Pens are in Portland tomorrow. Gameday for that will be up at 3 p.m.

Let’s Go Pens!!!