Last Game: Last night at home vs. Albany the Penguins won 4-0. They scored three power play goals in the win. For the Bears, they hosted the Crunch and lost 2-1. Joey Crabb scored the only goal for the Bears in the loss.
Last Meeting: March 1 in Wilkes-Barre, the Pens lost 3-2. Joey Mormina and the gone but not forgotten Tom Kostopoulos score the goals for the Penguins.
Record: For WBS: 39-28-2-2 (82 pts., 3rd place East Division) For HER: 33-27-3-6 (75 pts., 4th place East Division)
Why you should care: The Pens can put an end to the “can Hershey catch us” hype with a win today. It’s that simple. Win, and it’s a nine point cushion on the Bears. Lose, it’s a five point cushion with the Bears having two games in hand on the Penguins. Just win baby.
Other Game to Watch: Portland is the focus right now, as the Pirates have many games in hand on the Penguins and are just one point back of the Pens for the five seed. The Pirates host the Springfield Falcons, who are already in the playoffs.
Penguins utterly dominate the Albany Devils tonight in all facets and roll to a 4-0 victory this evening. Jeff Zatkoff was in goal and netted an 11 save shutout. Probably the most unimpressive shutout in the history of 11 save shutouts.
Shout out to Jason Chaimovitch at the League headquarters for finding the last time there was an 11 save shutout. It was back in 2008.
Penguins now sit in fifth place in the conference, one point ahead of the Portland Pirates, who were off tonight. The Pirates have three games in hand on the Pens. They are five behind the Binghamton Senators for home ice in round one. If playoffs started tomorrow, Round 1 would be Wilkes-Barre at Binghamton. How exciting would that first round bloodbath matchup be?
Divisionally, the Pens sit five back of Binghamton tonight who lost 3-0 in Norfolk tonight and seven back of Syracuse, who won 2-1 in Hershey tonight. The Crunch and B-Sens have one game in hand each.
I know I conceded the division to the Crunch and B-Sens, but I may be taking that back, depending on how the next week or so goes. There is still an, albeit slim chance, that the Penguins can still be at the top of this division when it is all said and done. Who would have even imagined this a month ago?
Speaking of imagining things, that’s what I thought I was doing tonight when I saw the Penguins score the first three goals on the power play this evening. Chad Kolarik scored on a rebound of a Trevor Smith shot in the opening minute of the first period and Trevor Smith scored on a long outlet pass from Alex Grant, fighting off defenders in the final minute of the first period.
Alex Grant scored on a Riley Holzapfel screen in the third then Paul Thompson got a tip on a Jayson Megna backhand even strength to seal it, as if it hadn’t already been sealed.
Albany had just one shot on goal in the first period. They responded with a flurry to open the second period, then tailed off and only managed two shots in the third period. So yeah, a pretty dominating game from wire-to-wire for the Wilkes-Barre / Scranton Penguins.
Magic number to clinch playoffs was eight at the start of the day. The win puts things at six. With help, I think that number could get to five, but I need help in the math department in order to explain to you what that help is.
That pretty much covers things. Alex Grant was your third star with a goal and an assist. Jeff Zatkoff was the second star with his 11 save shutout and Chad Kolarik was your first star with a goal and an assist. Kolarik is two points away from the overall AHL scoring lead.
Have to enjoy when the Penguins staffers put up the highlights on YouTube. YouTube plays nicer with the blog then a link to the SendToNews package. anyway, here are the highlights:
Penguins get back at it tomorrow afternoon at three o’clock vs. the Hershey Bears for the final time this season. Gameday for that will be up at 11 a.m.
Last Game: Last night in Adirondack, the Pens won in overtime 3-2. Alex Grant scored the overtime game winner. For Albany, they hosted the Providence Bruins and lost 4-1. Jon Merill scored the only goal for the Devils in the loss.
Last Meeting: March 2 in Wilkes-Barre, the Pens won in a shootout 2-1. Adam Payerl was named first star of the game with the game winning shootout goal.
Record: For WBS: 38-28-2-2 (80 pts., 3rd place East Division) For ALB: 29-27-1-11 (70 pts., 3rd place Northeast Division)
Why you should care: Penguins continue the weekend three in three against what should be a sellout crowd tonight. They need another strong start and a 60 minute finish to snuff out the Devils tonight. If they can do this, they will be assured a playoff berth in days, not weeks.
Promotion(s): Girl Scout Night – Bobblehead #2 presented by Dodge (first 5,000 fans)
Other Game to Watch: Two games. Keep an eye on Syracuse at Hershey and Binghamton at Norfolk. With a Bears and Admirals win the Pens can, with a win of their own, get to within five points of the division lead.
Next Five Games: HER 4/7, @ STJ 3/13, @ STJ 3/14, WOR 3/19, MCH 3/20
Joining the club is F Chris Barton, the Wheeling Nailers second leading scorer this year with 23-20-43 in 47 games this season. Barton has played four games for the Penguins this season.
Also coming in is D Harrison Ruopp, who was part of the trade this past offseason with the Phoenix Coyotes. Ruopp completed his junior season with the Prince Albert Raiders of the Ontario Hockey League and plays a very physical game. He was 1-15-16 in 65 games for the Raiders.
Goalies Scott Darling, who was 13-12-3 in 31 games for the Nailers with a 2.80 GAA and a .906 save percentage and Matt Murray from the Sault St. Marie Greyhounds of the Ontario Hockey League who posted 26-19-4 record in 53 games with a 3.67 GAA and a .894 save percentage round out the additions made today.
Barton and Darling signed professional tryout agreements (PTOs) and Ruopp and Murray signed amateur tryout agreements (ATOs)
A name not on the list is Keven Veilleux. The often injured Veilleux was sent to Wheeling when he finally got healthy then found himself in trouble when he used a racial slur in a game that got him suspended 10 games. I would assume that his playing days for the Penguins organization are over.
So that’s that. Penguins take host the Albany Devils tonight at 7 p.m. Gameday for that affair will be up here at 3 o’clock.
Comments Off on Fight the Ghosts Off With the Broom – Pens WIN 3-2 (OT)
Posted by nafsnep on April 5, 2013
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In a few years when the Lehigh Valley Phantoms bud to life, this will be a heck of a rivalry.
The Penguins sweep the season series against the Phantoms and win 3-2 in overtime cutting the magic number to clinch playoffs to at least 9 points. Basic mathematics are not my strong suit (automotive care and women the others) so it could be 10 points, 9 points or 8 points. I don’t honestly know.
Jeff Zatkoff vs. Brian Boucher. Chris Collins was out for Steve MacIntyre
First Period: Had the look and feel of a pickup game, with the long stretch passes and the back and forth swapping in and out of each teams offensive zones. Teams would trade power plays, but the Phantoms obviously wanted to get the jump on the Pens and led shots at one point 7-1. The Penguins only had one shot at even strength.
Second Period: Period transitioned to a wide open first, to a second filled with defensive zone turnovers by the Penguins and penalties. I noted the following:
Almost as soon as Cignoli tweets that, the Penguins fail to clear the defensive zone, Jason Akeson feeds Garrett Roe who scores.
Pens get the goal back when Joey Mormina sends one in from the blue line that Jayson Megna gets a stick on on the way in for a tie game.
Continual defensive zone turnovers. More than usual. How many times this year have you seen the other team score when the Penguins fail to clear? Happens a lot.
Bobby Farnham fights Jeff Dimmen after Dimmen throws a legal center ice check on him. The Pens were steaming up ice on a two on one. That was wiped away when Farnham and Dimmen started engaging. Farnham took and extra 2:00 for unsportsmanlike. Wouldn’t you rather a guy like Keven Veilleux out there in lieu of Farnham? I know Veilleux is right handed, but it seems that most nights Farnham is a bit of a liability more often than not.
Defensive stalemate, see point number one.
Third Period: Penguins played this period almost like they were not going to allow the Phantoms to beat them. Seemed that the Phantoms tried to rile up the Penguins, going after Steve MacIntyre and Zach Sill, but the Pens looked past that. Riley Holzapfel would lead a rush, drop a pass to Brian Gibbons, peel off and Gibbons would find him and Holzapfel smoked one home to make it 2-1. Adirondack would eventually get one back when ATO Kyle Flanagan sets up Shane Harper on the power play. Brian Dumoulin would get a good look late but it was on to…
Overtime: Pens opened up on a power play. They do not score on it, but seconds later Alex Grant shoots from the blue line and wins it for the Pens.
Three Stars: 3) Brian Boucher (22 saves on 25 shots) 2) Jeff Zatkoff (27 saves on 29 shots) and 1) Alex Grant (game winning overtime goal, +1)
Around the Division: Two teams in the Division make playoffs tonight, both being defeated by other teams in the division not currently in, but looking to get in. Norfolk beats Binghamton 2-1 and Hershey subdues Syracuse 4-1.
Conference: 1) PRO (89) 2) SPR (87) 3) SYR (87) 4) SYR (87) 5) POR (81) 6) WBS (80) 7) CT (76) 8) HER (75)
SendToNews Highlights: I don’t know that Adirondack has them. I will check again in the morning though.
Albany comes in tomorrow for a 7:05 start. Gameday for that will be up at 3, if some Black Aces from Wheeling get assigned, look for all that on Twitter tomorrow.
Last Game: Tuesday in Norfolk, the Pens won 3-2. Chad Kolarik had two assists. For Adirondack last Saturday they hosted the Bridegport Sound Tigers and won 4-1. Kyle Flanagan had a goal and an assist and was named first star of the game.
Last Meeting: February 22 in Philadelphia, the Pens won 2-1. Brad Thiessen stopped 29 of 30 shots and was named first star of the game.
Record: For WBS: 37-28-2-2 (78 pts., 3rd place East Division) — For ADK: 28-34-2-3 (61 pts., 5th place Northeast Division)
Why you should care: The beginning of the final three in three of the regular season find the Penguins in Glens Falls, where they face an Adirondack Phantoms team playing for pride at this point. Could be a trap game for the Pens if they get complacent.
Comments Off on NHL Trade Deadline Wrap
Posted by nafsnep on April 3, 2013
The NHL trade deadline came and went Wednesday afternoon at 3:00 p.m. Here’s how things affect the AHL’s East Division:
Washington / Hershey
– D Garrett Stafford for LW Dane Byers. Byers comes over from Oklahoma City. It’s an AHL vet for an AHL vet, so the Bears will remain one over the legal limit to dress each game. Byers was 6-4-10 in 58 games with the Barons this season. Moving Stafford left a hole on the Bears back end but later in the day Washington sent back Dmitry Orlov and Tomas Kundratek.
– Prospect Filip Forsberg for Martin Erat and Michael Latta. Latta will report to Hershey. He comes over from Milwaukee, where he was second on the Admirals in points and first in assists. Latta is a non-vet and a physical, aggressive player. Latta was a fan favorite in Milwaukee, too.
– Jeff Deslauriers for future considerations to the Minnesota Wild. The one time WBS Penguin Deslauriers was buried in the Anaheim goaltending system. He’ll join AHL Houston.
Ottawa / Binghamton
– Ben Bishop for Cory Conacher. What this means for Binghamton is Robin Lehner stays up for good as Craig Anderson’s backup and the AHL nets belong to Nathan Lawson and Marc Chevrie.
– Patrick Killeen to Columbus for future considerations. Killeen fell off the radar way back in the beginning of the season when he wasn’t even invited to Pittsburgh’s prospect camp. He’ll likely join the Springfield Falcons as a Black Ace.
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Analysis
I don’t see a clear winner here. I also don’t see a huge loser either. Hershey got better, but nothing that makes you say, “wow.” Maybe you can say that Binghamton lost more in having Lehner graduating full time. You also would not be wrong in asserting that Syracuse is structurally stronger in getting their number one goalie back for the playoff run. Time tells all.
There were other, “paper” moves to get players assigned to the AHL for the purposes of playing in the postseason. A notable name not on that list was Simon Despres, which means that he is with Pittsburgh for the duration.(edit:Jonathan tweets that Despres indeed has been sent to WBS to make him eligible for AHL playoffs if by chance Wilkes-Barre lasts longer than Pittsburgh in the postseason)
WBS News
Chirps from Center Ice 