Chirps from Center Ice

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Sam Houde has four points in two games.

Yeah, he’s not coming out of the lineup any time soon.

The Wilkes-Barre / Scranton Penguins continue to be the kryptonite to the Hershey Bears and throttle the defending champions at home 5-1, handing the Bears their first road loss of the season.

The Penguins are 2-0 at home, important to note also. Gotta defend that home ice.

Work night, school night, so let’s get this over with already.

Lineup Notes: Just Sam Poulin for Colin White. Corey Andonovski went up and Radim Zohorna came back down. The Penguins also recalled Magnus Hellberg.

First Period: Good start, the Penguins score first, in the first period, to boot.

Alex Nylander on a power play.

I don’t know which idiot on this blog suggested the Penguins scratch Nylander.

Penguins played an overall quiet, disciplined first period. Didn’t take a penalty and scored on the on power play they were awarded.

Second Period: Joe Snively, one of my favorite non-Penguin player and definitely my favorite Hershey Bear, scores his first of the season with this snipe.

So next goal was crucial here in this overall, to this point, even headed hockey game.

Enter Sam Houde.

A St. Ivany blast from the point that Joona Koppanen and Sam Houde get deflections on and it’s 2-1 Penguins.

Third Period: So the question coming in here was whether or not the Penguins could hold the lead and hold the Bears back when the inevitable charge came.

Not only did the Penguins hold the lead, they extended it and the 12-time Calder Cup Champions never made that charge.

A second power play goal? In one game? In this economy?

Sam Houde again.

Marc Johnstone picks Vinnie Iorio’s pocket, or Iorio gave it away like the kid who sees the bully coming and Johnstone didn’t miss.

And then Vinnie Hinostroza scores another breakaway goal and the rout was on.

Goals came fast, and they came furious, 4:32 to be exact provided my math is right.

Penguins continued to play disciplined and it never really felt like the game was going to get out of hand for the home team.

Three Stars: 3) Joel Blomqvist (19 saves) 2) Alex Nylander (goal, assist) 1) Sam Houde (two goals)

The Good: Kind of the game you wish you could bottle up and keep. They played their most complete game of their young season, did mostly everything right and there were no weak points in this one. Hershey is a good team, a championship team, and not a pushover by any means. But for some reason, for all the pitfalls that befell this Penguins team, whenever the Bears come around, it’s like a completely different hockey club.

The Bad: When I got nothing, I got nothing. Moving on….

Turning Point: The Houde power play goal in the third period was the breathing room that the Penguins needed here when they were nursing a one goal lead as the third period started. It ripped the game open and the once close game turned the game into a laugher.

Around the Division: Charlotte loses up in Rochester 4-3.

Standings: Hartford / Hershey 8, Penguins / Phantoms 6, Bridgeport 5, Charlotte / Providence 4, Springfield 2

Wheeling Update: Nailers were off.

Video Highlights: 

Rare Friday off for the Penguins and then Hartford comes calling Saturday night. Let’s see how they show up then. Good start to the week, however.

Let’s Go Pens!

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Here’s a hot take for you, Springfield and Wilkes-Barre are a lot alike.

I got that sense after watching about 40 minutes of these two teams battling Saturday night in Wilkes-Barre in a game that the Penguins would win 3-1, their home opener.

No score after the first, 1-1 after the second, the two teams couldn’t separate from one another until a Rem Pitclick power play goal put the Penguins ahead for good and a Jansen Harkins empty netter sealed it late.

Here’s how they lined up:

Lineup Notes: After that effort last night, Alex Nylander was a scratch. So too were Corey Andonovski and Austin Rueschoff. In were Sam Houde, Jansen Harkins (making his WBS debut) and Matt Filipe. For Filipe and Houde, it was their season debuts.

No changes to the defense or the pairings from Friday in Hartford.

First Period: Another scoreless first. After seeing him on the road on AHLTV and now seeing him in person, Marc Johnstone busts his ass every shift. Like every shift he’s methodical in his positioning and gives 100%. Early fan favorite in my opinion. Give me a team full of Marc Johnstone’s.

Penguins failed to score on two power plays, so they have gone 0-for-15 to open the season.

Second Period: Vinnie Hionostroza opened his account with a breakaway goal to open the middle frame.

Nice little cueball pass there by Rem Pitlick, setting up the breakaway for the veteran Hinostroza. He shouldn’t miss these and didn’t. Big goal.

A little over a minute and a half later, Xavier Ouellet is in his defensive zone and goes to rim a puck around the wall. Valtteri Puustinen was closely and assumed that the puck would do it’s thing and goes where he thought it would go.

You know what happens when you assume, right?

I enjoy the use of the pun there.

Third Period: Things got chippy about halfway through. Will Bitten was caught with his head down and needed help off. A few minutes later Penguins get a power play and it’s Marc Johnstone (that man again) setting up Rem Pitlick for a power play goal (a what?!?!?) that gives the Penguins a 2-1 lead.

A few more heart in your throat moments however as Wilkes-Barre would get tagged with too many men putting Springfield on the power play and with starting goaltender Vadim Zherenko pulled for an extra attacker for the power play, Springfield would not find the equalizer and indeed Jansen Harkins would seal the victory for the Penguins with an empty net goal.

Three Stars: 3) Joel Bloimqvist 31 saves (first AHL win) 2) Vinnie Hinostroza (goal) 1) Rem Pitlick (goal, assist)

The Good: Don’t make any lineup changes. Roll with this for the Wednesday game against Hershey, J.D. Please, I beg you. Sam Houde had two assists, hasn’t played yet.

The Bad: I you had to make one move though, J.D., I’d scratch Valtteri Puustinen cause the guy doesn’t play any defense and thinks he’s Superman out there when he has the puck.

Turning Point: Wilkes-Barre’s special teams in the third period. They scored a power play goal and came up with a huge stop late to deliver the win.

Around the Division: Hershey wins their third straight, taking down and sweeping Providence 5-4 in a shootout….Charlotte wins 3-2 in Toronto….Bridgeport beats Utica 2-1 in overtime and Hartford earns the 1,000th goal in franchise history with a 5-1 win over Lehigh Valley 5-1.

Standings: Hartford 8, Hershey 6, Charlotte, Lehigh Valley, Penguins, Providence and Bridgeport 4 and Springfield 2.

Wheeling Update: Nailers started an hour and a half later then the Pens, she they are finishing up what should be a season opening with against the Cincinnati Cyclones. Box here. Taylor Gauthier in net. Lukas Svejovsky with a goal and assist. Nailers have three power play goals! 🤯

Video Highlights: 

Hershey Wednesday. Notes as they come if I have time, etc.

Let’s Go Pens!

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I think I have reused this headline before.

Penguins lose 5-0 in Hartford Friday night. Their old habits from last year bubbled up and the game got out of hand quick on them.

They lost puck battles, their offensive “threats” were taking liberties with the puck, which led to goals for the other team.

Say it with me now, it’s only the third game of the season. It’s only the third game of the season. It’s only the third game of the…

…you get it.

Here’s how they lined up…

(Hartford didn’t and doesn’t post lines)

Lineup Notes: Sam Poulin was out, day to day with something. I didn’t catch what was likely a very detailed description of the injury from Nick Hart pregame. Liens were jumbled from last weekend in Charlotte. Pittsburgh recalled Radim Zohorna and sent down Jansen Harkins, who wasn’t in the lineup Friday…Alex Nylander was back in as was Jagger Joshua. On defense, Jack Rathbone made his WBS debut, Xavier Ouellet was back in. Justin Lee was out. Mark Friedman was traded, as you know from this week.

First Period: Hartford’s power play carried them to a pair of wins last weekend, but in the first period Friday, it didn’t do anything for them as they had two power plays in the opening period but didn’t score. The Penguins seemed to get some jump out of those penalty kills in what was a bit of a feisty period by current AHL standards, as there were two fights in the period. Corey Andonovski and Taylor Fedun fought.

Second Period: Penguins had a pair of power plays in the period but didn’t score on them and that brings them to 0/11 to start the season on the man advantage.

Hartford would score a pair of goals at even strength (they didn’t get a power play in the period) when Brett Berard would score a fluky goal.

Pinballing puck, fluttering a bit, Berard takes a poke at it and high sticks Xavier Ouellet in the process (no call on that) and Hartford is on the board first.

Later, Wolf Pack captain Jonny Brodzinski scores a goal scorers goal which extends the home teams lead to 2-0.

It was Brodzinski’s 300th AHL game, as well.

A lot of things wrong on that play. Colin White shoving Alex Nylander, who never plays any defense, trying to encourage him to either a) get the hell out of his way or b) play defense, was something there and Avery Hayes trying to break up the pass was an effort, but a miss and Brodzinski with all the time and space he needs, didn’t miss.

Last years habits creeping into this years team. Great.

Third Period: A two goal deficit is usually nothing for a team to overcome.

But when you have bad habits, they usually die hard.

Riley Nash beats Jack St. Ivany to a race to the net and catches a pass for an easy tap in and it’s 3-0.

The wheels straight up fell off from there.

Hartford won every puck battle. Pens were one and done when they entered their offensive zone. The bad habits quickly rubbed off on the newcomer Jack Rathbone, who gets beat in a race by Adam Edstrom who had a good chance which was denied by Hellberg.

Has Kyle Dubas kept his receipts?

It’s only the third game of the season…It’s only the third game of the season….

Anyway.

Under 5 to play with the game slipping out of control and there are five black jerseys watching a player shoot.

Alex Nylander didn’t have a great game. A homer backhand chance from the crease went about 15 feet wide. Then, he tries a cross ice pass to a team mate with the Penguins having an empty net and Connor Mackey intercepts it for an easy empty net goal and a 5-0 lead.

The Hartford fans wouldn’t stop throwing stuff on the ice, so the bench was given a delay of game penalty. Referees Jackson Kozari and Chris Waterstradt weren’t messing around.

But the Penguins couldn’t score on the power play that ensued, even getting a 5-on-3 when the WolfPack scored another empty netter that made it 5-0.

When it rains, it pours.

0/13 on the power play to start the season by the way.

Three Stars: 3) Riley Nash (goal, assist) 2) Brett Berard (goal, assist) 1) Louis Domingue (35 save shutout)

The Good: You tell me. 🤷‍♂️

The Bad: Nyalnder doesn’t play defense and thinks he’s superman out there. Cure your vet problem by benching this bum. Series clinching goals against Hershey be damned.

Turning Point (hey I remembered this time!): The Riley Nash goal made everything worse, putting the game out of reach for Wilkes-Barre.

Around the Division: Hershey beats Providence 3-2 in Rhode Island….Lehigh Valley thumps Springfield 5-2. Charlotte and Bridgeport were off.

Standings: Hartford 6, Lehigh Valley and Hershey 4, Providence 3, Charlotte, Springfield, Penguins, Bridgeport 2.

Wheeling Update: Nailers open their season Saturday in Cincinnati.

Video Highlights: If they post them, I’ll work in an edit.

Back at it Saturday when they host Springfield. Hopefully it goes a bit better then this flaming disaster in the Connecticut capital.

Let’s Go Pens!

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I wouldn’t be surprised to see Checkers defenseman Santtu Kinnunen get some consideration for AHL Player of the Week honors.

Four assists for Kinnunen, two last Friday and two Saturday for the defensemen who loves playing the Penguins; 12 total points for him in to games against the Penguins as the Charlotte Checkers defeat the Wilkes-Barre / Scranton Penguins 4-1.

The Penguins power play went 0/4, and is 0/9 to start the season. It shouldn’t be that big of a problem, but when you are gifted a power play and want to use that moment to get some momentum and come up with nothing, the result like tonight is what you get.

Here’s how they lined up:

Lineup Notes: They cycled Joona Koppanen for Alex Nylander up front and Taylor Fedun for Xavier Ouellet on defense. Both veteran swaps.

First Period: Early issue is the start. They looked better Saturday as opposed to Friday, held Charlotte to a low shot count and stayed out of the box. They took a penalty (a Hinostroza hook at 14:19) then were outshot 3-1 and outpaced, slightly. Both teams hit posts; no scoring for either side, though.

Second Period: Seems like the Penguins got close, then the Checkers got down the ice and capitalized.

Mack Guzda with highway robbery on Vinnie Hinostroza and then Rasmus Asplund weaves through traffic and scores to put the Checkers up 1-0.

Then off a rush late, Santtu Kinnunen sets up Patrick Khodorenko to make it 2-0.

Penguins power play continues to sputter to this point, 0/5 last night and they missed on two chances here in the second period Saturday.

Third Period: Will Lockwood scores power play goal in a scrum which made it 3-0 and really put the game away for the home team.

Preceding this, the Penguins were given a power play but didn’t score. When it happened, Nick Hart said what I was thinking, which was the Penguins had to have it. They got nothing, and they fell further behind in the process.

Colin While busted up the would be Mack Guzda shutout bid with this goal…

This came with Joel Blomqvist pulled for the extra attacker.

But the Checkers would score on an empty net when Patrick Khodorenko scored his second of the contest to firmly put away any weird intentions the Penguins may have been cooking in their heads at the time regarding a comeback.

Three Stars: 3) Will Lockwood (goal, assist) 2) Patrick Khodorenko (two goals) 1) Mack Guzda (32 saves)

The Good: I can’t think of anything from this game, quite honestly. 62 total shots this weekend for the Penguins. The goals will come, I hope.

The Bad: The power play is a problem. 0/9 for the early season. Too soon to panic and ridiculous to even insinuate. See what next weekend in Hartford and home against Springfield brings, go from there. But it would have been nice if you could have connected a few times last night and even tonight, moreso in the game you were in till the end and lost.

Around the Division: Belleville blanks Hershey in Hershey and spoils the Bears banner raising ceremony with a 3-0 win…Syracuse beats Bridgeport 4-2…Cleveland uses 3 first period goals to beat Lehigh Valley 5-2 and Hartford continues their hot start out of the gate with a 3-1 win in Springfield.

Standings: Hartford 4, Charlotte, Penguins and Bridegport 2, Providence 1, Hershey, Springfield and Lehigh Valley 0.

Wheeling: Still in preseason. They get kicking next week.

Video Highlights: Will likely post as the rest of the finals roll in on Saturday so if I see them I will post them in here in the clean up edit.

I’ll probably post the Weekend Preview again on Thursday, depending on how the week goes. Talk to you then.

Let’s Go Pens!