Chirps from Center Ice

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Jonathan Gruden bookended the goals for the Wilkes-Barre / Scranton Penguins who narrowly defeat the Hershey Bears in a game that shouldn’t have been as close as it was 4-3 in overtime on Wednesday night.

Penguins race out to a 3-0 lead in the second period only for that three goal lead to be erased by Hershey’s relentless attack. It was Gruden who played the hero for the Penguins who now head to Charlotte for a pair of very important games.

Here’s how they lined up:

Lineup Notes: Sam Houde is ill. Sean Josling took his place. Adam Smith made his AHL debut on defense. Earlier in the day Xavier Ouellet was named as the lone Penguins All-Star. Ouellet is the top scoring defenseman on the Penguins roster but in my mind he’s not even the best defenseman on the team (hello Ty Smith and Mark Friedman) but he’s a Quebecois, so that may have some bearing in why he was selected.

Leading goaltender in all the AHL, Hunter Shepard, who the Pens faced on Wednesday, wasn’t even named. So the nonsense isn’t just limited to the Penguins.

First Period: Good chances for both sides, better chances for the home team, but no scoring.

Second Period: Jonathan Gruden gets the scoring started with a tip in front that gives the Penguins a 1-0 lead.

Then, something you don’t see every day these days, a heavyweight bout between Dylan McIlrath and Jamie Devane.

Slight advantage to McIlrath.

The two teams killed each others initial penalties, then Lukas Svejkovsky, who has been knocking at the door for weeks, scores his first professional goal.

Absolute beauty indeed.

Not to be outdone, Raivis Ansons scores his first professional goal, which came shorthanded, to run it up to 3-0 Wilkes-Barre.

Third Period: With Adam Smith in the penalty box, Mike Sgarbossa scores to bust up the Gauthier shutout bid.

And, to this point, my “Night of Firsts” headline for this piece.

Bears continue to push, and Vincent Iorio cashes a goal that pulls the Bears to within one.

Playoff like intensity between the two teams.

With Hunter Shepard pulled, the Bears find the equalizing goal via Mike Sgarbossa with 24.6 seconds left.

Overtime: Jonathan Gruden :29 in made it quick and painless.

Three Stars: 3) Raivis Ansons (goal) 2) Mike Sgarbossa (two goals) 1) Jonathan Gruden (two goals, assist)

The Good: Good to see guys like Svejkovsky and Ansons get their first goals. If you get these kids going, this team can become unstoppable.

The Bad: That third period should die in a fire. Nearly another epic collapse who was only saved by Gruden’s heroics in overtime.

Turning Point: There shouldn’t have been as many as there were, but Gruden’s goal in overtime gets it here.

Around the Division: Hartford sweeps Charlotte after beating them last night. Wolf Pack win 3-2. Lehigh Valley beats a slumping, ice cold Bridgeport team 3-1.

Standings: Hershey 50 – Providence 47 – Penguins 39 – Charlotte 39 – Lehigh Valley 36 – Springfield and Bridgeport 35 – Hartford 34

Wheeling Update: Nailers win 5-2 at home against Reading. Justin Addamo with a pair of goals.

Video Highlights: 

Back at it Saturday in Charlotte. Enjoy Friday off and remember they start at 4:00.

Let’s Go Pens!

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Pens down 3-1 to start the third. They were getting ran around the rink and not a lot of shots (only 11) on net. I had this.

Sometimes when you know you know. Pens with the comeback and win, 4-3 in overtime Saturday against the Hartford Wolf Pack.

There wasn’t a blog Friday because I was at my brother-in-law’s for his birthday and also because Filip Hållander was stretchered off late in the third. They didn’t play the remaining 1:12 and the Pens lost 4-2 to Charlotte. Hållander was later discharged home later that night and will be OK but at the time I didn’t feel a silly blog would be appropriate for a game I didn’t watch. Hope you understand.

Anyway, back to Saturday. Pens went down 3-0 to a last place team who were insulating their back up goaltender. They needed a boost and got one finally from a shot from Jonathan Gruden late in the second and then a few minutes into the third to cut into the Hartford lead.

Corey Andonovski deflects in a pin balling puck and it’s a brand new game.

Alexander Nylander with magic in overtime.

Full credit to J.D. Forrest for sticking with Taylor Gauthier, starting in his third straight, as things seemed like they were getting away from him. He was under a barrage early on, not getting all of a Brandon Scanlin one timer that bled through for a 1-0 Hartford lead.

That’s a save that has to be made at this level. I’m sorry.

Will Cuylle with a seeing eye shot through bodies made it 2-0.

In the second, Zac Jones stops at the blue line, dishes off then cuts to the net and scores to make it 3-0.

I’m giving you the post in reverse here, but got to the good part first and saved the bad stuff for last. Hartford is a good team, but you can see why they are a last place team because they are bang your head off a wall inconsistent.

Pens are resilient. They have a lot of offense up in Pittsburgh and leadership stepped in and the guys left to fill the roles (Gruden, Nylander, etc.) stepped up big and got them the win.

Jack St. Ivany had his best game as a pro, dishing three assists. He didn’t get any plaudits with the three star program, but he gets a mention here.

Here’s how they lined up:

Jamie Devane was indeed back. Tommy Nappier was recalled Friday, Filip Lindberg is day to day. He backed up Wednesday. Nappier backed up Friday.

Hartford didn’t post lines.

Three Stars: 3) Drake Caggiula (three assists) 2) Jonathan Gruden (two goals) 1) Alex Nylander (game winning goal)

The Good: Seems like the team is never out of it. Which is a good thing.

The Bad: They went down 0-3 against a last place team using their backup goaltender and held a good Pens team to just 11 shots through two periods. A better team puts down the Pens for good. Gotta turn that around.

Turning Point: The balding 44 year old paper pusher knew the Pens had it when Gruden scored his first and cut into the three goal deficit. You know what they say about two goal leads…

Around the Division: Toronto beats Lehigh Valley 4-3 in a shootout….Providence trounces Bridgeport 6-3….Hershey loses 3-1 to Charlotte at home….Utica slips by Springfield 2-1.

Standings: Providence and Hershey 47 – Charlotte 39 – Penguins 37 – Bridgeport and Springfield 35 – Lehigh Valley 34 – Hartford 30

Wheeling Update: Nailers and Cyclones are 2-2 late in the third when this goes up. Click here to see who won, cause I don’t yet.

Video Highlights: 

Back at it midweek against Hershey. More then.

Let’s Go Pens!

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The depleted by callups, injuries and sickness Wilkes-Barre / Scranton Penguins take down the Charlotte Checkers 5-3 at the Mohegan Sun Arena at Casey Plaza on Wednesday night. Charlotte, riding into town on a four game heater and 7-1 against the Pens in the last couple of seasons, go down to the Penguins in what was a hell of a hockey game.

With the win, the Penguins leapfrog to third in the division, over Charlotte.

These two teams rematch Friday.

Here’s how they lined up.

Lineup Notes: Pens called up Chris Ortiz at 10 a.m. and then signed Justin Addamo and Adam Smith to PTOs at 5 p.m. There’s good reason for all of that because Corey Andonovski, Tyler Sikura and Taylor Fedun are sick. Add Xavier Ouellet to the injured list as he is week to week with a lower body injury. Filip Lindberg backed up Taylor Gauthier. New guys in the lineup from last were Justin Addamo and Sean Josling for Sikura / Andonovski up front and Josh Maniscalco and Chris Ortiz for Ouellet and Fedun on defense.

Good news? The top six remained intact.

First Period: Stop me if you have heard this one before but Sam Houde scores the first goal for the Penguins in the third straight such event, this time just 1:13 in.

Game then settled into a bit of a lull that played into the hands of the Penguins, then the penalties started occurring and Connor Bunnaman scored shorthanded for Charlotte, the Checkers sixth such occurrence when he steals a puck at center ice and scores to level the game at a goal a piece.

Then later Henry Bowlby outraces Mitch Reinke for a puck and makes it 2-1 Charlotte.

Great fifteen minutes for the Penguins, a not so good final five minutes.

Second Period: I liked the jam that Lukas Svejkovsky has been displaying of recent and that was on full display here in the period. Valtteri Puustinen scores on a power play to tie the game at two for Wilkes-Barre, then Svejkovsky runs a puck at the net, sees a streaking Houde the far side and passes it and Houde knocks it in. I initially thought it was Svejkovsky’s first goal, but it was indeed Houde. Here are the goals…

I wouldn’t be surprised if they changed that to Svejkovsky.

So the Pens flip the script on the visitors and use a final five-ish minutes to get two goals of their own to take the lead heading into the…

Third Period: Pens transition and get a goal from Alex Nylander. So that top six I was talking about earlier has stepped up when they needed to.

Filip Hållander takes a puck over glass delay of game penalty and then Santtu Kinnunen’s shot off of his stick breaks his stick so the puck isn’t shot as hard. It deflects off of Jon Lizotte and in past Gauthier to bring Charlotte back within one.

Taylor Gauthier had a couple of ten bell saves, notable was one on Gerry Mayhew when the Checkers were sending the house. Charlotte really turned up the wick, but Gauthier and the Pens kept them out.

Jonathan Gruden had a blocked shot that stung, Filip Hållander had the clear to Drake Caggiula who potted the empty net goal to seal it for the home team.

Three Stars: 3) Alex Nylander (goal, assist) 2) Valtteri Puustinen (goal, assist) 1) Sam Houde (two goals)

The Good: Gutsy win that propels them in the right direction. Game in hand good on an idle Hershey. Four point swing against the Checkers.

The Bad: Can’t be taking puck over glass penalties in crunch time.

Turning Point: Didn’t know it at the time but the Nylander goal early in the third gave them the cushion they needed to get across the line.

Around the Division: Only other game in the Atlantic was Providence in Bridgeport. Bruins cruise past the Islanders 5-2.

Standings: Hershey 47 – Providence 45 – Penguins 35 – Checkers 35 – Bridgeport 34 – Springfield 33 – Lehigh Valley 31 – Hartford 28

Wheeling Update: Depleted by callups from their AHL affiliate, the Nailers were off Wednesday.

Video Highlights: 

These two teams rematch Friday in Wilkes-Barer. More then.

Let’s Go Pens!

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So this Taylor Gauthier kid may actually be pretty good.

29 saves in his AHL debut and the Wilkes-Barre / Scranton Penguins close out 2022 on a winning note with a 4-1 win in Allentown against the Phantoms.

Penguins took three penalties in the second period in a close game and the Phantoms power play is no joke but Gauthier stared it down and didn’t falter.

So again, this Taylor Gauthier kid may actually be pretty good.

Wilkes-Barre ends its five game losing streak.

Here’s how they lined up:

Lineup Notes: Drake Caggiula was indeed back, replacing Sean Josling. The Pens send Brooklyn Kalmikov back to Wheeling in the morning. No changes on defense.

First Period: Sam Houde kept up the hot play with yet another opening goal for the Penguins with a dart that gives Wilkes-barre a 1-0 lead.

Cooper Marody would clean up loose change in front of Gauthier’s net and score to bring the Phantoms level with a power play goal.

(no Lehigh Valley GIF available)

Penguins would respond in kind with a power play goal of their own when Valtteri Puustinen played an Alex Nylander shot which went wide off the back wall and in past Pat Nagle to re-establish the Penguins lead.

Second Period: Penguins took all the penalties in the period and in front of a rookie goaltender making his pro debut on the road, not a good recipe for success.

Didn’t matter. Gauthier made save after save, none finer then the one he had with a pad stop on Jackson Cates sliding over post to post.

Penguins would score again when Lukas Svejkovsky would put a shot wide, wheel around to collect his own errant shot, sees Drake Caggiula screaming off the bench for a goal that gave Wilkes-Barre a 3-1 lead.

Third Period: Phantoms trailing, but aren’t able to generate much if anything. In fact, it is they who take the penalties and it’s the Penguins who have control, already up two.

They had one sequence here where they could have scored but again, ran into Taylor Gauthier.

With around five  minutes to play, Lehigh Valley head coach Ian Laperriere elects to pull Nagle, and Corey Andonovski scores on the empty net moments later to make it 4-1.

Three Stars: 3) Cooper Marody (goal) 2) Filip Hållander (two assists) 1) Valtteri Puustinen (goal)

The Good: Nice to ends 2022 with a win.

The Bad: Should I be mad it wasn’t a shutout? The Pens outclassed Lehigh Valley. Maybe that’s me being selfish. I’ll work on that in 2023.

Turning Point: The Caggiula goal put it out of reach the way the Phantoms were going.

Around the Division: Hershey loses 4-3 to Providence…Springfield needs a shootout to beat Hartford 2-1…Charlotte beats Cleveland 3-2.

Standings: Hershey 47 – Providence 43 – Charlotte 35 – Bridgeport 34 – Penguins and Springfield 33 – Lehigh Valley 31 – Hartford 28

Wheeling Update: Nailers win a wild one with Reading 6-5. Juston Addamo had a pair of goals and Chris Ortiz had three assists.

Video Highlights: No idea if the Pens are going to post them with New Years here. If I can remember an edit, I will do so next year.

Back at it Wednesday at home with Charlotte. Weekend Preview will be up Wednesday midmorning. Talk to you then.

Let’s Go Pens!

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A turnover at center ice with time running down in the third period is enough to get the Providence Bruins over the edge Friday as they defeat the Wilkes-Barre / Scranton Penguins 4-3. Fifth straight loss for the Penguins who may be happy to see the calendar flip to 2023 soon.

Penguins played the Bruins close, yet lacked something. I think I know what that something is, and a good majority of it is in Pittsburgh.

But they have to press on and Lehigh Valley awaits to close out 2022 Saturday.

Here’s how they lined up:

Lineup Notes: Coal Street called up Brooklyn Kalmikov after the Weekend Preview hit and sent Jordan Frasca back to Wheeling. Drake Caggiula was returned to Pittsburgh at 5 Friday and didn’t make it in time. Sean Josling made his debut for Caggiula. Colin Swoyer for the also recalled Ty Smith.

First Period: Both teams capitalized on the other teams too many men on the ice penalties. Sam Houde’s power play goal was matched by Georgii Merkulov’s later on.

Houde’s goal was a snipe. J.D. Forrest put him on the top line and he thrived. Let the kid eat.

Providence’s power play was 31st overall coming into Friday up against the Pens 4th best at home.

Second Period: So of course Providence would score another power play goal when Mike Reilly would score at 9:49 to give the Bruins the 2-1 edge.

But Valtteri Puustinen’s low angle shot without much to play in the period would bring them level at two a side.

Third Period: Connor Carrick’s bar down snipe from way downtown would make it 3-2 Bruins.

No penalties in the third period so the game just flowed. That played into the hands (paws?) of the Bruins and they were waiting for the Penguins to make a mistake to pounce and if not they would at least skate into overtime.

Penguins made a mistake.

What it does not show in that clip above is Alex Nylander blowing a tire and giving the puck away to the Bruins, who skate in on the two on one and score.

The Steen goal capped off a nice night for the Bruins forward, who also assisted on two other Providence goals.

The Penguins, with Dustin Tokarski pulled, found one goal but not the other. Puustinen again here with 89 seconds left.

Three Stars: 3) Georgii Merkulov (goal, assist) 2) Valtteri Puustinen (two goals) 1) Oskar Steen (goal, two assists)

The Good: They kept it close against a team that was better then they were in pretty much all facets.

The Bad: Untimely errors from players who should know better (consider the circumstances, though)

Turning Point: The Steen goal put a game in reach out of reach.

Around the Division: Lehigh Valley loses in Utica 3-1…Springfield beats Bridgeport 6-3.

Standings: Hershey 47 – Providence 41 – Bridgeport 34 – Charlotte 33 – Penguins 31 – Lehigh Valley and Springfield 31 – Hartford 27

Thing is that Bridgeport is not playing like a third place team. It’s rare that there is a gap in the ever competitive Atlantic, but it’s clear that the Bears and Bruins are  the two best teams in the the division without question.

Wheeling Update: Nailers were defeated at home by the Reading Royals 4-2. Justin Addamo had a goal, Tommy Nappier from The Ohio State University took the loss with 23 saves.

Video Highlights: 

Back at it Saturday in Allentown.

Let’s Go Pens!