Chirps from Center Ice

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I’m not going to give this a lot of time nor a lot of effort tonight because the team I paid money which I earned to watch play hockey didn’t return the favor.

The team’s Instagram constantly posts the players playing sewer ball before every game. It’s a game played with a soccer ball and the players all gather around a circle and pop the ball off their bodies and if the ball hits the ground the last guy to touch it is out, is what I gather.

They are more competitive in those silly sewerball games than they are on the ice. That’s sad.

Another loss, this time 4-1 to the Utica Comets on Saturday. It was a 1-1 game entering the third period, but then Brian Halonen scored with about six minutes to play and then the bottom fell out.

It’s like when they are in tight games, they don’t play to win, they play not to lose.

Then Sam Houde gives the puck away to Graeme Clarke who buries it to put the game out of reach and send about half of the the 6876 in attendance Saturday to the exits. The goal will live in the history books as unassisted, but Sam Houde gifted that goal to the visiting team.

Captain Taylor Fedun did something positive for a change, scoring the only goal for the Penguins in the first period minutes after Utica opened the scoring on a Simon Nemec shot.

Feckless effort. Embarrassing loss. They should all be ashamed.

Body language being what it is, I watched them all leave the ice (while I was loudly booing and telling them how questionable or inadequate I felt they were) and it looked like they were all spent. Not spent like playing 60 minutes of a hockey game spent, but spent like no matter what they try, no matter what they do, it doesn’t work.

The head coach sounded the same way.

In his postgame media availability, Patrick Williams of theAHL.com lobbed questions at the Penguins head coach and he sounded totally dejected. Without giving away the line of work I do professionally, I listen to a lot of people talk. I can normally hear, in the inflection of their voice, whether they are mad, sad, happy, lying, telling the truth, clueless, etc. J.D. Forrest sounded totally dejected, totally lost for a good answer and completely defeated. Like someone just shot his dog right in front of him.

I don’t think the out of town scoreboard matters anymore, because Bridgeport wins in a shootout over Charlotte and Hartford loses in overtime to Toronto. It’s seven points back to Bridgeport at the six and final playoff seed, may as well be eight because the Islanders own the tie breaker over the Penguins, as do the Wolf Pack.

Maybe they turn it around. Teams go on runs fairly quickly in this league, but a rejected headline for tonight was “One and Done.” Can’t win many games scoring just one goal, like the Penguins have done now in their each of their last three games.

Say Goodnight, Gracie, it won’t be long now.

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I don’t think it matters here because it’s still a regulation loss, but the Phantoms added two empty net goals which inflated the final score here.

A 4-1 setback Friday to the Lehigh Valley Phantoms. Help from out of town with Hartford and Bridgeport going down, but there’s only 15 games left in the season, it will be 14 after Saturday and the Wilkes-Barre / Scranton Penguins are five points out.

Here’ how they lined up…

Lineup Notes: Roster stability, I guess because there were no changes from Wednesday. Alex Nylander was recalled to Pittsburgh before the game.

First Period: Phantoms score on their first shot of the game via a Ronnie Attard snipe.

Great start! 🙄

It was a feckless, toothless, inert effort by the home team in the first period. Have the players checked out?

Second Period: Sam Houde on a power play, ties the game.

The Penguins power play is lethal. Sad, really, that the team as a whole sucks and probably won’t make playoffs, but the power play is firing on all cylinders and it’s good to see them get goals on the man advantage.

Penguins get out of a 90 second five on three against, with a lot of blocks from Mark Friedman and even a glove save through traffic from Dustin Tokarski. Here’s where I thought success here would propel the Penguins to a goal, for something positive.

I was wrong.

I’m sorry, but what the hell is this? There is NO ONE to the goaltenders right. Cooper Marody runs right over, gets the puck and gets a shot through. He has a lot more ground to cover then the goaltender. Tokarski either misreads the play entirely or is point shaving, or is too old and too slow to play goal at this level any longer.

Third Period: Penguins aren’t able to cash on a power play, Drake Caggiula was snakebit and wasn’t able to figure out Sam Ersson all period. Caggiula was easily the Penguins best player in that period, if not all game.

Ollie Lycksell was awarded a penalty shot. I have no idea how he was awarded a penalty shot because he wasn’t, in my mind at least, unabated to the goaltender and got what IU thought was a shot off, but referee Mike Zyla awarded one anyway.

Indeed, since it kept it a 2-1 game.

Penguins use their time out with 2:18 left and pull Tokarski. I don’t think J.D. Forrest’s plans included a cross up at the blue line which leads to Cooper Marody scoring his second, but that’s what happened. Then a few minutes later Max Willman hit the empty net again which made it 4-1.

Three Stars: 3) Sam Houde (goal) 2) Sam Ersson (25 saves) 1) Cooper Marody (two goals, assist)

The Good: Power play slaps.

The Bad: Sadly I don’t think the officials will allow you to play on said power play all night.

Turning Point: The Marody first goal was the backbreaker. It’s like when you play blocks with a child. You build up the blocks (in this case the big kill on the 5-on-3) and then the kid runs in the room and knocks down all the blocks, laughs and runs off. You feel like a dope for a sec. Well the Pens were the dope but the Phantoms weren’t playing around.

Around the Division: Charlotte 7-1 over Bridgeport…Rochester beats Hartford 8-4…Springfield doubles up Providence 6-3.

Standings: Hershey 75 – Providence 74 – Charlotte 71 – Springfield 68 – Lehigh Valley 64 – Bridgeport 60 – || – Hartford 58 – Penguins 55

Wheeling Update: Nailers are out in Fort Wayne as this blog goes up, box here.

Video Highlights:

Let’s Go Pens!

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From this morning’s Weekend Preview…

Realistically, what do you think happens…

They find a way to lose against the Marlies, beat Lehigh Valley clean and take a point from Utica. Out of town, they inch to within two points of the six seed, and we are probably doing this same exercise some time next week.

Competitive game throughout, but a 3-1 setback to the Toronto Marlies. A third period goal by ex-Penguin Joseph Blandisi late sinks the home team. Is this finding a way to lose? When you play good, but get scored on late, like the Pens did Wednesday, I think it is.

Here’s how they lined up:

Lineup Notes: Filip Hallander was out. He took a puck off the face Sunday in Cleveland, returned with a bubble, ala Ty Smith about three weeks ago. I didn’t listen to Nick Hart’s very detailed look at the Penguins injuries, so I am only speculating. If you did, go ahead and drop a comment.

Edit: Taylor was listening…

First Period: Both teams went 0/2 on the power play, Pens had the better of the jump, once outshooting the Marlies 7-1 at one point. Pace was good. Energy was good. All that.

Second Period: The vaunted Penguins power play strikes again when Lukas Svejkovsky deflects a Mitch Reinke shot for a goal that gives the Penguins a 1-0 lead.

But almost immediately, Jordie Benn scores on a rocket of a shot which was briefly discussed for goalie interference.

No one knows what goaltender interference is, so let’s not try and start now. Fix the problem by allowing video review. You have it in all 32 AHL buildings, why not?

Svejkovsky finds time and space and is stoned by Woll.

Joseph Woll was 14-1 coming into this game. He’s good. That save showed why.

I still liked the pace. I still liked the energy.

Third Period: Pace, energy was good. They went back and forth, as you know the struggle consumes us all.

With time winding down, it started to become a game of who would make the first mistake.

It was the Penguins, sadly.

Puck deflects off Mark Friedman to Joseph Blandisi for a goal.

It happens.

Later, Woll stops Valtteri Puustinen in close.

Kyle Clifford, who took three penalties on the night, hit an empty net from about 180′ away to tie the game away for the first place Marlies.

Three Stars: 3) Lukas Svejkovsky (goal) 2) Joseph Blandisi (game winning goal) 1) Joseph Woll (31 saves)

The Good: I mean they stayed in it till about the end.

The Bad: Hockey is a 60 minute affair.

Turning Point: Blandisi’s goal gets it here.

Around the Division: Direct implications here. Springfield shuts out Hartford 4-0. That is good, but Bridgeport beats Charlotte 3-2. That is bad. This is why…

Standings: Hershey 75 – Providence 74 – Charlotte 69 – Springfield 64 – Lehigh Valley 62 – Bridgeport 60 – || – Hartford 58 – Penguins 55

Pens are five out of a playoff spot. 16 games left. Everyone’s magic number drops.

Wheeling Update: Toledo thumps Wheeling 4-1 in a school day game out in Ohio. Brooklyn Kalmikov with the goal, Tommy Nappier with the loss in goal.

Video Highlights: 

Massively important game Friday against Lehigh Valley.

Let’s Go Pens!

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Apologies to any of you looking for a Saturday recap of the outdoor game in Cleveland. The game was supposed to start at 1, it was sunny, the sun creamed the ice, and they delayed the game to 6. I had dinner plans with my family for my mother’s birthday, so I wasn’t able to watch or pay much attention to the game, a 3-2n Cleveland overtime win.

Penguins win the rematch, indoors, Sunday 6-4. A wild one, to say the least. Pens fall down 4-2, battle back to tie the game in the second period and then go ahead on a power play goal in the third. Two goals by Ty Glover, a pair of power play goals by Drake Caggiula, a goal by Taylor Fedun which kickstarted the comeback, and an empty net goal by Alex Nylander which sealed it.

Good win. 3 of 4 points taken from Cleveland. I’d argue caution by anyone reading this, Cleveland is a last place team in the North Division. We will see what kind of team we have two set up for a playoff run this week against the number one team in the North with Toronto, then Lehigh Valley comes in Friday and the Penguins close out the weekend with a home game with the Utica Comets. All playoff teams right now. The Penguins are chasing down the Phantoms for the last playoff spot.

So yeah, pretty important.

If you are asking about the headline, it was the Fathers trip for the team.

I’ll give you lineup, the goals and then the standings.

Ty Glover scored the first of his two goals via penalty shot, of all things.

Nice move.

But Cleveland led 2-1 after the first period.

Glover’s second of the game tied the game at two.

But Cleveland rattled off two straight fairly quickly, 1:01 after the Glover goal with a goal by Trey Fix-Wolansky and then another goal another 1:01 later with a goal by Alex Whelan.

But then the comeback started.

You love to see it.

Then the Penguins put their power play to work, with a goal by Drake Caggiula.

Nifty deflection.

Looked like they were going to play for overtime, but then Caggiula struck with 6:01 left with another power play goal that put the Penguins up for good 5-4.

You want to see them get themselves back into the game with the power play and that’s exactly what they did.

Nylander added an empty net goal. I thought they may pass to Ty Glover for the hat trick, but Nylander took it and put the game out of reach for Cleveland.

Divisionally, I can’t figure any of these teams out. Bridgeport gets thumped 9-0 Saturday, comes back and wins 3-0 over Springfield…Hartford loaded up at the NHL trade deadline, and lost 6-3 to Charlotte after winning Saturday. Lehigh Valley and Providence are still playing as this blog goes up.

Penguins are three off Bridgeport, who have 58 points, tied with seventh place Hartford. Islanders, Wolf Pack and Penguins all have 55 games played.

More Wednesday, more conventionally, after the game with the Marlies.

Let’s Go Pens!

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Seasons cooked, folks.

The Wilkes-Barre / Scranton Penguins slip to below .500 with a 5-3 loss to the Hershey Bears Wednesday night. Pens and Bears were the only game in the Atlantic Division, so the Penguins, who used to gave a cache of games in hand on a ton of divisional opponents, now have one more game played than 4th place (58 points) Springfield, 6th place (55) Hartford, 7th place (54) Bridgeport. The Penguins are in last with 52 points.

Season is cooked.

Lines were…

Lineup Notes: Lots to get to so please keep up. Drake Caggiula will be recalled.

Filip Hallander is non-COVID sick. So Justin Addamo, signed to his 700th PTO this morning, went in and Colin Swoyer who is a defenseman, slotted in at forward.

Andrew Nielsen made his WBS debut, paired with Taylor Fedun on defense.

Injuries: Goaltender Lindberg is day to day with an upper body injury. Ty Smith and Jonathan Gruden are week to week. J.D. Forrest is more optimistic on Gruden’s week to week then he is Ty Smith.

Speculation: Gruden and Smith were injured the last time the Pens were in Allentown. Gruden was slammed into the bench by ex-Penguin Garrett Wilson. If I had to bet a dime it’s a broken rib. You just give that time. Ty Smith took a puck off the face, returned with a bubble but hasn’t been seen since. He was at the dentist on the next day, Sunday, and hasn’t been seen since. If I had to bet a dime it’s a broken jaw. You wire that shut and eat through a straw.

Trades and Other Transactions: 

DiLiberatore will report to Wilkes-Barre. He has three assists with AHL Henderson and three assists with ECHL Savannah. Not exactly lighting the world on fire.

Both players cleared waivers today. We can use all the help we can get.

OK now onto the game.

First Period: Bears score first when Henrik Borgstrom walks through three guys, draws a penalty and scores about halfway through to give the Bears a 1-0 lead.

But then the Penguins, who Nick Hart mentioned had the best power play in the entire AHL during the month of February, struck off a power play goal when Justin Addamo scored on a tip in front to put the Penguins level with the Bears.

Second Period: Taylor Fedun is a problem.

First, the Penguins were outshot 14-4. That’s not on Fedun. The Bears are good. They are well coached and coming off of probably their worst month of the season. They haven’t won in three games and are neck and neck with Providence for the division lead. They needed a response coming out for the second period tied with a last place team and took advantage.

Where Fedun became a problem were highlighted on the two Bears goals in the period.

Ethen Frank with a one time bomb on a power play from the near dot ala Chris Bourque puts the Hershey Bears up 2-1.

Baffling that they allow a guy who leads the Bears in goals that much time and space on a power play. Like you know the guy is going to get the puck and you know the guy is going to shoot it. But here’s Fedun just coasting to the slot like a robot hoping to deflect a bullet out of a cannon. Good luck.

Then, with under a minute to play and the Penguins still hanging around, the Penguins captain gets caught crossing up his new defenseman partner in Nielsen, leaving Tokarski out to dry and giving Joe Snively, another Penguins killer, all the time in the world to deflect in a shot and give Hershey a two goal lead.

As Charles Barkley would say, that’s turrible, Ernie.

Third Period: Wilkes-Barre shows some tenacity and actually battles back to tie the game.

Penguins cash another power play goal with Justin Addamo again when Nathan Legare’s shot is blocked to Addamo in the slot. Addamo goes for a pass to a streaking forward down the opposite side and that is blocked. Addamo then just flips a backhander past Fucale to pull the Pens to within one.

Later, Alex Nylander scores on a breakaway when he jukes Fucale back to York, PA and ties the game at three.

Penguins navigate safely out of a Hershey power play, but then are let down by their goaltender when Joe Snively goes into the corner, sees daylight and fires a shot past Dustin Tokarski to put the Bears ahead with just over four minutes left to play.

That’s probably a save that Dustin Tokarski makes 10 times out of 10 on any given day, but on this particular instance, it’s a save he doesn’t make at a costly time during the hockey game.

Mike Vecchione scores on an empty netter and that’s the ballgame.

Three Stars: 3) Justin Addamo (two goals) 2) Mike Sgarbossa (three assists) 1) Joe Snively (two goals, assist)

The Good: I liked the way they battled back in the third period there. They could have packed it in but used the power play to get them back into it and one of their horses in Nylander to get them even.

The Bad: Fedun had a forgettable defensive game which will be erased by the team getting it back to even, but the veteran goaltender doesn’t make what appears to be a routine save and the Penguins fall further into the abyss of the handful of teams which won’t make AHL playoffs this season.

Turning Point: Seemed like this Wednesday game had a ton of them and it did, but it’s the Snively late goal that gets the nomination here.

Around the Division: As I said off the hop, Pens / Bears was the only game in the Atlantic Division.

Standings: Hershey 73 – Providence 72 – Charlotte 65 – Springfield 58 – Lehigh Valley 58 – Hartford 55 – Bridgeport 54 – Penguins 52

Wheeling Update: Nailers were off.

Video Highlights: 

Back at it Saturday in Cleveland outside at the football stadium.

Let’s Go Pens!