Chirps from Center Ice

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The Utica Comets earned third place first win of the 2025-26 AHL season by beating the top team in the Eastern Conference in the Wilkes-Barre / Scranton Penguins 3-1 Saturday night in Utica.

It was Mike Hardman’s power play goal that stood as the game winning goal in the second period before the Penguins tried to come back via an Aidan McDonough goal.

Hard Times, indeed, daddeh.

I gave you a tease of if the Pens beat the Bruins (they didn’t but played them tight) and lost to the winless Comets Saturday in my Weekend preview. Something seems off. They wore down Bridgeport Friday and never seemed in it Saturday in Utica. They don’t have long to get things straight, the Toronto Marlies stop in Wednesday.

Here’s how they lined up:

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Lineup Notes: Valtteri Puustinen didn’t make the trip, upper body injury with no timetable but it isn’t expected to be long term. I have no idea what the hell that is supposed to mean. Joona Koppanen is away from the team at this time. On ice, Matty De St. Phalle slotted in for Puustinen and Daniel Laatsch made his AHL debut replacing Finn Harding.

First Period: Utica has light up boards, first in the AHL and I think first in North America. Once of their sponsors is the Utica Coffee Company whose mottos is, “WAKE THE HELL UP” – well, you can guess what I was yelling at my television for the first period as it was a slow start for the Penguins.

They had a meh five shots in the period and the most memorable one is this Matty De St. Phalle chance here.

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Angus Crookshank took a pass from behind the net and beat Sergei Murashov for a 1-0 Utica lead.

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Second Period: Things went from bad to worse for the Penguins when Mike Hardman scored on an early power play that made it 2-0 Utica.

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Penguins had a power play shortly thereafter. I got the sense that they just thought they could waltz into a place like Utica, where the Comets were winless coming into the day’s action, and walk away with points for everyone and an easy two points.

Sergei Murashov was dialed in, with a ten bell glove save in the lurch to keep it a 2-0 Utica lead.

Aidan McDonough scored with under a minute and a half to play to give the Penguins some jump heading into the…

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Third Period: Penguins had a power play to open the period with a prime chance to get the game level and failed. Utica played well and kept the Penguins chances limited.

Time dwindling, Penguins vacate Sergei Murashov for an extra attacker then referee David Elford nabs Aaron Huglen for high sticking old pal Jonathan Gruden. It was Gruden who put the icing on the cake and scored on the still empty net a few seconds later to seal the first win for the Comets over the Penguins.

Three Stars: 3) Mike Hardman (goal) 2) Nico Daws (25 saves) 1) Angus Crookshank (goal)

The Good: Not much to write home about. Sergei Murashov came to play, the rest of them?

The Bad: Power play still looks lost. Ville Koivunen wasn’t the straw that stirred the drink, was he?

Turning Point: Mike Hardman’s goal gets it here. Let me talk to you about textiles!

Around the Division: Game 7 of the World Series is on and there are games still going on. Here’s tonight’s scoreboard if you want to check them out for yourself. Baseball is the best, man.

Standings: Penguins will either still lead the division if Providence loses to Hershey or be tied. Here’s the standings page for you also.

Wheeling Update: Nailers are in one against the Norfolk Admirals. Box here.

Video Highlights: AHL VideoCenter.

Have a good rest of the weekend and we will talk to you Wednesday mid-morning with the Weekend Preview.

Let’s Go Pens!

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Sam Poulin’s pair of goals put the Wilkes-Barre / Scranton Penguins ahead of the Bridgeport Islanders in a closer then it should have been type of game for the Penguins.

It’s one where you thought they played sloppy because you are spoiled by the first three weeks of the season, where they were steamrolling teams and scoring five or six goals a night.

But they have to play tight games and Bridgeport, as improved as they were from last years disastrous finished, played the Penguins tough and Islanders goaltender Marcus Högberg earned his paycheck.

Penguins win 3-2 and are back on their winning ways and ahead of an idle Providence Bruins team for tops in the Atlantic.

Here’s how they lined up, note Bridgeport didn’t post lines.

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Lineup Notes: Aaron Huglen for Gabe Klassen and Nolan Renwick for Matty De St Phalle up front were the only lineup changes, but for Filip Larsson getting the nod in net.

First Period: On their 14th shot of the period, Sam Poulin scores at 14:14 of the period to edge the Penguins ahead 1-0.

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The Penguins were smothering the Islanders all period.

Wilkes-Barre would see Valtteri Puustinen get boarded with no call. Puustinen was helped off, skating off on his own with help, and didn’t return to the game.

On the one hand, it would free up a guy like fellow veteran Joona Koppanen to get back into the lineup, but you don’t like losing that firepower if it a more longer term deal.

Alex Jeffries would score to tie the game when the Islanders got a two on one out of thin air.

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Second Period: The deadlock continued. Atley Calvert missed on a breakaway attempt.

Third Period: Refs Rob Hennessey and Patrick Hanrahan, seemingly quiet through the first 40 minutes of action, found their whistles and started calling infractions. The third period was penalty marred with five power plays total.

Seemed as time was dwindling that a dirty goal was needed.

Enter Sam Poulin, again.

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Bridgeport pulled Högberg for an extra attacker. It didn’t work because Danton Heinen, whom you could argue has been invisible these past two games, gets an empty net goal that makes it 3-1.

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But Bridgeport would get a goal with Högberg pulled when Cole McWard was the last to tip the puck through a line of bodies in front of Larsson with 11 seconds to play.

(no GIF of the goal, it’s likely in the highlight package below)

Bridgeport would get no closer.

Three Stars: 3) Danton Heinen (goal) 2) Ryan Graves (two assists) 1) Sam Poulin (two goals)

The Good: Couple things. Nice to see Sam Poulin get hot for one, good to see them stay in there when they are creaming the other team with zone and shot generation but no goals to show for it and finally wear a team down throughout the sixty minutes allowed to do so.

The Bad: Nick Hart mentioned it in postgame, the power play hasn’t scored in two games.

Bonus Bad: Halloween and all and nice to see the front office passing out candy at the fan assistance booth but seriously, Hershey’s?

Turning Point: The second Poulin goal gets it here, as it would in a game like this.

Around the Division: Lehigh Valley wins in overtime in Hartford 4-3 and Hershey wins 3-2 in Springfield, also in overtime. Providence and Charlotte had the night off.

Standings: Penguins 16 – Providence 14 – Lehigh Valley 11 – Hershey 9 – Charlotte and Hartford 7 – Bridgeport 5 – Springfield 3

Wheeling Update: The Nailers have to be one of the few North American teams to be holding opening night ceremonies. Wheeling opens its home schedule Saturday against the Norfolk Admirals.

Video Highlights: 

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Back at it Saturday in Utica at 6 p.m.

Let’s Go Pens!

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Other rejected headline was, “Tufte Luck” – as I think I have ran that a time or two before.

Two heavyweights battled it out in Wilkes-Barre Wednesday and in the second period on just five shots, three that went in, the Providence Bruins hand the Wilkes-Barre / Scranton Penguins their first loss of the season, a 3-1 result.

Look, I said In the Weekend Preview that nothing would be decided on a Wednesday in Wilkes-Barre and I still believe that but the Bruins are an elite team. The Penguins are too, but it was the Bruins that capitalized on the mistakes that the Penguins made and that’s your result.

Work night, so speed it along. Okay.

No scoring in the first period. In the second, the Bruins jumped out to a 2-0 lead when Brett Harrison floated to the slot and fired on over the blocker of Sergei Murashov that put the Bruins ahead 1-0. Less than nine minutes later, a puck hops over the stick of Avery Hayes to Riley Tufte who buries a breakaway goal for a 2-0 lead for Providence.

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Then Valtteri Puustinen answered 1:07 later that brought the Penguins back within one of the Bruins and gave them a bit of life.

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But then it was the Penguin killer known as Georgii Merkulov that scored back door and here’s your turning point of the night that gave the Bruins a 3-1 lead.

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Shots in the second were 13-5 Penguins in the second. Three goals for the P-Bruins in the period is not great!

In the third period the Penguins threw everything but the kitchen sink at Michael DiPietro in net but couldn’t get anything to go.

Both teams were 0/1 on the power play and I think that Mason Riley and Andrew Bell understood the assignment this evening and just stayed the hell out of the way and let the bulls fight it out on their own.

The 16 shots allowed by the Penguins is a season low. While Providence did win, it was not a very impressive one because the Penguins smothered them, but three of those 16 went in in a period where they took five, so if you argued for the impressiveness, I guess I won’t stop you.

Here’s how they lined up for posterity purposes.

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Divisionally, Hershey beat Bridgeport 3-1; Hartford beat Charlotte 4-1; Lehigh Valley was shutout in Laval 3-0 and Springfield had the night off on this busy Wednesday.

Wheeling was off as well.

Pens and Bruins are tied at 14 points at the top of the division. Lehigh Valley has 9 points, Charlotte and Hershey have 7, Hartford 6, Bridgeport 5 and Springfield 2.

Highlights since Coal Street posted them. Allie who runs the socials for the Penguins and I learned about the 6-7 thingy that all the kids are doing. You really do learn something new every day, I guess.

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More Friday after the Islanders visit.

Let’s Go Pens!

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I guess in keeping with the theme from last night where I gave you an accomplishment of feats that the Wilkes-Barre / Scranton Penguins have checked off in this young season one of the things left off was a tight game against a good opponent.

We can check that box now, as the Penguins roll into Charlotte and sweep the Checkers after a 3-2 overtime win Saturday night.

It’s hard to beat the Checkers on back too back nights in Charlotte and the Penguins managed to do that. Too soon to start printing the Calder Cup tickets but it’s a dream start. They are 7-0.

Attention now turns to a massive showdown with the equally undefeated Providence Bruins. The Bruins were idle Saturday and host the Bridgeport Islanders Sunday.

Here’s how they lined up:

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Lineup Notes: Valteri Puustinen out for Rafaël Harvey-Pinard up as the vet for vet swap, Gabe Klassen for a banged up per Hart on radio Atley Calvert. Scooter. Brickey for Finn Harding on defense.

First Period: Brian Pinho scored 2:19 when he took a nice behind the back pass from Sandis Vilmanis while streaking down the slot to give the Checkers an early 1-0 lead.

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Penguins would tie the game on a chip in of a rebound left by Cooper Black off of an Avery Hayes shot that made it 1-1.

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Both teams were 0/1 on the power play and the. Penguins survived a furious Charlotte rush in the final minute or so of action. Filip Larsson stopped 17 shots in the period.

Second Period: The theme of the Checkers scoring early in the period continued, with Colton Huard netting his first professional goal just 2:02 in.

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Cooper Black was tested by Gabe Klassen, when Klassen threw a changeup at Black but Black, all 6’8 of him, kept the puck out.

Then Avery Hayes was thrown out of the game for kneeing Jack Studnika. In the ensuing major power play for Charlotte, the Penguins managed to find themselves on a power play.

Enter the Cheat Code.

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Even when the Penguins are down, they are still up, if that make sense.

Third Period: Flew by with no penalties but chances a plenty. Cooper Black and Filip. Larsson traded some good saves.

Overtime: Possession fest for the Penguins who didn’t do anything with the puck to start. When Charlotte had it they tested fate but never managed a shot on Larsson.

Then Owen Pickering dove to keep in a Charlotte exit bid and found Ville Koivunen and the rest is history….

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Ballgame.

Three Stars: 3) Wilmer Skoog (two assists) 2) Brian Pinho (goal, assist) 1) Ville Koivunen (overtime game winning goal, assist)

The Good: I don’t want to say they found a way to win the game, but it certainly seemed that way.

The Bad: My arms are sore from raking leaves today.

Turning Point: Thought we were going to see it in the third period but it’s the Koivunen overtime goal that gets it here.

Around the Division: Hartford doubles up Springfield 6-3….Lehigh Valley and Hershey started at 7, so they are still going as this goes up. Box here.

Standings: Will be incomplete pending that Bears / Phantoms game. The Penguins have 14 points and lead the division and the AHL, that’s call you care about, right?

Wheeling Update: I hope some of the Nailers stopped at DiMillo’s. I miss Portland, Maine where they are lost 7-3 to the Mariners. Nolan Renwick had a goal.

Video Highlights: AHL VideoCenter is your best bet.

Back Wednesday for the Weeknd Preview setting up a huge matchup with the Bruins later that evening, as well as some ramblings on Bridgeport and Utica.

Let’s Go Pens!

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So they are checking all the boxes.

First place in the AHL? Check.

Lead the league in offense? Check.

One of the stingiest teams in the league? Check.

Top ten in power play and penalty kill? Check and check.

Two of your players in the top three in AHL scoring? Check and check.

You get the idea.

The only thing they were missing in this young season was a shutout from one of their goaltenders.

Sergei Murashov checked that box, as the Wilkes-Barre / Scranton Penguins shutout the Charlotte Checkers 4-0 with a 25 save from their goaltender.

This team is firing on all cylinders, so just buy the ticket and take the ride.

These two teams rematch Saturday in Charlotte. Charlotte is notoriously hard to sweep at home. We will see how tomorrow goes.

Here’s how they lined up…

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Lineup Notes: Aidan McDonough for Rafaël Harvey-Pinard on the top line; Raivis Ansons and Aaron Huglen for Gabe Klassen and Mathieu De StPhalle on the fourth line and Alex Alexeyev in for Scooter Brickey on defense.

First Period: Alexeyev made his presence felt immediately, throwing a puck at the net which pinball off of all 6’8 of Cooper Black and into the net that gave the Penguins an early 1-0 lead.

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Penguins had to kill what was essentially back to back penalties, at the expiration of the second penalty, Danton Heinen busts up a lazy D to D pass by Charlotte and bumps the puck to a just exiting the box Ville Koivunen who scores on a breakaway to make it 2-0.

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You know that when it rains it pours, that can also go the other way when things are going good, like they seem to be now.

Second Period: Penguins were making short work of the Checkers power play and getting some shorthanded bids in them with no success. Wilkes-Barre lost Ryan Graves for the second period when he was hit and busted open by a high stick.

Later, Danton Heinen scored a power play goal with seconds remaining that made it 3-0.

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Heinen leads the AHL in points at this juncture.

Danton Heinen is also a cheat code.

Third Period: Graves returned for the third period with a face mask and either Finn Harding scored his first AHL goal or Joona Koppanen tipped in the shot, nevertheless it was a 4-0 Penguins lead and Harding’s first pro point.

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One thing about the Charlotte power play tonight was that every time the Penguins were shorthanded, they had a Grade A big on Cooper Black. Black was up to every challenge handed to him, however.

Charlotte never really mounted anything that could be considered a comeback with how poorly they were with a man advantage so the only question in the back of the mind was if Murashov would get his shutout.

Three Stars: 3) Ville Koivunen (goal, two assists) 2) Danton Heinen (goal, two assists) 1) Sergei Murashov (25 save shutout)

The Good: Lots to like. How long is it sustainable is the question? Heinen is a cheat code, Graves makes the power play go, Koivunen is a point monster and the rest of them are all pulling in the right direction. Alex Alexeyev looked like a weak link last Saturday in Bridgeport he was very good Friday. Just keep piling points up.

The Bad: I put the heat on in my office this week for the first time. You win, Fall lovers. You win.

Turning Point: The Heinen goal that made it 3-0 seemed like an insurmountable lead for Charlotte.

Around the Division: Bridgeport shuts out Hartford 3-0….Lehigh Valley wins a nine goal thriller at home against the Hershey Bears 5-4….Providence gets a late goal and then an empty netter to beat Springfield 5-3 to stay on pace with the Penguins. The Bruins are undefeated as well.

Standings: Penguins 12 – Providence 10 – Charlotte and Lehigh Valley 6 – Bridgeport and Hershey 3 – Hartford and Springfield 2.

Wheeling Update: Nailers get cracking in a weekend series in Maine against the Mariners. I miss Portland. Long live the Pirates!

Video Highlights: AHL VideoCenter is your best bet.

These two teams rematch tomorrow an hour early at 6 p.m. Don’t be late.

Let’s Go Pens!