Chirps from Center Ice

vs.

0                         3

–

They finally got one for their goaltender.

24 saves for The Ohio State University’s Tommy Nappier, his first professional shutout, in a professional takedown of the Hershey Bears in what will likely bee a first round playoff preview, the Wilkes-Barre / Scranton Penguins take down the Hershey Bears 3-0 on Tuesday evening.

Work night. Let’s not dilly dally.

Here’s the box. 

Here’s how they lined up:

Lineup Notes: Drew O’Connor and Mitch Reinke were out. O’Connor with an “ailment” and Reinke sick, non-COVID.

First Period: No scoring, but great pace. Nice outlet pass from Juuso Riikola found Valtteri Puustinen for a breakaway, then Colin Swoyer set up a few plays, stopping Brett Leason on a partial breakaway then setting up Felix Robert for a Grade A chance which was stopped.

With how wide open as it was, there were chances. Mike Sgarbossa broke in but hit a post and then Alex Nylander had a chance as well but was stopped.

Second Period: They remained close, trading early power plays. Michael Chaput had a chance on a breakaway about halfway through but couldn’t finish.

Jordy Bellerive was called for a questionable elbowing call, I thought it could have been a high stick, and the Pens were on a penalty kill.

Kasper Bjorkqvist chased a puck into the corner unimpeded and found Michael Chaput streaking to the net. He led him to the net with a pass that Chaput pool cues past Fucale and in for a 1-0 Penguins lead.

Well executed and a perfect finish.

Third Period: Nice setup by Cam Lee and Alex Nylander slams home one in front and the Penguins double their lead.

Pens navigated a penalty kill quite well. Hershey started to press.

Out of a time out, Head Coach Scott Allen pulls Fucale for an extra man. Pens win the face off to P.O. Joseph in the corner and Joseph flips it about 198 feet away into the empty net which made it 3-0.

Three Stars: 3) Alex Nylander (goal) 2) Michael Chaput 1) Tommy Nappier (24 saves)

The Good: Amazing second half turn around by JD Forrest’s team. This team was crap at the outset of the season, decimated by COVID around Christmas and has been a hard team to play against down the stretch. Fourth place is theirs for the taking now.

The Bad: Can’t fill this out truthfully. They executed perfectly in all areas.

Turning Point: The shorthanded goal was a huge momentum lift for the Pens and it stood up as the game winner.

Around the Division: At this point, none of what goes on with the division matters to these two teams. Here’s the link if you want to see the out of town scores. I’d run through these but it’s late, on a worknight home game.

Standings: Again, these two teams being so close to one another, what matters is who finishes ahead of who for home ice. Pens are even with Hershey now on points with two games in hand. Both teams have 76 points. Pens are fourth and I think control their own destiny for this, with the games in hand on Hershey. I don’t know, again it’s late.

Wheeling Update: Nailers regular season wrapped up last weekend. They open with Fort Wayne in the playoffs this weekend.

Video Highlights: 

Weekend Preview this Thursday for the three road games Friday, Saturday and Sunday.

Let’s Go Pens!

Seven AHL games on a Tuesday seems strange, but then I realized it’s likely all December COVID make ups, like the game being played tonight between the Wilkes-Barre / Scranton Penguins and the Hershey Bears.

No full weekend preview, as that will come later in the week for the three road games the Penguins play this Friday, Saturday and Sunday.

The Penguins, winners of two straight host the Hershey Bears who are 0-2-1 in their last three games. That one OT loss came at the hands of the Penguins, who battled back to tie and then beat Hershey in overtime on Friday. Wilkes-Barre won a too close for comfort game 6-5 over the Bridgeport Islanders on Saturday.

Hershey hosted the Providence Bruins on Easter Sunday and let a team full of still wet behind the ears rookies beat them 1-0. Michael Callahan, playing in his 11th game in the AHL, scored in the third period and Brandon Bussi, playing in his second game, records 26 saves for his first professional shutout in goal.

I think that says more about Boston / Providence’s scouting and depth, than it does anything else. I have always been amazed by teams who bring in players I have never heard of, playing in their first professional game or games, that come in and are an immediate factor for the opposing team.

With the loss Sunday, the Bears dipped to fifth in the Atlantic, while the Penguins took fourth. Hershey has four games left and has a 33-29-6-4 record. The Penguins have six games left and a 33-29-4-4 record. Simply put, these two teams play the same amount of games. Hershey has 76 points, the Penguins have 74. Wilkes-Barre has two games in hand on the Bears and this is the last regular season head to head matchup.

I think this is a First Round or Play-In, whatever you want to call it, preview. Neither team I think can get to third, and neither team is going to fall to sixth I don’t think. So the reality is that these teams are on a collision course to meet in the postseason, and what matters is who has the home ice advantage. If you want to look past qualifying for playoffs and focus on settling for the four seed, I won’t blame you.

I’d rather the Penguins finish fourth, because in a traditional playoff format, the top four teams in the division make it, instead of this nonsense of “expanded” playoffs.

Michael Zyla and Casey Terreri have the assignment Tuesday. The linesmen are John Rey and Tyler Loftus.

Bears close out their regular season with a home and home with Lehigh Valley and a Sunday home game against Hershey. The Penguins are on the road in Providence Friday, Springfield Saturday and Hartford Sunday. The two games in hand the Penguins have on the Bears won’t be used until the following week when they are in Syracuse next Friday and Allentown next Saturday. More on all this later this week with the official Weekend Preview.

More after the game tonight.

 vs.

5                               6

–

So I was thinking about this win the drive home.

The Pens have played the Bridgeport Islanders twice in a two week span and also played the Syracuse Crunch in that same two week span. They beat the Islanders with 9 goals two weeks ago and  6 goals tonight. 15 goals total. They don’t score a single goal in two games in two games against Syracuse. Go figure.

Pens win 6-5 and, as the headline says, by the skin of their teeth. They had a 6-3 lead then hold on to win 6-5.

Magic number to clinch is 7. I think. Math was never my strong suit.

Tommy Nappier is going to be the guy around these parts. Tristan Jarry is week to week.

Nappier opposed Corey Schneider

They lined up like this:

Bridgeport didn’t post lines.

Lineup Notes: Jordy Bellerive and Jamie Devane out, Anthony Angello and Felix Robert in up front. Will Reilly for Colin Swoyer on defense.

First Period: Bridgeport scores on their first two shots of the game. Simon Holmstrom and Michael Dal Colle score.

Hot start by the Islanders, but the Pens have been in these waters before.

Felix Robert should be a lineup regular. After a move like this, he has to be.

What a pass, what a shot, what a play.

Later, Filip Hallander deflected a shot off of Schneider and it was tied.

No GIF of this one.

Second Period: Valtteri Puustinen on a snipe and the Pens lead 3-2.

Mitch Reinke gets a baffling goal. Corey Schneider makes a glove save, the puck pops out of his glove, goes up in the air and then goes behind him and in the net for a 4-2 Penguins lead.

Just a terrible, awful blunder by Schneider. I would have pulled him if I were Brent Thompson, especially after that gaffe. Islanders in a battle for their playoff life, and you let in a boffo goal like that.

Penguins penalty kill used to be reliable, and Louis Domingue may have a hand in that, but Chris Terry, who is developing into a Penguins killer, scores far dot to make it a one goal game again.

Michael Chaput scores a power play goal, Sam Poulin tries The Michigan, Drew O’Connor scores and the Pens give up another power play goal and it’s 6-4 heading into the third. Here’s all what I just mentioned…

Third Period: A note about the officiating. Justin Kea didn’t have a very good game in my estimation, officiating the scoreboard vs. the action on the ice. A minor infractor would be a penalty on the Penguins, while a blatant foul by the Islanders goes uncalled.

Paul LaDue brings the Islanders to within one.

Puff out your cheeks moments for the Penguins, but they hold on as even with an empty net, the Islanders would not find the equalizer.

Three Stars: Valtteri Puustinen (goal, assist) 2) Drew O’Connor (goal, assist) 1) Juuso Riikola (four assists)

The Good: Too much fun and gun for me but it was nice to see the offense come to life.

The Bad: Domingue is going to be gone a while guys, hafta figure out the penalty kill. You aren’t scoring six goals every night.

Turning Point: The O’Connor goal was one at the time made it a bit of a laugher, but was just enough to get the Pens across the line first.

Around the Division: None of the other games mattered. It’s late. Hershey was off.

Standings: Hershey with 76 points in fourth; Pens in fifth with 74 and a game in hand. Pens have enough of a cushion I think on sixth place Bridgeport who only have two games left.

Wheeling Update: The Nailers lose 5-0 to Fort Wayne.

Video Highlights: Will probably go up when this does.

Happy Easter. Let’s Go Pens!

vs.

2                                   3

–

I think we have a playoff preview on our hands. Only thing that is going to need to be decided is who gets the four seed.

The Wilkes-Barre / Scranton Penguins take down the Hershey Bears 3-2 in overtime in comeback fashion. Their tenth goal scored with the goaltender pulled to tie it, then a Valtteri Puustinen power play goal to end it in overtime to win it. The Bears escape with a point, but Wilkes-Barre draws ever so closer to the Bears and the four seed with two games in hand.

Tommy Nappier from THEE Ohio State University opposed Zach Fucale. Here’s how they lined up:

Lineup Notes: Anthony Angello was out and Jamie Devane was back in. Cam Lee replaced Will Reilly. Angello is still dealing with illness.

First Period: Flying start by the Penguins who go up 1-0 on a Kasper Bjorkqvist shot that bleeds through Fucale that gives the Pens a 1-0 lead.

But then Hershey responds in kind on an Ethan Frank power play goal that looks eerily similar to the Hershey power play goals of yore.

Shades of Keith Aucoin setting up Alex Giroux from that very spot. That Frank kid was probably still in elementary school.

The power play goal by Hershey ended the Pens streak of 30 consecutive kills over eight games.

Second Period: No scoring, but the Penguins had a pair of back to back power play tries they were unsuccessful on.

Third Period: Next goal huge, obviously. Hershey scores it on a power play (again) on a  deflection in front by Mason Morelli.

The Penguins thought they scored a goal but referee Justin Kea washed it out immediately on account of a hand pass into the net. Replay confirmed his initial call on the ice. The fans in attendance weren’t happy, but the camera doesn’t lie.

Time dwindling, goal needed, delivered by Radim Zohorna off a deflection from a Juuso Riikola shot that ties the game at two with Nappier pulled with just over two minutes to play.

Overtime: Big save by Nappier :13 in. Brett Leason with a trip :24 in. Valtteri Puustinen a few minutes later on the power play:

Ballgame.

There Stars: 3) Kasper Bjorkqvist (goal) 2) Radim Zohorna (goal) Valtteri Puustinen (goal)

The Good: Nice way to come back there at the end with your backs at the wall. Playoff like intensity and the Pens prevail.

The Bad: Penalty kill was a weak spot when for so long it was a strong suit.

Turning Point: In a game full of them, the Puustinen game winner that ended it gets it here.

Around the Division: Only games that matter were Hartford losing in Toronto 4-1 and Bridgeport beating Lehigh Valley to vault into sixth in the division with a 2-1 overtime win in Allentown.

Standings: 4) Hershey .535 5) Penguins .522 6) Bridgeport .514 7) Hartford .500

I think you can stick a fork in the Wolf Pack.

Wheeling Update: Nailers clinched so its all about seeding for them. They lose to Fort Wayne 2-1 at home.

In the who plays who tomorrow, Hershey is off. This is one of the two games in hand the Pens play Saturday against the Islanders.

Video Highlights: If I see them and can work the edit in…you know the rest.

Let’s Go Pens!

 vs.

4                             1

–

Two goals by ex-Lehigh Valley Phantoms in Connor Bunnaman ad German Rubtsov sink the Wilkes-Barre / Scranton Penguins tonight, who fell in a 2-0 hole in the first period, an abysmal one at that, and then get a shorthanded goal from Filip Hallander, but then in a tight third period give up a goal and lose 4-1 on Wednesday night.

All isn’t lost however in the division, as the Hershey Bears lose 2-1 to the Lehigh Valley Phantoms and the Hartford Wolf Pack lose 1-0 to the Belleville Senators.

It’s a work night, so let’s blow through this. Louis Domingue opposed Joey Daccord.

Here’s how they lined up:

Lineup Notes: Colin Swoyer made his pro debut.

First Period: A disaster for the Penguins, who played the game in first gear while the Checkers were lapping them on the ice in fifth gear.

Zac Dalpe whiffed on his initial shot, regathers and beats Domingue for a 1-0 Charlotte lead. Later, a turnover and ex-Phantom-now-Checker German Rubtsov scored to make it 2-0 Charlotte. This all the while the Pens were being outshot 10-1. Here were the goals:

Second Period: A much better Penguins period. They stayed step for step with the Checkers and finally get a goal shorthanded by Hallander.

But the Pens had back to back chances before that to score on back to back power plays and missed. Regardless, it was a more inspired period of hockey and a one shot game heading into the…

Third Period: There was this point in the game…

…where the Penguins didn’t or couldn’t score. Then this happened.

Alex True hits an empty net goal to make it 4-1.

Three Stars: 3) Filip Hallander (goal) 2) Joey Daccord (27 saves) 1) German Rubtsov (goal)

The Good: But for the start, they played them pretty decently five on five. But the start is what crippled them and with Charlotte being as good as they are (division leader) a comeback isn’t going to come easy. Also, the Penguins have killed off 30 straight power plays against.

The Bad: Score a frickin’ power play goal when it matters, will ya? 0/5 tonight.

Turning Point: Pick one. Either the two power plays to start the second period or the time where they were 4 on 3 and 5 on 3 and couldn’t get one to go in a one goal game.

Around the Division: I gave you what mattered at the top. Rounding out, Springfield loses to Syracuse 4-2.

Standings: 4) Hershey .536 5) Penguins .515 6) Hartford .507 7) Bridgeport .507

Wheeling Update: Nailers sew up a playoff berth with a 3-2 win in Kalamazoo against the Wings. Cam Hausinger with a pair of goals and Justin Almeida with the other.

Who Plays Who Friday: Hershey is in Wilkes-Barre, Hartford is up in Toronto, Bridgeport is in Allentown.

Video Highlights: 

Back Friday for a big one against the Bears.

Let’s Go Pens!

 @

0                               1

–

Max Legace did it again.

A few weeks ago, the Crunch goaltender and ex-Penguin beat the Wilkes-Barre / Scranton Penguins 1-0. Well, Saturday night in Syracuse, he did it again, shattering a record in the process. His 48 saves against the Penguins breaks a record set in 2002 for total number of saves against in a shutout. The opponent then was Syracuse also.

I mean again, like I said when the Pens lost 1-0 to these Crunch a few weeks ago, you can’t fault them for losing 1-0. They gave up one goal and lost. You’ll win a lot of games at this level only allowing you if opponent to score one goal.

The Penguins better hope they don’t run into the Crunch in the Eastern Conference Finals, if these two teams make it that far.

Louis Domingue opposed Lagace.

Here’s how they lined up:

Lineup Notes: Filip Hallander has yo-yo’d up and down from the NHL and was sent back Saturday afternoon but obviously never made it in time. Thankfully, Alex Nylander was well enough to play, so he replaced Hallander.

First Period: No scoring. Crunch had a would be power play goal taken back on account of a high stick. Pens had a power play too where they pressured but didn’t score. Crunch had a little bit of a push to end the period.

Second Period: Pens bombed the Crunch for 21 shots in the period but Max Lagace kept them all out. Crunch score a goal early in the period when Gemel Smith takes a pass and scores on the back door to give the Crunch an early 1-0 lead that was the only scoring of the period.

Third Period: Penguins had essentially back to back back power plays and didn’t score on them. Later, they pull Domingue for the extra attacker and couldn’t set up offensively and Sam Poulin took a slashing penalty. It was elementary after that.

Three Stars: I don’t know why Darren Raddysh (the third star) and Fredrick Claesson (the second star) were named as such, they didn’t have any points. The first star was of course Lagace with his 48 saves.

The Good: Syracuse is a good team and the Penguins have stayed with them step for step.

The Bad: Syracuse is a good team that has the Penguins figured out, beating them in back to back shutouts.

Turning Point: Hafta think that failing to score on back to back power plays in the third period was the fate that sealed it for the Penguins.

Around the Division: Hershey beats Springfield 5-2, Providence beats Bridgeport 6-2.

Standings: 4) Hershey .537 5) Pens .522 6) Hartford .508 7) Bridgeport .508

Who Plays Who Sunday: Hartford plays their third in Charlotte…Lehigh Valley visits Bridgeport…Springfield and Hershey rematch in Hershey.

Wheeling Update: Nailers lose 4-3 at home to Toledo. Sam Houde and Josh Maniscalco scored in the loss.

Video Highlights:

More this week, Charlotte is in midweek.

Let’s Go Pens!