Chirps from Center Ice

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Oh boy, a lot happened Friday.

The Wilkes-Barre / Scranton Penguins recalled Tommy Nappier from THEE Ohio State University earlier in the day. The reason is because the Pittsburgh Penguins play a back to back with one of the games in Canada (Saturday) so they recalled Louis Domingue to have him back up Casey DeSmith because Tristan Jarry will start Sunday in Washington.

Got all that? Good.

Filip Lindberg was the starter Friday night against the Charlotte Checkers, played two periods, stopped all but one shot but was no where to be seen for the third period.

Enter Tommy Nappier.

Nappier turns aside all 10 shots faced, the Penguins get a big goal by Chris Bigras late in the third period and edge past the Charlotte Checkers 2-1 Friday night.

Nappier may be sticking around for a while.

“Currently being evaluated” is coach speak for, “we really don’t know how bad it is yet.” So expect Nappier to play second fiddle to Louis Domingue once he gets back from his trip to Ottawa Saturday.

Shame, too, considering this was one of Lindberg’s better games of late.

Joey Daccord opposed for Charlotte. Here is how they lined up:

Lineup Notes: Taylor Fedun was sent back Thursday with Juuso Riikola but Riikola turned around and went right back up Friday because of Canada and their COVID rules. Fedun and Dylan MacPherson were in for Will Reilly and Chris Ortiz on defense. Jamie Devane returned form injury and replaced Justin Almeida.

First Period: Gregori Denisenko threw a changeup at net and it went in.

It may have deflected off of Bigras there. Still counts.

Penguins were getting squashed in their own zone, with Lindberg there to bail them out. Also, they had one paltry shot on goal more than halfway through the period.

Late, Pens get a goal from Valtteri Puustinen on this one timer:

Gotta get him going again if you want to have success.

Second Period: No scoring, roles reversed. Charlotte went a long stretch without a shot on goal, Penguins forechecked the hell out of the Checkers and got great goaltending from their guy.

Third Period: Out came Nappier, no where to be found was Lindberg.

There was one penalty a side in the first two periods. You didn’t want to see the game end decided by special teams. Seemed like the third period was full of it. Thankfully, they navigated through it all and it looked like they were headed to overtime.

Forecheck. Get good goaltending. And a little bit of luck.

Enter Chris Bigras.

They held on from there.

Three Stars: 3) Tommy Nappier (10 saves, first AHL win of the season) 2) Valtteri Puustinen (goal) 1) Chris Bigras (game winning goal)

The Good: Looked like it was another night of the game going off the rails from the get go, with Charlotte scoring early. Thankfully the goaltending was there from both players wearing oversized pads tonight.

The Bad: Pens were lucky to win tonight. Fall in a hole, get out in the same period, don’t score at all until late. Hang on to win. I don’t like that recipe.

Turning Point: Bigras’ goal is the clear, obvious choice.

Around the Division: Laval takes down Bridgeport in overtime 5-4…Providence obliterates Lehigh Valley 6-3…Hartford surges past Springfield 6-4.

Standings: Springfield .750 / Hartford .708 / Hershey .591 / Providence .545 / Penguins .542 / Bridgeport .500 / Charlotte .450 / Lehigh Valley .333

Wheeling Update: The Nailers go to Toledo and take down the Walleye 3-2. Alex D’Orio went the distance and is probably on a plane right now, stopping 24 shots.

Video Highlights:

Don’t forget Saturday’s game begins at 6:05.

Let’s Go Pens!

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One of my vices is a fine cigar. I prefer Ashton Churchills. Takes about an hour to smoke on a summer day.

One of the things I don’t like about the Fall is the fact that it gets too cold to have cigars and it’s way too cold too.

Anyway, the saying, “close but no cigar” applies to tonight’s game in Hartford, one that the Wilkes-Barre / Scranton Penguins lose 4-3 in regulation.

The Penguins trailed 4-0 in the third period and battled all the way back to 4-3 with just :43 left in regulation and never found the equalizing goal.

Seems like if the game was five minutes longer the Penguins would have indeed found the equalizing goal.

Regardless, after taking 5 of 6 points last week, the Penguins take 0 of 6 and are in a bit of a free fall. Shutout Wednesday in Allentown, outclassed on special teams Friday at home against Providence and time running out on what would have been an epic comeback Saturday in Hartford.

Schedule doesn’t get any easier, Rochester comes in Wednesday and then Charlotte for a pair.

Louis Domingue opposed Tyler Wall.

Here’s how they lined up:

Lineup Notes: Matt Alfaro was returned to Wheeling Saturday afternoon. Justin Almeida replaced Jan Drozg up front, Chris Bigras replaced Niclas Almari on defense.

Hartford never posted lines.

First Period: Pens try a D to D handoff in their own zone and Tanner Fritz scores to put the Wolf pack up 1-0.

Later Anthony Bitteto throws a puck at the net that may have been deflected in but it’s a 2-0 Hartford lead nevertheless.

Then Cam Lee runs over Patrick Khodorenko with this hit.

Lee was assessed a check to the head match penalty and was thrown out of the game. The Wolf Pack were awarded a 5:00 power play they did not score on.

Later the Penguins were awarded a power play but failed to score on that.

Second Period: The Penguins outchanced the Wolf Pack for a good stretch in the period. The fourth line in. particular did remarkably well and got a fair amount of shifts. Sadly, chances are just that. Tyler Wall played rather well for someone that played with a 3.58 GAA and a sub .865 SV% last season.

Tim Gettinger threw salt in the wound and scored a shorthanded goal.

Penguins were just :12 into a power play. So they lost power play in Hartford’s zone, sees the Wolf Pack skate in and Gettinger scores. Yikes.

They also continued to out chance the Wolf Pack with a breakaway by Kasper Bjorkqvist and an excellent chance by Sam Poulin.

Third Period: Lauri Pajuniemi scores a power play goal when a puck deflected off of Chris Ortiz and in that gives Hartford a 4-0 lead.

Then the Penguins score goals  :23 apart. Jonathan Gruden finds Felix Robert who scores to put the Penguins on the board:

Then Jordy Bellerive. seconds later on a blast an it’s 4-2:

Penguins would then go on the power play but failed to score. They had a lot of power plays tonight, seven to be exact, and failed to score on all of them.

Sam Poulin scores with an extra attacker with :43 left:

But the Penguins never found the equalizer. Jordy Bellerive had a last second shot.

Almost….

But there are no cigars in close hockey games and usually no cigars for this writer in November.

Three Stars: 3) Anthony Bitetto (goal) 2) Jonny Brodzinski (two assists) 1) Tanner Fritz (goal, assist)

The Good: Nice way to battle back despite the unfortunate result.

The Bad: Can’t go 0-for-7 on the power play. Especially when you are chasing the score. Power play is now 0-for the last 20.

Turning Point: The time out that Wolf Pack Head Coach Kris Knoblauch called after the Penguins second goal reset his club and the Penguins continued to press, but couldn’t find any success whatsoever on the man advantage.

Around the Division: Providence goes into Hershey and shuts out the Bears 3-0….Springfield still hasn’t lost in regulation and beats Bridgeport 4-1….Charlotte obliterates Lehigh Valley 7-3.

Standings: Springfield .889 – Hartford .750 – Hershey .611 – Charlotte .563 – Providence .556 – Penguins .550 – Bridgeport .400 – Lehigh Valley .222

Wheeling Update: Wheeling hosted Fort Wayne in the Nailers home opener and the Komets won big, 5-2 was the final score. Box here.

Video Highlights: If the Penguins get one up and I can get an edit in, it will go here.

Power Rankings Tuesday. Weekend Preview setting up Rochester on Wednesday then Charlotte Friday and Saturday hits the Wednesday morning.

Don’t forget to turn your clocks back.

Let’s Go Pens!

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Woof.

And Hartford, whom the Penguins play Saturday, beat up on Bridgeport 7-3.

Oh, and then Rochester, who probably has the best prospect group in the AHL, comes in Wednesday.

The hits, keep coming, like they did tonight.

The Wilkes-Barre / Scranton Penguins were down just 67 seconds into the game tonight and it got worse from there. Providence goes up 2-0 in the first period, outshoots the Penguins 16-4 in the period, then runs it up to 4-0 before the Penguins make a goaltender change, get two back but lose 6-2 Friday.

Like I said, woof.

Little bit of a regression to the mean after starting 5-1. They look lost offensively and defensively they give up way too many changes and shot opportunities. You could have started Ed Belfour in net tonight and the result wouldn’t have mattered.

Filip Lindberg opposed Jon Gillies, making his season debut.

Here’s how they lined up:

Lineup Notes: Radim Zohorna was back from that nasty hit Tanner Kaspick laid on him last Saturday. Filip Hallander was back from his illness which kept him out of the game Wednesday. Sam Houde and Matt Alfaro came out of the lineup. On defense, with Taylor Fedun on recall to Pittsburgh, Chris Ortiz, up from Wheeling, made his debut.

First Period: $2 beer night at the Arena. Before the patrons could sip their first, the Pens trailed 1-0. Oskar Steen was the last to touch a puck I think was accidentally knocked in by Cam Lee.

Steve Fogarty tipped in a shot from the point on the back end of a double minor Mitch Reinke was serving that made it 2-0.

A 2-0 deficit is certainly manageable, but if you looked at the shot totals, 16-4 after the first, you would wonder if the Penguins knew the game started at 7:05.

Second Period: Bruins connect for another power play goal to go up 3-0. Zach Senyshyn tipped in a blast from the point that made it 3-0.

(the Bruins stopped tweeting GIFs of goals. Just be thankful you have the two they provided)

Chris Wagner made it 4-0 and the rout was on, if you didn’t realize.

That was all for reigning AHL goaltender of the month Filip Lindberg, you would swear that the award is cursed.

Louis Domingue settled things down slightly, Nathan Legare scores to make it 4-1.

Third Period: After a flurry of saves by Domingue, Kyle Olson takes a Jonathan Gruden pass and shoots for a goal that makes it 4-2. Life? Maybe.

Not if Eduards Tralmaks had anything to say about it. I’m glad I don’t have to type that name in often. Anyway he skated in the slot and took a pass from Joona Koppanen (no easier to spell) and ripped a shot past Domingue to make it 5-2.

Oskar Steen made it 6-2 on an empty net.

Three Stars: 3) Sam Asselin (two assists) 2) John Moore (three assists) 1) Zach Senyshyn (goal)

The Good: The response was there late, but they trailed by multiple goals and fought the clock.

The Bad: Too many penalties coupled with the fact that they weren’t ready to play spelled disaster.

Turning Point: Second period, Bruins take two penalties three seconds between each other. Pens down 4-0. Score one, get it to 4-1, see what happens with the leftover time, get lucky score agains and it’s 4-2 and a totally different game. They didn’t and the Bruins made it look easier than it really should have been.

Around the Division: Gave you the Hartford / Bridgeport final in my lede…Hershey loses in Springfield in overtime 3-2. The Thunderbirds still haven’t lost in regulation. Everyone else was off.

Standings: Springfield .875, Hartford .722, Hershey .698, Penguins .611, Charlotte and Providence .500, Bridgeport .444, Lehigh Valley .250.

Wheeling Update: Nailers were off.

Video Highlights: Look away, kids! Look away!

Hartford Saturday and a hope for better fortunes lies ahead.

Let’s Go Pens!