Chirps from Center Ice

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I don’t like Sunday games. Home, away, doesn’t matter I don’t like them. Sunday is my day off where I look forward to doing nothing.

I can only imagine how the Wilkes-Barre / Scranton Penguins felt Sunday after the Providence Bruins dealt them a 2-1 loss. The Bruins didn’t play Friday, while the Penguins were in a. battle with the Hershey Bears then had to travel overnight to play Saturday in Hartford, then traveled up to Providence to play less than 24 hours after that.

The Bruins hosted the Springfield Thunderbirds and didn’t have to travel a lick this weekend and got a weary Penguins team that gave up an early goal and Max Lagace and the Bruins defense locked them down from there. Providence wins its fifth in a row and gets some breathing room on the Penguins and the rest of the teams chasing them for a playoff spot.

I don’t really like making that excuse because the Bruins are no strangers to three games in three days as any team in the AHL is. The Penguins still have not applied the services of Phil Varone yet because his immigration issues are likely sitting on some lackeys desk somewhere to get approved top play and work in the United States.

Moral of the story, we will see what this Penguins team is like when they are rested, the Bruins have to travel down for a Wednesday game with Phil Varone most likely in the lineup.

Dustin Tokarski opposed Max Lagace.

Lineup:

That lineup graphic is not correct. Casey DeSmith was listed as the starter, but it was Tokarski and Emil Larmi was listed as the backup. They didn’t say the reason as to the late pull.

Lineup Notes: But for the late, unexplained switch at goal, no changes.

First Period: Zach Senyshyn wrister from the circle in the games first two minutes and it was 1-0 Bruins. I didn’t get setup to watch the game and missed the goal and with this being a Sunday, decided not to GIF any goals going in. Providence didn’t provide video proof of the goal but it stood.

Pens pressured from thereon, but Lagace was making some really good saves. One on Miletic even strength and a few on Riley Barber on a power play late.

Shots were 8-5 Bruins at the end of the period. Sounded like the Bruins had the jump, and the Penguins had the finish.

Second Period: Pens had a power play early, then the Penguins had some defensive issues that Tokarski navigated them through without issues. Pens had a penalty kill that they got through also. Providence continued to wear down the Penguins having not played Friday and finally got a goal to go when Steven Kampfer threw a shot on goal which may have been deflected but counted with .4 to play in the period which gave the Bruins a 2-0 lead heading to the…

Third Period: The Penguins, seemingly needing to empty the tank in the final period of a three in three, responded with a goal by Cole Cassels 63 seconds in to draw to within one.

But they would get no further. Providence strapped down defensively and had a late power play. Then, with Tokarski vacated for the extra man, the Bruins were able to keep Wilkes-Barre from finding the equalizer.

Three Stars: 3) Dustin Tokarski (25 saves) 2) Brendan Gaunce (assist) 1) Steven Kampfer (goal)

The Good: Pens kept it close, couldn’t get over the hump. They were lucky Friday, good on Saturday and out of both Sunday. It happens. Providence is a good team.

The Bad: Ideally the start was less than ideal and the penalties were a bit excessive, but fatigue can do that for you.

Turning Point: Kampfer’s goal with .4 left in the second gave the Bruins a 2-0 lead against a road weary Penguins team they are battling for a spot.

Around the Division: The most important other game of the day for the Penguins was the Springfield / Syracuse game. The Thunderbirds win 3-2 in overtime….Hartford beat Bridgeport 4-1.

Standings: Hershey 72 — Hartford 71 — Providence 68 — Charlotte 64 — Springfield 62 — Penguins 62 — Lehigh Valley 54 — Bridgeport 45

Wheeling Update: Nailers with a big 3-2 win in Brampton today. Justin Almeida had a pair of goals and Jordan Ruby had 27 saves.

Video Highlights: I am working in an edit here at around 8 p.m. Sunday, Providence doesn’t have any and I doubt they will.

Trade deadline is Monday. Imolst likely will have a roundup of the moves around the Atlantic Division with their NHL parent teams and offer my take on what it means down the stretch. Look for that Monday if there is enough there. If not, then check back Wednesday for the Gameday setup between the Penguins and Bruins.

Let’s Go Pens!

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Adam Johnson’s overtime, penalty shot, game winning goal does the trick for the Wilkes-Barre/ Scranton Penguins who win a wild one in Hartford Saturday night 4-3.

The Penguins never trailed in the game but Hartford, to their credit, exhibited a tenacity that gritted them out the overtime loser point and showed why the Wolf Pack sit in the upper echelon of Atlantic Division teams. They just rack up points.

Penguins bus to Providence for a Sunday matinee which sets up playoff implications. The Penguins and Bruins meet Sunday in Rhode Island then again Wednesday in Northeastern Pennsylvania.

Dustin Tokarski opposed Adam Huska.

Lineup: 

Lineup Notes: Was essentially a flip at center between Bellerive and Powell.

First Period: Much like the first periods opening stages against Hershey Friday, a lot of action but not a lot of scoring to show.

Until John Nyberg ripped a shot that Cole Cassels got a piece of that gave the Pens a 1-0 lead.

Second Period: Much like the second period Friday, there were a lot of penalties called against the Penguins. They were able to kill all of them (four) but there was more scoring in the period than last night.

Hartford scored in the first and final minutes and Ryan Scarfo scored his first goal with the Penguins. Here they are in succession.

Nice slam dunk shoot there and an even better pass by Vincent LoVerde.

Tweet says it all. A nice deflection of a Lizotte shot.

So it was a Darren Raddysh shot that Tokarski made the initial stop on that Lettieri collected and deflected off of Tokarski and in. A really sick angle shot for a goal.

Third Period: Kevin Roy scored a nice goal on a rush after the Penguins just killed a penalty that gave the Penguins a 3-2 lead. Nice setup by Adam Johnson to get the whole thing going.

Vitali Kravtsov finds time and space and turns on the jets and scores on this breakaway goal that tied the game at three.

Penguins didn’t do themselves any favors when they took a late puck over glass delay of game penalty but were able to navigate their way out of that and it was off to…

Overtime: Largely uneventful until Adam Johnson went off on a breakaway and was hauled down. A penalty shot was awarded and Johnson didn’t miss…

Three Stars: 

The Good: They were largely unfazed, on the road, against a team that is a point machine and came away with two points.

The Bad: Killer instinct is a moving target. It didn’t look like Hartford had, “it” tonight and had the Wolf Pack won, they would have been lucky.

Turning Point: I don’t know how anyone doesn’t look at the Johnson overtime, penalty shot goal and say that is it.

Around the Division: Hershey and Bridgeport go to a shootout after the Bears were up 4-2. Hershey wins 5-4….Lehigh Valley loses 2-1 in Syracuse….Providence runs over Springfield 7-4….Charlotte ends Binghamton’s winning streak and win 6-3 but the Checkers are probably losing one or both goalies to recall as Carolina lost both goalies in a game they won in Toronto. Imagine being a Maple Leafs fan.

Standings: Hershey 72 — Hartford 69 — Providence 66 — Charlotte 64 — Penguins 62 — Springfield 60 — Lehigh Valley 54 — Bridgeport 45

Wheeling Update: Nailers lose 3-2 in Kalamazoo. Brandon Hawkins and Blake Siebenhaler scored for the Nailers in the loss.

Video Highlights: I doubt Hartford will have them, if Coal Street goes, I will work an edit in.

They are up in Providence tomorrow at 3. Gameday setup hits the blog Sunday at 11 a.m.

Let’s Go Pens!

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A pair of goals by players named Kevin and 35 saves by Casey DeSmith and the Wilkes-Barre / Scranton Penguins take down the Hershey Bears 2-1 on Friday night in Wilkes-Barre.

A tight, take what they give you affair. Bears struck in the first period to take an early lead then the Penguins, who only had three shots on goal in the second period, score on their third when Kevin Roy went off on a breakaway after a David Warsofsky blocked shot and scored in the final minute of the period.

Pens went 3-for-3 on the penalty kill in the second period but it was a bend but not break strategy that got them through that and then the game, really.

Kevin Czuczman navigated through bodies and fired and beat Bears goaltender Pheonix Copley that gave the Penguins a 2-1 lead that stood up the rest of the way.

From that angle, it looked like it hit crossbar and went out and would not count.

Parallax is a funny thing. I believe that was referee Alex Ross there perfectly positioned to signal goal. The Bears never protested that it wasn’t a goal at the time.

I kind of wish Coal Street built in a few Casey DeSmith saves at the end, cause he was dialed in and needed as the Bears made their final push. DeSmith never budged. Even when Hershey had a power play late and went with a 6 on 4, DeSmith kept them out.

That’s pretty much it. Sometimes they are bore fests like this one to and extent and there isn’t much to write home about. The Penguins didn’t have a single power play all game and their penalty kill against Hershey went 4-for-4.

Here’s how they lined up.

Lineup Notes: 

Axel Jonsson-Fjallby scored the goal in the first period for the Bears. Niclas Almari’s struggles continued on that one as he was tangled up along the wall allowing for Fjallby to break free and score on a snipe that beat DeSmith clean. Hershey didn’t GIF the goal, but it should be in the highlight package below.

Three Stars: I am kind of writing this in reverse, but it gets better from here.

The Good: Found a way to win when they were outshot 36-19….Penalty kill was 4/4, especially in some key areas like the second trailing 1-0. Had the sense if Hershey went up 2-0 it would have been over.

The Bad: Not too many deficiencies tonight. You could say they were lucky to win and not be wrong.

Turning Point: Czuczman’s goal that put them ahead 2-1 and DeSmith’s play in goal in the closing stages get it here.

Not only that, but where would this team be if it weren’t for Casey DeSmith?

Around the Division: Binghamton beats Charlotte 2-1….Rochester beats Lehigh Valley 3-2 in overtime….Springfield beats Hartford 4-1. Bridgeport and Providence were off.

Standings: Hershey 70 — Hartford 68 — Providence 64 — Charlotte 62 — Springfield 60 — Penguins 60 — Lehigh Valley 54 — Bridgeport 44

Wheeling Update: Nailers are shutout 3-0 in Cincinnati.

Video Highlights: 

They bus to Hartford for a 7 start Saturday. Gameday setup is here Saturday afternoon at 3.

Let’s Go Pens!