To Sum It Up: Penguins, Terriers

"At 5-0, the Penguins are the last undefeated team in the AHL." 

Those sweet words came from WBS Pens' beat writer, Jonathan Bombulie, after last night's win against the Hershey Bears. Just as expected, the Pens are off to a strong start. What wasn't quite expected is how they're doing it. This part I like. Bombulie described it well when he said:

Overall, I think the most impressive thing about the start the Penguins are off to is that it's sustainable ... the Penguins haven't done anything in the first five games that they won't be able to do for the next 75. They're just playing good fundamental hockey.

Like music to my ears. The exact type of successful team I like to see. Sure, it's not always as fun to watch as guys doing ridiculous Ice Capade moves, but it's more reliable. I've always been a fan of fundamental, hard-working teams over the rely-on-pretty-skill teams (see: San Jose Sharks).

With injured Pittsburgh players healing up, keep an eye out for Eric Tangradi and Andrew Hutchinson to be back in NEPA.

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How about those Terriers too? Geez. If you remember back in my nostalgic preview, I basically said I wasn't expecting much out of them, and anything else will be a pleasant surprise. Well, count me as someone who's pleasantly surprised. After beating UMass last night, BU is now 3-0-1. They defeated both Wisconsin and Notre Dame to win the IceBreaker tournament opening weekend, tied UMass last weekend and got the win last night. Looks like they've woken up from last year. They're working for the wins. 

Three guys I've especially enjoyed so far: Charlie Coyle, Sahar Gill and Matt Nieto. This freshman class is shaping up for a fun few upcoming seasons.

Class of 2014.

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And last, but certainly not least, the Pittsburgh Penguins. They had an ... yeah, I guess interesting is a good word for it ... they had an interesting start to the year. By interesting I mean they were 1-3. Certainly not something anyone saw coming. I didn't panic because anyone who thought that was going to dictate the rest of the year should pull their head out of the sand. A lot of spoiled Penguins fans came out. People who clearly forgot what it was like prior to these past few seasons of being awesome. Back then, if you were to have a slow start, you knew that's what you were in for. Now, we go 1-3, and I look around at Evgeni Malkin, Sidney Crosby, et. al, and I know they'll figure it out. No team is invincible. A little adversity never hurt anyone.

And now they're 5-3 and in second place in the Atlantic. So there.

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The 2010-11 WBS Penguins: Yes Please.

I haven’t been this excited for a Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins’ season in a long time.

Don’t get me wrong, I’m always excited for the team I hold closest to my heart, but things could be really fun this time around.

For the first time in awhile, they Pens are kicking off the season with an awesome roster. And that’s not including the very real possibility that we’ll see Eric Tangradi, Derek Engelland and Ben Lovejoy at some point this year. Mark Letestu is on that list as well, but so far he seems to be the guy that had the best camp with the big boys.

Without further adieu, a quick glance at what's in store this season:

Up Front
Brett Sterling.

Okay, I know the team does not revolve around Sterling, but when I hear his name I think of how he dominated us in the Calder Cup Finals. Then I realize he's on my side now, and I love it. Sterling is not a big guy by any means, but he can score. Some say his signing is the biggest in WBS history. I'd have to look back, but if it's not the biggest it's certainly in the top 3.

Ryan Craig was another nice pick-up, coming off a 45 (23+22) point season with the Norfolk Admirals. He's battling a groin injury right now, but once he's healed up I think he could be a nice asset to have around.

Familiar faces like Dustin Jeffrey, Nick Johnson, Chris Conner and Tim Wallace are all returning. Toss in Joey Vitale and you have a nice little offensive group.

The Blueline
My eyes are on Brian Strait and Robert Bortuzzo this year. They looked good last season, and as they mature, they'll get even better. Part of the fun of watching an AHL team.

Newcomers include Corey Potter, former BC Eagle Carl Sneep, Andrew Hutchinson and Jason DeSantis. Hutchinson is the one to watch out of this group.

The defensive corps aren't going to be as strong as the forwards, but it's nothing I'm going to lose sleep over.

In Net
This is the one area I’m concerned about. Both Brad Thiessen and John Curry have a lot of potential. We’ve seen them play great, and we’ve seen them play not-so-great. This goaltending situation reminds me of the San Jose Sharks: two guys who are good, but neither of them are above and beyond spectacular. You don’t look at either one and think: ‘Okay. I’m completely confident in him.'

Brad Thiessen earned himself the starting job last season, and he starts out at number one again. I hate to admit this by the way. Like, it makes me cringe. He was a Hockey East foe, and to see a Northeastern kid be ahead of my BU boy ... well, it’s just a tough pill to swallow. BUT I always gave Thiessen credit when he was a Husky. It’s not like he’s Nate Gerbe or anything. If all goes according to plan, Thiessen will have a solid year.

John Curry is my golden child. I will never dislike this kid even if he turned into Martin Brochu. People who have been reading this blog for awhile aren’t surprised at this. He was the walk-on goalie for BU who became a savior in Terrier Nation. He helped get the Pens to the finals in his first season. And then he got hurt. Curry never really seemed to get his mojo back since he was injured. He had a so-so year last year, so here's to hoping he's back to true form this season.

Overall ...
The Baby Pens are going to be a good team. Hockey's Future said the Pens won't be any different from last year. I disagree. I think they're already different from last year. Yes, they'll have to compete with the mighty Hershey, but they can do it. The key will be establishing good chemistry, having fun and working hard. If they can work night in-night out, they'll be rewarded. Those are the Penguins teams that have excelled in the past, and this year will be no different. I think they have the right group of guys to do it.

And what's more fitting than to play the first regular season game against our interstate brothers, the Hershey Bears? They're stacked again - even without guys like Alex Giroux (who failed to make the Edmonton roster. This continues to blow my mind). Rumor has it Sheldon Souray will not be playing in tonight's match-up. I'm certainly not complaining about that.

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The Babies Thus Far

Each year during my month-long winter break, the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins have graciously managed to schedule in homestands -- as in I usually get to take in between nine to 11 games during that stretch. It gives me a good enough look at what type of group my #1 team is.

This year the Baby Pens are in the middle of the pack: 42 points in 39 games; good for third in the East Division. They're in a tough position this year because of division re-alignment. In order to make the play-offs they have to not only be in the top four of the East Division, but they also have to be better than the fifth place team in the Atlantic Division. Right now the fifth place team in the Atlantic is Bridgeport with 46 points; the Pens have three games in hand.

The best thing the Baby Pens have right now is their work ethic. Man, they work hard. I love teams like this. It's the type of team that can pull off some surprises in the post-season -- that is, if they can dig deep and find some scoring. These guys outshoot their opponents almost every game, but they cannot finish. Granted they don't have any Chris Minards or Jeff Taffes, but they are getting shots to the net. Their defense is pretty good -- I'd argue Deryk Engelland is the best player on the team right now. Goaltending is a little shakey. There isn't a high confidence level in John Curry or Adam Berkhoel (or the games that Brad Thiessen squeezed in while he was in the Dub-B). But at least they try. The only time I thought they looked lazy was six minutes of a second period against the ridiculously good Hershey Bears. It cost them the game.

So I love this team in terms of how hard they work. I'm always a supporter of the workhorse teams over the skill-based teams (:cough: San Jose :cough:). They're going to have to start generating more offense and allowing fewer goals to really give themselves a chance. Sounds like common sense, I know.


In terms of individual players and who stuck out to me, here are my thoughts:

Eric Tangradi -- What is eating Eric Tangradi? Seriously. People might say I'm being harsh. He's on a point streak afterall. But the only thing that has stuck out about him is his size. Maybe I got caught up in the hype that is Tangradi. He was one of the top players in the OHL and a highly ranked prospect. Getting him in a trade from Anaheim was a big deal. Tangradi currently has 15 points in 31 games (9+6). He was caught off-guard with a shoulder injury at the start of the year, so when I saw himover Thanksgiving break, I gave him the benefit of the doubt. Maybe he was still getting back into the groove of things. A month later it's time to get going. He's a bit slower than I thought he would be (I understand he's bigger so it doesn't look like he's skating as hard. Bottom line is, I don't care how big your strides are. You're either fast or slow.). He hasn't done anything breathtaking on offense. He scored a nice goal or two over the ten or eleven games I saw him. I still have high hopes for him. It very well could be an adjustment thing. Either way, people in Pittsburgh hoping he gets called up are going to be waiting for awhile. He is not ready.

Deryk Engelland -- Best player on the team. I'm making that argument now. I always feel comfortable with him out there. He's created a good reputation for himself by playing well. He's a good D-man who isn't afraid to be aggressive when he needs to be. He just does things that make you go 'Nice. I like that guy.' Class act, and I'm very happy to see how he's turned out.

Brian Strait - Okay so I'm obviously a bit biased towards a BU boy, but Strait's game has transitioned exactly the way I thought it would. Watching Strait for three years at BU, it was easy to see how smart of a defenseman he was. He's not going to score goals for you. Offense is not in his game. But he will always be in position. Plain and simple: he makes smart plays. He doesn't overthink things. He does what he's supposed to. Talk about solid. He has pleasantly surprised a lot of people in his first year pro. Not me. The kid will be just fine in his career.

Dustin Jeffrey -- Second best player on the team. Jeffrey has certainly evolved into an awesome player. He's fifth in the league in scoring with 41 points in 37 games (12 + 29). He's an AHL All-Star starter and deservingly so. The kid's on fire. He can score. He should easily be the next call-up to Pittsburgh should they need a center.

Chris Conner -- So tiny (listed at 5-8"). So fast. Can't finish. That about sums him up -- at least during the December-January stretch I saw him.

Joe Vitale -- The definition of workhorse. The kid battles the entire game. How can you not like him?? He knows his role, and he fills it well.

Tyler Spurgeon -- He found his way back on the Baby Pens' roster this season. Not one of the more talented guys on the team, but he NEVER stops moving. I like that.

John Curry -- It breaks my heart to say I think he can be doing much better. I LOVE Curry. I saw him perform miracles in college. Not to mention he has a GREAT story of being a walk-on at BU and working his way up from third-string to number one. He has two habits that seem to bite him in the ass sometimes: going down too early and playing the puck behind the net when he shouldn't. Don't get me wrong: Curry is not bad. He's just not what he could be. He's sitting on a 2.54 GAA and a .904 save percentage over 31 games. Eh.

Here's to hoping the Baby Pens have a strong second half. If they start getting some more goals, I think they'll be fine. If everything clicks and they get more goals & better goaltending? They can be dangerous. They have some work to do until then.

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A Hero Returns to North America

Huge, huge news for Baby Pens fans coming from Jonathan Bombulie over at the Penguins Insider. Word on the street is that Andy Chiodo is about to sign with the Binghamton Senators. Yes, THEE Andy Chiodo. This one:



Yes, the Andy Chiodo who watched every other goalie get a shot at playoff games before he had to come in and save the day. And I mean, literally save the day. The guy who became a hero in WBS. The guy who survived by working hard, not just on pure skill.

There are certain players that Baby Pens' fans will never forget. The list starts like this: 1. Dennis Bonvie 2. Andy Chiodo. You can argue that John Slaney and Tom Kostopoulos might come before Chiodo. I put them after.

And now he's back. Not with the Baby Pens unfortunately, but with a team close enough that he'll be playing in the Wachovia Arena a handful of times during the season.

For those of you who aren't familiar with Chiodo, he was a Baby Pen for three seasons. He was typically the back-up, and his regular season numbers were good -- nothing spectacular but not bad. He even saw action in eight games for Pittsburgh. His moment of glory came during the playoffs. My God was he a playoff goaltender. Maybe the best I've ever seen.

In the 2004 Calder Cup playoffs, WBS faced Bridgeport in the first round. Michel Therrien gave both Marc-Andre Fleury and Sebastien Caron a shot before Chiodo. The Pens went down 3-games-to-1. Therrien decided to give Chiodo a shot, and magic happened. WBS won that series in OT of Game 7 -- after Chiodo made some heart-stopping (seriously, I think my heart stopped) saves throughout the series. They went all the way to the finals that year. They lost, but it was still a great ride.

The same thing happened in the postseason the following year. Chiodo didn't get the initial start, but he ended up on top. The Baby Pens defeated a stacked Binghamton Sens team (we're talking Spezza, Vermette, etc) in the first round. He was so much fun to watch, and he earned every bit of recognition and praise he got. Unfortunately, no one else gave him a shot after his third year here. He packed up and headed to Finland.

Bombulie mentions the response he'll receive when he returns to Wilkes-Barre. He thinks it will be lukewarm because people forget. This is true. People do forget. But those that saw him play through those playoff series will not. And they will be on their feet when he steps out on that ice.

Welcome back Chico.

Strait Moves On

This lady is happy this morning after seeing that Brian Strait has signed with the Pens. Actually, it's bittersweet. I would have liked to see him stay and help out the Terriers for his senior year, but he's only going to be moving to my other favorite team so I'll live with it. I'm actually a little surprised he didn't stick around for his last year considering he was named one of the captains for the upcoming season. But why not go out on a high point (aka after winning the national championship)?

I think Strait's ready. He's a smart, solid defenseman. I always liked how he played; he's someone you feel comfortable having out on the ice. He'll more than likely be playing for Wilkes-Barre/Scranton next year or two, but that will give him plenty of time to adjust to the pros.

Good luck bud. See you in the WB. BU will miss you.

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Run Janne, Run.

This is a funny headline: "Shero Says Pesonen Still Part of Future Despite No Recall."

Shero goes on to say, "Maybe with a different situation next year, he'll get a better opportunity [to play in the NHL]."

OH. Like maybe if you give him an actual chance instead of putting him on 3rd & 4th lines?? As much as I'd love to still believe that, I don't. Each time Pesonen was called up, he was shafted -- put with players who he shouldn't play with and then given no ice time.

I am telling you: this guy is for real. He was the best player on the Baby Pens this year. The guy sets up plays like it's no big deal. He has that natural hockey sense.

Run Janne. Run far away. Sign with a team that will appreciate you.

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Laziness-1 Effort-0

Well, Wilkes-Barre/Scranton officially named Todd Reirden its head coach. Reirden had been filling in since Dan Bylsma took over in Pittsburgh.

All I have to say is WBS has the laziest hiring practices I've ever seen. Seriously. No offense to Reirden, but this team was not the same as when Blysma was in charge. That's not to say they did poorly -- they were just different. After Bylsma left, Reirden had a 14-9-3 record. Not too shabby. But they also lost first place in the division in the last week of the year to one of the worst teams in the league. It was one of their lower stretches of the year. Coincidence? Maybe. I was really hoping WBS would bring in a different head coach -- hell, even Michel Therrien (he's much more made for a development head coach job where there's constantly new players coming in and out). But I'm not surprised they didn't. They have always been too lazy to actually spend time to look for people to take open positions. Even the broadcasting position was given to an interim weather guy who makes you want to shut the radio off after about twenty minutes (sorry Stuccio). Seriously. You're a professional franchise. It's okay to actually take some time to find the best person for the job.

I don't believe Reirden is that person. I think he needs more experience. Then again, I said that about Bylsma when he was called up to Pittsburgh, and he turned out just fine. The difference is, Pittsburgh picked up when he went up there. WBS did not when Reirden took over.

Prove me wrong. Please.

Almost, Not Quite

WBS just lost their first game seven they've ever played in. Prior to tonight, they were 4-0 in all-time game 7's. Now they're 4-1 after the Hershey Bears shut them out for the second night in a row.

If you ask me, this series came down to breaks. I only got to see Games 4-7. In Games 4 & 5, WBS had all the breaks. They were getting in the way of Bears' shots and just happened to find the puck on their sticks. The last two games were the exact opposite; Hershey caught those breaks. Sometimes it's just not your night.

The bottom line is Hershey was the better team. They were one of the best teams in the league during the regular season. They're aggressive, super fast and just a well-rounded team. Does that mean they're unbeatable? Of course not. But it means the Baby Pens had to work twice as hard to win; they played their hearts out in Games 3-5, and they just looked beat Monday and tonight. Playing four games in five nights isn't going to help either (I don't want to hear anymore complaining about having to go back-to-back nights from Pitt & Wash. We don't even have Yanni to empathize with us). But that's what it comes down to.

You really can't complain if you're a WBS fan. The Baby Pens have made the play-offs eight out of ten years. They have been to the finals three out of ten years. We are very, very lucky. Things could be much worse. I love this team. I'll reflect on the year in the next few days.

Good luck to the Bears. I always prefer the teams I lose to to win the championship. If I have to lose, I want to lose to the best.

The last thing I have to say is ... Pittsburgh fans, be nervous for tomorrow. (See why below). ;-)

SIETE

Just wanted to point out something that's been amusing me: the Penguins & Capitals organizations are battling each other in two series right now (NHL & AHL) and the series have gone exactly the same way. The same organization has won the same games. WBS & Pittsburgh both battled back from 2-0 deficits to go up 3-2 and lose Game 6.

So are we safe to say that whoever wins Game 7 between WBS & Hershey tonight will indicate who will go home tomorrow in the Caps/Pens game?

Naturally that's just silly superstitious nonsense. But I believe it.

So if you're want a sneak peek at who's headed to the Eastern Conference finals, catch the AHL game tonight. You can listen in at www.theahl.com or go to this link right before game time to watch it live. Game time is 7pm.

Giroux is a P*ssy

I'm back in PA for two weeks which means I can catch some Baby Pens playoff hockey. I live for the postseason in Wilkes-Barre. The crowds seem to get a little smaller each year, but they never get quieter. The rink was probably only 75% full last night, but it was rockin'. Part of the reason for that is because they gave out those Thundersticks. I passionately hate them, but they do significantly increase the noise level.

The Pens were ON last night in Game 4. With the exception of a few moments, they looked better than Hershey the entire time. They were getting the bounces and leading the rushes. Janne Pesonen had an unreal first game back with one goal and three assists -- and still failed to get the number one star of the game. How this guy is not playing in the NHL, I will never understand. I still believe he can be a sick playmaker in the show. We'll see I guess.

These guys can beat Hershey. They beat them 7 out of 10 times in the regular season. And I know I always say the regular season doesn't matter after mid-April (it doesn't), but they should at least realize they can do it. The Bears are good. Really good. They're fast, aggressive and don't stop coming at you. So hit them. Take away their speed. Tire them out. Don't wait because they won't allow you to.

On a side note, just think -- Simeon Varlamov could have been the Hershey goalie in this series. Yikes.

Game 5 is tonight at 7.

Other Notes:

+ After Alex Ovechkin's hit on Sergei Gonchar last night, Pittsburgh called up Alex Goligoski. This doesn't bother me one bit. I don't know if he just needs more development or if he plays better in the NHL or what, but Goose just does not full-on impress me yet. He has these little tendencies -- turnovers being a big one (namely two in this series that cost his team goals) -- that drive me nuts. I still want to see what he'd be like as a forward. He's an unreal skater with a great shot.

+ Joey Mormina and his greasy mustache might also be out of the line-up tonight after being hit by one of Hershey's biggest d-bags in the 3rd.

AHL = Fail.

Just took a look at different play-off schedules when I noticed how ridiculous the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins' schedule is. Check it out:

Fri 4/17 @ Bridgeport (Played in Long Island)
Sat 4/18 @ Bridgeport (Played in Long Island)
Sun 4/19 @ WBS
Wed 4/22 @ Bridgeport
Fri 4/24 @ WBS (if necessary)
Sat 4/25 @ WBS (if necessary)
Sun 4/26 @ Bridgeport (if necessary)

Where do I even start? For one thing, you have them playing the first three games in three nights AND the last three games in three nights. So much for rest. I understand this is the minor leagues, but no other series in the AHL has to do this twice. Hershey/Philly is the only other series that does it once. Peoria & Houston might end up with one but apparently they don't know when half of their games are going to be played so it's still up in the air.

Secondly, they play THREE of the first FOUR in Bridgeport. Technically the first two aren't "in" Bridgeport -- they're in Long Island. So I don't know if they're taking that into consideration along with scheduling or what? It just doesn't seem too fair. At least do the 2-3-2 format if you have to.

I guess we'll see. Nothing you can do about it now. I like seeing the Pens play on April 25; they have very good play-off history on that date -- including the Game 7 OT thriller vs. Bridgeport where they came back being down 3-1 in the series and the triple OT game vs. first place Binghamton the following year.

The Penguins <3 Hockey East Goalies

Pittsburgh signed Northeastern's Brad Thiessen to a two-year contract today. I didn't really see this one coming, but as a Pens fan, I support it. I've mentioned how much I like Thiessen numerous times. He stood out from the first time I saw him play three years ago. The Hobey Baker finalist's career stats as a Husky were 52-46-12 with a 2.40 GAA, a .922 save percentage and eight shut-outs. I'm really interested to see how his play translates into the pros. To be honest, I don't think finishing his senior year would have hurt him. I don't think he'll have a major problem transitioning, but goalies always take a little more time to mature. One more year would have only helped him develop more.

Northeastern takes a big loss with this signing. I really feel they owed a lot of this season's success to him.

Thiessen will join former Hockey East goaltender, John Curry, in Wilkes-Barre. Does this mean Curry might end up as Pittsburgh's number two next season? Could be. Some scouts in the Pitt system have said he's ready a number of times. Curry played well in the NHL action he saw this season, so maybe it is possible. If not, he could end up mentoring Thiessen in WBS.

And is it just me, or does Pittsburgh just love signing goaltenders as much as possible?

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Satan is Coming!

The Pittsburgh Penguins announced today that Miroslav Satan will be reporting to Wilkes-Barre. He's actually supposed to show up too.

As a Baby Pens fan, naturally I'm excited about this. Does he deserve to be playing in the AHL? Absolutely not. It's just how it worked out for him I guess. I don't think Pittsburgh should've signed him in the first place. Just wasn't the right fit.

I was able to catch Wilkes-Barre's last two home games, but I'll be back in Boston before I get to see Satan. He will no doubt give the team a lift. They've been struggling a little bit lately.

So Mr. Satan, I hope you suit up for the Babies and actually play like you would in the show. I understand it's a tough pill to swallow, but the fans will love you here if you give it a chance.

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Bad Boys.

Just a quick news bit here outta Wilkes-Barre:

Luca Caputi and Jon D'Aversa were demoted to Wheeling in the ECHL for disciplinary reasons. Chris Minard and Aaron Boogaard will be scratched during the next game for the same reasons. This is the second time Caputi has been punished for off-ice "activities" if you will. I really like the kid, but clearly he's got to get his head on straight. NO ONE wants to go to Wheeling. Trust me. I've heard horror stories. (No offense to the city itself)

Sitting guys like Caputi and Minard take away a lot from the roster. I think it's good they're being punished. They're professionals, and they should act like it. That doesn't mean they can't party and have a good time (come on, they're HOCKEY PLAYERS). But there is a line. They're hurting their team. Wake up boys.

Needless to say I'm not sure Boogaard or D'Aversa's absence will affect anything. Life goes on.

Goose Heads Back to the A

I called this at the beginning of the season. Think about it. Alex Goligoski cracked Pittsburgh's line-up because Ryan Whitney and Sergei Gonchar were injured. Without those injuries, he would have been in Wilkes-Barre all year. It's not that he can't play in the NHL -- he has proved he can stay there and do well. His main problem is that he doesn't have to clear waivers.

It's too bad for him. He had 20 points (6+14) in 44 games and remained a plus-5. He's a smart kid though. I'm sure he knew this was inevitable. I know Wilkes-Barre will welcome him with open arms. They're seven points behind first place Hershey, and this will help them close the gap.

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Call Up Janne Pesonen. Now. No, seriously. Right now.

Janne Pesonen. Before the season started, everyone knew him as the Finnish guy Pittsburgh signed who was going to be really good. Then he became the Finnish guy who was going to start the year in the minors to get acclimated to North American hockey. Now he's the Finnish guy who got called up once or twice and didn't do much.

It's time for him to become the Finnish guy who got called up, was given a fair chance and is now setting up plays for Sidney Crosby.

I'm serious. Enough is enough.

I've only seen Pesonen play in a handful of games now with Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, and frankly, that's all I've needed. The guy has set up plays and scored beautiful goals. He has 40 points (13 + 27) in 34 games. Maybe you have to see him to fully understand, but I think the points speak for themselves. The one reason he has not excelled in the NHL is because he hasn't been given a fair shot. Giving the guy limited ice time is not going to do much for him. Get him on the first or second line, let him do his thing, and he will make things happen. I don't just think that, I know it. I've watched minor league hockey for many years now, and this guy is better than the A. He's ready for the show. Let him have a fair shot at it.

Heck, why doesn't Pittsburgh call up Pesonen and Jeff Taffe and reunite them with Chris Minard? That line is lethal, and I bet they could surprise some people in the NHL too. Honestly at this point, what does Pittsburgh have to lose? Another game? Oh man. That'd be a shocker. The big Pens need a jolt.

Go ahead Pittsburgh. I dare you.

Recap: Pens vs. Hershey

Talk about a great game -- for Baby Pens' fans, that is. Wilkes-Barre finished up their 3-in-3 with a 6-2 win over the first place Hershey Bears. It was my first time seeing Hershey play this year, but everyone had been warning me about how good they were. I got to see a bit of this in the first period. When Hershey gets down into your zone, they look like they're on an endless power play. They constantly cycle and pass the puck. And wow those boys are quick. The Bears are stacked with talented forwards like Chris Bourque, Keith Aucoin and Alexandre Giroux -- not to mention their defense and goaltending. Simeon Varlamov has certainly seen better nights than he did tonight. He had great movement, but he got caught up when anything got too busy around the net. I realize I'm giving Hershey a lot of credit here, so I'll add this: Hershey is beatable. If you start throwing bodies on those guys, their game takes a hit. Plain and simple. To do that, however, you have to be able to catch them. After WBS notched their second goal, they were unstoppable. They worked hard and were rewarded for it. I'd like to see a seven game playoff series between these two. It would be some great hockey.

I snapped some pictures from the game. They're cell phone pictures, so bear with me. Just click to enlarge.

Pre-game. They actually have a really cool overhead projector that plays videos on the ice. Obviously it's not the only rink to have one, but it's pretty cool for Wilkes-Barre.

Opening face-off.

The 2007-2008 Eastern Conference Championship banner. The one thing I don't understand is why they keep the AF2 Pioneers (that's Arena Football 2) up there and tuck all the Pens banners away in the far upper corners of the rink. You can't even see them. It's stupid if you ask me. Penguins > Pioneers.

The boys congratulating John Curry after the win. Kudos to him on a huge shorthanded breakaway save he made in the third.

Quick Bites

My apologies for disappearing for awhile there. I finished finals, headed home and have found myself being completely relaxed and lazy during winter break. I hope everyone had a wonderful holiday. That said, here are some bits and pieces I wanted to touch on:

+ I made it home in time to see Ryan Whitney's one-game conditioning stint in Wilkes-Barre. He was a non-factor in the game against Albany (WBS ended up winning 4-3). Whit had one assist and was a -1 on the night. He had quite a bit of ice time, but you could tell he hadn't played in awhile. The high expectations come with his name, and frankly he could have done better. Pittsburgh snatched him back after the Albany game, but I think he could have used another in the A. Even he admitted he was tired after the first ten minutes. Oh well. That game was fun for me as there were three BU alums on the ice: Whitney, John Curry and Ryan Weston.

+ The Casey Classic is an annual tournament for the Northeast PA high school hockey league. The teams get to play at the Wachovia Arena which is a pretty cool experience for them. My younger brother was in the tourney this year, and his team, the Crestwood Comets, made it to the final. Boy was I glad I went to that game. Naturally youth hockey is much slower than what I'm used to, but this game was unbelievable. Crestwood had a 4-2 lead with 2:17 left in the third period. They took a silly penalty, and Wyoming Valley West used this to their advantage. They were fired up. They not only scored a power play goal, but they also notched another to tie the game up 4-4 with 37 seconds left. Everyone was getting ready for OT, but with 1.1 seconds left, Crestwood scored to win the game. 1.1 seconds. Are you kidding me?! It was awesome. Congrats to the Comets who have now won four out of the seven years.

+ The Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins had a huge weekend. They played Bridgeport on Saturday in what was probably one of the top ten games I've seen at that rink. The entire game was fast-paced and evenly played. Mainly thanks to the Pens' two quick goals in the third, they were able to pull out a 5-4 win. Sunday night was a match-up against the Binghamton Senators. The Baby Pens fought back from a 3-1 deficit in the second to win 6-3. WBS now sits at 3rd in the division, nipping at Bridgeport's heels.

Mark Letestu had a four point night against the Sens. This is a guy who always seems to do well, but earlier in the year he saw very little ice time. I don't understand it. Every game he's out there he makes things happen. Maybe now he will continue to receive the ice time he deserves.

Also: Denis Hamel is STILL in the AHL. I swear this guy has played for Binghamton for what seems like 10 years now. (Note: That's an exaggeration.) He's always been good for them too. Get him up to Ottawa too please.

Study Break

Happy Sunday everyone. I'm stuck studying for finals all day, but there's nothing wrong with a little procrastination in the form of a blog post. Here are some bits and pieces from the past few days:

+ I made it to the BU/U-Mass Lowell game this past Friday. UML is always that team who will sneak up on you and beat you if you're slacking off. They were no different on Friday. They battled, but BU came out on top 3-2. Here's a stat for you: BU has killed off 17 penalties in a row or something like that. While that's a great stat to have, they continue to take too many penalties. A little more discipline will only help them. It also appears that Kieran Millan has taken over the number one spot. I said awhile back I thought he was the better of the two freshman (not by much but enough to notice), and it seems Jack Parker agrees with me.

The game also marked the end of the first semester for the Terriers. They finish off the first half with a record of 11-4-1. Talk about an improvement from this time last season when they were 4-10-2. I'll take it.

+ Sean Avery will not be returning to the Dallas Stars. This is not surprising at all. It'll be interesting to see where he ends up. If hockey doesn't work out anymore he can always go back to sitting at fashion shows and dating celebs. Seeeee ya.

+ It seems like players on the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins have been playing musical chairs between the WB and Pittsburgh. Here are the transactions beginning on December 4:
- 12/4: Recalled Janne Pesonen and Chris Minard.
- 12/7: Recall Ben Lovejoy
- 12/9: Demoted Pesonen, recalled Tim Wallace and Jeff Taffe
- 12/11: Demoted Lovejoy
- 12/12: Demoted John Curry and Minard
- 12/13: Recalled James and demoted him after the game along with Taffe.

+ The Boston Bruins are on fire. They won their 11th home game in a row last night. Slowly but surely they're creeping back into the hearts of Beantown fans. Gotta love it.

In Other News ...

The Pittsburgh Penguins recalled Jeff Taffe and Tim Wallace from Wilkes-Barre. That means there is now zero offense in the WB (I lied. They did get Janne Pesonen back), and they also lost the one guy on the team who seemed to actually check his opponents.

We'll see what happens.

Congrats to Ben Lovejoy who made his NHL debut last night with the Pens. I didn't get to see it, but apparently he had a solid game. I'd love for him to stay up there as long as he can; you can tell he's a guy who just genuinely loves playing hockey.