With our penguins across the pond and off until Friday and not much exercise in the ol’ noggin, I thought I’d take a quick look at the Baby Tripe and see what’s cooking in Wilkes-Barre/Scranton.
At the top of the scoring list are two players who are no longer with the club. With five goals and 14 points in 10 games, veteran Danton Heinen was tied for the AHL scoring lead at the time of his recall. So does younger ones Ville Koivunen tore up the circuit with four goals and eleven points in six games. He too has since rejoined the Pens.
As an aside, and to underscore the stark difference between the NHL and the AHL, they have combined for two assists (both from Koivunen) in a total of eleven games since their recall. Different roles of course, but still…
As for the rest of the bunch, middle Tristan Broz has scored a very respectable seven goals and eleven points in thirteen games. Sam Poulin (pictured) has also put up some solid numbers (five goals, 11 points in 13 games).
Personally, I’d much rather see Broz and Poulin skating with the big boys Joona Koppanen And Kevin Hayes. But I understand that (a little). Kyle Dubas resists the urge to completely strip the Baby Pens at this stage.
Valtteri Puustinenat 26, a grizzled AHL vet, has scored a pair more goals with seven points in eight games. Atley Calvert also seven points, including six goals. He is a former junior teammate of Brayden Yager. Who, by the way, has two goals and six points in 12 games with the AHL Manitoba Moose.
Peppery Avery Hayescurrently on IR, has three goals and six points in 10 games. Rutger McGroarty is still on IR due to an upper-body injury and has yet to appear in a game.
With veteran Ryan Graven (seven points) back in the ‘Burgh, Owen Pickering gives the incumbent Baby Pens blueliners a five-point lead, including a goal. A couple of rookies, puck mover Find Harding and robust Chase Pietilaeach have four helpers. Great ex-captain Alexander Alexeiev leads the defense with two goals.
In net, a slender 6’5” rookie Maxim Pavlenko was promoted from Wheeling to fill the recently recalled That of Sergei Murashov pads. Through two games, he responded with a 0.62 goals against average and a 0.973 save percentage, including a shutout.
After a warm start, Filip Larsson’s numbers (2.92 GAA, 0.891 SV%) have dropped recently.
As for the team, the Baby Pens have slipped a bit since their blistering 7-0 start, going 2-3-1 in their last six. No doubt influenced by the recent wave of recalls. With 19 points, they currently sit in second place in the Atlantic Division behind the 10-1 Providence Bruins.
One level down, the Wheeling Nailers are off to a 7-1 start, good for second place in the ECHL North. Tough guy who became a goalscorer Matthew Quercia leads the club with three goals and nine points from eight games. Just a rough rookie Max Graham And Zach Urdahl have also potted three goals each.
#Update #baby #penguins #Wilkes