Latest news with #JoelBlomqvist
Yahoo
6 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
WBS Signs Goaltender From Kazakhstan To One-Year AHL Contract
It appears the Pittsburgh Penguins' organization has gotten even deeper at the goaltending position. On Tuesday, the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton (WBS) Penguins - Pittsburgh's AHL affiliate - signed goaltender Maxim Pavlenko to a one-year AHL contract. Pavlenko, 22, represented Kazakhstan at the IIHF World Championship and appeared in seven games, posting an .881 save percentage behind a defense that didn't offer him much support. He has been in Russia's VHL for the past two seasons with Ryazan HC and has earned a .919 save percentage and two shutouts in that span. Advertisement The 6-foot-5, 181-pound netminder will join a goaltending prospect pool that is already pretty deep for Pittsburgh, as Joel Blomqvist, Sergei Murashov, and Filip Larsson - in addition to Taylor Gauthier if he re-signs as a restricted free agent - will already be jostling for positioning in WBS barring any major goaltending shakeup at the NHL level. Will Joel Blomqvist Be On Penguins' Opening Night Roster? Will Joel Blomqvist Be On Penguins' Opening Night Roster? Between injuries and inconsistency, the 2024-25 season was one of ups and downs for Pittsburgh Penguins goaltending prospect Joel Blomqvist. Bookmark THN - Pittsburgh Penguins on your Google News tab to follow the latest Penguins news, roster moves, player features, and more! Photo/Logo Credit: Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins
Yahoo
26-04-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
WBS Penguins Suffer Heartbreaking 3-2 Elimination Loss To Phantoms
For a moment on Friday, it looked as if the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton (WBS) Penguins were going to avoid a repeat of last season's first-round Calder Cup playoff loss against the Lehigh Valley Phantoms and force the series-deciding Game 3 on Sunday. But, unfortunately for the Pittsburgh Penguins' AHL affiliate, victory just wasn't in the cards. Advertisement The Penguins took a 2-1 lead approaching the midway point of the third period, but Lehigh Valley scored the tying goal a minute and a half later and potted a third goal with two minutes left in regulation to hand WBS its second consecutive first-round sweep. Goaltender Sergei Murashov - recalled from Wheeling to take the place of an injured Joel Blomqvist - stopped 28 of 31 Lehigh Valley shots and took home the loss. After a relatively uneventful first period, Phantoms forward Anthony Richard finally broke the scoresheet open with a little more than five minutes remaining in the second. But the Penguins responded before the end of the middle frame, as forward Tristan Broz snapped a wrister from the right circle on the power play to knot things up at 1-1. Then - six and a half minutes into the final frame - Ville Koivunen took a hit along the wall in the defensive to start a breakout, getting the puck to Broz, who carried the puck up ice and into the offensive zone along the right wall. He fed a perfect pass to defenseman Harrison Brunicke in the slot, and Brunicke backpedaled himself into a fadeaway shot through the left circle, which found the twine and gave him his first goal in professional hockey. The Penguins were feeling pretty good about themselves, but old habits came back to haunt them. Their 2-1 lead didn't last long, as Lehigh Valley forward Jacob Gaucher scored less than a minute and a half later to tie the game again. Advertisement Both teams played with a high degree of desperation for the next 10 minutes, but the back-breaking, game-breaking goal came at the hands of Phantoms defenseman Helge Grans, who put Lehigh Valley up 3-2 with only two minutes remaining in the game. WBS Penguins Drop Crucial First Game Of AHL Playoffs To Phantoms, 5-2 WBS Penguins Drop Crucial First Game Of AHL Playoffs To Phantoms, 5-2 Heading into Wednesday's opening-round matchup, the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton (WBS) Penguins - AHL affiliate of the Pittsburgh Penguins - were 8-2-2 against the Lehigh Valley Phantoms in the regular season. The Penguins pulled Murashov almost immediately, but, unfortunately, they could not muster anything with the extra skater at the end and will go home early again this season. Advertisement It is quite the disappointing result for a young team that had higher expectations heading into the Calder Cup playoffs, but several players on the roster are eligible to be sent to the Wheeling Nailers - Pittsburgh's ECHL affiliate - to give the team a boost for their run at a Kelly Cup. Wheeling will square off against the Norfolk Admirals on Saturday, as a 4-1 win in Game 4 on Friday forced a Game 5. The Nailers trail the Admirals 3-1 in the series. Wheeling Nailers Snap Shutout Streak, But Now On Verge Of Elimination After Game 3 Loss Wheeling Nailers Snap Shutout Streak, But Now On Verge Of Elimination After Game 3 Loss The Wheeling Nailers not only came back home to WesBanco Arena trailing 2-0 in their first-round playoff series against the Norfolk Admirals, but they were starving for a goal after back-to-back shutouts. Bookmark THN - Pittsburgh Penguins on your Google News tab to follow the latest Penguins news, roster moves, player features, and more!
Yahoo
19-02-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Penguins Recall Goaltending, Forward Prospects Ahead Of Return-To-Play
With the 4 Nations Face-off about to come to a close on Thursday when Team USA and Team Canada square off for a rematch in the championship game, the Pittsburgh Penguins decided to get ahead of their return-to-play following the break. On Tuesday, the Penguins recalled goaltender Joel Blomqvist and forward Emil Bemstrom from Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, Pittsburgh's AHL affiliate. In a corresponding move, goaltender Tristan Jarry was re-assigned to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton. The Penguins have recalled forward Emil Bemstrom and goaltender Joel Blomqvist from the @WBSPenguins (AHL).Goaltender Tristan Jarry has been re-assigned to WBS. — Pittsburgh Penguins (@penguins) February 18, 2025 Blomqvist, 23, was sent down when the 4 Nations Face-off break ensued in order to get some playing time during the break, as the young goaltender had only started two of Pittsburgh's final nine games before the break due to the stellar play of Alex Nedeljkovic. In three AHL starts during that time, Blomqvist went 1-1-1 with a .900 save percentage. Bemstrom, 25, was recalled for two games prior to the break. Although he didn't post any points in those two NHL games, he is enjoying a stellar season in Wilkes-Barre/Scranton with 20 goals and 44 points in 41 AHL games. He was also named an AHL All-Star this season. The Penguins return to regular season play on Saturday, when they take on the Washington Capitals at home. Pittsburgh is 23-25-9 on the season and currently sits six points out of the second wild card spot in the Eastern Conference. Bookmark THN - Pittsburgh Penguins on your Google News tab to follow the latest Penguins news, roster moves, player features, and more!
