Faceoff Factor

Q&A With WBS Penguins Reporter Jonathan Bombulie

Kyle Dreibelbies | WBS "Baby" Penguins

Dec 7, 09:25 AM | Hype this story!

Faceoff Factor recently had the opportunity to interview Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguin beat reporter Jonathan Bombulie, who reports for the Citizen’s Voice and runs the popular ‘Penguins Insider’ blog. He was gracious enough to answer seven questions that have come up at this point of the season for the Baby Pens.

Let’s get to it:

FF: Jeff Taffe has 11 goals now. Do you think he will break the team record of 31 goals in a season or will he go into a late slump like Jonathan Filewich or Michel Ouellet did while chasing the record?

JB: Taffe had seven goals in the first six games of the season then four in the 16 games since. So you could say he’s already slumping. Taffe is a better player than he was a few years ago. He’s starting to realize that someone who is 6-foot-3, 215 pounds needs to play in high traffic areas. But I’d bet the record is safe.

FF: Of the forwards who haven’t scored much this year (Filewich, Ryan Stone, Tim Brent), which is closest to breaking out of their slump?

JB: I’d say Brent. He hasn’t been dynamic or anything, but he does lead the team with 12 assists and playmakers are hard to come by in Wilkes-Barre this season. Stone hasn’t been scoring, but he has been an effective player. He’s playing an aggressive, even violent, game. Filewich has been, for the most part, terrible. He looks lost out there.

FF: At this point in the year, who would be your pick as the most valuable defenseman currently on this team?

JB: Alex Goligoski is the best prospect, but I’d say Ryan Lannon has been the most valuable so far. He’s the kind of steady, clear-headed defenseman that teams need in the AHL, where play can get scrambly at times.

FF: When we did this Q&A earlier in the year, Tyler Kennedy and Kris Letang were your preseason picks for All-Stars. But, both of them will most likely never see WBS ice again (except maybe for the playoffs). Who should represent this team in Binghamton?

JB: Does that mean I know what I’m talking about since they were the first two guys up, or I don’t know what I’m talking about because I thought they’d still be here when the all-star game rolls around next month? Anyway, this is going to sound ridiculous, but I think Dennis Bonvie is the best all-star candidate at this point. Every year, the AHL picks an honorary playing captain for each team in the game. With a minor-league legend like Bonvie playing his last season, he’d be an excellent choice. Sentimentality aside, I’ll pick Goligoski. The AHL likes to choose top prospects and they sometimes run short of American-born defensemen. Plus, he’s having a nice season.

FF: Out of the lower-tier prospects (Joe Jensen, Tim Wallace, Jonathan D’Aversa, John Curry, etc.), which one has the most potential?

JB: Jensen hasn’t done much this year. Wallace is making slow but steady progress. D’Aversa is rough around the edges and has a long way to go, but he has some tools — big shot, right-handed — that make him intriguing. But Curry is the most impressive so far. He has the kind of competitiveness, guts and ability to think the game that an underdog needs to make it in pro hockey.

FF: If Darryl Sydor is traded (as he himself has suggested), should Pittsburgh call up Alain Nasreddine, Ryan Lannon, or take the chance with Alex Goligoski?

JB: Nasreddine will get the call because the team knows exactly what it will get from him. Lannon could easily play the same role as Nasreddine, but he’s not a known commodity. Goligoski would be riskier. He’s a smooth skater who can handle the puck, but I don’t know if he is physically strong enough to hold up in his own zone at this point.

FF: Which player is the player to watch for the 2nd quarter of the season?

JB: If you’re an opponent, you better watch Ryan Stone or he’ll take your head off. For me, I’m interested in watching Connor James. He’s been scoring at a pretty healthy clip lately and he has A+ wheels. Probably the fastest winger in the whole organization. He’s already a good penalty killer. If he starts to figure out how to use that speed to be a consistent offensive player, he could become a legit mid-level prospect.

For Faceoff Factor, I would like to personally thank JB for taking the time out of his schedule to answer these questions. We wish him the best as he continues to do an outstanding job covering the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins.