Steve Wagner: The Answer to Our Problems?

The beginning of 2010 was dark for the Wilkes Barre Penguins. The team started losing more and more games and the players lost their edge. Fans were questioning the coaching staff and the players' abilities. Playoff hopes were shrinking fast. But then, on February 11th, something changed...

...

This something was a trade between the Peoria Rivermen (St. Louis Blues AHL team) and our Wilkes Barre Penguins. Wilkes Barre's Nate Guenin was traded to Peoria for another defenseman, Steve Wagner. When I first looked at Steve's stats for the year, he seemed kind of ordinary. Yes he scored 3 goals and had 12 assist with Peoria this season, but he also had a rating of -9 on the ice. I was not overly excited that he was now a Penguin. However, the next few games changed my mind.

Prior to this trade I mentioned that the Pens were in quite a slump. Out of the last 15 games that took place before the trade, the Baby Pens lost 10 of them. After Guenin left and Wagner joined us, the team won 6 games in a row. I started to once again see players hustle on the ice. I also saw the defensemen begin to actually play defense and protect the goalie. This improvement on the ice leads me to the big question...was the turn-around caused by Wagner's contribution to the team, or is there another answer?

I already mentioned some of Steve's stats from when he was with Peoria, so let's explore other possible reasons for the burst of energy shown by the Baby Pens. Could Nate Guenin's departure from the Pens be the reason for the change? This season with the Baby Pens, Guenin scored 3 goals and had 2 assists, but was a -3 on the ice. There were also rumors circulating around the fan base that there was bad blood between Guenin and a certain well liked Baby Pen. Could this bad blood be causing animosity in the locker room and have affected the team's cohesiveness?

Another possible reason for the Baby Pens sudden winning streak could be that the trade served as a wakeup call. Perhaps prior to the trade the guys on the team felt secure and thought their place on the team was safe, regardless of how they played. Seeing a teammate get traded away may have made the remaining players realize that if they don't start improving their game, one of them could be next.

The fans will never know the reason for sudden spark within the team. Only those inside the locker room will really know what happened. I will leave you with something to think about though. On February 21, Steve Wagner was injured during the game and has been out with a broken jaw. Since that game the WBS Pens have won 3 games and lost 4. Is this inconsistency caused by Steve's absence or is it merely a coincidence? I do know one thing for sure; I can't wait for Steve to get back on the ice!