The Skills Competition was yesterday. Full detail of who did what, is here. Of note, Colin McDonald missed all four targets in the accuracy shooting challenge. In Jonathan Bombulie’s post skills wrapup, he had a quote from McDonald which I found interesting.

Funny exchange between Hershey’s Chris Bourque and I during the autograph session after the skills competition. I asked him to “go easy” on the Penguins. His reply? “Tell them to go easy on us, you’ve been killing us lately.”

AHL President & CEO David Andrews had his state if the league with the press. What I gleaned from reading what others wrote about it was the following: 1) No cities are moving teams next season. 2) Two-ref system will be in place in five years. 3) Replay is getting a more closer look an the right way to implement it is being kicked around harder. There is going to be a vote at the Board of Governors Meeting in Chicago. 4) Schedule was discussed briefly, we are never going to see a more diverse opponent listing. 5) Next years All-Star location is already selected. There will be an announcing as to where in a few weeks. On top of that, there are sites lined up for the coming years. That’s a great thing. It indicates that the league is healthy and that cities want the All-Star event. These things are really expensive.

Blog pal Keith Wozniak who runs LetsGoAmerks had a great recap too.

That’s about all I can think of sitting here at PF Chang’s typing away on my iPhone. I’ll probably run a brief All-Star Game recap tomorrow, once I return home.

Let’s Go Pens!

Based off of radio play by play Tom Grace, the Pens are no strangers to bad games going into the All-Star game.

Brad Thiessen vs. Mike McKenna. Brian Gibbons was in for Brandon DeFazio. No changes on D.

First Period: Pens jumped to a quick two goal lead early. Ben Street took a puck off a wall and scored then Geoff Walker cleaned up a Ben Street point shot on a rebound. Then, Colin McDonald took a penalty and off of the faceoff Corey Locke scored to cut the B-Sens deficit to 2-1. Pens had a 5-on-3 late in the period but did not score.

Second Period: Jack Downing scored to even things at two. I missed it as AHL Live  dropped the feed as it was happening. Then, Geoff Walker took a high sticking penalty. Brad Thiessen tries to cover the puck, fails, and Mike Hoffman scored to make it 3-2 B-Sens. This was much like what happened last night in Harftord with Thiessen covering, or thinking he covers, a puck. Andre Petersson thne scored while Thiessen was badly screened to push the Binghamton lead to 4-2.

Then a bit of a comeback. Bryan Lerg scored off of his own rebound to bring things to 4-3. Later, Eric Tangradi scored to even things at four a piece. McKenna got a piece of it but not all of it. But not to be out done, while Mike Hoffman sat for a slashing call, Ryan Craig hauled down David Dziurzynski. Referee David Banfield awarded a penalty shot to Dziurzynski and he scored to make it 5-4 heading into the…

Third Period: Scott Munroe replaced Thiessen to open the third. The B-Sens scored 5 goals on 13 shots to this point. Andre Petersson scored his second of the game to make it 6-4 and then Dziurzynski while breaking from the penalty box scofred to push it to 7-4. Game over at this point.

Three Stars: 3) Corey Locke (goal, assist, even) 2) Andre Petersson (two goals, even) and 1) David Dziurzynski (two goals, two assists, +3)

Around the Division: Hershey beats Norfolk 3-2. Syracuse coughs up two goals late, and lose in a shootout to the Bridgeport Sound Tigers 5-4.

Standings: Pens have 58 points. Bears have 57. Admirals 55. Crunch have 44 points and the Binghamton Senators have 42.

Conference: 1-StJ (60) 2-WBS (58) 3-BRI (49) 4-HER (57) 5-NOR (55) 6-MCH (52) 7-WOR (49) 8-POR (47)

Colin McDonald heads to Atlantic City for the skills competition tomorrow and the All-Star game Monday. I am debating what content I want to run for this. Probably just recaps of the action on ice and some nuggets of what happen off. It’s always a TON of fun at the All-Star Classic. Can’t wait to get to Atlantic City!

Let’s Go Pens!

-

-

Away Game: 24

AHL Game: 654

Who: Binghamton Senators

Where: Broome County Veterans Memorial Arena

When: 7:05 p.m. EST

Media Kit

Last Game: Last night in Hartford vs. the Whale, the Pens won in overtime 3-2. Jason Williams had the overtime game winner and an assist and was named the games first star. Binghamton hosted Albany and won 3-2. Andre Petersson had two goals for the defending champs and was named first star.

Last Meeting: December 13 in Wilkes-Barre the Pens won 4-2. Colin McDonald had two goals and was named the first star of the game.

Record: For WBS: 26-12-2-4 (58 pts., 1st place East Division) — For BNG: 19-24-1-1 (40 pts., 5th place East Division)

Why you should care: The Pens look to go into the All-Star break on a winning note and are looking for ten straight wins in a row on the road. Corey Locke is back for the B-Sens and will be a player the Penguins will need to contain in order to get to the All-Star break as potentially the best team in the Eastern Conference.

Referee(s): David Banfield

Linesmen: Mike McDevitt / Jud Ritter

Twitter: @WBSPenguins / @BSens_Hockey

Beat Writers: @CVBombulie / @PSBJoyOnTheSens

Broadcasters: For WBS: Tom Grace @TGracePens and Mike O’Brien @MikeOBrienWBS / For BNG: Grady Whittenburg @BSensRadio

Fan Bloggers: @nafsnep / @PPPShow

Radio: For WBS: 102.3 The Mountain / For Binghamton: Big 107.5 WBBI

Television: AHL Live

Other Game to Watch: Eyes are on the rematch between the Bears and Admirals in Virginia this evening, but the Pens and IceCaps are tied with 58 points as we stand as you read this. St. John’s is in Portland tonight. The Pirates are 3-2 against the IceCaps tonight. If the IceCaps lose in regulation and the Pens get at least a point in regulation tonight in Binghamton, Wilkes-Barre will be the outright number one team in the Eastern Conference.

Next Five Games: HER 2/3, ALB 2/4, @ HER 2/5, POR 2/11, @ HER 2/12

Don’t look now, but the WBS power play is on fire. All three goals scored on the power play. Indeed, even strength goals are for plugs.

Brad Thiessen vs. Chad Johnson. Same lineup as Wednesday but for Carl Sneep back from injury for Philip Samuelsson.

First Period: I guess when the Pens don’t give up the first goal in the first minute they do well, right? Brandon DeFazio was injured early and did not return. No penalty was called on the play. As soon as that happened, Tommy Grant took a cross checking penalty and the Pens went on the power play. Eric Tangradi centered a pass to Ryan Craig who tapped it in past Johnson to put the Pens up 1-0. Very late, the Whale buzzed but did not score.

Second Period: Sean Avery got a gift when Carl Sneep, who was rusty in his first game back from injury, fell down in the neutral zone which led to an Avery breakaway and a goal for the pest. Trailing, Joey Mormina dove and tried to knock the puck away. After Avery scored he sucker punched Mormina and received a four minute double minor and a game misconduct. After he was available, he was benched by head coach Ken Gernander. Late, Thiessen robbed Jonathan Audy-Marchessault to keep it level at one while the Whale were on a five-on-three power play.

Third Period: Things really got messy as referee Jean Hebert had a very active whistle. This was before Audy-Marchessault scored when Thiessen thought he had the puck covered. Right after, Brendan Bell sat for a hook and Robert Bortuzzo wasted no time and fired one home to even things at two. Back to Hebert, he assessed a five minute boarding penalty to Steve MacIntyre which put the Whale on a five minute major power play. Andre Deveaux soon after took a rough and things went 4 on 4. Then, Bryan Lerg was called for a slash. Pens had to kill off ~1:53 of 5 on 3. Then a goal mouth scrum by Theissen and more penalties. Pens killed it all and got a late power play but could not cash and we’d go to…

Overtime: Carl Sneep was tripped by Ryan Bourque late. Jason Williams unloaded a slapshot from the point which Johnson never saw and the Pens skated away with the extra point.

Three Stars: 3) Jonathan Audy-Marchessault (goal, +1) 2) Chad Johnson (37 saves on 40 shots) 1) Jason Williams (goal, assist, -1)

Around the Division: The Hershey Bears have lost four in a row. This time, to the Norfolk Admirals in an intense 2-1 game. Syracuse blanked Rochester 4-0. Iiro Tarkki had a 31 save shutout. Binghamton beat Albany 3-2 despite being outshot by the Devils 40-24.

Standings: Pens have a three point cushion on Hershey and Norfolk, 58 points to 55 for both the Bears and Admirals. The Bears will have a game in hand at the All-Star break. Syracuse has 43 points and Binghamton 40.

Conference: 1-StJ (58) 2-WBS (58) 3-BRI (47) 4-HER (55) 5-NOR (55) 6-MCH (50) 7-WOR (48) 8-POR (47)

Wow. Connecticut starts the night third in the conference. With an OT loss and a Bridgeport regulation win, they nosedive out of a playoff spot.

I will not be making the trip to Binghamton tomorrow, rather electing to spend time in New Jersey with family and simply shuffling to Atlantic City for the All-Star festivities Sunday morning. Gameday will be up here at three as always and the tweets will come at you from the Garden State.

Let’s Go Pens!

-

-

Away Game: 23

AHL Game: 642

Who: Connecticut Whale

Where: XL Center Veterans Memorial Coliseum

When: 7:00 p.m. EST

Media Kit

Last Game: Wednesday at home the Penguins lost in overtime to the Providence Bruins. Colin McDonald had a goal and an assist and was named the second star of the game. For Connecticut, this past Saturday at home vs. Norfolk the Whale lost in a shootout 5-4.Scott Tanski had two goals.

Last Meeting: In the second game of the season the Pens lost in a shootout 1-0. Scott Munroe had the shutout, but lost the game.

Record: For WBS: 25-12-2-4 (56 pts, 1st place East Division) — For CT: 19-15-3-5 (46 pts., 1st place Northeast Division)

Why you should care: Pens put the eight game road winning streak on the line tonight in Hartford. Connecticut, the Northeast Division leader, has not yet won a game this year. You know the Whale will look to buck this trend against one of the top teams in the AHL in the Penguins.

Referee(s): Jean Hebert

Linesmen: Kevin Redding / Glen Cooke

Twitter: @wbspenguins / @CTWhale

Beat Writers: @CVBombulie

Broadcasters: For WBS: Tom Grace @TGracePens and Mike O’Brien @MikeOBrienWBS / For CT: Bob Crawford

Fan Bloggers: @nafsnep

Radio: For WBS: 102.3 The Mountain / For Connecticut: 106.9 The Rock

Television: AHL Live

Other Game to Watch: Hershey and Norfolk open a two game set on Hampton Roads. Currently the fourth and fifth seeds in the Eastern Conference, both teams will be looking for separation from one another heading into the All-Star break.

Next Five Games: @ BNG 1/28, HER 2/3, ALB 2/4, @ HER 2/5, POR 2/11