Chirps from Center Ice

A 4-3 comeback win by the visiting team this afternoon in downtown Charlotte. The bigger news is the health of Brett Sterling’s right leg.

It was late in the third period and from where I sat, Sterling turned and went straight down after he turned to play the puck. A Checkers player was nowhere near him. I saw him holding his right hamstring. Trainer Patrick Steidle came out to Brett, and Jesse Boulerice helped him off the ice. He didn’t put any pressure on the leg whatsoever. Could be a hamstring, could be a quad, could be a knee, I don’t know. I am not a doctor and I am not affiliated with the team. If I see any of the players I will ask, but I’m not going outta my way to run up to them and ask them a question they may not have an answer to. It is not my place.

Mike Murphy v. John Curry in net. Corey Potter, Steve Wagner and Tim Wallace wore the “A’s.”

WBS found themselves in a 0-2 hole before the game was even 10 minutes old. Zach Boychuk took a nice cross ice pass from Oskar Osala and wired a shot over Curry’s right shoulder, then less than a minute Jerome Samson works hard to dispossess a Penguin and goes five-hole on Curry. At that point the scoreboard read 2 goals, and 1 SOG. At that point, Wilkes-Barre couldn’t get out of its own way.

Brett Sterling answered right back about three minutes later, on a nifty backhand. He had a breakout game. He had a goal and an assist. Prior to his injury, he took 8 SOG. Zach Boychuk scored again to make it 3-1 as the 1st period ended 3-1. I tweeted it was going to be interesting to see how the team would respond to being down like this and overwhelmed.

Tim Wallace scored 15:17 into the second period after a scramble in front of Murphy’s net, he shot the puck and Mike must have been screened because there was no reaction.

Tim Wallace scored again when Dustin Jeffrey tossed a backhanded shot at Murphy and it was deflected in.

Then Sterling got injured. I felt at that point that if Charlotte was going to score, it was going to be here. We just lost our most dangerous player, on the road, late in a game. Do we turtle and pack it in? No.

Nick Johnson came in close quarters and scored to make it 4-3. Or did he? AHL scoring gave it to Wagner. Eric P over at the Wilkes-Blog has video of it. You be the judge.

Regardless, we won the game and move to 4-0 this young season. Hershey is Friday. We have three points separating us from them right now. Norfolk is up there too and can have sole possession of first by the time Friday rolls around as they have a game this week at Hartford on Wednesday.

Boys will probably have Monday off and will be back at practice Tuesday. Bombulie will more than likely have an update on Brett Sterling’s leg injury then. I am hopeful that it was just a tweak whatever it was, and not a tear, pop or otherwise.

Before I go, nice to have the Checkers acknowledge the Penguins fans making the trip down from Pennsylvania and wishing safe travels back home. I’m headed back tomorrow.