Chirps from Center Ice

Glad I was not at this one tonight. 18,056 were and saw the Pens lose tonight 4-2 to the last place Adirondack Phantoms.

No. You are not reading that wrong. Yes, that link takes you to a game that happened. Yeah, the shots on goal were 40-16 for WBS and indeed, the last place Phantoms scored 2 goals on 5 shots. (one was an empty netter)

Unexplainable. I was blind tonight because the game was not carried on AHL Live and I do not get Comcast Philly so I listened on radio. If you didn’t tell me the shots on goal I would have thought the Pens were actually being outshot in the game.

This loss is the worst this year. This win for the Phantoms proves to me that they will not finish last in the division like I said in the East Division Mid Term Grades

John Curry vs. Michael Leighton. Jason DeSantis took warmups but was scratched. Steve Wagner made the trip but did not dress. Ryan Schnell skated tonight.

First period: Geoff Walker beat Michael Leighton clean on a slapper from a few feet in from the blue line to give the Pens the early lead. Two and a half minutes later Eric Wellwood would score for Adirondack. Pretty much it here as the period would end 1-1 and shots 5-3 for WBS.

Second period: Period can best be summarized as follows:

http://twitter.com/#!/CVBombulie/status/28628405779955712

Michael Ryan would sit for a hold and the Pens would allow Greg Moore to score a shorthanded goal. Two weeks ago “Pens” and “shorthanded goal” were like oil and water. Nowadays, it happens all the time. Later, despite the huge shot total, the Pens couldn’t even come in onsides. Ryan Schnell would take a bonehead roughing penalty and I don’t think radio mentioned his name the rest of the night. Soon, Keven Veilleux would score to tie the game in what was described on radio as a laser beam shot.

Third period: Brett Sterling would get boarded and would go down and not move for a few seconds in what would be a scary moment but he was fine. The Phantoms would hang, hang, hang and on like their second shot of the period Michael Ryan would bank a shot in off of Nick Johnson to put the Phantoms up with 1:30 left to play. Pens would pull Curry and Denis Hamel would seal it for the empty net goal.

Three stars were Geoff Walker, Michael Leighton, Eric Wellwood.

Thoughts: No way Michael Leighton was not losing in his barn dressed as a minor league player tonight. He’s a year removed from a Stanley Cup Finals appearance. This loss will probably be the best thing to happen to the Pens or the worst thing to happen to the Pens. Joey Mormina said in the papers a few days ago that the team refuses to lose and that the boys hate losing. I don’t know. Hockey is a funny game. You can lose a game like this and never lose another.  Or, you can lose a game like this and spiral downwards and never win another. I just don’t know.

Around the Division: With no Pens game to watch, I kept my eye on Binghamton / Norfolk and Charlotte / Springfield. Norfolk came back and beat Binghamton in a shootout 3-2. Charlotte lost to Springfield 6-5 in a track meet frankly I didn’t think the Falcons would win. The Bears destroyed tomorrows opponent Albany 8-3. There were 173 PIM that game. Syracuse lost to Rochester 2-1.

Standings: Didn’t want to see Norfolk win in the shootout. They draw within nine points now, 66-57. Charlotte is now four back of the Admirals in third with 53 points and don’t look now but Hershey is two back of the Checkers with 51 points. Binghamton squandered the extra point in the shootout loss and have 49 points good for fifth. Albany is sixth with 37 points, Syracuse seventh with 35 and Adirondack last with 30.

Tomorrow: Devils come to town after the shellacking laid upon them by Hershey. Norfolk goes to Syracuse. Charlotte is off as they will travel to WBS for the game Sunday. Hershey hosts Rochester and Bingo plays the second best team in the league the Monarchs of ManchVegas.

I leave you with sound words from AHL observer Patrick Williams……….

http://twitter.com/#!/AHLReport/status/28643356393349120

Go Pens