Chirps from Center Ice

News of the day includes Evgeni Malkin being sidelined for what is probably the rest of the year with a torn ACL and MCL. Also, Tim Wallace was recalled to Pittsburgh.

Wilkes-Barre needed its scorers to score and they didn’t, and lost 4-2. The Crunch power play went 3 for 5. Look no further than that right there.

We have now lost three in a row. Mettle is being tested. Teams are getting up to play us. We remain the leagues best, but if more of the same continues, not for much longer.

John Curry vs. J-P Levasseur. Joey Haddad was recalled from Wheeling tonight and was in.

First period: Crunch couldn’t get out of their own way, offsides here, icing there. Finally Nick Bonino scored on the power play for an Andrew Hutchinson slash at about half way through the period with Curry screened. Later, Ben Street would notch his first AHL goal to tie the game at 1.

Second period: Early, Keven Veilleux would fan on an open net. Robert Bortuzzo would sit for a tripping call and Maxime Macenauer would cash in on the power play. At this point out PK was 1 for 3. Soon thereafter, the shots on goal were 23-15 in favor of the Pens. Quantity over qulaity I suppose. Then Bombulie dropped this nugget on the Twitter side:

http://twitter.com/#!/CVBombulie/status/34070827079180288

Third period: Teams would go back and forth, then Andrew Hutchinson would go off for holding the stick and Matt Belesky would score to make it 3-1. Later, Beleskey would punch Keven Veilleux in the face with his glove on and Keven would retaliate and draw a penalty. Both would get 4:00 for roughing. Later Nate Guenin, who will undoubtedly go down as one of the worst players to ever put on a WBS uniform, clotheslined Chris Collins which led to a fracas. Collins would skate off the ice under his own power with Trainer Steidle but not return. Stuccio on radio called it the hardest hit he has ever seen in person. Late, Mat Clark would sit for cross checking ans Steve Wagner would score to make it 3-2, but Coach Hynes would call timeout, pull Curry and Nick Bonino would score on the empty net and that was all she wrote.

Fully realizing what the purpose of an AHL team is for, this sucks. Crosby’s hurt. Malkin’s hurt. Letestu’s hurt. Asham is hurt. Who fills the roles? Damn right, your best AHL players. I want to see Wilkes-Barre win. Pittsburgh can take care of itself. Such is life.

Around the Division: Hershey lost in a shootout tonight, 5-4 to the Manitoba Moose. This after the Bears were up 4-1 and ready to run away with it. Sami Salo, who terrorized Wilkes-Barre last night, did not play in this one. Adirondack, who was shut out 5-0 by this Crunch team, shutout the 1st place Hamilton Bulldogs tonight 4-0. The Hammer had a hat trick. ManchVegas goes into Albany and shuts out the Devils 4-0. Apparently the Devils think they can still make the playoffs. Binghamton beat Norfolk 3-2.

Standings: With the shootout loss, the Bears get a half step closer, within 8 now. The lead was 13, it’s 72-64 now. Hershey has two games in hand. Norfolk could have closed to within 1 of Hershey if they won, but they sit in third with 61 points. Charlotte hasn’t played in forever, and sit fourth with 59 points. Binghamton is getting closer. They have 56 points. They’d make the playoffs today because fourth place Connecticut has 55 points in the Atlantic. Syracuse sits sixth with 42 points. Albany, 39 points in seventh and Adirondack draws within two of them with 37 points.

Tomorrow: Hershey loses one of those games in hand with a rematch I will be watching vs. Manitoba. Charlotte plays Providence. That’s not fair because Charlotte is rested and the Peebs got shut out by the Sharks tonight 2-0 in Worcester, Massachusetts.

That which does not kill you, only makes you stronger. Let’s Go Pens!