Chirps from Center Ice

Establish a forecheck.

Crash the net.

Bang bodies.

Rinse and repeat.

That was the formula for the Wilkes-Barre / Scranton Penguins tonight in a 4-1 victory over the rested Manitoba Moose in Wilkes-Barre Township this evening. Pens went 2 for 5 on the power play against the league’s number one penalty kill. Some nights, the Pens can’t get out of their own way and sometimes win, sometimes lose. Tonight, completely different story even with half of the talent on recall to Pittsburgh.

Eddie Lack v. Brad Thiessen. Carl Sneep and Nick Petersen were the scratches. Petersen is on “the injured list” as was announced pre-game. Bryan Lerg returned from whatever it was that was ailing him.

First period: After a Sami Salo delay of game penalty, Jordan Schroeder would stickhandle his way through a crowd and score on the first Moose shot of the night to make it 1-0 Moose. Then, Mario Bliznak would get whistled for high sticking and on the ensuing power play Nick Johnson would score. Then just over a minute later, Joe Vitale would dig a puck out from behind Lack’s net to the stick of Keven Veilleux (who, in this Sunday’s Citizens Voice said that his nickname was “The Cherry” as in the “cherry” on the sundae) who was right in front of the Moose net to make it 2-1. The Pens would then have to kill a Geoff Walker hook and a lazy Joey Haddad trip before the period would end 2-1 with the shots on goal 13-11 in favor of the Penguins.

Second period: Here is where the Forecheck, crash, bang strategy really worked. Veilleux would steal a puck at center skate in and fire a slap shot at Lack which caromed to Corey Potter who hacked at it and then somehow find its way onto Chris Collins’ stick which he stuffed under the left pad of Lack to make it 3-1. After that, the Pens put on a forechecking clinic for a good ten minutes. Kevin Clark for the Moose would sit for a hooking call and Ryan Craig would continue the forecheck, crash, bang and score mentality to put the Pens up 4-1. The Pens in this period allowed one shot on goal. Just one. Not to a last place team mind you, to the best team in the North Division.

Third period: Moose would attempt to mount an early comeback but the Pens would have none of it. Nothing much happened this period. Teams would trade penalties but not convert. Shots  would be an even seven this period and 32-19 overall.

Three stars: Ryan Craig (goal, assist), Chris Collins (goal, assist +2), Keven Veilleux (game winning goal, assist +2)

One thing of note: I thought this was a really well officiated game. I don’t know if anyone from the league offices in Springfield read my blog at all but I thought that Geno Binda and Francis Charron did an excellent job tonight. It’s rare that I ever say that about a referee not named Jeff Smith or Chris Cozzan, but credit to where credit is due. Binda / Charron did an excellent job tonight.

Around the Division: Charlotte beat Providence 4-1.

Standings: Lead is back to 10 over second place Hershey. Imagine if we won those three games we lost what it would be. The Bears have three games in hand on us. They have played 49 games to our 52. They play one of those games tomorrow against Atlantic Division leader Manchester tomorrow in ManchVegas. The league had a nice piece on the Monarchs today you should check out. Anyway, its Wilkes-Barre 76, Hershey 66, Charlotte 63, Norfolk 61, Binghamton 56, Syracuse 42, Albany 39 and Adirondack 37.

Tomorrow: Will be tuned in to Hershey @ Manchester at 7 p.m. from the Verizon Wireless Center over an AHL Live. Will probably tweet updates on it only after period breaks.

Pens will have an off day tomorrow, practice Thursday then they will bus to Bridgeport for Friday’s game vs. the Sound Tigers. Let’s Go Pens!