Chirps from Center Ice

Never fool yourself when “meaningless game” falls into a sentence with Penguins and Bears into it. This game tonight, a 2-1 Bears win, had all the makings of a playoff game with the way it was contested. However, referee Andy Thiessen completely spoiled this game. No harmony whatsoever in the beginning, and in the end he completely loses control of it and all hell breaks loose.

Bodies are getting healthy in Wilkes-Barre, as Joey Mormina, Joe Vitale and Brett Sterling all returned from injury.

Before we begin, Brad Thiessen did NOT win MVP today. The award went to Binghamton’s Corey Locke. Jonathan Bombulie again brings the immaculate analysis on his thoughts.

Thiessen vs. Braden Holtby

First Period: Patrick Wellar would open things with a cross checking penalty. Nothing doing from the Pens side on the power play. I don’t know if Hynes was working hybrid things in or trying different stuff. Later, while four on four, Patty McNeill and Mathieu Perreault would work a nifty slap pass tip shot that nearly beat Thiessen. Then, while Andrew Hutchinson was trying to walk the puck out of the zone, Andrew Kozek dispossessed him and scored to make it 1-0 Bears even strength. Then more calls from the referee. Despite all of this craziness, I thought the period was all Hershey.

One piece of information on Andy Thiessen. I am a self-proclaimed referee geek. I love to know who they are and how they call games. That said, Thiessen worked the games in Abbotsford with Zac Wiebe. He works a better two man game than he does by himself. He’s lost out there by himself. He also has been stationed in Manitoba / Abbotsford all year so I have no idea what he’s doing here. He’s working the Binghamton / Adirondack game Saturday.

Second Period: Andrew Kozek scores again to make it 2-0 Bears. Turned Sneep inside out on a play and roofed it on Thiessen (the goalie) and after that happened Geoff Walker went off with an injury to his upper body. They gave out “shirts off their backs” and Walker did not come out to give his. Bombulie reports that Walker left the arena with a sling but it’s nothing serious per Coach John Hynes. Mathieu Perreault would sit for hooking and Brett Sterling would score to cut the deficit in half. Then, Brett Sterling would be awarded a penalty shot. He tried the same toe drag move he used to beat Holtby in a shootout a long time ago but Braden read it well and denied him. Afterwards, Keith Aucoin was given a 10 minute misconduct for mouthing off to Thiessen (the referee) and the period would end 2-1.

Third Period: Mathieu Perreault would go hard into the boards and hurt what appeared to be his left knee as he was helped off by two teammates. Then, Bryan Lerg would appear to tie the game but the goal was immediately waved off as the referee ruled that Brett Sterling interfered with Holtby attempting to make the save. But, he also whistled Holtby for roughing as Holtby punched Ryan Craig with his glove. Then later, Keven Veilleux would get a match penalty for slashing and in retaliation fought Steve Pinizzotto. Holtby jumped into the fight and would come out of it only with a slashing penalty. Bombulie with what a match penalty means:

http://twitter.com/#!/CVBombulie/status/56532579024773120

http://twitter.com/#!/CVBombulie/status/56532797908713472

Nevertheless, the game completely had come off the rails. Thiessen lost control of it. It’s two teams already cemented in their positions for playoffs not even meeting in the first round. Let them play.

Last four minutes of the game would see a power plays in the form of a Kyle Greentree rough post whistle with 4 minutes left and a Ryan Craig rough with 2 minutes left. Biggest event to occur was Bryan Lerg shorthanded on the breakaway all alone and denied by Holtby who played, I thought, an outstanding game this evening. With Thiessen pulled the Pens could not score and the game would end. Final SOG were 25 a side.

Three Stars: Maxime Lacroix (assist, +2) Brett Sterling (goal) and Andrew Kozek (two goals, +2)

Playoff Update: Charlotte beat Worcester 2-1. This means that Hershey faces off against the Checkers in Round 1 of their playoffs beginning Thursday. Manchester beats Adirondack 4-1 while Portland loses to Providence 5-4. The Pirates still don’t clinch the Atlantic Division. The Connecticut Whale are the last Eastern Conference team to make the playoffs with a 4-1 win over the Bridgeport Sound Tigers. Binghamton beats Rochester 4-2 to leapfrog the idle Norfolk Admirals into fourth and a tentative date next Friday in Wilkes-Barre. Binghamton may be short a few players though according to Joy Lindsay’s tweet.

Tomorrow: Rematch in Hershey. Rematch in Syracuse for the Admirals. Binghamton plays Adirondack at home. It’s Bingo’s last regular season game. Norfolk has a game Sunday in Hartford vs. the Whale.

Go Pens.