Chirps from Center Ice

Norfolk takes Game 1 of the best of seven series tonight 2-1 and takes home ice with it as the series is a 2-3-2 format. Pens frustrated by what Norfolk was throwing at them. I don’t know if it was the 1-3-1 that the Admirals employ or what but it was just one of those nights where nothing went right. Defense didn’t look itself either, two Robert Bortuzzo turnovers lead to the Admirals scoring.

Brad Thiessen vs. Dustin Tokarski. John Curry was not back yet so Patrick Killeen backed up Thiessen. Paul Thompson was a scratch as was Carl Sneep. Tim Wallace did not dress. Steve Wagner and Bryan Lerg both returned to the line ups.

First Period: Good pace to start, Brett Sterling and Ben Street nearly connected on a goal. Then, Mark Barberio hooked Lerg as Bryan was breaking in. The Admirals killed it and then the Pens forechecked in the Norfolk zone for about a minute after the penalty expired. The teams would trade goalie interference calls and the first period would end scoreless.

Second Period: Bryan Lerg and Mike Vernace would get too heated in a shoving match and both would sit for roughing. In the 4 on 4 that would ensue, Robert Bortuzzo would turn a puck over in the neutral zone to Mattias Ritola who would roof it over Thiessen. It actually was a pretty goal. Later, Ryan Craig would clank one off of the post. Then, Blair Jones would sit for goalie interference. During this, Tokarski would make some amazing saves while down in a two pad stack on Bryan Lerg. Then, Bortuzzo would fail to clear the puck and Mattias Ritola was fire it at the net and Marc-Antoine Pouliot would score to make it 2-0.

Third Period: Pens would have :58 of carryover power play time on a Vladimir Mihalik elbow call from the first period they did not convert on. They had two good chances and that was it. Later, David Marshall would get high sticked in the neutral zone by Blair Jones. This was a crucial power play for the Pens. The Pens went 0 for 6 on the man advantage tonight. This needs to change. Very late, with 2:41 left A Geoff Walker point shot would rebound to Keven Veilleux to make it 2-1 and the place would finally come alive. But, Admirals coach Jon Cooper smartly took his time out. The Pens would pressure and get one good opportunity on Tokarski but not score even with Thiessen pulled. Too little. Too late.

Observations: The Mohegan Sun Arena at Casey Plaza had NO energy tonight. None. Zip. Zero. Nada. What the heck? The Pens are the best team in the AHL and I could hear the guy in Section 219 across from me phone ring. Get loud people. Second, what aided the Pens to the best record in the league failed them tonight, which is the defense. I’m not pinning this loss on any one particular person because you lose as a team.

Game 2 is a relative must win for this reason alone from Jo, loyal Twitter follower from North of the Border:

http://twitter.com/#!/africanbookrat/status/59066799576186880

Interesting.

Three Stars were all Admirals: Marc-Antoine Pouliot (game winning goal, +1) Mattias Ritola (goal, assist, +2) and Dustin Tokarski (32 saves on 33 shots)

Game 2 is tomorrow night.

Elsewhere in the AHL of interest to Wilkes-Barre directly or indirectly, Binghamton evened its series with Manchester 1-1 on a Derek Grant overtime game winner, 4-3. If you didn’t already know, Charlotte is up 1-0 o Hershey having defeated the Bears Thursday night in Hershey 5-4 in a run and gun game. If you follow me on Twitter you already knew this. If you don’t follow me on Twitter, what are you waiting for?

No time to panic. Why? One game does not a series make.

If you are wondering what the etiology of my headliner for the postgamer is, click here, then eat an orange.

Go Pens!