Chirps from Center Ice

Pens win tonight 2-1 to put Norfolk on the brink of elimination for tomorrow night’s Game 6 in Wilkes-Barre, the road teams winning all of the games and the team that scores first 5-0 in the series.

This nugget from head of Media Relations for the Norfolk Admirals is disconcerting a bit from a Wilkes-Barre perspective. But only by a little, as the League is 75 years old and it’s only been done once.

Brad Thiessen vs. Dustin Tokarski – Angelidis, Ritola and Jones back in for Norfolk and Marshall in for WBS with Bryan Lerg the scratch.

First Period: Nick Petersen went from zero to hero in that he took a hooking call to put the Admirals on the power play then gets spring from the box and nearly scores on a breakaway but then scores on a 5×3 via  a cross crease pass from Brett Sterling to put the Pens up 1-0. The Pens just downright stifled the Admirals as the shots were 7-1 halfway thru the first period. Then, Joey Mormina would plow Marc-Antoine Pouliot and Pouliot would take offense and be sent to the box. In the power play that would ensue for the Pens, David Marshall would score again on a nifty wraparound to make it 2-0. It was a Brett Sterling point shot blast that got deflected off of the boards behind Tokarski which Petersen just wrapped around the cage and in. Dustin got caught looking on that one.

Second Period: Defensive zone clears would plague WBS all period and all game really but any time Norfolk would call, Thiessen woould simply disallow any attempt at a goal. Lots of intense back and forth hockey late with both teams getting chances aftter chances but both Tokarski / Thiessen held their ground to keep the period scoreless. Ryan Craig won big faceoffs late for WBS as the period would end.

Third Period: Brad Thiessen would come up with an enormous save about haflway through the period. But, it would not matter as the Admirals would finally crack Brad Thiessen while David Marshall would be in the box on a holing penalty via Mark Barberio. Thiessen would end up coming up huge the rest of the period with some key saves late. Norfolk would pressure but with under two minutes left the Pens would trap the puck in behind Tokarski so he could not be pulled. With under a minute to go he finally would bolt to the net. Norfolk would call a timeout late but to no avail as the Pens would take the game 2-1 and a 3-2 series lead coming back to Wilkes-Barre for Game 6.

Three Stars: Brett Sterling (2 assists, even) Mark Barberio (goal, even) and Nick Petersen (two goals including game winner, even)

Only concern is that the road team has won all five games. Game 6 is tomorrow and Game 7, if necessary, is Monday in Wilkes-Barre.

Elsewhere with the East Division teams, Charlotte scores FIVE unanswered goals to put the Hershey Bears on the brink of elimination winning 5-3. Game 6 is Easter Sunday. Binghamton lives to play another day, forcing Game 7 tomorrow in Manchester after winning 2-1 in double overtime tonight in Massachusetts.

Tomorrow, the Pens can advance to the East Division Finals. Puck drop is at 7:05 from Mohegan Sun Arena.

Let’s Go Pens!