Chirps from Center Ice

Silly Veilleux trip :10 into the third period puts the Checkers on a power play and Chris Terry scored when Chris Collins fails a clear and falls down trying to buy a call.

That was basically the game tonight, a 1-0 Pens loss to put them in a 3-1 hole with Game 5 looming large Friday and on this place called the brink of elimination.

Brad Thiessen vs. Mike Murphy – nothing changing here. Bryan Lerg actually played this game and Carl Sneep was scratched for WBS and Paul Thompson was the Pens 12th forward.

First Period: Pens caught with too many men off the hop. They would kill it. Pens would have good chances on a cycle down low. No dice. Pens would go on a power play. Nothing. Any time they would attempt to establish anything, the Checkers would clear it. Later, the Checkers would get called on a delay of game call. In the power play, Ryan Craig would put the puck in the net but referee Jean Hebert would rule no goal as Mike Murphy was interfered with. Soft call. David Marshall would take a silly holding call that the Pens would kill.* Period would end scoreless but the Checkers speed was prevalent.

Second Period: Pens would work down low to start the second but not score. Then, a ridiculous sequence would ensue. Murphy touches the puck outside of the trapezoid, no call. Then defenseman Justin Faulk would trip Tim Wallace and the would call a dive on Wallace and a trip on Faulk. Okay. Later, David Marshall would hand pass to himself and they would call a hand pass. Alrighty then. Then, turning point. Brett Sutter slash then a Chris Terry penalty. Pens would have :58 of a 5 on 3. Before the Terry penalty Steve Wagner whiffed on an open net. The Checkers PK is perfect at home. It stayed that way. Pens didn’t score. Brett Sterling had a chance in close and Murphy made the save.

Third Period: At 20:00 of the second, Corey Potter and Zach Boychuk both received double minors for roughing. Keven Veilleux would spill a man early and the Checkers would score a power play goal via Chris Terry after Chris Collins failed to clear the puck and tried to buy a penalty after being spilled. Pens would get close via a puck which drew the inside of the post behind Murphy and when Veilleux misses just wide. Checkers would play defense and late, tee off of Thiessen with scoring opportunities. Ryan Craig would take a penalty the Pens would have to kill late. Pens would pull Thiessen and that would be it. 1-0 Final. 3-1 Checkers series lead with Game Five looming Friday.

Three Stars: Chris Terry (game winning goal, even) Brad Thiessen (31 saves on 32 shots) and Mike Murphy (a 44 save shutout)

Pens put 44 shots on Murphy? Didn’t score? I completely wrote off the Charlotte Checkers at the beginning of these playoffs due to concerns in goal. No more. Mike Murphy is playing in a different universe right now.

Lots of chatter going on on the Pens Facebook page and fans chirping in on Twitter. Within a minute of the final buzzer sounding from the Queen City Bob Howard from the Power Play Post Show chimed in with this antacid soother (he’s a Binghamton native):

http://twitter.com/#!/PPPSHOW/status/65953729718919168

Right on. Why this guy only has 49 followers on Twitter (0ne of them the coveted @theAHL) is beyond this writer. He has a weekly AHL show which is money. You have to follow him.

The 3-1 hole WBS was in vs. Bridgeport was before my time. There are a lot of bald men in Binghamton still scratching their craniums raw from the 2005 debacle after the Ottawa Binghamton Senators lost to the Wilkes-Barre / Scranton Penguins in the Calder Cup playoffs. This was the NHL lockout year and a team of idiots led by Andy Chiodo knocked out the Calder Cup bound Binghamton Senators.

I will see you Saturday from Mohegan Sun Arena. If you are unable to make it Saturday please say hi to me Monday from the same venue. If you doubt this team, please cheer for another team or get into Jai Alai. Your bad karma is probably why you have an “East Division Champions” shirt at the bottom of your dresser and not a “Calder Cup Champions” t-shirt you are wearing to work tomorrow.

“I ain’t going down no more” – Rocky Balboa in Rocky II vs. Apollo Creed.

Go Penguins.

*- Wilkes-Barre misses you, Dustin Jeffrey.