Chirps from Center Ice

The keystones which guided the Penguins to the second best record in league history ever are missing right now. Defense being the largest gaping hole missing.

Right now whatever “it” is that is keeping WBS from winning games, one goal games especially, is not there. At all. It is almost a feeling of not a matter of if but a matter of when. It happened again. The Pens lost in overtime, 5-4.

Once again, I am pontificating. Someday I will stop. To the game…

Brad Thiessen vs. Robin Lehner

First Period: Brandon DeFazio beat Lehner with a clean wrister about 6 minutes in to put the Pens on top 1-0. Semi-scary moment as Nick Petersen returned from concussion this game when an Alex Picard clearing attempt off of a face-off struck Nick sitting on the bench in the face. He would go to the locker room but return, fine. Then, Eric Tangradi would score a garbage goal on a goal mouth scrum to put the Pens up 2-0 going into the first intermission.

Second Period: Derek Grant would skate in from his own blue line in alone, unmarked and put the B-Sens on the board to make it 2-1. Shaun Heska would sit for interference. Jim O’Brien would get a chance shorthanded on a breakaway but be denied by Thiessen. Then, Geoff Walker would score on the power play to make it 3-1. Then, right after that Mike Hoffman would score on what would be the B-Sens 4th shot of the game. After the two teams had chances on the power play the Pens would go into the second intermission clinging to a 3-2 lead.

Third Period: Patrick Wiercioch would backhand a pass cross ice to Mark Parrish to tie things. A goal which, last year, a stick gets to and action goes the other way on. Then, another defensive breakdown nips the Pens and Kaspars Daugavins made us pay putting the B-Sens up 4-3. Bryan Lerg would score the last goal of the night about 1:30 later to tie things at 4. The Pens would seem to out work the Senators in the offensive zone, keeping lax clearing passes onside and getting good chances on Lehner, but the Pens would end up going to overtime but not before Binghamton used a timeout.

Overtime: Binghamton buzzed and buzzed and buzzed and finally broke through when Mark Parrish scored on another defensive breakdown. He toasted the defense.

Three Stars: 3) Eric Tangradi (goal, assist, even) 2) Bryan Lerg (goal, assist, -1) and 1) Mark Parrish (two goals, one of them the game winner, two assists, +3)

Around the Division: Hershey lost to Norfolk in overtime. The pesky Ads are a legit threat as they never went away and never backed down from Hershey all weekend. Syracuse. beat the hot Adirondack 6-2. Nick Bonino had 4 assists, Kyle Pamieri a hat trick.

Standings: Hershey 7, Norfolk 6, Syracuse 4, WBS 4 and Binghamton 3.

Right now we are the worst team in the division. No one pushes us around on home ice. Nobody. That team has yet to be seen.

Pens have to heal bodies. Expect Jason Williams and Robert Bortuzzo back next weekend. Tom Grace said on the post game show that Ryan Craig will be evaluated Monday. He also said that Matt Rust had a “long term” injury. Both of these maladies happened last night and no one saw how.

Here is a head scratcher. Springfield is a great team this year, class of their division. Providence is a bottom feeder and won’t make the playoffs this year. Guess who beat who tonight? If that’s not enough, picture being on the losing end of this debacle.

Updates, as they are made available this week. Back on the stick Friday night in Springfield, MA.

Let’s Go Pens!