Chirps from Center Ice

Pens win a strange one tonight 5-3 but not before a nearly 10 minute delay with less than a minute to play in the third period when the lights at the Onondaga County War Memorial at Oncenter went dim. Pens are perfect on the road this season so far.

Brad Thiessen vs. Iiro Tarkki.

First Period: With Mak Bell in the box for a holding the stick call, Jason Williams would score his first of the year through traffic. Later, Geoff Walker would absolutely just walk right past a Crunch defenseman and dish off to Colin McDonald to make it 2-0. It was all Penguins this period.

Second Period: Crunch would buzz, buzz and buzz and finally breakthrough at 9:33 of the second via a shot from Peter Holland which came on the power play with Robert Bortuzzo in the box on a tripping call in his first game of the year after suffering a knee injury in preseason. While AHL Live was in technical difficulties, Holland scored again. I have no idea how as I never saw it or never heard the description on radio. The second period was all Crunch.

Third Period: If you missed the opening two minutes, you missed two Penguins goals. Ex-WBS Penguin J-F Jacques was in the box from a hold over hook from the second period when Nick Petersen scored on the power play. Then, Brandon DeFazio scored to make it 4-3. Then, with the Pens on the power play, Jacques scored shorthanded. He picked off a pass from center ice and walked in all alone. Crunch would try to even the score but could not find the equalizer. The lights went dim with :48.5 left in the game and after about a ten minute delay play would resume. Tarkki would vacate his net for the extra attacker and Eric Tangradi would score the empty netter to seal the victory.

Three Stars: 3) J-F Jacques (goal, assist, +1) 2) Peter Holland (two goals, even) and 1) Nick Petersen (goal, assist, +1)

Around the Division: Springfield battles back to beat Hershey 4-3 in overtime. Binghamton beat Albany 4-2 at home and Norfolk doubled up Providence in the Divine City 4-2.

Standings: Norfolk 13, Hershey 12, Penguins 10, Syracuse 10, Binghamton 9. I sense a tight trend here.

Wilkes-Barre travels to Manchester overnight for a game tomorrow in New Hampshire. Gameday will be up here on the blog at 4 p.m.

Let’s Go Pens!