Chirps from Center Ice

You need your best players to be your best players on a nightly, consistent basis. You also can’t have individuals trying to do it all themselves. If you have these elements working for you, you lose most often than not and the Pens were on the losing end of this one 5-2 this evening.

Brad Thiessen vs. Iiro Tarkki. Matt Rust was scratched in favor of Ryan Schnell. Zach Sill was still out with an upper body injury.

First Period: Ben Street would sit for an early cross checking penalty and the Crunch would put its second ranked power play unit on the ice and score as Brandon McMillan scored his first of the season. Colin McDonald was everywhere this game, sticks in passing lanes and causing commotion in the offensive zone.

Second Period: Kyle Palmieri scored off of a Jason Williams turnover to make things 2-0. Another defensive breakdown would see Nicolas Deschamps come in all alone but Thiessen made the save. More Colin McDonald stirring up things with he and Geoff Walker but McDonald was unable to find the back of the net. However, Geoff Walker was able to score to make it 2-1. Pens would then come in 3-on-1 but were not able to even things. Then, Kyle Palmieri scored off of a lightning quick faceoff draw to make it 3-1.

Really a backbreaking goal for the Penguins, who to this point in the Period, did everything but score more goals.

Third Period: Just like the two previous periods, the Pens would get scored on. This time a Mat Clark shot on goal would get tipped in by Troy Bodie. Alex Grant would fight Bodie a few minutes later. This would fire up the Pens and Brian Gibbons would score to make it 4-2. But, Peter Holland would make it 5-2 to put the game out of reach.

Three Stars: 3) Troy Bodie (goal, even) 2) Nick Bonino (two assists, +1) and 1) Kyle Palmieri (goal, assist, +2)

Pens were just as flat as four day old soda tonight. Nothing else to say here.

Around the Division: Norfolk rallied late and won 2-1 at home against Adirondack. The Bears throttled the Pirates 7-1 and Binghamton lost 2-1 in Worcester.

Standings: Things getting tighter. WBS and Norfolk are tied with 29 points. Norfolk wins the tiebreaker (wins) and sits first with the Pens second.  Hershey is closer now with 27 points. Syracuse has 23 points and Binghamton 18.

Conference: 1-CT (31) 2-StJ (30) 3-NOR (29) 4-WBS (29) 5-ADK (27) 6-HER (27) 7-MCH (27) 8-BRI (26)

Penguins are off until Wednesday when they play in Binghamton. Updates from here to there dependent on roster moves and general things that occur which directly or indirectly affect this team league wide.

Let’s Go Pens!