Chirps from Center Ice

Actually fun when, before I sit down to do this, I have a number of headlines in my head to run for the post game recap. Here is the alternative post I was going to run:

Eliminate the Igloo – Pens LOSE 6-0.

I thought the better of it as Pittsburgh Civic Center Arena (thank you Chad in comments section below) where the Pittsburgh Penguins used to play, better known as the “Igloo” is being demolished. I thought that had I run that people would see the headline and see me as heartless.

Regardless, the Pens are now 0-for-the season when they skate out of the inflatable igloo at the beginning of games at home. Hockey players are superstitious. Surely, this has been brought to their attention. Loyal blog reader and twitter follower Shannon took it to the Pens Facebook page:

I may or may not have offered Shannon financial compensation for the blog plug, but the kindness is well appreciated.

Anyway. Oh yeah, the reason you are here! The hockey game! The Pens lost this game in the first five minutes of the game and tried to win it in the second period. They stopped trying in the third and thus were embarrassed on home ice.

Brad Thiessen vs. Braden Holtby

First Period: Pens had to kill a early Hershey power play with Boris Valabik in the box for interference just :28 in. The Pens easily killed the power play. Right after, however, a Hershey dump in saw Tomas Kundratek camped out at the front of the net when Scott Ford tried a wraparound. Thiessen made the initial save but Kundratek stuffed it home. Then, Valabik took a slash to the hand or arm and went to the locker room. He’d return briefly for the second but wasn’t seen afterwards. Julien Brouliette scored from the left dot while Thiessen was screened and it was 2-0. Then things settled a bit, but Hershey went back to the power play late when Cody Wild was in the penalty box for a high stick and Patrick McNeill had all day to pick a spot on Thiessen off of a Christian Hanson feed.

In between the Brouillette and McNeiil goals the Pens had two chances to get on the scoresheet with Colin McDonald and Bryan Lerg both denied on mini breakaways.

Second Period: The Pens outshot the Bears this period 9-3. They would have outshot them more if about seven of the attempts at goal were actually on goal, but I digress. I’m going to let my tweets summarize the events in the order of which they came:

Sometimes you need luck to win hockey games. Tonight, Lady Luck was wearing Chocolate and White.

Third Period: Pens lost all chances to get back in when Jacob Micflikier scored to make it 4-0 on the power play. Cody Eakin scored two goals after that for good measure and the Bears skated away the victors 6-0. The teams rematch tomorrow.

Recaps from WBS Official here and the Hershey fan blog Sweetest Hockey on Earth here.

Three Stars: 3) Cody Eakin (2 goals, +4) 2) Julien Brouillette (goal, assist, +2) and 1) Braden Holtby (28 save shutout)

Around the Division: Norfolk, Binghamton and Syracuse all watched us tonight as they were not in action.

Standings: Bears open a four point lead over the Penguins and Norfolk. With the next meeting between the Bears and Penguins not until February after tomorrow, things could get out of reach soon. 1) HER 41 2) NOR 37 3) WBS 37 4) SYR 27 5) BNG 26

Conference: 1-HER (41) 2-StJ (40) 2-CT (40) 3-MCH (40) 4-StJ (39) 5-NOR (37) 6-WBS (37) 7-WOR (34) 8-ALB (33)

Penguins and Bears rematch tomorrow at 7 p.m. from Hershey. Gameday up here on the blog at 3 p.m.

Let’s Go Pens!