Chirps from Center Ice

Jekyll and Hyde.

If the Pens win in regulation tonight that is the headline that is run on the blog. They didn’t, rather having to battle back from a 5-3 deficit in the third period to even the score at 5 and win in a shootout via a Geoff Walker goal in the bottom of the ninth round, 6-5.

Teams were tied at three heading into the third. Bears got two quick ones. 12 minutes left in the third with the visitors staring at a two goal deficit in front of a sellout crowd of 10,801. 25 of 28 teams fold up shop and go home losers. Not Wilkes-Barre. Read on….

Scott Munroe vs. Dany Sabourin – Bears scratched Joel Rechlicz for Andrew Carroll. Pens called up Peter Merth for the injured Boris Valabik.

First Period: Pens came out much better, limiting chances to Hershey across the board. Wilkes-Barre would buzz, but Sabourin made the saves to keep thing scoreless. Shots were 10-6 Pens this period.

Second Period: Much different from the first, there were six goals this period. Sean Collins would board Bryan Lerg, it looked nastier than it was. Colin McDonald came to challenge and Collins would get 4:00 for roughing and an extra 2:00 for the board and McDonald would get 4:00 for roughing. In the ensuing play, Alex Grant would fire a shot from the blueline which Eric Tangradi would tip in for the goal to put the Pens up 1-0.

Taking this to a second paragraph because the Pens looked like they just stopped playing after the Tangradi goal. Graham Mink scored his league leading 10th power play goal of the season with Paul Thompson in the box for a rough. Then, Cody Eakin scored to make it 2-1 on a 4×4. Then, Geoff Walker scores to make it 2-2 after a Bryan Lerg face off win. Then, Ryan Craig takes a defensive zone holding penalty. Zach Sill scores the shorthanded goal to put the Pens ahead 3-2, but before my tweet on the matter is even a minute old, Tomas Kundratek scores on the power play to even things at three.

Wild period of hockey with two heavyweights trading blows. Shots were 12-9  Bears this period.

Third Period: Pens take an unnecessary too many men penalty, Jacob Micflikier takes a slashing call then Brian Strait high sticks Christian Hanson. Chris Bourque scores on the right dot off a feed from Ryan Potulny to make it 4-3. Then, Peter Merth takes a trip and Ryan Potulny scores to make it 5-3 on a 5-on-3 from the same spot Bourque did minutes ago.

Another paragraph split. Pens would kill off the remaining mess. Then Eric Tangradi scores to make it 5-4. Patrick Wellar and Boyd Kane then take penalties to give the Pens 1:41 of 5-on-3 power play time. Pens take a time out. They don’t score. Nick Petersen finally scores with 1:53 left in the third to even things at 5. Hershey would use their time out late but would not score.

Overtime: Pens outshot the Bears 7-0 in this frame ut would need the shootout to decide it.

Shootout: Cody Eakin and Bryan Lerg score in round three. No one else does until Geoff Walker steps up in the bottom of the ninth to walk-off and win it for the Pens.

Final shots on goal were 36-28 Penguins. Nine straight wins at Giant Center for the Pens going back to last year. Much needed win for a number of reasons. First, we can win in the shootout against a sniper unit in Hershey. Second, we can come back against arguably the best team in the league in its own home down multiple goals late. (I’ve gone as far as calling the Bears a Category 5 superteam)

Any one want to make sense of the 6-0 embarrassment yesterday on home ice and the comeback win tonight in Hershey in the comments? Don’t be shy…

Three Stars: 3) Ryan Potulny (goal, two assists, -2) 2) Eric Tangradi (two goals, even) 1) Geoff Walker (goal, assist, +2 and the game winning shootout goal)

Around the Division: Norfolk beat Bridgeport 2-1. They rematch Friday. Syracuse beat Springfield 5-2 and Binghamton thumped Adirondack 5-2.

Standings: Bears 42, Admirals and Pens 39, Crunch 29 and Senators 28.

Conference: 1-HER (42) 2-StJ (41) 3-CT (40) 4-MCH (40) 5-NOR (39) 6-WBS (39) 7-WOR (36) 8-ALB (33)

Pens are off Friday. So are the Bears. I’ll be watching the Admirals / Sound Tigers game carefully Friday and will have a retweet or something on Twitter and may, depending on outcome, have something here Friday night.

Let’s Go Pens!!!

(blogger note: Gold star to you if you read this novel in its entirety. I need an editor, or another hobby…)

(edit: Carl Sneep’s name wasn’t heard after the second. radio never noted his absence. observers in Hershey tweeted me that Sneep was conspicuous by his absence in the third period. we will see…)