Chirps from Center Ice

Woes versus the I-81 neighbors to the North continue as the Pens drop this game 4-3. Robert Bortuzzo was re-assigned and played for Peter Merth. Speculation to any ailment to Thiessen last night proved wrong as…

Brad Thiessen vs. Jeff Deslauriers

First Period: Goals traded within about :45 of one another between Matt Smaby on the power play and Matt Rust off a rebound made it a 1-1 game going into first intermission. Pens were killing a Geoff Walker interference penalty when they turned the puck over to Smaby who was off to the races and scored.

Second Period: Ben Street is in the box for a hooking call. Ex-WBS Penguin Luca Caputi works a tic-tac-toe pass to Kyle Cuminsky who puts it past Thiessen and in to put the Crunch up 2-1. Then, Kyle Palmieri takes the puck behind Thiessen’s net, and backhands one past Thiessen to put the Crunch up 3-1. Pens couldn’t do anything with a Syracuse too many men on the ice call late.

Third Period: Alex Grant ripped a shot from the far point which Geoff Walker tipped home to cut the Crunch lead to 3-2. Deslauriers stood on his head twice when Brian Gibbons and Jason Williams had chances in on him close. Syracuse took another too many men on the ice call which the Pens couldn’t cash on. It would prove to be the momentum that Syracuse would need to win the game as shortly after, a defensive breakdown led to a Kyle Palmieri goal from the slot. It’d prove to hold up as the game winner as late Paul Thompson would tip a Geoff Walker shot from the left face-off dot to make it 4-3. Pens would have chances late with Thiessen pulled but couldn’t find the equalizer.

Three Stars: 3) Luca Caputi (two assists, +1) 2) Geoff Walker (goal, assist, +1) and 1) Kyle Palmieri (two goals, +2)

Around the Division: Hershey beat Adirondack at home 5-2. Albany sweeps Norfolk down in Virginia by winning 3-1. Binghamton lost to Rochester 3-2.

Standings: Hershey 47, Norfolk 45, Wilkes-Barre 43, Syracuse 34, Binghamton 34.

Conference: 1-StJ (47) 2-HER (47) 3-CT (44) 4-NOR (45) 5-MCH (44) 6-WBS (43) 7-WOR (39) 8-ALB (39)

Hershey plays tomorrow in the game in hand they have on Wilkes-Barre versus Rochester at 5 p.m. I will likely have a retweet of a final score on the Twitter side.

Pens will be off tomorrow, bus to Norfolk Monday for the game vs. the Admirals Tuesday at 7:15.

If I have material to run between now and then check the blog or stay with me on the Twitter side.

Let’s Go Pens!