Chirps from Center Ice

Well, at least I predicted this last Thursday.

Pens lost this game pretty much in the first period against the Bears fourth line. They chased it the remainder of the way and lost in overtime 4-3 in overtime off a Ryan Potulny shot on a Bears power play.

Game 4 is Friday in Hershey.

Brad Thiessen vs. Dany Sabourin – Simon Despres, Brian Strait and Eric Tangradi were in for Cody Wild, Philip Samuelsson and Matt Rust.

First Period: Penguins open the game with puck possession for the first eight minutes and Thiessen gets burned on what can best be described as a fluke goal by DJ King, who hasn’t scored a goal since 2007-08. Penguins were unable to chip pucks deep as the Bears did a fine job in taking the wall away. After the King goal the Pens really looked shattered. Then Colin McDonald was robbed point blank by Sabourin on his doorstep on a power play. Then, Cameron Schilling scored from the blue line to push the Bears ahead 2-0.

Second Period: Cal O’Reilly would score on a carryover power play from the first period which would be the first playoff goal scored by WBS in Hershey since 2009 (Alex Goligoski) – then both teams would trade power plays and kill them. Brian Strait was checked hard into the boards behind Sabourin’s net and did not return the rest of the game.

Third Period: Eric Tangradi scored to even things after a Bears clear hit a referee’s skate. Paul Thompson received it and fed Tangradi who scored it. Then, Kyle Greentree would get open and push the Bears ahead 3-2. Right after, Boyd Kane slashed Ben Street and the Pens headed to the power play which Alex Grant scored on to even things at three a piece.

Overtime: Nick Petersen high sticks Boyd Kane digging a puck off the wall and Ryan Potulny, no stranger to overtime playoff goals, extended the series to a Game 4 on Friday.

Three Stars: 3) Alex Grant (goal, even) 2) Kyle Greentree (goal, +1) and 1) Ryan Potulny (game winning overtime power play goal, assist, +1)

Elsewhere in the Eastern Conference: All Game 3’s where series were tied 1-1. The Syracuse Crunch are on the brink losing to the St. John’s IceCaps 5-1 with Game 4 Friday. The Norfolk Admirals have the Manchester Monarchs on the brink also after a 5-2 win in New Hampshire with that series going to Game 4 Friday as well.

Depending on what happens with Washington / Boston, a tipping point in this Hershey / Wilkes-Barre series. The Bears power play, dormant all series long, comes alive at the point to win them a game to keep them alive. Look for an edit here and a tweet from me on Twitter on the final outcome of that game.

EDIT: Washington wins in Game 7 in overtime via Joel Ward. Caps are on to next round. Braden Holtby, Keith Aucoin and Dmitry Orlov remain in Washington for at least one more series.

Game 4 Friday. See you there.

Let’s Go Pens!