Chirps from Center Ice

Today’s game could be summed up by the following: The Penguins were great in the first period, off to a 2-0 start before the period was 7:00 old. The IceCaps were great in the second period, bringing things level at 2-2 when the period ended. Both teams were great in the third period which forced overtime, which didn’t take long. Ben Maxwell scored just :27 in and the IceCaps have a 3-2 win and a commanding 3-1 series lead.

Game 5 will be Tuesday night in Wilkes-Barre. If the Pens want to live to see Wednesday, they will need to win. The IceCaps will want to finish it and rest bodies. They say the toughest game to win is the put away game. You all saw what happened to Hershey when they were down 0-2 in the best of five. They won the next two and lost in a decisive Game Five. The Penguins need to win three straight or it’s another year and no Cup. Can they do it? Absolutely. Will they? Remains to be seen.

These two teams are so evenly matched. It could easily be 3-1 Penguins or dead even and now a best of three.

In reality, it isn’t. The Penguins need to dig deep. Real deep. Deeper than they have ever dug, deep if they want to advance.

Brad Thiessen vs. Eddie Pasquale – no lineup changes either way.

First Period: Colin McDonald shuffled around a man and went high glove on Pasquale and scored on the first shot of the game. Then, Geoff Walker and Eric Tangradi worked a give and go and Tangradi was able to slip it past Pasquale while diving to lunge for the puck on the second shot of the game. Some push back from the IceCaps. The Penguins got a power play they couldn’t score on. Late, a Paul Postma shot struck Thiessen squarely in the mask.

Second Period: Derek Meech scored from the blue line when Brian Gibbons was in the box for a slash call to cut the lead in half. Maxime Macenauer redirected a Paul Postma slap pass past Thiessen when the iceCaps were really pressuring late to even things at two. This was probably the worst period of hockey the Penguins played because they seemed overmatched and tentative. IceCaps took advantage and evened the score.

Third Period: Really back and forth, thrill a minute hockey. Few whistles, lots of hitting, every puck chipped in was earned for. No scoring or penalties and it was off to…

Overtime: I heard Tom Grace in the post game say that the Penguins lost two face-offs, and the latter ultimately costing them in a scrum in front of Thiessen in which Ben Maxwell was able to shoot past Thiessen.

Three Stars: 3) Derek Meech (goal, -1) 2) Maxime Macenauer (goal, +1) 1) Ben Maxwell (overtime game winning goal, assist, -1)

St. John’s outshot the Penguins 29-16.

Not going to recap or mention what Connecticut or Norfolk are doing in Game 3 of that series, which is tied 1-1. If you want, here is the box score.

No idea on content for Monday. Check out Jonathan Bombulie’s blog for updates on that side and me on Twitter, regurgitating what he may have to say about personnel.

Game 5 is Tuesday. Get ready.

Let’s Go Pens!