Chirps from Center Ice

Pens jump out to a 2-0 lead in the first 15 minutes but cannot hang on the remaining 45 as the Hershey Bears come back tonight and win 3-2.

Jeff Zatkoff vs. Braden Holtby. Zatkoff played the whole game and radio said postgame that Brad Thiessen would play tomorrow. Who backs up remains to be seen.

Trevor Smith, Philippe Dupuis and Joey Mormina wore the A’s tonight.

First Period: Early bits of power plays for both sides see no scoring until the Pens finally get a goal on the power play courtesy of Joe Morrow, who rifled it crossbar and in past Holtby. After that, the Pens had another power play and Alex Grant shot a puck from the blue line which Jayson Megna got a stick on and deflected past Holtby to put the Pens up 2-0. Late, Julien Brouillette picked off a Pens D-zone pass and scored to put the Bears on the board at 2-1.

Second Period: While a delayed penalty vs. the Penguins was ongoing, Stanislev Galiev scored a low angle shot banking it in off of Zatkoff to tie things at two. I felt that the Penguins had the better chances this period but the Bears were up to task.

Third Period: Hershey scores at the end of a power play for them when Alex Berry bats a puck in from the air. Penguins wanted a high stick, but referee Keith Kaval ruled good goal. Looked good to me too. Jayson Megna was denied by the diving stick of Sabourin, which was probably the save of the game. Penguins get two straight power plays and do not convert. Warren Peters then gets a 4:00 penalty for arguing a hook, but the Bears did not score. Any chances of a comeback died when the Penguins were called for too many men trying to get goaltender Jeff Zatkoff off the ice.

Three stars were 3) Joe Morrow (goal) 2) Jayson Megna (goal) 1) Alex Berry (game winning goal)

Not what I wanted to see in a preseason game, but it’s just that, a preseason game.

Rematch tomorrow at 5 in Hershey. Penguins will probably dress a younger lineup against a more experienced Bears one.

Let’s Go Pens!