Chirps from Center Ice

Penguins fall to 0-3 on the season losing tonight in their home opener 3-2 to the Bridgeport Sound Tigers.

News of the day is that Zach Sill will be out 5-6 weeks with an upper body injury. Tom Kuhnhackl and Dominik Uher were recalled from Wheeling earlier today.

Brad Thiessen vs. Kevin Poulin

First Period: Penguins came out the first seven minutes very aggressive, outshooting Bridgeport 6-1. It would continue, until Johan Sundstrum would score for the Sound Tigers. Then, to make matters worse, a Bridgeport dump in at the zamboni corner would hit an end board weird and bounce right in front of Thiessen’s crease where Nino Niederreiter was there to slam it home to make it 2-0. Best way to really describe that was the goal that sunk the Hershey Bears in Game 5 of the Eastern Conference Quarterfinals last year. Karma. What goes around, comes around.

Second Period: Dylan Reese, making his Penguins debut, fires a shot from the blue line goal-wards. Beau Bennett was there for a rebound, backhanded it and somehow the puck found Riley Holzapfel for his first as a Penguin to put Wilkes-Barre on the board at 2-1. Late, a Sound Tigers steal on a Penguins defensive zone clear would see John Persson tap in the end of a tic tac toe pass to make it 3-1.

At this point, I felt the Penguins played the front end of the first two periods very well and the back ends poorly, which cost them ultimately the game.

Third Period: Penguins power play was executed very well, but not to perfection several times but unable to score on any. Late, a Simon Despres shot from the blue line would be rebounded and back handed home by Eric Tangradi to pull the Pens to within one. Thiessen stones his ex-teammate Colin McDonald late. Sound Tigers get a penalty shot they don’t cash on when the puck was covered in the crease but they weren’t able to score. Penguins would get a late power play but weren’t able to find the equalizer.

Three Stars: 3) Eric Tangradi (goal, seven shots, even) 2) Nino Niederreiter (goal, even) and 1) Johna Soundstrom (goal, assist, +2)

Penguins have defensive zone gaffes which end up costing them goals. Otherwise, a good game. I thought Thiessen played well.

Around the Division: Boy, goals were plentiful in other East Division barns. Start in Binghamton. The B-Sens are up 5-0 on the Syracuse Crunch. Then a goalie fight between Robin Lehner and Riku Helenius. The Crunch score six unanswered to win 6-5 in overtime. In Hershey, the Bears are up 4-1 on the Rochester Americans only to lose 8-7 in a wild game in Hershey. The Norfolk Admirals still haven’t lost since the Ice Age it seems, winners 6-3 at home vs. the Connecticut Whale.

Standings: Norfolk 8 — Syracuse 7 — Binghamton 5 — Hershey 2 — Penguins 0

Wheeling Update: The Nailers were shutout 5-0 by the host Elmira Jackals.

Syracuse is in tomorrow afternoon at 5:05. Penguins still looking for win number one. Gameday here at 1 pm.

Let’s Go Pens!