Chirps from Center Ice

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In a few years when the Lehigh Valley Phantoms bud to life, this will be a heck of a rivalry.

The Penguins sweep the season series against the Phantoms and win 3-2 in overtime cutting the magic number to clinch playoffs to at least 9 points. Basic mathematics are not my strong suit (automotive care and women the others) so it could be 10 points, 9 points or 8 points. I don’t honestly know.

Jeff Zatkoff vs. Brian Boucher. Chris Collins was out for Steve MacIntyre

First Period: Had the look and feel of a pickup game, with the long stretch passes and the back and forth swapping in and out of each teams offensive zones. Teams would trade power plays, but the Phantoms obviously wanted to get the jump on the Pens and led shots at one point 7-1. The Penguins only had one shot at even strength.

Second Period: Period transitioned to a wide open first, to a second filled with defensive zone turnovers by the Penguins and penalties. I noted the following:

• First 25 minutes of the game, as noted by Michael Cignoli up in Glens Falls, it surprises no one that the two teams on the ice are the two lowest scoring teams in the AHL.
• Almost as soon as Cignoli tweets that, the Penguins fail to clear the defensive zone, Jason Akeson feeds Garrett Roe who scores.
• Pens get the goal back when Joey Mormina sends one in from the blue line that Jayson Megna gets a stick on on the way in for a tie game.
• Continual defensive zone turnovers. More than usual. How many times this year have you seen the other team score when the Penguins fail to clear? Happens a lot.
• Bobby Farnham fights Jeff Dimmen after Dimmen throws a legal center ice check on him. The Pens were steaming up ice on a two on one. That was wiped away when Farnham and Dimmen started engaging. Farnham took and extra 2:00 for unsportsmanlike. Wouldn’t you rather a guy like Keven Veilleux out there in lieu of Farnham? I know Veilleux is right handed, but it seems that most nights Farnham is a bit of a liability more often than not.
• Defensive stalemate, see point number one.

Third Period: Penguins played this period almost like they were not going to allow the Phantoms to beat them. Seemed that the Phantoms tried to rile up the Penguins, going after Steve MacIntyre and Zach Sill, but the Pens looked past that. Riley Holzapfel would lead a rush, drop a pass to Brian Gibbons, peel off and Gibbons would find him and Holzapfel smoked one home to make it 2-1. Adirondack would eventually get one back when ATO Kyle Flanagan sets up Shane Harper on the power play. Brian Dumoulin would get a good look late but it was on to…

Overtime: Pens opened up on a power play. They do not score on it, but seconds later Alex Grant shoots from the blue line and wins it for the Pens.

Three Stars: 3) Brian Boucher (22 saves on 25 shots) 2) Jeff Zatkoff (27 saves on 29 shots) and 1) Alex Grant (game winning overtime goal, +1)

Around the Division: Two teams in the Division make playoffs tonight, both being defeated by other teams in the division not currently in, but looking to get in. Norfolk beats Binghamton 2-1 and Hershey subdues Syracuse 4-1.

Standings: Syracuse 87 — Binghamton 87 — Penguins 80 — Hershey 75 — Norfolk 73

Conference: 1) PRO (89) 2) SPR (87) 3) SYR (87) 4) SYR (87) 5) POR (81) 6) WBS (80) 7) CT (76) 8) HER (75)

SendToNews Highlights: I don’t know that Adirondack has them. I will check again in the morning though.

Albany comes in tomorrow for a 7:05 start. Gameday for that will be up at 3, if some Black Aces from Wheeling get assigned, look for all that on Twitter tomorrow.

Let’s Go Pens!