Chirps from Center Ice

Penguins defeated the Hershey Bears tonight by a score of 2-1. The Bears didn’t feature player names on the back of the jerseys, so there was no way of me knowing what kind of lineup they brought with them to Wilkes-Barre. Brandon Anderson and Riley Gill split time in goal. I know that it’s a safe bet that those two will be in the net for the ECHL Reading Royals when their season gets going soon.

The Penguins dressed a lineup which is going to be really close to the one that they will debut in Connecticut Saturday. Mike O’Brien after the game said that there will be cuts made. Here were the lines:

Tom Kuhnhackl-Nick Drazenovic-Adam Payerl
Paul Thompson-Brian Gibbons-Jayson Megna
Harry Zolnierczyk-Zach Sill-Tom Kostopoulos
Pierre Leblond-Mike Carman-Dom Uher

Philip Samuelsson-Brendan Mikkleson
Scott Harrington-Barry Goers
Reid McNeill-Nick D’Agostino

Jeff Deslauriers backed up Eric Hartzell, who played the whole game. Christiaan Minella took warmups and was scratched.

Nick Drazenovic scored a nice goal on a cross ice pass from Brian Gibbons when the Pens were on a 5-on-3 in the first period.

Paul Thompson took a skate to the face, went to the room and had work done and came back.

Although they didn’t score, I liked the chemistry between Jayson Megna and Brian Gibbons tonight, especially on the penalty kill.

Ryan Stoa scored on a tip in from off a Julien Brouillette blast from the point in the second period.

Eric Hartzell had some really nice saves all night. Saves in close, saves getting over stopping one timers and saves in the final seconds with an extra Bears attacker. I know it’s only a preseason game, but he won some points off of me by tonights performance.

Philip Samuelsson scored a goal when he crashed the net and backhanded one past Gill in the third period. He did that once in the ECHL too. 

Penguins really clamped the Bears from there. All game really. There isn’t much you can do on a deflection in front on the Stoa goal. So it was a nice dress rehearsal for Saturday.

That’s about all. I could write more, but it’s a meaningless preseason game for a blogger like myself.

A move was made during the game that will have implications on Hershey. They got John Mitchell from Norfolk in a trade with Anaheim for Mathieu Perreault. Mitchell is a Mike Haviland disciple.

Here’s a piece from Bob Howard on Binghamton’s top six.

The Chirps from Center Ice AHL Previews get going at midnight. If you want to stick around, the West Division debuts in a few hours. Then the Midwest as I do the “wedge two divisions in one day” thing. The regular division a day starts Tuesday with the North Division and run till Friday concluding with the East Division.

Will probably drop a line in between tomorrows previews with who cleared waivers and who was cut from Coal Street.

Let’s Go Pens!