Chirps from Center Ice

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It was one of those games that the Wilkes-Barre / Scranton Penguins are known for. Tight, aggressive hockey. Not a lot of offensive opportunities. Good goaltending. A break here and there and a score for or against.

Tonight, the Norfolk Admirals beat the Penguins by their own game by a score of 2-1.

Peter Mannino vs. John Gibson

Reid McNeill was in for Nick D’Agostino on the blue line for the Pens. It’s been a common occurrence where D’Agostino will get a game then McNeill. Tonight was no different.

First Period: Simon Despres springs Brian Gibbons on a home run pass Gibbons collected at center, skated in and put the Pens on the board 1-0 early on. I had a feeling at the time that 1) one goal wasn’t going to be enough to get by Norfolk because 2) John Gibson doesn’t give up many goals, a .952 SV% and a 1.53 GAA.

Turns out, I was right. Pens take their foot off the gas the last 12 minutes of the period, get outshot 9-0 and scored on when Rickard Rakell tied things on a power play late.

Second Period: Pierre-Luc Letourneau-Leblond fought twice in the period. Zack Stortini and John Kurtz. That was all the excitement in the period, really.

Third Period: Norfolk pressures in the Penguins zone a good minute, Max Sauve scores in a pile. Pens have to kill consecutive penalties which stall any sort of a comeback, then get a 4:00 power play with 2:38 left to play. Then, for some unknown reason, the Pens get caught with too many men on the ice with 1:50 left. With Mannino pulled a short time after, Wilkes-Barre never found the equalizer.

Someone said this on Twitter…

(insert fart noise here)

Three Stars: 3) Brian Gibbons (goal, +1) 2) Rickard Rakell (gaol, +1) and 1) Maxime Sauve (goal, assist, +1)

Around the Division: Syracuse blanks Bridgeport 5-0. Binghamton loses to Adirondack 3-1 and Hershey gives up two goals in the third period and lose to the Hartford Wolf Pack 4-3.

Standings: Penguins 13 — Norfolk 12 — Binghamton 10 — Syracuse 9 — Hershey 3

Conference: 1) MCH (15) 2) WBS (13) 3) HFD (13) 4) NOR (12) 5) SPR (11) 6) ALB (11) 7) BNG (10) 8) SYR (9)

Wheeling Update: The Nailers were in Toledo tonight and lost 2-0 to the Walleye.

SendToNews Highlights: Still being curated by Brian Coe and the video guys. I’ll have a link up here if I remember tomorrow.

That thing I said last night about which team between Binghamton and Norfolk I detest more? Call it a push. Now, how do Syracuse, Hershey and the rest of the league pick up on how to beat the Penguins at their own game is the question.

Probably won’t have anything here Sunday. Have to get to work on the Week 4 AHL Power Rankings which will be here on the blog sometime Monday afternoon.

Let’s Go Pens!