Eric Hartzell is a name that Penguins fans will learn to know and learn to love in the future. The rookie goaltender making his first AHL start proved it tonight.
Bolstered by yet another strong third period, one that saw the Penguins score five goals and a 29 save performance by Hartzell.
The Penguins played an impotent 40 minutes of hockey and then come out gangbusters in the the third and absolutely steamrolled the St. John’s IceCaps and won 5-2 tonight in stunning fashion.
Eddie Pasquale vs. the aforementioned Eric Hartzell.
Zach Sill, Bobby Farnham and Nick D’Agostino were all back for the Penguins tonight so Denver Manderson, Cody Sylvester and Dustin Stevenson were scratched.
First Period: Not really much to write home about for the two teams. The most memorable thing that happened this period was something that didn’t happen for more than fifteen minutes. That was a shot by the Wilkes-Barre / Scranton Penguins. The first came with 4:35 left in the period. Hartzell kept the Pens in it. He had a goal waved off on him when it was ruled that it was deflected in by a kick from a St. John’s skate and not the stick.
Second Period: More Hartzell bailing out the Pens, this time on a 4:00 power play for the IceCaps, who took it to the Penguins early and often in the first two periods. Finally, Eric O’Dell would score his first of two on a rebound from a blast from the point that put the IceCaps ahead 1-0.
With the way the game had gone to this point, it looked like that was all the IceCaps needed to put away the Penguins.
Hold on though, we still have another period to play.
Third Period: Tom Kostopoulos got it started on the power play on a hack and whack job that tied the game. :29 later, Bobby Farnham does a falling down roof job that puts the Penguins ahead 2-1. Then J.C. Lipon gets a 5:00 major match penalty for a check to the head to Tom Kuhnhackl, who would be fine, but the Penguins were not able to convert.
The Pens left way too much time on the board though, as with just under 7 minutes to play the IceCaps would go to the power play and cash to tie the game at two. Eric O’Dell again.
But hold on. More time on the clock, game wasn’t over.
You like :29 apart for two goals? How about :17 apart for two goals! One by Andrew Ebbett on the power play and another on a shot off the wall from Zach Sill over the pad of Pasquale and in. After the game that Pasquale had played from Friday and into two periods Saturday, a terrible goal to give up by him.
Jayson Megna would cash in on an empty netter when Bobby Farnham does all the work but does everything but score and that was your ballgame.
Three Stars: 3) Tom Kostopoulos (goal, assist, even) 2) Bobby Farnham (goal, assist, +3) and 1) Eric Hartzell (29 saves on 31 shots)
The thing about Hartzell that I liked was that every time the Pens scored, he would skate up to the tunnel and glove tap the guys on the ice that scored. Here, like this…
Conference: 1) MCH (29) 2) WBS (26) 3) SPR (25) 4) BNG (24) 5) ALB (23) 6) NOR (22) 7) SYR (20) 8) PRO (19)
Wheeling Update: Wheeling downs Fort Wayne in overtime, 5-4. Mike Ratchuk had two goals and two assists for the Nailers including the game winner. Anton Zlobin had a goal and an assist as well.
SendToNews Highlights: Are here. Worth checking out.
Edit: You can link to the SendToNews Package, or you can just watch below:
Pens off until a Thanksgiving Eve game in Glens Falls against the Phantoms. Blog wise, short of anything breaking Sunday will have the Week 8 AHL Power Rankings here Monday. Also, we are a game away from the quarter pole so that means First Quarter Grades are due. Look for those on Thanksgiving after the Adirondack game.
WBS News
Chirps from Center Ice 