Chirps from Center Ice

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3                                              2

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The season series may be over, but I have a funny feeling that this won’t be the last time we see this Springfield Falcons team this season.

The Falcons are essentially a mirror image of the Wilkes-Barre / Scranton Penguins. Flashy guys who can score, bangers that can mix it up combined with solid D and good goaltending.

The better team won tonight, 3-2. The Falcons sweep the two game series between these two teams and are off to Norfolk to play the Admirals this weekend.

Jeff Deslauriers vs. Jeremy Smith

Nick Drazenovic returned to the lineup so to make room, even though there aren’t roster limits in this league, Carter Rowney was sent back to Wheeling.

First Period: Patrick McNeill used to terrorize the Penguins while a member of the Hershey Bears. He scored the first of two goals in the game in the first period when Broc Little had a puck in the corner that drew the attention of the Pens. Little passes to McNeill who snaps a shot past Deslauriers for a 1-0 Springfield lead.

The Penguins would get their chances on the power play tonight but just would not convert.

Mike O’Brien had a tweet in first intermission that pretty much summed up the evening in general:

[tweet https://twitter.com/MikeOBrienWBS/status/410933782833672193]

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To this point, yeah, Springfield had the better of the chances and made the most of them.

Second Period: Cody Bass and Pierre-Luc Letourneau-Leblond fought in a great battle that I hope the Pens YouTube feed puts up so I can straight link on here. Pens had a power play, Harry Zolnierczyk flubs a one timer destined for the back of the net otherwise but the Falcons kill it. Then, Cody Sylvester and Jonathan Audy-Marchessault tangle in the far corner and Audy-Marchessault throws a punch but Sylvester is the only one taken off the ice. The Falcons win a face-off and get the puck to McNeill who scores quickly on a shot that Deslauriers was screened on.

Third Period: Harry Zolnierczyk is awarded a shorthanded penalty shot. He scores on it to bring the Pens within one. I think, if memory serves, that was the second successful regular season penalty shot in team history. I could be wrong though. Anyway, later, whole four-on-four Paul Thompson takes a nice centering pass on a rush up ice from Drazenovic and scores (finally) to tie the game at two. For Thompson, it was his first goal of the season and long, long overdue.

But, the momentum was snuffed away as Tom Kostopoulos takes a penalty and Jonathan, don’t call me Audy anymore, Marchessault scores off the face-off to put the Falcons ahead 3-2.

Springfields power play is thing of beauty. 1) Win face-off. 2) Pass to guy. 3) Shoot 4) Celebrate with teammates.

Penguins with a furious rush in the final minute with Deslauriers pulled never found the equalizer.

Three Stars: 3) Paul Thompson (goal, even) 2) Harry Zolnierczyk (shorthanded penalty shot goal, +1) and 1) Patrick McNeill (two goals, assist, even)

Around the Division: Hershey rallies to get by Binghamton in a shootout 4-3. St. John’s has their way with Syracuse and win 5-1. Norfolk was off.

Standings: Penguins 31 — Binghamton 31 — Norfolk 28 — Syracuse 25 — Hershey 23

Conference: 1) MCH (37) 2) SPR (36) 3) WBS (31) 4) ALB (32) 5) BNG (31) 6) STJ (31) 7) PRO (30) 8) NOR (28)

Wheeling Update: Nailers were off tonight.

SendToNews Highlights: Not up yet. I prefer the Wilkes-Barre YouTube embed anyway.

Pens welcome Hershey Friday. But for breaking news Thursday, Gameday for that will hit the blog Friday at 3.

Let’s Go Pens!