Chirps from Center Ice

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That was easy.

The Wilkes-Barre / Scranton Penguins are on a tear right now. No disrespect intended to the Syracuse Crunch tonight, but you could see that the Crunch are disjointed hockey team that just wants the season over. The Penguins roll, winners 2-0. Peter Mannino with his second consecutive shutout, now 162:20 without giving up a goal.

News du jour this week was Jayson Megna being sent back from Pittsburgh and Barry Goers signing an AHL contract with Wilkes-Barre for the rest of season.

News du jour from Friday was the news that Beau Bennett will be assigned to Wilkes-Barre for a three game conditioning stint beginning probably tomorrow. The max he could play is three games, there was talk by Obie on pre-game that Bennett could be in the lineup as early as tomorrow, travel with the team to Atlantic City on Sunday, then back Wednesday for a home game vs. Providence then back to Pittsburgh next weekend.

Bennett is not waiver eligible, but because he was not on the AHL roster (because of his injury) the most he could play here is the three game allowable under the “conditioning” tag.

Okay, to the game tonight.

The aforementioned Peter Mannino vs. Kristers Gudlevskis

Lineup Notes: Chuck Kobasew was the veteran scratch tonight. Healthies were Nick D’Agostino and newcomer Conor Sheary. Harry Zolnierczyk, injured last weekend, listed with an upper body injury, may play this weekend. Again this information was from Mike O’Brien on the radio pre-game.

First Period: Penguins dominated this period. Plain and simple. Syracuse looked like a disinterested, out of synch last place hockey team that just wanted the season to be over. Penguins outshot the Crunch 12-4. I could only remember one good attempt on Mannino by the Crunch, and that was Jon DiSalvatore on a backhander that Mannino saw all the way.

Spencer Machacek dispossesses Gudlevskis and slips it under his pads to put the Pens ahead 1-0. Later, on the power play, Denver Manderson centers a pass from the wall to a cutting Adam Payerl all alone to make it 2-0 Penguins.

Second Period: Pretty tame first period in the penalty department. The first half of the second period was anything but, featuring 32 minutes of penalties in the periods first 6:10. Tom Kostopoulos fought. There were hits all over the place. Nothing doing in the scoring department this period. The Crunch only had nine shots on goal heading into the….

Third Period: Spencer Machacek didn’t come out for the third period, seemingly banged up in the second period through all the fisticuffs.

Crunch don’t do much to pressure Mannino, what they do he saves easily. Pens don’t offer much either, but with a two goal cushion, they basically played prevent all period and looked silly while on the three power plays that referee T.J. Luxmore gave to the Penguins in the period.

Three Stars: 3) Kristers Gudlevskis (26 saves on 28 shots) 2) Spencer Machacek (game winning goal, +1) 1) Adam Payerl (goal, even)

Payerl had nine shots on goal.

Around the Division: Hershey shuts out the Providence Bruins 2-0 in Rhode Island. This was the first time that the P-Bruins were shutout at home all season….Binghamton defeats Norfolk 5-2. The B-Sens scored four unanswered goals.

Standings: Binghamton 79 — Penguins 78 — Norfolk 76 — Hershey 72 — Syracuse 58

Conference: 1) MCH (88) 2) SPR (82) 3) BNG (79) 4) STJ (82) 5) WBS (78) 6) ALB (76) 7) NOR (76) 8) PRO (75)

Wheeling Update: The Nailers were defeated in Evansville, Indiana by the IceMen 4-3. Tom Kuhnhackl had a goal, Zak Torquato assisted on two. Eric Hartzell backed up in goal.

SendToNews Highlights: Are here.

Pens come home to host the Utica Comets tomorrow night in what should be a sold out crowd. Gameday for this will be up at 3.

Let’s Go Pens!!!