Chirps from Center Ice

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2                                               6

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Couple things with this game, a 6-2 Binghamton thumping, which was over before the game was 10 minutes old.

1) The Pens were gassed last night and emptied the reserves in last night’s 1-0 win vs. the Albany Devils. You could tell it from the looks on the players faces last night and, obviously, the start today.

2) Really nothing much to lose for the Penguins with a two point lead in the Division. They still have a game more played than Binghamton, had been playing well while Binghamton hadn’t, and were playing their third game in less than three days.

3) The young defenseman were exploited tonight. Nick D’Agostino was a -3 in the first period. He wasn’t seen much thereafter.

4) Eric Hartzell, making his first appearance since February 25, still has some things to work on. He was a disaster in the first period, 5 goals on 15 shots.

5) Binghamton had just been destroyed at home the night prior by a fumbling Norfolk Admirals team that scored three unanswered goals in the third period and rolled the B-Sens. So to think that the B-Sens, who have been at the top of the East Division for months now, would take the Penguins coming in a whooping the home team again just wasn’t going to happen.

That’s just how hockey goes in the AHL.

Eric Hartzell vs. Andrew Hammond.

Lineup Changes: Adam Payerl was recalled to Pittsburgh this morning. With Pittsburgh locked in at the two seed with nothing left to play for in the final two weeks of the NHL season, why not call up your prospects to get them a look in a live NHL game? Josh Archibald was back in for Conor Sheary and Harrison Ruopp was out for Nick D’Agostino.

First Period: Blitzkrieg. Hartzell doesn’t control a rebound of a Patrick Mullen shot and Matt Puempel scored to put the B-Sens up 1-0. Dave Dziurzynski on a softie. 2-0. Wacey Hamilton grabs a gear and gets around Barry Goers and burns Hartzell on the post. 3-0.

Spencer Machacek got one back on the power play to make it 3-1.

Garrett Thompson scores his first pro goal as Nick D’Agostino was stripped of a puck from a Binghamton defenseman. 4-1. Cole Schnieder finishes off a tic tac toe setup and it’s 5-1 on a power play goal for the B-Sens.

Second Period: Binghamton scores another power play goal, more give and go passing by the B-Sens and Matt Peumpel gets his second of the night. Furious, furious rush by the Pens after that sequence and it’s 5-2. Guess who? Spencer Machacek again.

Things finally settled after that. But it was too late. Here’s something I mined off of the scoresheet. After the Machacek goal, the Pens were given five consecutive power plays by refs Darcy Burchell and Chris Brown.

Third Period: I got nothing. But here’s a stat for you. The Binghamton Senators ate 11-31 on the power play this season vs. the Penguins. Please keep reading…

Three Stars: 3) Alex Grant (three assists, +1) 2) Patrick Mullen (three assists, +1) 1) Matt Peumpel (two goals, +1)

Around the Division: Bears battle with the Bridgeport Sound Tigers and win 5-4….Norfolk loses a heartbreaker to Hartford 3-2….Syracuse was off.

Standings: Binghamton 88 — Penguins 88 — Hershey 82 — Norfolk 81 — Syracuse 69

Other Games that Matter: The only other game was Providence crushing Portland 7-2.

Conference: 1) MCH (98) 2) SPR (94) 3) BNG (88) 4) STJ (90) 5) WBS (88) 6) PRO (86) 7) ALB (83) 8) HER (82)

SendToNews Highlights: Are here. Unless your name is Leah, not much to look at from a Penguins perspective.

Wheeling Update: The Nailers did not play tonight but are in the Kelly Cup Playoffs. Details on that here.

My Week 27 AHL Power Rankings will be completed tonight and will be here Monday at 4 p.m.

Let’s Go Pens!!!