Chirps from Center Ice

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You expect games between Hershey and Wilkes-Barre to be tight checking, closely contested affairs. Tonight lived up to the expectations, as the Hershey Bears outlast the Wilkes-Barre / Scranton Penguins 2-1 in a shootout and draw to five points behind the Penguins for the East Division lead.

The lead over Hershey has been extended now for a few weeks. It was four last weekend, it’s five now. The Bears have two games in hand on the Penguins but that no longer matters at this point, Hershey can win those games and still be a point behind the Pens. Breathing room, while slim.

The Pittsburgh Penguins sent down Jayson Megna today, so the lines looked like this:

Conor Sheary – Nick Drazenovic – Tom Kostopoulos
Sahir Gill – Carter Rowney – Josh Archibald
Dominik Uher – J-S Dea – Jayson Megna
Pierre Leblond – Matia Marcantuoni – Tom Kuhnhackl

Taylor Chorney – Brian Dumoulin
Reid McNeill – Barry Goers
Nick D’Agostino – Alex Boak

Zack Torquato yielded to Jayson Megna in the lineup, Clark Seymour took warmups but was scratched. Also, in Pittsburgh, Bobby Farnham and Derrick Pouliot were healthy scratches.

First Period: This hit on Taylor Chorney by Dane Byers highlighted the period. Penguins would get 1:23 of 5-on-3 time at the midway point of the period but not convert. Shots were 12-4 Wilkes-Barre after one in a period dominated by Penguin pressure but one upped by Pheonix Copley being up to the challenge for the Bears in net.

Second Period: Bears would score and break the Penguins shutout streak at 167:24 when Bears defenseman Erik Burgdoerfer scored on a floater of a shot that Zatkoff never saw through a mangrove of bodies to put the Bears on the board. It felt at the time that it may be good enough to hold up, with the way that Copley was playing in net and the way that Hershey had turned the tides on the Penguins as far as puck possession.

But the Penguins generated a turnover in the Hershey zone and Matia Marcantuoni scored this goal 3:56 later to tie the game at one, Marcantuoni’s second goal in as many nights.

Third Period: More Hershey pressure and domination in the offensive zone. Jeff Zatkoff with highway robbery of a Chris Brown shot on his doorstep off of a nice centering feed by ex-Penguin Chris Conner. Later, Copley stops a Tom Kostopoulos one time from a nice setup from Barry Goers while the Pens were shorthanded. Neither team would find the back of the net here as we would then head to….

Overtime: Because of last minute penalties in the third period, the teams started three on three. The sides ended up back on three on three with 73 second to play, but jot was onto….

Shootout: Philippe Cornet scored on a snipe on Jeff Zatkoff in Round 5 and Tom Kostopoulos couldn’t respond and the Bears take the extra point home with them.

Three Stars: 3) Jeff Zatkoff (28 saves on 29 shots) 2) Erik Burgdoerfer (first AHL goal, even) 1) Pheonix Copley (25 saves on 26 shots)

Around the Division: Binghamton storms back from down 3-0, take the lead at 4-3, only to lose in overtime 5-4 to the Syracuse Crunch. Ex-Penguin Peter Mannino was in net for the B-Sens, making his debut for the Senators…..Lehigh Valley beats Norfolk 3-2 in a shootout.

Standings: Penguins 44 — Hershey 39 — Lehigh Valley 37 — Binghamton 34 — Norfolk 27

Conference: 1) MCH (50) 2) SPR (48) 3) WBS (44) 4) SYR (48) 5) HFD (40) 6) HER (39) 7) POR (39) 8) PRO (38)

Wheeling Update: Nailers lose a close one, 3-2 in Cincinnati. Eric Hartzell started the game but was pulled in favor of the backup after stopping 13 of 16.

SendToNews Highlights: Are here.

Pens are off until Tuesday, when they host Dany Heatley and the Norfolk Admirals Tuesday and again Friday. My Week 13 AHL Power Rankings will go up Monday at 4.

Let’s Go Pens!