Chirps from Center Ice

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Good Cop: The Penguins allow two goals all weekend.

Bad Cop: The Penguins fail to score a single goal this weekend.

Good Cop: Anthony Peters is settling in as a legit starting goaltender at the AHL level.

Bad Cop: The Penguins are missing a dynamic playmaker.

J-S Dea: Look at all this NHL money I am making.

(Daniel Sprong too, but he’s been scratched the last two games for Pittsburgh, don’t get me started)

A 1-0 overtime loss in Hartford this afternoon. Silver lining is the loser point, if you are looking for anything positive from a point perspective.

The penguins would outshoot the Hartford Wolf Pack 21-3 in the first period, throwing everything but the kitchen sink at Hartford starting goaltender Alexandar Georgiev, but the rookie Russian netminder would be unfazed.

The trend continued. Hartford offered a little push back in the middle frame and Hartford would have more power plays (3) than the Penguins (2) in an excellently officiated game by referees Cameron Voss and Peter MacDougall.

The Penguins hit a lot of posts this afternoon too, I counted two on a breakaway, one on a turn around shot and I am sure I am forgetting some others, but sometimes you can be lucky and good, and Georgiev was both today.

Vince Pedrie scored at 2:25 of the overtime frame to give the Wolf Pack the extra point and that was the ballgame…

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Lines were…

Zach Aston-Reese — Gage Quinney — Ryan Haggerty
Garrett Wilson – Greg McKegg – Christian Thomas
Adam Johnson – Jarrett Burton – Colin Smith
Thomas Di Pauli – Teddy Blueger

Andrey Pedan – Kevin Czuczman
Jarred Tinordi – Zach Trotman
Chris Summers – Frank Corrado
Ethan Prow

Anthony Peters – Charles Williams

Lineup Notes: First time this season that Wilkes-Barre / Scranton dresses seven defensemen, eleven forwards. Ethan Prow, a defenseman, slotted in for Patrick McGrath, the forward.

Three Stars: Wording this postgame recap a bit in reverse, but they were Anthony Peters stopping 21 of 22, Alexandar Georgiev stopping all 43, and Vince Pedrie with the game winning goal in that order.

Anthony Peters weekend…

Can’t really bark at that. He won’t be considered for AHL Player of the Week though, Zane McIntyre (who shutout the Penguins Friday) also shutout Springfield this afternoon. If the AHL decides to go goalie this week, McIntyre will be the guy.

Around the Division: Charlotte gets back in the win column with a 5-4 overtime decision against the Rochester Americans. Charlotte has been in the AHL for a while now and has played in both conferences and this weekend was the first time these two teams played (edit: first time these teams met in Charlotte, the two teams met in Rochester for the first time ever on October 20)…..The aforementioned Zane McIntyre’s Providence Bruins beat the Springfield Thunderbirds 2-0. Bridgeport beat Toronto 1-0 in a shootout.

Standings: Penguins (.667 percentage points) — Providence (.634) — Lehigh Valley (.631) — Charlotte (.583) — Bridgeport (.561) — Hershey (.488) — Hartford (.465) — Springfield (.455)

Wheeling Update: The Nailers beat Worcester 4-2. Cody Wydo and Jeff Taylor were among the goal scorers.

Penguins will bus home tonight, may have Monday off and then back to practice Tuesday before heading to Hershey Wednesday.

Let’s Go Pens!