Chirps from Center Ice

       vs.       

  5                                       4

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Two sides to this one, three if you factor in the injuries.

One hand, the Penguins played up to a Rochester team that has been at the top of the North Division for months now and lost a close game.

Other hand, Rochester played down to an opponent that lost two defensemen in a game that they badly outshot the home team, 38-23 and only won by one goal.

The Penguins lost defensemen Matt Abt and Jeff Taylor to injuries in the game and played with four defensemen in the third period where the score was 3-3.

Penguins lose 5-4. A pair of goals by Anthony Angello and two goals a piece by Zach Redmond and Victor Olofsson for Rochester.

Tristan Jarry opposed Scott Wedgewood.

Lines were…

…not correct. Zach Trotman did NOT play in the game. Jeff Taylor skated with Tim Erixon on the third defensive pairing. Sam Miletic did play, and he replaced Ryan Scarfo.

First Period: Anthony Angello got the Penguins out front first with this nice pass from Ethan Prow from the point for a 1-0 Penguin lead.

But then Macoy Erkamps fell down, turned the puck over and Zach Redmond sniped in a goal to tie the game at one.

Three people knew the gaol was scored. Jarry, Redmond and the referee who pointed goal. Pretty goal by Redmond.

Jimmy Hayes of all people finished this perfect 2-on-1 with Joseph Cramarossa to give the Penguins a 2-1 lead.

Someone get me a medic!

Dalton Smith ran over Jeff Taylor. Taylor ended up going to the room, then returned, but ultimately didn’t come out for the third.

Second Period: Danny O’Regan scored on a play where all the Penguins on the ice went for a line change leaving zero players on the ice for O’Regan to get an easy pass for a breakaway goal that made it 2-2. I mean just look at this:

I kind off feel sorry for the five guys that jumped on for those coming off, they all got minuses on the play.

Zach Redmond scored his second of the game, this time coming on the top ranked Rochester road power play, and the Penguins trailed 3-2.

Adam Johnson scored a tough breakaway goal when the sides were four on four to make it 3-3.

Penguins needed that goal, as they were getting flattened with their offensive chances.

Third Period: Ethan Prow is unable to corral a bouncing puck that ends up on Victor Olofsson’s stick eventually and the Penguins go down 4-3. Olofsson would beat Jarry high glove again about six minutes later to make it 5-3. Here they are.

Penguins get a late goal with 62 seconds left from Anthony Angello that made it 5-4, but the Penguins frantically tried to tie the game but ran out of time.

The Good: Penguins kept it close on the scoreboard and battled the Americans all night.

The Bad: Losing the two defensemen in Abt and Taylor in the second half of the game ultimately cost the Penguins chances. Rochester outshot Wilkes-Barre 14-6. If the first place Americans didn’t win this game with the Penguins only using four defensemen, that would have been bad.

Indirect Bad: If Zach Trotman can’t go tomorrow, Will O’Neill time, baby!

Wait. Hold up.

Referees Beaudry Halkidis and Andrew Wilk were great tonight. The two teams were chippy tonight, but Wilk / Halkidis kept things under control and didn’t get in the way. The players I think respected that and were more interested in trying to win the game then they were in tearing each others heads off.

Three Stars: 

Around the Division: Lehigh Valley loses 6-5 in overtime at home against Hartford. Providence takes down Springfield 2-1 in a shootout. Everyone else was off.

Standings: Charlotte 63 — Bridgeport 50 — Lehigh Valley 46 — Springfield 45 — Providence 44 — Penguins 43 — Hartford 42 — Hershey 38

Wheeling Update: Nailers got shellacked in Glens Falls by the Adirondack Thunder.

Box here.

Video Highlights:

Penguins and Bears are playing at 3:05 Saturday. In case you haven’t heard, there is a major snowstorm set to impact the area Saturday into Sunday. The game was moved up four hours because of the snowstorm. It’s January and these things happen, but that doesn’t mean I have to drive in it. I am most likely not going to the game Saturday and will likely watch on AHLTV. I don’t have an issue driving in snow. I can drive in snow and have a vehicle capable of driving in snow. It’s the other humanoids in their front wheel drive sedans that don’t know how to drive in the snow and block the road that worry me. It isn’t worth it for me to face an hour plus commute home after the game.

The Penguins seem destined to play, Hershey’s game Sunday in Bridgeport has been postponed to Monday and the Bears are planning on staying in Wilkes-Barre after the game before going up to Bridgeport after the storm passes. I’d like for the teams to just agree to postpone and play at a later date. It’s Hershey. We play them all the time. Wilkes-Barre probably has snow dates built in and it’s not like Hershey is a team like Rochester tonight who is only in once.

Anyway, Gameday setup is here Saturday at 11 a.m. If you do decide to drive out, please be careful.

Let’s Go Pens!