Chirps from Center Ice

The Pens were in Hershey Saturday night for their third preseason game. They had a lead going into the third period, but ultimately fell 2-1 in overtime Saturday night in Hershey.

I flew blind listening to the game and Nick Hart on the radio as there is no AHL Live for preseason. That will be the same story for Sunday afternoon in Lehigh Valley.

Lines were:

Essentially Wednesday’s lineup but for Steve Oleksy in the game for Craig Skudalski.

Lines for the Bears were:

Provided that the Penguins’ opponents tweet something like this similar for all games, consider its a regular season. More importantly, provided I remember, too.

Steve Oleksy wore the “C” for the Penguins and Jake Lucchini and Matt Abt were in the “A’s.”

In the first, not much action in the way of scoring. The Penguins had two power plays in the period but didn’t score on them. Jordy Bellerive had three of Wilkes-Barre’s nine shots in the period.

There was a fight at the end of the period when Renars Krastenbergs hit Kris Bindulis. Kale Kessy took offense and fought Krastenbergs. First fight of the preseason three games in. You’d normally have three fights in the first minute of a preseason game, but it’s a different game now.

In the second, the Penguins killed two Bears power plays and got a late goal by Kasper Bjorkqvist to give them a 1-0 lead after the end of two periods.

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In the third, Hershey finally gets on the board and tied the game when Matt Moulson tipped in a shot for a goal on a power play with Brandon Hawkins in the box for a cross checking penalty right around halfway.

Wilkes-Barre would continue to find themselves in penalty trouble but were able to negotiate out of it. Yushi Hirano hit a post with about :20 left, but it was off to overtime.

There, Matt Abt off the hop nearly ended it early, but the puck squirted wide past Parker Milner. A few minutes later, with it being as wide open as it is in 3-on-3 overtime, Axel Jonsson-Fjallby scored to win it for the Bears.

Impressions: Hershey wasn’t at full strength but were stronger than they were last night, while the Pens dressed a “B” team if you want to call it that and but for a few late penalties in the third,. we’re dangerously close to shutting out the Bears and sweeping them in preseason. We will have to see what the team looks like in the preseason finale Sunday at 3 in Allentown against the Phantoms.

Talk to you Sunday evening after the Penguins final preseason game against Lehigh Valley at 3 p.m.