Chirps from Center Ice

     vs.     

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Not much to this one, a 1-0 Checkers win, snapping the Wilkes-Barre / Scranton Penguins six game winning streak. Charlotte is used to big games and this one had everything.

– The Checkers were facing off against their former coach.
– They we’re facing their backup goaltender in Dustin Tokarski.
– Their head coach, Ryan Warsofsky, was game planning against his brother, Pens captain David Warsofsky.

Pens could not get anything going offensively in the first two periods, just eight shots, but started to get the engine warm finally in the third. But, playing fast and loose against a hardened and tested championship level Charlotte team, that started to cost them and they found themselves in late penalty kill trouble.

A Matt Abt soft hook, possibly a reputation one, saw Chase Priskie absolutely rip one past Dustin Tokarski for a 1-0 lead.

I mean an absolute dart.

It was all that Charlotte needed to win tonight as the goal came with under four minutes to play in regulation.

Alex Nedeljkovic stopped 22 shots to pick up his second shutout of the season. He was named second star.

Chase Priskie, with his power play goal in the third, was named first star and Dustin Tokarski, who stoped 26 of 27, was named third star.

They lined up this way…

Joseph Blandisi was re-assigned Saturday morning and replaced Jordy Bellerive.

That’s pretty much it. Can’t feel too down on a game like this. You lose 1-0. If you score first, in a tight checking game which this was, you probably win. I had a sense that after a few minutes into the third period it was going to be a race to one.

Around the Division: Hartford lose their third straight, 6-3 in Syracuse….Springfield beats Providence 5-4 in overtime….Bridgeport beats Hershey 3-2….Lehigh Valley loses to Belleville 2-1.

Standings: Hartford 27 — Penguins 24 — Springfield 24 — Providence 23 — Lehigh Valley 21 — Hershey 20 — Charlotte 17 — Bridgeport 14

Wheeling Update: Nailers lose out in Fort Wayne 5-4 in overtime. Jordan Ruby stopped 40 in the loss. Alec Butcher had a goal and an assist for the Nailers.

I don’t know if Coal Street will have highlights. It was the Priskie goal and that’s it. If they do and I can get to an edit I will put it here.

Pens are home on Thanksgiving Eve against the Lehigh Valley Phantoms. But for anything breaking between now and then, talk to you then.

Let’s Go Pens!