Chirps from Center Ice

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They got by with just one goal Friday at home against Providence and played well defensively and rode a hot goalie to a win over Providence.

But you can’t carry over momentum and cash them for goals, and the Wilkes-Barre / Scranton Penguins are shutout 3-0 Saturday night in Bridgeport. Dustin Tokarski, who we made a strong case to start this game did, but the goaltenders don’t score the goals.

They have scored just 14 goals all month. That’s…not good and also what happens when you lose your top scorer.

Dustin Tokarski opposed Jakub Škarek.

Lines were…

Lineup Notes: The same as it was Friday.

First Period: If I did a good and bad like I do from time to time here on the blog the good in this period would be the fact that the Penguins went 4-for-4 in the period on the penalty kill, including a 1:55 of two man disadvantage against. The bad would be the 1-0 deficit the Penguins chased all period. A Jan Drozg turnover resulted in a Kieffer Bellows goal at 1:11.

Shots were 11-8. Hard to get momentum when you are constantly killing penalties, no matter how bad the unit you are killing against is.

Second Period: Kevin Roy had the best chances to score in the period but couldn’t. First, he had a puck knuckled on him but Škarek went post to post to deny him. Then, on a two on one, the Penguins forward was again denied by the Sound Tigers goaltender.

Mike Cornell and Jamie Devane tangled, Cornell went to throw a punch and slipped. You really can’t constitue it as one.

Travis St. Denis would score on a fourth our fifth attempt on goal in a scrambling attempt on a Sound Tigers power play.

Third Period: Nothing of memory occurred until about half way through when the Penguins went on the power play. Mike Vellucci opted to pull Tokarski for an extra attacker to try anything to score a goal. The Penguins power play came and went but Tokarski stayed on the bench. Finally, a miscommunication in the neutral zone and Travis St. Denis finished off a pass from Josh Ho Sang to make it 3-0 into the empty net.

Three Stars: 3) Keiffer Bellows (goal) 2) Travis St. Denis (two goals) 1) Jakub Škarek (30 save shutout)

The Good: A week to regroup, the organization to heal up, maybe get bodies back and get ready for Lehigh Valley back at home next Friday.

The Bad: Still haven’t scored a ton of goals this month, that obviously has to change.

Turning Point: If you would have shut your radio off after Bellows scored 1:11 into the game tonight and said to yourself if recent history was any indication that was the game, you would have been right.

Around the Division: Providence is shutout in back to back games, 3-0 in Hartford against the Wolf Pack….Hershey beats Springfield 2-1 in overtime….Lehigh Valley beats Charlotte 3-2.

Standings: Providence 41 — Hartford 39 — Hershey 35 — Penguins 34 — Springfield 34 — Charlotte 29 — Lehigh Valley 29 — Bridgeport 26

Wheeling Update: Emil Larmi’s second ECHL game doesn’t go as well as his first, Kalamazoo beats Wheeling 3-1.

Video Highlights: I mean you have the goals up top and I don’t think Bridgeport really does a video highlight package but if they do, I will add them in this spot.

So they are off until next Friday. Blog wise, I’ll have the AHL Power Rankings early next week. Depending on how quick I get them done Monday you may see them then. If not, definitely Tuesday. Also, look for the stat board to get updated (the static one anyway, the one at the bottom auto updates) some time on Sunday, provided I get to it.

Enjoy the Christmas break.

Let’s Go Pens!