Chirps from Center Ice

           vs.            

6                                                      2

–

Tonight was just the second home game I missed in the ten or so years that I have been a season ticket holder. I have a sick cat. My buddy Barry hasn’t been eating, and a long story short is a likely diabetic which is causing pancreatitis which is causing his liver to fail on him. He was at the vet today and goes back Thursday. I am hoping that with supportive care that he pulls out of this and gets back to a semi normal lifestyle again.

Based off of that, this blog recap is going to be a bit on the fly.

Maybe it’s good that I missed the game. The Penguins lose 6-2. They look nothing like a playoff team right now. Providence wins their sixth straight and the Penguins, with an injection of Anthony Angello back from Pittsburgh, couldn’t do anything to look competitive after the second period.

Casey DeSmith opposed Dan Vladar.

They lined up like this.

No Varone yet. Lafferty was recalled Tuesday.

First Period: Missed all of it. Here’s the timeline.

Shot from the point. Vladar leaves loose chance and Sam Miletic smacks it in.

Josiah Didier charged at a puck left in the high slot off of a face-off draw and stepped into one and scored to make it 1-1.

Seemed like an even period from the vibe off of the Twitter feed.

Second Period: It wasn’t an even period.

:41 in and Cameron Hughes scored to make it 2-1.

About 65 passes on that play in a phone booth walking through the teeth of the defense.

Cameron Hughes picks a corner and it’s 3-1.

Niclas Almari caught watching again. He should sit next to me in Section 104 next game. I don’t move my legs much either when I’m at a Penguins game.

Riley Barber opened his scoring account and scored to make it 3-2. Miletic stripped Jack Studnika and he and Barber were off on a two on none.

Bruins respond in kind a few minutes later and Cooper Zech scored on a weird looking shot which beat DeSmith up high that made it 4-2.

Bruins controlled play, outshooting the Penguins 18-7 in the period.

Third Period: Bruins connect at the tail end of a power play as it expires and then later on a 5-on-3 to go up 5-2 then 6-2. The Penguins had a 5-on-3 that they could have had chance to score a goal on but made far too many passes and the time expired.

Penguins don’t connect on their five on three, the Bruins connect on theirs.

Three Stars: 3) Josiah Didier (goal, assist) 2) Cooper Cech (goal, assist) 1) Brendan Gaunce (two assists)

The Good: Good start, going up 1-0 and then only 1-1 at the end of one.

The Bad: That second period where they got steamrolled where they had the game essentially taken from them, doesn’t show me any signs that this team is anything close to a playoff team. Phil Varone isn’t going to fix this. They have a lot of issues which Providence exposed these past two games.

Turning Point: Failing to score on that five on three with time left in the third is a glaring miss.

Around the Division: Strange, but the Pens and Bruins were the only game in the division.

Standings: Hershey 74 — Hartford 71 — Providence 70 — Charlotte 64 — Springfield 62 — Penguins 62 — Lehigh Valley 54 — Bridgeport 45

Wheeling Update: The Nailers were off tonight.

Video Highlights: I doubt they are going to want to cut up highlights of this dumpster fire.

     @    

1                                        2

–

I don’t like Sunday games. Home, away, doesn’t matter I don’t like them. Sunday is my day off where I look forward to doing nothing.

I can only imagine how the Wilkes-Barre / Scranton Penguins felt Sunday after the Providence Bruins dealt them a 2-1 loss. The Bruins didn’t play Friday, while the Penguins were in a. battle with the Hershey Bears then had to travel overnight to play Saturday in Hartford, then traveled up to Providence to play less than 24 hours after that.

The Bruins hosted the Springfield Thunderbirds and didn’t have to travel a lick this weekend and got a weary Penguins team that gave up an early goal and Max Lagace and the Bruins defense locked them down from there. Providence wins its fifth in a row and gets some breathing room on the Penguins and the rest of the teams chasing them for a playoff spot.

I don’t really like making that excuse because the Bruins are no strangers to three games in three days as any team in the AHL is. The Penguins still have not applied the services of Phil Varone yet because his immigration issues are likely sitting on some lackeys desk somewhere to get approved top play and work in the United States.

Moral of the story, we will see what this Penguins team is like when they are rested, the Bruins have to travel down for a Wednesday game with Phil Varone most likely in the lineup.

Dustin Tokarski opposed Max Lagace.

Lineup:

That lineup graphic is not correct. Casey DeSmith was listed as the starter, but it was Tokarski and Emil Larmi was listed as the backup. They didn’t say the reason as to the late pull.

Lineup Notes: But for the late, unexplained switch at goal, no changes.

First Period: Zach Senyshyn wrister from the circle in the games first two minutes and it was 1-0 Bruins. I didn’t get setup to watch the game and missed the goal and with this being a Sunday, decided not to GIF any goals going in. Providence didn’t provide video proof of the goal but it stood.

Pens pressured from thereon, but Lagace was making some really good saves. One on Miletic even strength and a few on Riley Barber on a power play late.

Shots were 8-5 Bruins at the end of the period. Sounded like the Bruins had the jump, and the Penguins had the finish.

Second Period: Pens had a power play early, then the Penguins had some defensive issues that Tokarski navigated them through without issues. Pens had a penalty kill that they got through also. Providence continued to wear down the Penguins having not played Friday and finally got a goal to go when Steven Kampfer threw a shot on goal which may have been deflected but counted with .4 to play in the period which gave the Bruins a 2-0 lead heading to the…

Third Period: The Penguins, seemingly needing to empty the tank in the final period of a three in three, responded with a goal by Cole Cassels 63 seconds in to draw to within one.

But they would get no further. Providence strapped down defensively and had a late power play. Then, with Tokarski vacated for the extra man, the Bruins were able to keep Wilkes-Barre from finding the equalizer.

Three Stars: 3) Dustin Tokarski (25 saves) 2) Brendan Gaunce (assist) 1) Steven Kampfer (goal)

The Good: Pens kept it close, couldn’t get over the hump. They were lucky Friday, good on Saturday and out of both Sunday. It happens. Providence is a good team.

The Bad: Ideally the start was less than ideal and the penalties were a bit excessive, but fatigue can do that for you.

Turning Point: Kampfer’s goal with .4 left in the second gave the Bruins a 2-0 lead against a road weary Penguins team they are battling for a spot.

Around the Division: The most important other game of the day for the Penguins was the Springfield / Syracuse game. The Thunderbirds win 3-2 in overtime….Hartford beat Bridgeport 4-1.

Standings: Hershey 72 — Hartford 71 — Providence 68 — Charlotte 64 — Springfield 62 — Penguins 62 — Lehigh Valley 54 — Bridgeport 45

Wheeling Update: Nailers with a big 3-2 win in Brampton today. Justin Almeida had a pair of goals and Jordan Ruby had 27 saves.

Video Highlights: I am working in an edit here at around 8 p.m. Sunday, Providence doesn’t have any and I doubt they will.

Trade deadline is Monday. Imolst likely will have a roundup of the moves around the Atlantic Division with their NHL parent teams and offer my take on what it means down the stretch. Look for that Monday if there is enough there. If not, then check back Wednesday for the Gameday setup between the Penguins and Bruins.

Let’s Go Pens!