Chirps from Center Ice

           vs.            

2                                                      5

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The five game losing streak that the Wilkes-Barre / Scranton Penguins had coming into this game with Bridgeport is over. After having five games where ether couldn’t do anything right, this game where they won 5-2, they couldn’t do anything wrong.

Binghamton Sunday afternoon at home. If the Penguins are serious about making a playoff push, albeit a faint chance otherwise, it would behoove them to win that game.

Dustin Tokarski opposed Jakub Skarek.

Lines were as follows…

Justin Almeida was recalled for Myles Powell who must have been banged up Friday in Binghamton.

:11 in Jamie Devane butchered Cedric Lacroix. I mean just beat him to a mess. Lacroix left a trail of gushing blood all over time ice which required the zambonis to come out and clean up. After about a 15 minute delay, play resumed. Pens killed a penalty, then Kevin Roy tipped in a shot from Kevin Czuczman to give the Penguins a 1-0 lead. 

You could see that they were playing with purpose, outshooting Bridgeport 12-7. Both teams went 0/1 on the power play. 

In the second, the Penguins weren’t able to score on extended 1:40 of two man advantage but that didn’t stop the Sound Tigers from gifting the Penguins more penalties. 

They scored three seconds into one when Jordy Bellerive tipped a Zach Trotman shot that made it 2-0. 

They connected on their second power play goal of the period when Jan Drozg collected loose change in front and scored to make it 3-0. 

Oliver Wahlstrom scores on a Sound Tigers power play to spoil the Tokarski shutout and made it 3-1. 

But the Penguins got it right back when Zach Trotman fired and scored to reestablish the three goal lead. 

(no GIF of this one)

A failed clear by the Penguins in the third and Seth Helgeson scored to make it 4-2. You could feel as the period went on that the Sound Tigers were making a push.

But Chase Berger finally connected on his first goal of the season into an empty net which made it 5-2. With that monkey off of his back, perhaps the goals will come.

The Good: Felt like a team win. Guys were blocking shots, helps that they connected on a few power plays here and there too.

The Bad: A team like the Penguins should always beat a last place team, no matter if it is Bridgeport or whoever. Proof will be in the pudding when Binghamton rolls in town in a few hours.

Turning Point: Jamie Devane’s massacre of Cedric Lacroix set the tone early for the night.

Around the Division: Providence wins its tenth straight, beating Springfield 4-2….Hershey beats Hartford for the second straight night and wins 4-1….Binghamton beats Lehigh Valley 5-1….Utica clips Charlotte 3-2 in overtime.

Standings: Hershey 80 — Providence 78 — Hartford 73 — Charlotte 69 — Penguins 64 — Springfield 63 — Lehigh Valley 56 — Bridgeport 49

Wheeling Update: The Nailers were off.

Video Highlights: 

Gameday setup here at 11 am Sunday for Binghamton, Let’s Go Pens!