Chirps from Center Ice

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4                                              5

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They found a way to win tonight with half of the offense on recall to Pittsburgh.

Josh Currie, Radim Zohorna, Anthony Angello, Drew O’Connor, Freddy Gaudreau are just some of the names on recall. Yet they managed to come from behind and beat the Binghamton Devils 5-4 on overtimebeat the Binghamton Devils 5-4 in overtime on Saturday evening. A gritty, come from behind way to do it but successful overall.

Here is how they lined up:

Lineup Notes: A ton. Justin Almeida was back from Pittsburgh and was on the top line. D’Orio backed up Lagace, who was back down from Pittsburgh this week as well.

First Period: Seemed like the Pens dominated play in spurts, had a bunch of power play opportunities to show for it but trailed at the end of the period on a kind of lucky-ish shot that beat Lagace for the lead at intermission.

Every team that scored first in the series between these two teams has gone on to lose the game.

Foreshadowing.

Second Period: Devils extend their lead by two. Turnover in the neutral zone led to this.

Justin Almeida gets the Penguins on the board with a nifty play.

Unfettered, Binghamton would get another goal to go when Nate Schnarr did this.

Yeah thats a hide a puck, spin, shoot high and snipe in a goal for a 3-1 lead.

Wilkes-Barre seemed to be letting the game slip away. The scales were tipping in the improved Devils favor, and it was getting the Penguins mad.

They also lost the services of Zach Trotman as well, who wasn’t on the bench in the second period.

The Penguins started throwing the body and you could hear that teapot whistling. There wasn’t a fight, but the intensity was ratcheting up.

Then Felix Robert scored this highlight reel goal that brought the Penguins to within one.

Falling over, steals the puck, gathers himself and flips a backhander past Senn for a possible goal of the season candidate.

Big response goal as well. Pens boiling, big mad and Robert responds with a highlight reel goal to bring Wilkes-Barre within one heading into the…

Third Period: Cam Lee has five assists against Binghamton this season and no goals to show for it. He loves playing the Devils but hasn’t scored a goal in the AHL yet, so you think that he would have to get one agains the Devils in a big spot, right?

Yup.

Nifty snipe there for his first professional tuck.

It had a sense that they were just going to accept the result as it was on the scoreboard and just skate to overtime.

Nope.

Big goal at an in opportune time. What an effort by Jon Gruden setting it all up, too.

Just hold on and win, right?

Senn vacated for an extra attacker and Binghamton immediately scores to tie the game at four. Ryan Schmelzer.

Off to…

Overtime: Pens killed a Jan Drozg trip behind a yeoman PK effort by Jon Lizotte and Jordy Bellerive wins it again.

Three Stars: 3) Felix Robert (goal, assist) 2) Nate Schnarr (two goals) 1) Jordy Bellerive (game winning, OT goal)

The Good: Half of the reliable offense is all up with Pittsburgh. The AHL Penguins found a way to win without them.

The Bad: Would like to see them do this against a better team like Hershey or Lehigh Valley. They fell in a hole against a last place Binghamton team and dragged themselves out.

Turning Point: Much like last week, Bellerive’s goal in overtime is the obvious choice.

They are in action Sunday afternoon at 1 against Hershey. More then.

Let’s Go Pens!

Stay safe.