Chirps from Center Ice

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4                             5

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The Wilkes-Barre / Scranton Penguins outshot the Bridgeport Islander 42-20 Friday night and lost 5-4.

Bridgeport is in a got to have it mode where they are in last place in the Atlantic Division and need to start pushing in order to get out of the basement.

Cory Schneider still has it. The Islanders goaltender stopped 38 tonight, some difficult as the Pens were bombarding him with shots.

Not for a lack of trying, either. Every penguins skater registered a shot on goal.

Sometimes you just run into a desperate opponent that will refuse to lose. That was Bridgeport on Friday.

Schneider opposed Tommy Nappier.

Lineup Notes: Taylor Fedun was injured in the first period of the game on Sunday, scores the OT GWG and is now day to day. This is why Chris Ortiz was recalled. He skated at the morning skate Friday.

First Period: Chris Terry from a bad angle, scores to give the Islanders a 1-0 lead. Andy Andreoff shot misses everything, deflects off the back wall to Samuel Bolduc who finds Terry for the goal.

Didn’t take long for the Penguins to respond as the fourth line and Felix Robert scored to tie the game at one.

Then the aforementioned Ortiz scores his first AHL goal on a nice pinch play that gave the Penguins a 2-1 lead.

Look at the hands on him!

Second Period: Penguins outshoot the Islanders 20-7 in the period.

Quality, not quantity.

The Islanders score two goals to go up 3-2 in in the period.

Simon Holmstrom finishes off a two on one pass from Any Andreoff to tie the game at 2.

In a period marred by penalties, six total in the period alone awarded by referees Jordan Deckard and Tim Mayer, the Islanders were able to score all of their goals even strength.

Chris Terry, again, scores his second goal of the game to put the Islanders up 3-2 as they headed into intermission.

Bad goal to give up in the situation.

Third Period: Arnaud Durandeau camped in front, unmarked, and he scores to make it 4-2.

Worse goal to give up in the situation.

Felix Robert gets the Pens back within one with his second of the game.

Penguins kept coming in waves, but Cory Schneider kept bailing the Islanders out. Filip Hallander had a chance after Samuel Bolduc broke his stick, but Schneider came up again and made the save.

Kyle MacLean with the dagger.

I’d rather not, thanks.

Radim Zohorna scored with Nappier pulled while the Pens were on a power play to make it 5-4.

But that’s all the Penguins would get, unfortunately.

Three Stars: 3) Felix Robert (two goals) 2) Andy Andreoff (three assists) 1) Chris Terry (two goals)

Michael Chaput had three assists.

The Good: I mean the fact that the Pens had every skater register a shot on goal was nice. Was Wilkes-Barre the better team? I can’t say confidently yes.

The Bad: You can’t have a last place team want it more than you. The Islanders did. The Pens have to quickly learn from this as they rematch Saturday.

Turning Point: The Durandeau goal early in the third wasn’t the start the Pens wanted and the exact start the Islanders needed.

Around the Division: Charlotte beats Lehigh Valley 5-2….Springfield beats Hershey 4-3 in overtime. The Bears scored two goals late. James Neal with a hat trick capped off by the overtime game winner.

Standings: The Pens will do well with the Lehigh Valley loss, but Hershey getting a point and Charlotte winning clean widens the gap to fourth and fifth. Pens are on .510 percentage points, Hershey is at .557, now the Phantoms are in last place at .469 and Bridgeport sees the results pay off and are in seventh at .471.

Wheeling Update: Nailers were off.

Video Highlights: If I see em I will post em.

Rematch Saturday at 7 in Bridgeport. More then.

Let’s Go Pens!