Chirps from Center Ice

 vs.

3                               2

I said in my Weekend Preview that there were players that “stir the drink” for the Penguins which were out of last weeks lineup and not put too much stock in getting 1 out of a possible 6 points last weekend. Those players, Forward Alex Nylander and Defenseman and team captain Taylor Fedun weren’t available last weekend and they weren’t available tonight.

The Penguins raced out to a 2-0 lead in the first period and outshot the Cleveland Monsters 20-6.

Then the second period happened.

The Monsters score two power play goals and tie the game at two.

An innocuous third period, but a Kasper Bjorkqvist shot at the buzzer deflects off of two Monsters players and goes in. But video review after showed that time had expired.

Dillon Simpson scored in overtime to give Cleveland the win. Pens lose 3-2.

What changed from the first period to the second? A desperate team came out, took advantage on the power play and got back into the game. The contest evened out after that.

You needed a straw to stir the drink. Well, Alex Nylander is still out with his illness. Nylander skated in the morning and Fedun is still out with his lower body injury.

They got a point and stay at .500. It’s where I had them pegged at the start of the season. Could Nylander have helped? Sure. Are the Penguins Calder Cup contenders with him in the lineup? Let’s not get silly.

Alex D’Orio started. He opposed Jet Greaves. Greaves faced 20 shots in the first and won the game for his team in that period because without him stopping the barrage he faced, the Monsters are down 4 our more goals coming into the second.

Louis Domingue backed up. Tommy Nappier skated in the morning but is also now listed as a non-COVID ill person.

It’s a work night, so here’s how the goals went…

Kasper Bjorkqvist tapped in a net front pass from Michael Chaput and the Pens were up 1-0.

Drew O’Connor struck on a power play and that made it 2-0.

Here’s the goals:

In the second, the Monsters struck for two power play goals. Carson Meyer and Jake Christiansen in that order. Here they are…

Here’s the goal that Kasper Bjorkqvist scored at 60:01, which of course didn’t count….

Close.

Dillon Simpson scored the overtime winner here.

Ballgame.

Here’s how they lined up.

Bjorkqvist in for Jan Drozg was the only lineup change.

Three Stars: 3) Drew O’Connor 2) Jake Christiansesn (goal, assist) 1) Dillon Simpson (overtime game winner)

The Good: More of the first period, please?

The Bad: Less of whatever the second and third period was.

Turning Point: 

I want to disagree, but I can’t.

Around the Division: Texas drops Charlotte 7-1. Belleville thumped Providence 4-1. The Pens were the only team in the division to get a point on Wednesday.

Standings: They are still .500 and in sixth.

Wheeling Update: Justin Almeida has 21 goals. He scored one of them in the Nailers 2-1 win at home against Toledo.

Video Highlights: 

Laval Saturday. They smoked Rochester 7-2 Wednesday. Yikes.

Let’s Go Pens!