Chirps from Center Ice

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That’s more like it.

The Wilkes-Barre / Scranton Penguins after getting shelled and obliterated in Toronto 48 hours before, play a stay at home type game against the Belleville Senators and win 3-1.

It was a close game throughout, and if I am a Belleville fan I say that I deserved a better fate, but the Penguins are in win now mode and it went their way Friday.

Good news for the Penguins out of town too, more on that later.

Tommy Nappier opposed Mads Sogaard.

Here’s how they lined up:

Lineup Notes: Felix Robert and Nathan Legare for Jamie Devane and Corey Andonovski up front and Cam Lee for Matt Bartkowski on defense.

First Period: Nothing of substance, Robert and Drew O’Connor had a shorthanded chance that ex-Bear Colby Williams gets back to break up.

Second Period: Valtteri Puustinen finishes off a nice tic tac toe play to put the Penguins on the board first.

But soon after Logan Shaw scored on a backdoor play to bring the Senators back even with the Penguins.

(Belleville didn’t GIF the goal)

Shots were an even 19 each for both sides.

Third Period: Alex Nylander scores a rebound goal from a Sam Poulin shot for his first road goal for the Penguins.

Belleville had a late power play, but didn’t really get a good look at a Grade A scoring chance.

Jonathan Gruden hits an empty net to seal it away and that was the ballgame.

Three Stars: 3) Logan Shaw (goal) 2) Valtteri Puustinen (goal) 1) Alexander Nylander (goal)

The Good: Nice way to bounce back after that pounding the Marlies laid on Wednesday. We don’t see Belleville as much as we should and they beat the Penguins last time, so this was a good win.

The Bad: 0/4 on the power play. But that may be nitpicking.

Turning Point: The goal by Nylander, his first road goal for the Penguins, puts the B-Sens in a hole they were never able to climb out of.

Around the Division: That out of town good news I mentioned at the open? Hershey loses 2-0 in Providence…Cleveland beats Charlotte 1-0….Springfield beats Hartford 3-2….Laval piledrives Lehigh Valley 5-1.

Standings: Pens four points back of Hershey with a game in hand for fifth in the division. Pens four up on idle Bridgeport.

Who plays who tomorrow: Hershey travels to Hartford and Bridgeport is in Toronto.

Wheeling Update: Nailers beat the Kalamazoo Wings at home 4-1. The K-Wings only had 14 shots. Justin Almeida had a pair of goals.

Video Highlights:

More tomorrow afternoon after the 3 p.m. start in Laval.

Let’s Go Pens!