Chirps from Center Ice

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So I think they are both.

Good, racing out to a 3-0 lead in Hartford, lucky in getting the game to overtime after blowing said 3-0 lead and having Hartford tie the game at three and good again winning in a shootout 4-3 to rack up their fifth point out of six possible.

Special teams needs work. They let Hartford score two power play goals. Calder Cup Champion SJ Smith struck for two goals for the Wolf Pack, but Filip Lindberg outdid ex-Penguin Louis Domingue in the shootout round to give the Penguins the win.

Lucky and good. Yeah, I think they are both.

Here’s how they lined up:

Hartford didn’t post lines.

Lineup: Ty Glover making his AHL debut, was in for Sam Houde. Corey Andonovski dropped down a line to the fourth line.

First Period: Both teams traded tripping penalties. No one scored on the power play. Filip Linberg was busier than his counterpart and ex-teammate Louis Domingue.

Ty Smith rips a shot and with bodies in front Corey Andonovski gets a stick on it and it goes past Domingue for a 1-0 Penguins lead.

Second Period: Penguins pressure for a good minute and a half, two full line changes and finally breakthrough for a goal when Alex Nylander scores to double the Penguins lead.

Later, the Penguins tripled their lead when Alex Nylander gets a gust of wind behind him and breaks through for a goal that makes it 3-0 Wilkes-Barre.

Julien Gauthier takes a nice cross ice pass on a Hartford power play to bust up the Lindberg shutout bid and get the home team on the board.

Penguins doubled up the Wolf Pack 10-5 in shots in the period and, but for the one infraction against, largely controlled play.

Third Period: CJ Smith struck for fist first of the game and first as a member of the Hartford Wolf Pack with this goal that brought the home team to within one on the power play.

An absolute dart. A guy you wish you had on your team.

Penguins don’t score on back to back power plays. They lost Mitch Reinke at some point during the period and were down to five defensemen.

Momma, there goes that man again. CJ Smith scores again to tie the game for the Wolf Pack.

(no GIF here)

Wilkes-Barre doesn’t score on a late power play and it was off to….

Overtime: Lindberg goes post to post to deny Julien Gauthier on what was a nice save. Nobody scored, though.

Shootout: Drake Caggiula, who never attempted a shootout shot in the AHL went first for the Pens and missed, Alex Nylander went second and scored. Lindberg denied Jonny Brodzinski, CJ Smith and Tim Gettinger in that order and the Pens get the extra point.

Here’s the Nylander shootout goal.

Three Stars: Ty Smith (assist) 2) Alex Nylander (goal, goal in shootout) 1) CJ Smith (two goals)

The Good: They can navigate in and out of trouble and it doesn’t faze them. Yet. I don’t want to jump to conclusions three and a half (looking at you Utica) games in.

The Bad: Eventually they navigating into trouble is going to get them into waters they can’t swim out of. I still don’t think we have seem them play a full 60, but with this being a developmental league, name one team who does consistently.

Turning Point: I almost tipped my TV over when I heard Pens play by play man Nick Hart say that Drake Caggiula has no shootout experience in the AHL, why send a guy out there without any? But let’s give it to Filip Lindberg and his saves in overtime and in the shootout round. Hopefully, the highlight package has some of those saves.

Around the Division: Cleveland beats Lehigh Valley 4-3 in overtime….Charlotte does the same to Hershey 3-2. The Checkers are 4-0….Bridgeport pounds Laval 5-2….Springfield beats Belleville 3-2 and Providence slips by Utica 2-1.

Standings: Charlotte 8 – Providence 7 – Bridgeport 6 – Penguins and Bears 5 – Springfield 4 – Lehigh Valley 3 – Hartford 2

Wheeling Update: Nailers lose their home opener against the Toledo Walleye 5-3. Tommy Nappier makes 25 saves in the loss. Walleye score five unanswered.

Video Highlights: Probably a morning update. With church and the grocery store I don’t know if I will be able to work an edit in. AHL’s website will be able to help you if you are hard up for moving pictures.

More Sunday afternoon after Providence.

Let’s Go Pens!