Chirps from Center Ice

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I told you yesterday that if the Iowa Wild beat the Manitoba Moose, the other unbeaten in regulation team in the AHL, and if the Penguins beat the Hershey Bears in any form or fashion, you would get that headline.

Iowa thumped the Moose 5-2 Saturday afternoon. The Penguins beat the Hershey Bears 2-1 in overtime.

The Wilkes-Barre / Scranton Penguins are the sole unbeaten in regulation team in the 32 team American Hockey League.

6-0-1-0 to start the season. Unbeaten (in regulation) in October. I mean you can’t ask for a better start.

How are they doing this? They are grinding teams to dust.

Take the second period of this game as a classic example. Taking the Bears best shots, starting goaltender Filip Lindberg turning way all 13 shots faced and killing off a penalty. Nothing too flashy, nothing to tough to figure out, just grinding in what was a 1-1 contest at the time.

Taking nothing away from the aforementioned Lindberg and his counterpart Hunter Shepard, who both played outstanding in the contest, it was another methodical takedown of yet another rival of the Penguins.

Lines were…

Lineup Notes: Only change was in goal. You love to see it.

First Period: Slow strait, which as it went on had a thought it played into the hands (paws?) of the Bears, and my premonition came true.

Sonny Milano opens the scoring with a dart past Lindberg.

Pens were being outshot. It wasn’t for a lack of pucks at Shepard, they just weren’t on target.

Shepard was dialed in and below shows how dialed in he was, going post to post to deny a Valtteri Puustinen one timer on a Penguin power play.

Corey Andonovski with a Herculean effort to carry two Bears defenders with him down the slot and slip a shot past Shepard and in to tie the game at one.

Second Period: Gave it to you in parts in the lede. Nothing much to write home about here.

Third Period: Scary moment for the Penguins as they forget about Aaron Ness in the penalty box. Ness strips a Penguins defender of the puck and sets up Sonny Milano for a chance that Lindberg makes the stop on.

Bears took two late penalties, the Ness infraction being one of them, but they get out of it OK. Off to…

Overtime: This happened…

But then this happened…

Notable that Lindberg himself had a barrel roll save almost immediately after the Shepard stop on the 2-on-1.

Three Stars: 3) Hunter Shepard (27 saves) 2) Sonny Milano (goal) 1) Filip Hallander (overtime game winning goal)

The Good: Giant Center has been a house of horrors of recent for the Penguins, nice to see the Pens keep the unbeaten streak alive for another week in a place they don’t win often at of recent.

The Bad: Can’t put a finger on anything really. When you are good, you are good. I think tonight was a solid 60+ minute game by the team from the goalie out.

Turning Point: The Hallander goal, duh.

Around the Division: Providence takes down Springfield 4-3 in a shootout….Bridgeport keeps rolling and beat the Phantoms 6-3….Hartford takes down the Charlotte Checkers 3-2 in overtime.

Standings: Penguins 13 – Providence 11 – Bridgeport and Charlotte 9 – Springfield 7 – Hershey and Hartford 6 – Lehigh Valley 5

Wheeling Update: Busy night for minor league hockey, but the Nailers were off.

Video Highlights: 

Gonna open the mailbag this week. Haven’t done that in a while but I think it’s high time to bring its back. It will be here on the blog Monday. No game Friday for the Pens so it’ll make for good fodder between now and the Pens next game Saturday against these same Bears. Check it out then.

Let’s Go Pens!