Chirps from Center Ice

 vs.

5                                         2

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I bought a new pair of shoes this past week, Monday, and wore the new sneakers / walking / running shoes to Wednesday’s game and tonight’s 5-2 throttling at the hands of the Lehigh Valley Phantoms. Walking up to my doorstep at home I said to myself, “I’m 0-for-2 in these shoes” and just went with it for lack of a better headline.

Woof. Wilkes-Barre was manhandled by the Phantoms Friday and played their worst period of hockey of the season there in the second when the Phantoms explode for four straight goals to take a commanding 4-1 lead into the third period.

Pens get goals from Lukas Svejkovsky in the first, then lost Svejkovsky to injury in the nightmare second and then a third period goal from Nathan Legare to make it 4-2. Ex-Penguin Jordy Bellerive had the put away goal that made it 5-2. Then the fights started, four of them total, when Jamie Devane, Josh Maniscalco, Corey Andonovski and Sean Josling all got into it.

Here’s all the goals in the order in which they occurred starting with Svejkovsky’s in the first.

After this, the Penguins had 1:55 of 5-on-3 time but couldn’t extend the lead further. The power play woes continue.

Wilkes-Barre played a great first period and controlled pace of play. Then the second happened.

Chris Ortiz got worked there. Need to tighten up.

Brutal turnover.

Here’s where J.D. Forrest should have went to Tommy Nappier in my opinion. He didn’t.

That entire second period was a structural mess from the top down, goaltender out.

One positive, the Penguins navigated out of 5-on-3 danger of their own for :96.

In the third, Nathan Legare got the Pens to within two, and here’s where you thought maybe…

But no. Jordy Bellerive gets away from the defenders and scores on his old team for a 5-2 Phantoms lead.

Fights happened after that which should be in the highlight package below. Nothing went right for the Penguins from the second period onward.

Three Stars: 3) Cal O’Reilly (assist) – this was O’Reilly’s 700th AHL point. O’Reilly becomes just the 25th player in the AHL to achieve that milestone. I think he has low key put together a hell of a Hall of Fame career….2) Jackson Cates (two assists) 1) Tyson Foerster (two goals)

The Good: If you can think of one, leave it in the comments.

The Bad: J.D. should have gone to Nappier after the third goal. I don’t know if it would have changed the outcome and none of the goals could be pinned on Lindberg per se, but that’s what you have a backup goaltender for.

Turning Point: Bellerive’s goal put out any faint hopes of a Wilkes-Barre comeback.

Oh, here’s how they lined up:

The Pens released Max Newton and recalled Brooklyn Kalmikov from Wheeling. Pittsburgh sent Dustin Tokarski and Taylor Fedun back.

Around the Division: Not a good night on the out of town board. Bridgeport beats Rochester 1-0 in overtime…Providence beats Hartford (good) 5-3…Laval beats Hershey 3-2 in overtime…Springfield pounds Rockford 7-2 (bad)

Standings: Hershey 55 – Providence 53 – Lehigh Valley 43 – Charlotte 42 – Penguins 41 – Bridgeport 41 – Springfield 39 – Hartford 37.

Another big one Saturday in Bridgeport and the Pens thus far have had no success with the Islanders.

Wheeling Update: Nailers were off.

Video Highlights: 

More Saturday. Keep the faith.

Let’s Go Pens!