Chirps from Center Ice

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3                                          4

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With apologies to Soccer Moses, and on this first day off Lent for us practicng Catholics, the Penguins needed some divine intervention it seemed in order to win Wednesday night.

It came in the form of three power play goals, two in the final 5 or so minutes of regulation and the Wilkes-Barre / Scranton Penguins rally from behind and defeat the Lehigh Valley Phantoms 4-3.

Let’s get into it on this work night. Here’s how they lined up:

Lineup Notes: Jamie Devane and Corey Andonovski for Justin Addamo and Ty Glover up front. I wouldn’t have made any defensive changes after only giving up two Sunday to Bridgeport in a tight one and they didn’t, Dustin Tokarski was bak, Tommy Nappier back to Wheeling.

First Period: Garrett Wilson scores on his former team and the Phantoms were off to the races.

No light or point from the referee, but it was a good goal after video review.

Penguins were chasing in the period.

Second Period: Nolan Maier relieved Troy Grosenick to start the period. This is because Grosenick was run into by Lukas Svejkovsky in the first period.

Penguins still couldn’t get out of second gear, and were being handcuffed by all the penalties they were taking.

Max Willman scored an even strength goal on a low shot that beats Dustin Tokarski for a goal that made it 2-0.

Drake Caggiula played fast and loose, taking two penalties in the period.

Caggiula’s high risk, high reward style of play remained evident when he scored the first of three power play goals for the Penguins on the night which cut the Phantoms lead in half.

They looked better, obviously, in the period getting the goal but lacked something.

Third Period: Nothing the first twelve or so minutes, then they tie the game on a Nathan Legare even strength goal which tipped the scales in favor of the Penguins.

I mentioned weeks ago that if you get role guys like Caggiula and Legare going, you get guys like Alex Nylander going.

Alex Nylander got going with this power play goal which gave the Penguins the lead.

Get Alex Nylander going and you get Sam Houde going.

Back end of the 4-on-3 power play they were on at the time.

Penguins still had to navigate out of trouble and Lehigh Valley connects on a late power play goal when Eliot Desnoyers pounces on a rebound in the slot he puts home to get it back to one for the visitors, but they never found that equalizing goal.

Three Stars: 3) Nathan Legare (goal) 2) Alex Nylander (goal) 1) Sam Houde (goal)

The Good: Lehigh Valley coughs up third period leads like they are going out of style, so maybe tonight’s comeback wasn’t a good measuring stick, but it was still good to see them come back late and pull out a win.

The Bad: Can’t play fast and loose like that. Yeah, Lehigh Valley has a top ten power play and all, but that isn’t a recipe for success. Play like that against Providence or a better team and you embarrass yourself.

Turning Point: You just knew that when Legare scored it was over for the Phantoms from then on.

Around the Division: This was a good win for the Penguins for another reason, and that’s because Hartford, who was in seventh place coming into Wednesday, beats Springfield 5-1 to bump up to sixth.

Standings: Providence 70 – Hershey 69 – Charlotte 62 – Springfield 56 – Lehigh Valley 55 – Hartford 53 – Bridgeport 52 – Penguins 51

Wheeling Update: Nailers were off.

Video Highlights: 

Back at it Friday on the road in Syracuse for the first time this season.

Let’s Go Pens!