Chirps from Center Ice

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I think I may have a new favorite player.

Not since Casey DeSmith was an AHL goaltender have I had a favorite player.

Wade Brookbank. Ben Lovejoy. Casey DeSmith.

That’s it. That’s my list.

They may have to make room for Marc Johnstone.

Saw it when they were on the road in Charlotte opening weekend. Guy busts his ass every shift and plays like he is 10 foot tall. Smart with the puck. Doesn’t make any errors. Goes and goes and goes.

Who else but Marc Johnstone, the hero, with .5 seconds left.

Wilkes-Barre wins 2-1 over Hershey Friday night.

Close game that they nearly lost a dozen times and couldn’t win with multiple power plays late. They needed a hero and it came in the form of Marc Johnstone.

Here’s how they lined up:

Lineup was Matt Filipe for Corey Andonovski who took warmups and Taylor Fedun for Jack St. Ivany.

Bears score in the first on a power play goal from Mike Vecchione on a nice setup from Mike Sgarbossa and it was 1-0 Hershey.

I didn’t like the way referees Mike Dietrich and Jake Kamrass ran things early, and they stick around and will be the referees Saturday against Belleville.

Penguins get a goal the gritty way when Alex Nylander camps out in front of the net and Jansen Harkins sets him up for the tying goal in the final minute of the second period.

In the third, I became incredibly frustrated with the Penguins power play.

J.D. Forrest throwing things at the wall. Jonathan Gruden on the power play?

I figured their power play out, though.

Johnstone won it late, as documented above. Thought it was deflected in with a high stick, but it was not.

Three Stars: 3) Joel Blomqvist (19 saves) 2) Alex Nylander (goal) 1) Marc Johnstone (game winning goal)

A note about Blomqvist – I don’t want to say he stole the game cause he kept the team in it and his guys won it for him. I also don’t want to rush him, but I think he is quickly becoming the best goaltender in the organization, all things considered. Keep it up.

Also, Hershey has three regulation losses and the Penguins gave them two of those losses.

The Good: Marc Johnstone. What else can I say? What a player. Give me a team full of Marc Johnstone’s.

The Bad: Power play coulda used a goal.

Turning Point: Johnstone’s goal with .5 left gets it here. Obviously.

Around the Division: Cleveland has been in the AHL as the Monsters since  2007. This is the first ever meeting with the Providence Bruins, a team that plays in the same conference as them. Providence wins 7-3….Lehigh Valley beats Hartford 5-4 in overtime….Springfield beats Belleville 6-3.

Standings: Hershey 14 / Hartford 11 / Penguins / Charlotte / Springfield 10 / Lehigh Valley and Providence 9 / Bridgeport 5

Wheeling Update: Nailers were off.

Video Highlights:

Back at it Saturday against Belleville at 6:05.

Let’s Go Pens!