Chirps from Center Ice

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I have no witty headline for you tonight. I’ll try and do better the next time.

The Wilkes-Barre / Scranton Penguins defeated the North Division leading Cleveland Monsters 5-3 Friday night. They navigated through what was a stifling Cleveland forecheck and managed to take a 2-1 lead after the second period, scoring two goals in the middle frame.

After what seemed like a quick first ten minutes of the third, they catch a pretty goal from Alex Nylander to go ahead 3-1.

Then all hell broke loose and four goals were scored in the span of about three minutes.

Here’s how they lined up:

Lineup: The trend of dressing 11 forwards and 7 defensemen is a trend, I guess.

At around noon Friday, Pittsburgh recalled Marc Johnstone, Valtteri Puustinen and Jonathan Gruden. For Johnstone it was his NHL debut. They returned Joona Koppanen and the aforementioned Alex Nylander.

Lineup wise, Koppanen and Nylander were joined by Lukas Svejkovsky and P.O. Joseph for Johnstone, Gruden and Sam Houde, who is injured again.

First Period: Cleveland scores on a boffo shot from behind the goal line that banks off of Magnus Hellberg and in.

Monsters were bottling up the Penguins and it was bothering me that I couldn’t figure out what exactly it was. Shots were 12-10 but it seemed like the Penguins were lacking something.

Second Period: Ty Smith shoots and his first shot doesn’t go in. Ty Smith gets the puck, shoots again and it goes in.

It at first you don’t succeed, try, try again.

Raivis Ansons knocks in a puck for a goal that gives the Penguins a 2-1 lead.

Penguins find themselves in penalty trouble. Cleveland has :47 of two man advantage and fail to score. This was a gargantuan kill for Wilkes-Barre / Scranton. If Cleveland scores here it’s tied, they may score again on the other penalty and re-take the lead. None of that happened.

Third Period: They flew through the first 7:39 without a whistle. Refs Alex Normandin and Riley Brace called an excellent game I thought.

Issue still in doubt, will they, won’t they blow the lead and Alex Nylander scores to make it 3-1.

That move was sick.

Peter Abbandonato picked up an assist here, he’s a point machine for the Penguins.

Then four goals in the span of about three minutes. Here goes nothing…

– Corey Andonovski into an empty net, 4-1 Penguins;
– James Malatesta for Cleveland then scores and hold the phone, 4-2 Penguins;
– Alex Nylander from the opposing blue line on what was technically an empty net power play goal and it’s 5-2 Pens;
– But then Roman Ahcan bags his second on a snipe and it’s 5-3.

Monsters didn’t GIF their second and third goals.

Three Stars: 3) Corey Andonovski (goal, assist) 2) Raivis Ansons (goal, assist) 1) Alex Nylander (two goals)

The Good: Seems like they fought through adversity. Coaching? Maybe.

The Bad: Really couldn’t put a finger on anything. That finish was thrill a minute. Overall I think they played a solid, sound sixty minute hockey game.

Turning Point: That penalty kill back in the second period when they were down two men gets it here. May be the most important penalty kill of the season thus far.

Around the Division: Hartford beats Laval 4-3 in a shootout….Syracuse beats Hershey 4-1. Bears nine game win streak ends….Utica beats Bridgeport 4-1….Charlotte roughs up Rochester 6-1….Providence shuts out Lehigh Valley 2-0.

Standings: Hershey 36 – Hartford 33 – Providence 27 – Penguins 25 – Springfield 24 – Charlotte 22 – Lehigh Valley 22 – Bridgeport 13

Wheeling Update: Nailers take down the Indy Fuel 4-3 in overtime. Davis Bunz gets the overtime goal, Jordan Frasca with a goal and an assist. Issac Belliveau with a goal and two assists.

Video Highlights: 

Providence has won six straight coming into Saturday’s clash. More then.

Let’s Go Pens!