Chirps from Center Ice

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So the Wilkes-Barre / Scranton Penguins ran into a really good goaltender on Friday night.

I don’t know the whole story, but Devon Levi started the season in Buffalo playing in the NHL, was sent to the AHL to get reps. There was a necessity to make a recall, and Levi wasn’t selected, ex-Penguin Dustin Tokarski was.

I think if Levi keeps playing the way that he did Friday, Buffalo brass will have no choice but to recall him. His day will come, rest assured.

Penguins lose 5-3. I had a few Amerks fans counter me on Twitter when I said that the Pens “ran into a hot goalie” with that this is the way Levi plays. He stopped 41 shots.

The other end of the spectrum is Magnus Hellberg. I think we have to start having a discussion about Hellberg. As I mentioned in this weeks Weekend Preview, he’s only won 2 out of his last now 6 starts. Meanwhile Taylor Gauthier is having a career year in the ECHL. When does Gauthier get a look? I don’t know the answer. He gets all the starts for Wheeling. If they made a move, he wouldn’t get anything like that in Wilkes-Barre. Joel Blomqvist is the number one in these parts. It’s a fine line you have to walk with winning and development. Hellberg, while I won’t pin the loss all on him Friday, wasn’t good enough for the Penguins.

Here’s how they lined up. Rochester didn’t post lines:

Lineup Notes: Oh boy, a lot. Pittsburgh recalled Valtteri Puustinen, Jonathan Gruden and Vinnie Hinostroza on Thursday. The Pens recalled Justin Addamo and Max Cajkovic from Wheeling. Those two were in, Joona Koppanen missed the game or personal reasons, per Nick Hart. Because of this, they went 11 forwards. 7 defensemen with Taylor Fedun joining the six defensemen who skated in Toronto on Wednesday afternoon.

First Period: Pens had a bit of jump, could not Devon Levi. Rochester scores when Michael Mersch tipped in a shot from Mason Jobst. It looked borderline high, but was ruled a good goal.

These should be allowed to be reviewed, even if the review takes 10 seconds. Get it right.

I had no issue with the goal, by the way.

They navigated through some penalties, Levi continued to stymie them. But then Ryan Shea and Radim Zohorna scored 31 seconds apart and Wilkes-Barre lead 2-1.

Bit of a reward for them continuing to force the issue and they all of a sudden find themselves ahead.

Second Period: Penguins had 16 shots on goal in the period, all really goo, high danger shots, and Devon Levi stopped them all. Off one of those sequences, Levi would make a save and in transition the other way Michael Mersch would net his second of the game to tie the game at two.

Then a bit of goaltending adventurism by Magnus Hellberg.

Here, Hellberg should know better. He doesn’t stop the puck, falls over and spills everything on the ice while the goal is scored. Rochester takes a 3-2 lead when Tyson Kodak scores.

Devon Levi continued to stymie the Wilkes-Barre / Scranton Penguins.

Third Period: Jiri Kulich scores to make it 4-2 at 8:21.

Tough shot. Two Penguin defenders in front of Hellberg may have changed the trajectory. I never played the position, I doubt you have either. Nevertheless it was a goal you didn’t want to see them give up.

Ty Smith scored at half way and the Pens looked like they may have been back in it.

Wilkes-Barre would get a power play that they had some good looks on but they could not solve Levi and continued to trail by a goal. J.D. Forrest puled Hellberg for the extra attacher and Rochester’s Linus Weissbach would score into the empty net to make it 5-3.

Three Stars: 3) Tyson Kozak (goal) 2) Mason Jobst (three assists) 1) Michael Mersch (two goals, assist)

The Good: 5 for 5 on the penalty kill.

The Bad: Seemed like it was death by a thousand paper cuts. 0 for 2 on the power play. Shaky back up goaltending. Yeah, half of their core went up to Pittsburgh and they were missing a forward in Koppanen. They need to regroup, quickly.

Turning Point: Kulich’s goal in the third put a seal on the fate for the Penguins.

Around the Division: Bridgeport beats Providence clean 3-2 with a goal by Cole Bardreau with :25 left in regulation….Laval beats Hartford 5-2. Everyone else had Friday off.

Standings: Hershey 76 – Providence 63 – Penguins 57 – Hartford 53 – Charlotte 50 – Springfield 49 – Lehigh Valley 47 – Bridgeport 32

Wheeling Update: Nailers are out in Utah taking on the Grizzlies. That box is here.

Video Highlights: I must direct you to the AHL Video Center once they are uploaded there.

Back at it as they morph into the Pittston Tomatoes Saturday against the Laval Rocket.

Let’s Go Pens!