Chirps from Center Ice

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No. You read that right, the Wilkes-Barre / Scranton Penguins won the game Saturday 4-3 in overtime, just their second victory in overtime this season and Joel Blomqvist’s first OT win as well.

Not with a bit of drama, as they carried a 2-1 lead into the third period only to see it evaporate and trail 3-2. It was here where Avery Hayes scored his first AHL goal at a good time to tie the game then it was Corey Andonovski going coast to coast to win it in the extra frame.

The magic number for a playoff berth should be four, with Springfield losing in regulation to Utica, provided my math is correct, which it rarely is.

Here’s how they lined up…

Lineup Notes: Owen Headrick for the recalled Ryan Shea on defense, Evan Vierling and Matthew Quercia for some combination of Sam Poulin and Scooter Brickey.

First Period: Ethan Samson beats Joel Blomqvist short side to put the Phantoms on the board first.

Not a lot to like this period. They had a power play they couldn’t get out of their own way on and took a penalty just :59 in and at some point lost Jonathan Gruden to injury. Gruden was not seen the remainder of the game.

Second Period: They remained down 1-0, didn’t connect on two power plays in the period but then Austin Rueschhoff won an offensive zone face-off and throws a shot at the net and there was Radim Zohorna to clean up the mess and tie the game at one.

Coupla minutes later, roles were reversed and it was Zohorna throwing a puck at the net and Rueschhoff cleaning up the loose change for a power play goal that gave the Penguins a 2-1 lead.

A late Phantoms shot hit the post with seconds remaining.

Third Period: Penguins held the Phantoms shotless for the first seven minutes but then the Phantoms got rolling.

Samu Tuomaala with a dart off a face-off and it was a tie game.

And a coupla minutes after that, Emil Andrae put the Phantoms ahead through an Adam Brooks screen that put the Phantoms ahead 3-2.

Another third period collapse? Really?!?!?

Nah nah.

Avery Hayes to the rescue.

Evan Vierling with the assist of all assists there, his first AHL assist.

Time ran out and here we go, off to…

Overtime: Was hold on to your butts because they were 1-8 coming into overtime.

But Corey Andonovski had enough of the losing in overtime.

Ballgame.

Three Stars: 3) Austin Rueschhoff (goal, assist) 2) Avery Hayes (first AHL goal) 1) Corey Andonovski (overtime game winning goal)

The Good: Good comeback, given the terms and the opponent.

The Bad: Seven of them were -1, all of them regulars. That’s not going to be good enough against the Hershey’s and Providence’s of the world.

Turning Point: Pick one between the Hayes goal that got you there or the Andonovski goal that ended overtime.

Around the Division: Hershey beats Hartford 2-1 in a shootout….Utica beats Springfield 4-3….Bridgeport beats Charlotte 1-0 in overtime….Syracuse shuts out Providence 4-0.

Standings: Hershey 99 – Providence 83 – Charlotte 77 – Penguins 75 – Hartford 70 – Lehigh Valley 65 – Springfield 63 – Bridgeport 53

Wheeling Update: Nailers are in Cincinnati and the game is still in action when this blog post goes up. Box here.

Video Highlights:

Have a Happy Easter! Talk to you this Friday or sooner if I have to. Let’s hope I don’t have to.

Let’s Go Pens!