Chirps from Center Ice

            vs.          

7                                  6

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Say it with me, they are young and this is just one game.

Normally at this level, you score six goals and nine times out of ten you will win the game.

This game was the outlier.

A disastrous third period sees a two goal lead evaporate, the experienced visitors score four unanswered and the Wilkes-Barre / Scranton Penguins are on pace for an 0-72 season after falling 7-6 to the Charlotte Checkers Saturday night at home.

Welcome to the AHL, Filip Larsson.

He didn’t look sharp, but the team in front of him didn’t exactly look good structure wise or defensively, especially in the third, and this cost them. Here’s how they lined up:

Lineup Notes: They sent Taylor Gauthier back to the Wheeling Nailers on Friday and as a result the roster tracker page has been updated.

First Period: Just 94 seconds into the season, Jaycob Megna scores a goal that gives the Checkers a 1-0 lead.

Normally, I would post videos of all the goals but since there were 13 in this game and this campground Wi-Fi is spotty at best here in the Gettysburg woods, you are only going to get what I give you, and today’s not your day here.

But the Penguins would respond in kind with a pair of goals from a pair of guys whom this is going to be expected of this season, Jimmy Huntingdon gets the debut goal for the Penguins in his Penguins debut and scores to level it with the Checkers about six minutes later.

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Early theme of the night here. Penguins face-off loss, Checkers turnover and a opportunity for the home team that they cash in on.

Emil Bemström scores his first goal of the season that puts the Penguins up 2-1.

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Pretty play. Get used to it.

Second Period: So to this point the Penguins had the games first three power plays and weren’t able to do anything with them. Mackenzie Entwhistle gets a shorthanded goal to go that ties the game for the Checkers but then Avery Hayes’ dogged termination in front of the net guarded by Chris Driedger pushed Wilkes-Barre back ahead.

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I’ll let my tweet (post?) set up this next sequence here for you:

Aidan McDonough (get used to this name) for the visitors and then Broz here…

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That’s a hell of a shot by the kid right there.

Third Period: It was a bit of a concern that the Penguins had all these power plays with nothing to show for it, but :51 into the third period, Filip Král scored his first of the season to make it 5-3 Wilkes-Barre.

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So five past Driedger, a good goaltender, setting the tone for the final period, a multi goal lead and the Pens are off to the races right? Right?

Wrong.

Four unanswered for the Checkers as Trevor Carrick (power play at 2:44), Rasmus Asplund (shorthanded (second of the night for the Checkers) at 6:26) and Aidan McDonough twice (7:37 and 15:09) completing his hat trick make it 7-5 for the Checkers.

Not a great debut for Filip Larsson, whom I think will back up Sergei Musharov Sunday afternoon in Springfield (likely the plan anyway) and a few that he should have had stops on, the Asplund shorthanded one comes to current mind, as it was a breakaway from center ice and in.

Say it with me again, they are young and this is just one game.

Marc Johnstone got one late with 22 seconds left to play that gave them faint hope, but they never bagged the seventh.

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A note, heard them mention that Dan Renouf wasn’t on the bench, picking up a knock of some sort in the first period.

Three Stars: 3) Emil Bemström (goal, assist) 2) Jaycob Megna (goal, assist) 1) Aidan McDonough (hat trick)

The Good: They managed to get six on an NHL caliber goaltender. Questions about the offense are put to bed early, it would seem. Guarantee me six a night and you will win more than you lose for sure.

The Bad: The power play looked bad, they couldn’t win a face-off and they gave up seven when they scored six. They need to figure that out and quick.

Turning Point: The Asplund shorthanded goal seemed to take all the air out of them. They cough up a two goal lead in the third and it just avalanched from there. Bad, bad, bad.

Around the Division: The defending champs Hershey Bears are off to a good start, blowing out the Cleveland Monsters 7-3 the night they raised banner 13 to the rafters at Giant Center….Providence gets their first win of the season, beating Bridgeport 3-2….Springfield beats Laval 3-1….Lehigh Valley wins in a shootout 4-3 over Hartford.

Standings: Hershey, Springfield, Charlotte, Lehigh Valley, Providence 2, Hartford 1, Bridgeport and the Penguins 0

Wheeling Update: Nailers are still in preseason, will get going next week.

Video Highlights: Click at your own risk:

Back at it Sunday in Springfield. Talk to you then.

Let’s Go Pens!