Chirps from Center Ice

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No one under 40 is going to get the reference, but Boris Katchouk’s two first period goals were all the spark the Wilkes-Barre / Scranton Penguins needed in an explosive four goal opening period to beat the Lehigh Valley Phantoms 4-3 Friday night in Wilkes-Barre.

They scored a pair of power play goals in the first period, one from Katchouk, the other from Tristan Broz and Boko Imama’s gift of a goal stood up as the winner as four in the first was enough to get them across the line in a game you were either happy they won or upset that they didn’t win by more and almost lost.

Here’s how they lined up:

Lineup Notes: Justin Lee for Nate Clurman (listed as injured pregame) on defense and Rutger McGroarty and Raivis Ansons for March Johnstone and Corey Andonovski.

First Period: Oh boy, what a start.

:19 into a power play and Boris Katchouk camped out far side and scored to make it 1-0.

Just about four minutes later and there goes that man again.

Really not advisable to give a player the caliber of Katchouk that much time and space from that distance.

About two minutes later and on another power play, Tristan Broz collects the loose change and scores off of a rebound of an Emil Bemstron shot that made it 3-0.

Phantoms call time out to try to slow down the runaway train which was running them over.

It didn’t matter. And got worse.

An absolute boffo decision from Alexei Kolosov there and Boko Imama, not a guy known for scoring goals, gets about the easiest one you can think of and makes it 4-0 Wilkes-Barre.

Second Period: The Phantoms would respond quickly, with two goals in :16.

Oskar Eklind here left unmarked in front of the net that puts the Phantoms on the board.

Pens fail to win a face off then fail to clear and Jacob Gaucher scores to cut the lead in half.

Uh oh. Not this again?

But the Penguins tightened up from there, just allowing one power play for the Phantoms in the period and despite putting 15 shots on Alex Nedeljovic, didn’t find a third goal.

Third Period: I didn’t see defenseman Filip Král on the bench in the period and I didn’t notice anything of substance that took him out. Wilkes-Barre had a full 4:00 on a high stick double minor but couldn’t collect their third power play goal of the night.

Alex Nedeljkovic, the last time he was in the AHL scored a goal for the Penguins up in Springfield. With the Phantoms net empty and the Penguins winning 4-2, tried for the empty net goal again but didn’t put enough air under it.

Ethan Samson would score with under a minute to play.

Uh oh again?

But a late flurry of chances were denied by Nedeljkovic and the Penguins, up 4-0 in the first period with seemingly everything going in for them, hang on to win by a goal.

Hockey’s a funny little game, isn’t it?

Three Stars: 3) Tristan Broz (goal) 2) Boko Imama (goal) 1) Boris Katchouk (two goals)

The Good: Two more power play goals and a blazing offensive start, 14 goals through three games ties a 2005 team and a 2013 teams of the past.

The Bad: Oh dear they nearly coughed it all up and lost, but didn’t.

Turning Point: We didn’t know it at the time but the Imama boffo goal holds up to be the winner.

Around the Division: The Checkers, who I picked to finish last in the division because I don’t pay enough attention to this in the summer out by the pool, are out to a 3-0 start after a 5-2 win at home against the Cleveland Monsters….Hartford won a wild one in their home opener against the Springfield Thunderbirds 6-5. Everyone else was off.

Standings: Charlotte 6, Penguins and Bears 4, Hartford 3, Providence, Springfield and Lehigh Valley 2, Bridgeport 0.

Wheeling Update: Nailers open their 2024-25 ECHL campaign with a 4-1 win in Maine. Jaxon Castor stopped 25, Nailers struck twice on the power play. Jordan Martel and Phip Waugh with goals. Waugh is the only WBS contracted D in Wheeling, so on the way home they may need to drop him off if Renouf or Clurman can’t go unless they use Mats Lindgren who they recalled this week.

Video Highlights: 

These two teams rematch Saturday in Allentown. More then.

Let’s Go Pens!