Chirps from Center Ice

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I have an Ethan Prow Christmas jersey I swear is cursed.

I can’t remember the last time the team this blog is dedicated to won a game when I was wearing it. I busted it out because it is the holidays and because the Penguins did beat the Checkers on Wednesday but tonight, a 4-0 Checkers win, proves that the Prow Christmas jersey is bad luck.

Even moreso now that I think of it because :15 into the game, a turnover leads to a Rasmus Asplund goal that put the Penguins in an early hole, before most of the patrons even made it to their seats.

Then about five minutes later an Asplund pass to teammate John Leonard actually caromed off Leonard and into the net of Joel Blomqvist for a 2-0 lead for the visitors.

Penguins couldn’t muster any type of offense in front of Ken Appleby, who had a 29 save shutout, his second consecutive (vs. Rochester last weekend) and third overall. The only time I thought he was tested was when Tristan Broz had a chance point blank, but Appleby flicked it away with the pad. This was in the second period right after the Penguins killed off :61 of a two man advantage for Charlotte.

The Penguins had an opportunity at 4 on 3 after a timeout called by Kirk MacDonald to get back into it, but did not.

Patrick Giles then goes unmarked into the Penguins zone and whizzes a shot through Blomqvist’s five hole that gives the Checkers a lead at 13:50 0f the second.

Charlotte connects on a third period power play when a Wilmer Skoog shot is kicked out by Blomqvist but right to Ben Steeves who put it home.

Wilkes-Barre went 0/5 on the power play, and that was one of the many things that cost them the game.

You had to know that Charlotte would come out juiced up after losing Wednesday and they did. It was a picture perfect start for them and their goaltender did the rest.

That’s really it. They got defensemen Mac Hollowell and Filip Kral, forward Emil Bemström back from injury and released Chris Ortiz of his PTO and sent him back to Wheeling. Corey Andonovski and Mats Lindgren came out of the lineup. I thought the infusion of Bemstrom would help, it didn’t.

Three Stars were John Leonard with a goal, Rasmus Asplund with a goal and an assist and Ken Appleby with 29 saves in that order.

Providence beats Bridgeport 5-3 and Hershey pulls another rabbit from its arse with a late goal from Ethen Frank to tie it in Syracuse and then the Bears win in OT on a Bogdan Trineyev goal to win 2-1. The rest of the Atlantic was idle.

Wilkes-Barre will slip to third in a tie with Charlotte with 27 points, a point behind Providence’s 28 and 12 points back of division leader Hershey.

Wheeling wins 4-1 down the road in Reading for a franchise record longest point streak at 15 games. There are a lot of players there that belong here. Matty De St. Phalle is one, who had two goals for nine on the season. Jordan Martel had three assists. Taylor Gauthier stopped 28. Give them a look.

No highlights to this one.

Back at it under hopefully the old conventional way tomorrow after the Springfield contest. I saw their broadcaster on radio row getting his equipment set up so I know the Thunderbirds are already in town, unless he drove down himself with coaches. Doubtful Springfield is one of if not the hottest team in the AHL currently, so the Penguins need to be ready. More then.

Let’s Go Pens!