Chirps from Center Ice

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4                                5

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So I believe I had this week nailed. From this past Wednesday’s Weekend Preview…

Give us a bold prediction…

We all make dentist appointments next week after we grind our teeth to dust. Pens split with the Checkers and take the Thunderbirds to overtime and find a way to win. Everything stays tight a week before Christmas.

Indeed, the Penguins split with the Checkers and nearly lost it all in the third period of Saturday’s game against Springfield but win 5-4 in overtime off of an Emil Bemstom power play goal, the Penguins third of the night and Bemstrom’s third off the night, a hat trick, their third in five games.

So I hope the trend of needing a hat trick to win a hockey game doesn’t continue because the last three games where they have won a player has recorded a hat trick.

Here’s how they lined up. I thought the embeds were fixed, didn’t use them Friday so I am crossing my fingers for Saturday…

https://twitter.com/RyanSmithHockey/status/1868063507528241328

https://twitter.com/WBSPenguins/status/1868065884927123695

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Lineup Notes: Corey Andonovski for Marc Johnstone was the only change.

First Period: 1:53 in and Rutger McGroarty scores a goal that unleashed a flurry of fur as it was the Annual Teddy Bear Toss Night. After a brief delay, they were back underway but let’s hope the embeds still work and check it out below.

https://twitter.com/WBSPenguins/status/1868075849066365010

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Penguins would bag their first of three power play goals when Emil Bemström scored his first of the night on the man advantage here…

https://twitter.com/WBSPenguins/status/1868082854972051909

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Second Period: The Thunderbirds would get on the board at 5:17 when a shot was stopped initially by Filip Larsson but swept in by Marcus Sylvegard.

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I think the only two people who knew the puck was loose were Sylvegard and the referee.

But the Penguins would respond three minutes later when Vasily Ponomarev found Valtteri Puustinen for yet another power play goal that re-establihed the two goal lead.

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Springfield thought they had a power play goal a few minutes later but after video review, a long one, it was ruled no goal. Puck never crossed.

Then, to rub the proverbial salt in the wound, Emil Bemström scores his second of the night that made it 4-1.

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Third Period: I said at the end of the second period that Springfield didn’t look like a very good team.

In the third, they looked like a completely different team.

:17 in, Matt Peca picks a corner. Two goal Penguin lead.

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Just under three minutes later, ex-Penguin Scott Harrington scored his first of the season for the Thunderbirds and it was a one goal lead for the Penguins.

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Puck left sitting in the slot and there’s Harrington to sweep it in.

They managed to eat a lot of time off the clock but then they took a late penalty with about two minutes left to play. Springfield opts to pull Vadim Zherenko. Oh boy.

Tie game. Aleksanteri Kaskimaki. I feel for any Springfield bloggers out there that have to type that name on a daily basis.

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Somehow, someway, they managed to drag that flaming wreck of the third period off to….

Overtime: Penguins get a late opportunity on the power play and while the goal was initially credited to Boris Katchouk, after review post game the goal was attributed to Emil Bemström, for a hat trick.

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Ballgame. Also, whew.

Three Stars: 3) Aleksanteri Kaskimaki (goal, assist) 2) Emil Bemström (three goals) 1) Boris Katchouk (assist)

Katchouk was initially credited with first star honors because, at the time, everyone though he scored the OT GWG.

The Good: 3/4 ob the power play. That should win you plenty hockey games.

The Bad: I didn’t particularly like that third period. Bad team effort. Thankfully they built up enough credit and were able to drag it to overtime.

Turning Point: I want to go back to the disallowed goal that Springfield scored because that could have ganged things a lot. I won’t thought, the Bemstrom power play hat truck goal gets it here.

Around the Division: Hartford beats Laval 4-2….Charlotte beats Hershey 2-1 and the number one curse in my Monday Power Rankings is alive and well….Lehigh Valley beats Cleveland 3-2 in overtime.

Standings: Hershey 39 – Penguins, Charlotte 29 – Providence 28 – Hartford 27 – Springfield 26 – Lehigh Valley 25 – Bridgeport 14

Wheeling Update: The Nailers win again. 13 straight wins. Longest in franchise history. 4-1 win against Reading. Sergei Murashov stopped 30.

Video Highlights: 

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Power Rankings Monday. Talk to you then.

Let’s Go Pens!