Chirps from Center Ice

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Your mileage may vary, but I didn’t like the way they played Friday.

Sure, the Wilkes-Barre / Scranton Penguins shutout the Bridgeport Islanders 3-0, and a team on the rise beat a team that’s been in last place all season. It kind of had to happen this way, but I didn’t think they played well at all.

Bridgeport, save for a few shorthanded instances and maybe the first five to seven minutes of the game, never threatened. You take the two points and the game in hand on Hershey and move on.

Here’s how they lined up…

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I don’t know this guy, but you can’t convince me otherwise they aren’t the great Mike Fornabaio.

https://twitter.com/WBSPenguins/status/1888007646562931181

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Lineup Notes: Jesse Puljujarvi and the returning Tristan Broz for Corey Andonovski and Emil Bemstrom up front and Filip Kral for Scooter Brickey on defense.

First Period: Bridgeport wanted a hot start and got it, but didn’t get any goals to show for it.

Sam Poulin with a dart at 11:22 and the Penguins are on the board.

https://twitter.com/WBSPenguins/status/1888022049375010883

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Upper 90, as they say in soccer.

Then the Penguins put on a passing clinic and Tristan Broz tipped in a Ville Koivunen shot that made it 2-0 late.

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Second Period: Islanders go about half the period without a shot on goal but then get a few good looks and even better ones killing a penalty. Tristan Jarry didn’t have a lot to do in the period but stayed sharp.

Third Period: Jonathan Gruden lays a big hit on Isaiah George and fights Riley Piercey which delighted some of the casuals in attendance. Later, Gruden banged bodies again with Piercey in open ice.

Bridgeport had more of the desperation and if you were watching you were waiting for them to score. The Penguins got sloppy taking two penalties in the period but got out of those OK.

Islanders head coach Rick Kowalsky signaled his 6’8 goaltender Henrik Tikkanen to the bench and a few seconds after that Ville Koivunen setup Boris Katchouk for an empty net goal that sealed it.

https://twitter.com/WBSPenguins/status/1888055153741242678

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Three Stars: 3) Trisan Broz (goal) 2) Sam Poulin (goal) 1) Tristan Jarry (31 saves)

The Good: Handled business and beat a team they are on paper and in all facets better than, used game in hand to inch closer to Hershey.

The Bad: I was expecting more, especially on the power play which went 0/2. Was it a down night? Rust after All-Stars? Who knows. They could have been better, and maybe I am nitpicking a bit after a 31 ave shutout.

The Bad Deux: We have reached the point of the season that they start wearing dark jerseys at home. This is one of the stupidest things the League has done in quite some time. First of all you don’t see enough variety come through when you constantly play the same handful of teams over and over. It isn’t worth it. Whites are clean, whites should be worn at home. Period. Like, look at this…

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Do. Less.

Turning Point: No coming back from a three goal deficit late, the Katchouk goal gets it here.

Around the Division: Charlotte shuts out Hartford 3-0….Lehigh Valley coughs up a two goal lead at home against Cleveland but wins 3-2 in a shootout….Providence beats Springfield in the shootout 3-2. Hershey was off.

Standings: Hershey 61 – Charlotte 55 – Providence 55 – Penguins 54 – Lehigh Valley 50 – Springfield 47 – Hartford 41 – Bridgeport 24

Wheeling Update: Nailers double up the Indy Fuel 6-3 in Indiana Friday. Matty De St. Phalle with a pair of goals and an assist. Taylor Gauthier stopped 16. Nailers host the Reading Royals Saturday.

Video Highlights: 

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Back at it Saturday when they host the Cleveland Monsters.

Let’s Go Pens!