Chirps from Center Ice

           vs.          

4                                 5

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Well, that was fun.

An epic 5-4 comeback from behind overtime win for the Wilkes-Barre / Scranton Penguins, who still have not lost to the Lake Erie / Cleveland Monsters on home ice.

But it was how they got there that tells the tale.

After a penalty marred first period that saw the Cleveland Monsters score on not one, but two five on three advantages, the Penguins were behind the eight ball and trailing 4-1.

It was like the whole world was against them.

I don’t want to blame the officials but Casey Terreri and Will Kelly weren’t it. Terreri was here Friday and seemed fine, Saturday too. Will Kelly seems overmatched at this level and sees things no one else sees and calls things no one else calls.

But the Penguins won the game, so let’s leave stripes be. Hold onto your butts whenever you see Kelly as the guy officiating your game, you are in for a hell of a ride.

Here’s how they lined up:

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Lineup Notes: Jesse Puljujarvi quit on the team and is having his contract terminated. Pens gave him a shot to re-establish himself, he did somewhat, then 31 other teams passed on him through waivers. That’s why I cheer for the front of the jersey and never the back. If he doesn’t want to be here anymore, get lost.

Vasily Ponomarev went up to Pittsburgh this afternoon.

On the ice, Corey Andonovski and Atley Calvert drew in for Ponomaraev and that quitter Puljujarvi. Thank god this is the last time I have to spell Puljujarvi.

First Period: At the expiration of a Dan Renouf penalty, Joseph LaBate got Cleveland on the board first.

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Penguins respond quickly with a goal from Jack St. Ivany that tied the game at one.

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Through a screen. And a St. Ivany goal? That’s what you want to see.

But as they were announcing the goal, Rocco Grimaldi scored :36 later and the Monsters re-took the lead.

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Trey Fix-Wolansky and LaBate added two more Cleveland goals while the Penguins were down two men.

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The Penguins took five straight penalties to open the period and got burned for four goals, two of them on the power play.

They looked bad the night prior against Bridgeport and won. Cleveland offered stiffer competition and this? Oh boy.

Second Period: A Valtteri Puustinen shot banks off of Joona Koppanen’s leg and the comeback was seemingly on.

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Kelly and Terreri dialed back the penalties in the period.

Third Period: Okay, so they settled a bit and started to play Penguin hockey. They torched Jet Greaves’ net with 17 shots in the period and with every passing shot and shift, momentum started to turn.

Nifty hands by Jonathan Gruden in close from a hell of a pass from Sam Poulin and the Penguins are back to within one.

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Then after a time out and with Murashov pulled for the extra attacker, the Penguins would indeed find the equalizer when none other than Sam Poulin scored to tie the game at four.

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Free coffee!

But the celebration would be a bit short-lived as linesman Jud Ritter adjudged that Marc Johnstone threw a puck over the glass, thus assessing a delay of game penalty.

Ritter sucks and I think he has a vendetta against the Penguins going back years. But that’s beside the point.

Overtime: After 22 skaters in Cleveland jerseys and four idiots with striped shirts and whistles, here we are.

Wilkes-Barre would kill the Johnstone penalty thanks to four really good saves from Sergei Murashov and then Owen Pickering scored with 23.1 seconds left to clinch the epic comeback for the Penguins.

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Another angle…

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Three Stars: 3) Sergei Murashov (29 saves, four in overtime) 2) Sam Poulin (goal, two assists) 1) Owen Pickering (game winning overtime goal)

The Good: They never seemed out of it despite how things were going after the first. That’s coaching. That’s leadership. That’s determination.

The Bad: Besides the officiating, what planet was Mac Hollowell on? Not a good game at all by Hollowell in my eye, somehow credited with 7 shots. He would have had double that if those attempts were actually on target.

Turning Point: In a game that chased it to the end, the Pickering goal gets it here.

Around the Division: Bridgeport wins just their third game on home ice this season, beating Charlotte 5-1….Syracuse roughs up a depleted and ill Hershey team 5-0 that skated a man short because of it….Hartford beats Lehigh Valley 4-2 and Springfield beats Providence 5-2.

Good night out of town for the Penguins. Here’s why:

Standings: Hershey 61 – Penguins 56 – Charlotte and Providence 55 – Lehigh Valley 50 – Springfield 49 – Hartford 43 – Bridgeport 26

Wheeling Update: Nailers win 4-3. Jordan Martel with a goal and an assist. Jaxon Castor stops 23.

Video Highlights: 

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Late Breaking News:

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Pittsburgh and the rest of the NHL are on break for whatever the hell Four Nations is for two weeks, so this is expected.

The Power Rankings will be out Monday, don’t forget the Pens have a road trip to Hershey where they can draw to three points of the Bears lead with a win. Important game.

Let’s Go Pens!