Chirps from Center Ice

         @        

3                           5

–

Sometimes you run into a hot goalie and Saturday, the Wilkes-Barre / Scranton Penguins ran into Colten Ellis who stopped 31 shots faced and stymied the Pens who lose 5-3.

The scoreboard out of town set up nicely for the Penguins who could have drawn to within a point of Hershey, but that didn’t happen.

Onto Providence, who lost to hapless Hartford, Sunday.

Here’s how they lined up…

–

Lineup Notes: Emil Bemstrom was sent back to Wilkes-Barre but didn’t make it to the game in town. Will see what his status is for Sunday in Providence. Matty De St. Phalle made his Penguins season debut replacing Atley Calvert.

First Period: Teams trade power plays. I didn’t like the power play all night. No one scored on the man advantage.

Wilkes-Barre bottled up the Thunderbirds in the period and got a 1-0 lead they took to intermission off a Corey Andonovski turnover that Ville Koivunen capitalized on.

–

Second Period: Thunderbirds waste no time and score :31 in where Aleksanteri Kaskimäki scores a beauty of a goal.

–

Less than a minute later, Boris Katchouk scores to re-establish the Penguins lead.

–

Otto Stenberg is a highly touted prospect for the St. Louis Blues and he showed why when he scored from the high slot that tied the game for Springfield.

–

Penguins had a power play late and kept it in for a good 90 seconds but could not crack Colten Ellis. Just at the end of the kill, Springfield scores to go ahead via a Corey Schueneman goal that Tristan Jarry thought should have been whistled down for icing.

–

Three goals past Jarry. Are they all his fault? I don’t think so. Beat on a dirty first goal, high slot through a screen on the second and maybe he could have had the third goal. Who knows. There’s a lot of pressure on the guy getting waived and underwhelming.

Third Period: Penguins got themselves a nice kill to start the period and were buzzing for a tying goal but Ellis shut the door at every offering. They continued to press Ellis, but came away empty.

Then a failed clear by Wilkes-Barre sees Matthew Peca score and the hill gets steeper for the Penguins who are now chasing a two goal deficit.

–

The Penguins do get a late power play goal from Valtteri Puustinen that give them some life…

–

…but it came too little too late. With Jarry pulled for an extra attacker, Nikita Alexandrov scores into the empty net to make it 5-3 and sealed the game away for the Thunderbirds.

Three Stars: 3) Ville Koivunen (goal, two assists) 2) Otto Stenberg (goal, assist) 1) Corey Schueneman (goal, assist)

The Good: Strong game by Ville Koivunen, factoring into all three Penguins goals.

The Bad: That effort was wasted. Golden opportunity to get a point behind Hershey with some separation to Providence back at the three spot, but this closes everything up and is a net positive for a team like Charlotte.

Turning Point: The Schueneman goal late in the second gets it here.

Around the Division: Lehigh Valley is out in Rockford, that box is here….Charlotte gets a late goal and an empty netter to beat Hershey 3-1….Hartford beats Providence 6-5 in a track meet….Utica beats Bridgeport 4-2.

Standings: Hershey 65 – Penguins 62 – Providence and Charlotte 61 – Lehigh Valley xx – Springfield 55 – Hartford 48 – Bridgeport 29

Wheeling Update: Nailers repay the favor and shutout the Tula Oilers 2-0. Sergei Murashov with an eye popping 42 save shutout.

Video Highlights: Go to the AHL VideoCenter if you are a sicko.

Back at it Sunday afternoon against Providence. Talk to you then.

Let’s Go Pens!