Chirps from Center Ice

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2                          5

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A terrible first period where the Wilkes-Barre / Scranton Penguins go down 3-o, then failure to come up with a power play goal on two opportunities in the games final ten minutes doom the away team Wednesday night as the Americans win 5-2, handing the Penguins their third straight loss.

Here’s how they lined up, note that Rochester didn’t post lines:

https://twitter.com/WBSPenguins/status/1894894059036004460

Lineup Notes: They went 11 forwards and 7 defensemen because Sam Poulin has an undisclosed, day to day injury. Mathias Laferriere was in for Atley Calvert from Sunday and Scooter Brickey was the 7th defenseman.

First Period: Flat period for Wilkes-Barre / Scranton. Devon Levi is the reigning AHL Player of the Week, and he didn’t have to do much in the period.

Amerks get on the board first at 3:14 when Ryan Johnson shakes off Laferriere and scores through a heavy screen that makes it 1-0.

https://twitter.com/AmerksHockey/status/1894906455926677938

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Wilkes-Barre found themselves on a penalty kill and Mason Jobst made them pay high slot that made it 2-0.

https://twitter.com/AmerksHockey/status/1894907671599300673

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Okay. I can live with these two goals. Through a screen? It happens. Getting sniped on a power play goal high slot by the number one team in the Eastern Conference? Sure, OK, whatever. Not going to lose sleep over it.

But this goal here is what bothered me.

https://twitter.com/AmerksHockey/status/1894910052932141236

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It’s Nic Aube-Kubel with the wrist shot for a goal. It’s a save that Tristan Jarry has to make. It’s off the rush, OK, make the save. You are a NHL All-Star making $5,000,000 a year. Aube-Kubel has 32 NHL goals in 301 NHL games. Your team is reeling, make a save to keep it a two goal deficit.

It didn’t happen.

Second Period: Things settled down a bit here in the middle frame. Graham Slaggert and Marc Johnstone fought after Johnstone didn’t like a hit from Mr. Slaggert.

https://twitter.com/WBSPenguins/status/1894922657751277758

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That little boost may have given the Penguins some life as less than two minutes later Rutger McGroarty scored to put Wilkes-Barre on the board.

https://twitter.com/WBSPenguins/status/1894922521142517971

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Wilkes-Barre had one late rush as time expired but were unable to get a second past Levi.

A note here, Joona Koppanen took a heavy hit in the first period and was not on the bench at the start of the second.

Third Period: Noah Östlund gets an early goal that re-establishes the Rochester three goal lead.

https://twitter.com/AmerksHockey/status/1894932201440997887

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But then Boris Katchouk scores his fourth goal in as many games to make it a two goal lead for the Amerks again.

https://twitter.com/WBSPenguins/status/1894931070899847570

Hell of a shot.

The Penguins didn’t get a power play chance until after the ten minute mark of the third period. I had no issues with the way Chris Rumble or David Elford officiated this game at all.

On the ensuing power play, the Amerks bent but didn’t break. A good effort by the Penguins who still have the #1 power play in the AHL but a better effort by Rochester on the kill.

Penguins would get another crack on the power play after Rochester messed around in the faceoff dot after an icing. That’s a no-no and the Penguins received another power play as a result.

Rutger McGroarty hit a post, that was all to write home about.

With Jarry pulled for an extra attacker and the Penguins still scrambling to pull it back to a one gioal deficit, Tristan Broz loses a puck in the neutral zone and Isak Rosen walks the gift in for an empty net goal that makes it 5-2.

Three Stars: 3) Devon Levi (28 saves) 2) Noah Östlund (goal, assist) 1) Nic Aube-Kubel (goal, assist)

The Good: Boris Katchouk keeps scoring and that’s a good thing.

The Bad: Falling in a first period hole and failing to come up with a power play goal late to bring it back to one is a recipe for disaster against the Conference’s best team.

Turning Point: Rochester’s first kill of the evening in the third against the Penguins #1 power play gets it here.

Around the Division: Providence blows out Bridgeport 5-1 to take sole possession of second place in the only other action in the Atlantic on Wednesday.

Standings: Hershey 67 – Providence 65 – Penguins 63 – Charlotte 61 – Lehigh Valley 59 – Springfield 57 – Hartford 48 – Bridgeport 30

Wheeling Update: Nailers were off.

Video Highlights: AHL VideoCenter is the place for you if you so dare.

They will try to get back in the win column Friday in Syracuse.

Let’s Go Pens!