Chirps from Center Ice

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I mean I guess you are entitled to a game or two here you don’t have it, but when you have three more games played than the team who is only a point behind you for the division lead, the margin of error is razor thin every night.

Wilkes-Barre loses 6-2 in Hershey Saturday night in an extremely ugly game where they didn’t have any cohesion. Hershey was idle Friday, likely smarting from the loss the Pens handed them Wednesday. The Bears may be young but they are a proud franchise.

Here’s how they lined up:

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Lineup Notes: Logan Pietila for Sebastian Aho was the only lineup change on defense but for some lineup shuffling up front.

First Period: Wilkes-Barre had an early power play but didn’t register a shot on goal. Later Graeme Clarke scored to put the Bears up early…

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Then a failed clear on a Hershey power play and Ilya Protas scores to make it 2-0 Bears.

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Jack St. Ivany brought one back for the Penguins with a goal late.

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Bad start but better finish for the Penguins heading into the…

Second Period: Sam Bitten made it 3-1 Bears about halfway through.

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I didn’t like Owen Pickering’s game Saturday. Depending on who you talk to there are folks that had this kid in the NHL already. I’m not seeing it. But maybe I am being too hard. I have also never played the position, so what do I know.

Wilkes-Barre loses Aidan McDonough to injury when McDonough blocks a shot.

Bad to worse, David Gucciardi scores to make it 4-1 and it certainly looked like one team played a rival the night before while the other didn’t play a game since Wednesday.

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But then Gabe Klassen makes it interesting and brings the Penguins back to within two.

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Klassen is a guy whom I wouldn’t mind getting hot.

Third Period: Penguins couldn’t capitalize on an early power play and the Bears would get an Ivan Miroshnichenko power play goal on Sergei Murashov who replaced Joel Blomqvist in net that made it 5-2.

Good news, Aidan McDonough returned for the third period.

Bad news, Harrison Brunicke was out to lunch on a puck back to him on a Pens face-off win and Ilya Protas scores on an empty net while Kirk MacDonald was getting aggressive.

If the kid can’t tear up the AHL (he hasn’t) then he’s not going to do anything in the NHL. Send him back to juniors and put him out of his misery already and let him be a kid.

For posterity, because I normally write these game recaps period by period when they play on the road, here’s the Miroshnichenko goal.

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Three Stars: 3) Clay Stevenson (35 saves) 2) Ilya Protas (two goals, assist) 1) David Gucciardi (goal, two assists)

The Good: Another point for Rutger McGroarty (assist) and Gabe Klassen I think is heating up.

The Bad: I don’t care that Hershey didn’t play last night. The Penguins were unprepared for this game and it showed from the beginning.

Turning Point: The Miroshnichenko power play goal ended whatever faint hope the Penguins had at a comeback.

Around the Division: Providence, who have three games in hand on the Penguins, win 6-3 in Belleville. The Bruins can retake the division lead with a win Sunday against the B-Sens….Bridgeport beats Springfield 3-2 in a shootout….Toronto beats Charlotte 5-3….Hartford beats Cleveland 3-2 and Lehigh Valley lose in a shootout to the Laval Rocket 5-4. Shootout ended at 10:08 p.m. for a game scheduled to start at 7:05 p.m. That’s just wrong.

Standings: Penguins 31 – Providence 30 – Lehigh Valley 25 – Hershey 23 – Charlotte 22 – Hartford 16 – Bridgeport 16 – Springfield 14

Wheeling Update: The Nailers hang eight goals on the Cincinnati Cyclones and win 8-3. Scooter Brickey scored another goal. Craig Armstrong had a goal and four assists. Randy Hernández had a pair of goals and a pair of assists.

Video Highlights: AHL VideoCenter is your best bet.

Back at it Friday against the Phantoms, then right back down to Hershey next Saturday. It’s December, right? Not Groundhog Day in February, right???

Let’s Go Pens!