Chirps from Center Ice

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This is a classic game to show a new hockey fan to get them hooked on the sport and possibly the Wilkes-Barre / Scranton Penguins.

On the road, at a rival, coming off a gut wrenching overtime loss two nights prior, the Penguins scratch out a 4-3 shootout win against the Hershey Bears Friday night.

They get a late goal from Avery Hayes setup by Rutger McGroarty who factored into every non-shootout goals this evening which tied the game late and then a thill a second overtime saw no scoring and then a shootout round that saw Ville Koivunen score the only goal in the round. Koivunen also scored a goal in regulation.

Sergei Murashov stopped 27 shots. The Penguins also got scoring from Owen Pickering.

Amazing how an edge of your seat game like this makes things feel a bit better for a Penguins team that lacks any serious scoring threat because they are either hurt or playing for another team at the present time. And to do so where they trailed for a large portion of the third period and win in comeback fashion.

Would make a new hockey fan hungry from more, right?

Here’s how they lined up:

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Lineup Notes: Joona Koopanen is the latest add to the Penguins infirmary, lower body with no timetable. All others status quo. Tristan Broz has a lower body injury. Zach Urdahl came in for Koppanen.

First Period: Disaster start for the Pens, taking a penalty at :21 and then Ilya Protas scoring at :43 to make it 1-0 Bears.

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But then the Pens clamped down from there and played quite well.

They limited the Bears chances from there.

Gabe Klassen wins a face-off to Phil Kemp, playing in his 300th game, who finds Owen Pickering who scores to tie the game.

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Wilkes-Barre was cycling in their zone for a good bit but then took what I thought was a momentum busting penalty, but they killed that with literal ease and then Rutger McGroarty finds Ville Koivunen for a goal that made it 2-1.

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Second Period: Disaster start for Hershey? They take a penalty :32 into the period.

Nope.

Grant Cruikshank comes flying in like a bat out of hell and beats Murashov shorthanded to tie the game at two.

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The five forwards on the power play experiment quickly ended after that.

Later, Andrew Cristall chops a puck in for a 3-2 Hershey lead. Three Penguins standing stationary puck watching here.

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Bears outshot the Penguins 16-10 in the period and just flattened any chances that the Pens mustered in the period.

Third Period: No disaster starts here and the Penguins were pushing for the first 10+ minutes of the period with no results.

Hershey takes a puck over glass penalty with about 5 minutes left to play but the Penguins never got rooted in the offensive zone for any threats.

But then McGroarty notches his third assist of the game to find Avery Hayes for the Sidney Crosby-esque knee drop goal far post that ties the game at three.

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No further regulation scoring.

Overtime: Thrill a second, but not in a good way for Wilkes-Barre / Scranton. Louie Belpedio misses an empty net. Matt Dumba, who I thought had a decent, quiet defensive game, was shaky in overtime, stumbling while defending and then turning over the puck on the same shift that Sergei Murashov had to bail him out on.

Kirk MacDonald called his timeout to settle his team and it worked, but there was only :56 left on the clock. Gabe Klassen had two great looks but wasn’t able to beat Clay Stevenson.

Shootout: Murashov stops Ivan Miroshnichenko in the top of the first, Ville Koivunen flips one upstairs on Clay Stevenson in the bottom of the first, Ilya Protas, Aaron Huglen can’t score in the second with 9,000 moves combined between the two and then Sergei Murashov shopped Brett Leason in the third to secure the extra point.

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Three Stars: 3) Bogdan Trineyev (two assists) 2) Rutger McGroarty (three assists) 1) Ville Koivunen (goal, assist, shootout goal)

The Good: Great to shower off the stink of the disappointing overtime loss on Wednesday with a gritty come from behind road win at your biggest rival.

The Bad: I thought the Penguins were the better team at five on five and probably deserved to win in regulation but not starting on time, and giving up a shorthanded goal shows that yeah, this is a great team, but they still have shortcomings.

Turning Point: The Hayes goal that tied it late gets it here.

Around the Division: Hartford beats Bridgeport 3-2….Charlotte scores eight, but gives up five against Lehigh Valley but still win….Providence beats Belleville 2-1 in overtime and Springfield beats Toronto 4-3 in overtime.

Standings: Penguins 58 – Providence 57 – Charlotte 49 – Hershey and Lehigh Valley 42 – Bridgeport and Hartford 37 – Springfield 34

Wheeling Update: Nailers win 3-1 at home against Reading. Matty De St. Phaille had a goal and Taylor Gauthier stopped 31.

Video Highlights: AHL VideoCenter is the call here.

Charlotte is in for a 6:05 Saturday start. Don’t be late and bring a friend.

Let’s Go Pens!