Chirps from Center Ice

         vs.        

4                                2

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Don’t look now but the Wilkes-Barre / Scranton Penguins have not won in four games.

A 4-2 setback Friday night after a valiant would be comeback in the third sees the Hershey Bears take this one on Friday.

Oh and tomorrow’s opponent, Lehigh Valley did something the Penguins couldn’t do and that was beat Syracuse in Syracuse this evening.

I don’t know if they are missing offensive guns like Ville Koivunen and Tristan Broz that badly that it shows with these results as much as it is lapses in defensive judgement.

They fell in a 3-0 hole in the second period after the two defenseman down on conditioning, Jack St. Ivany and Ryan Graves, were on the ice for all three goals scored in the period.

Offense never got going Aidan McDonough scored early in the third to kick start a comeback, Rafaël Harvey-Pinard scored :20 into a power play but they got no closer.

Here’s how they lined up…

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Lineup Notes: Penguins made a small future consideration trade with the Calgary Wranglers, trading for Blake Bennett who has been with the Flames ECHL affiliate the Rapid City Rush all season. On ice, Ryan Graves, Jack St. Ivany and Sebastian Aho in; Scooter Brickey, Chase Pietila and Alex Alexeyev out.

First Period: No scoring. They traded power plays.

Second Period: Hershey scores three times in a span of 5:37. Andrew Cristall crashes the net to make it 1-0, Sonny Milano throws one off of Sergei Murashov to make it 2-0 and then Ryan Chesley from the blue line makes it 3-0.

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Jack St. Ivany and Ryan Graves, NHL contracted NHL defensemen, on the ice for all three goals against.

Third Period: Aidan McDonough gives them life at 2:35.

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Where would we be without Aidan McDonough?

:20 into a power play and Harvey-Pinard scores to bring the Penguins within one.

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Bears blocked a lot of traffic and Mitch Gibson was solid enough when he needed to be, on a delayed call with Murashov pulled, Borden Trineyev scores an empty net goal.

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No, that’s not the empty netter, but he had some key blocks that preserved the win.

Three Stars: 3) 2) Melvin Fernstrom (two assists) 2) Ilya Protas (assist) 1) Andrew Cristall (goal, assist)

The Good: I liked the comeback attempt.

The Bad: NHL contracted defenders shouldn’t have put them in that predicament to start.

Turning Point: The Chesley goal gets it here as it stopped being fun after that and they desperately tried to erase a three goal deficit.

Around the Division: Charlotte shuts out Bridgeport 3-0….Cleveland beats Hartford 3-1….Lehigh Valley beats Syracuse 4-1.

Standings: Providence 89 – Penguins 79 – Charlotte 73 – Hershey 62 – Bridgeport 56 – Lehigh Valley 56 – Springfield 52 – Hartford 50

Don’t look now but Charlotte is comin’!

Wheeling Update: Taylor Gauthier with another 29 save shutout as the Nailers win 4-0 in Glens Falls and the Thunder.

Video Highlights: 

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More Saturday after the Phantoms game.

Let’s Go Pens!