Chirps from Center Ice

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5                            6

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At one point in this contest, the Wilkes-Barre / Scranton Penguins were up 5-2 in the third period.

But three unanswered goals by the Bridgeport Islanders with relentless pressure sees the team get to overtime where Pierrick Dubé scores with left to play to give the Islanders a 6-5 overtime win.

Ex-Hershey Bear in a Bear-ish market. Had fellow Islander Ethan Bear scored the overtime winner it would have been “Bear Market” as your headline. Let me explain…

Here’s how they lined up first though  – Bridgeport didn’t post lines.

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Lineup Notes: Wilkes-Barre recalled Maxim Pavlenko Thursday morning but neither he nor Taylor Gauthier appeared in the game as Pittsburgh sent Sergei Murashov back in time to start. As the graphic stated, Daniel Russell and Mikhaïl Ilyin both made their AHL debuts.

Aaron Huglen, fresh off his hat trick Sunday in Allentown, is week to week with a lower body injury. My spies advise me he’s in a walking boot. He joins Melvin Fernstrom and Tritan Broz in the week to week category, but Broz is practicing in red. Chase Pietila for Alex Alexeyev on defense.

First Period: Daylan Kuefler outmuscles Chase Pietila and scores just 92 seconds into the game and the Islanders were off and running.

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Penguins settled, held the Islanders without a shot for a bit and then Daniel Russell puts a shot on net that Finn Harding tips in for a goal at 6:22 and it’s a tie game.

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Second Period: Penguins net a weird goal from Tanner Howe. Howe rainbows a shot over 6’8 goaltender Henrik Tikkanen for the Islanders and it goes in.

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Indeed.

:59 later, Gabe Klassen scores on a nice tic tac goal from Ville Koivunen and it’s a 3-1 Penguins lead now.

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Guys like Klassen and Aidan McDonough are the parts that make this Penguins engine go.

But then the Islanders would respond with a goal. Marshall Warren throws a shot at the net and Victor Eklund scored his first AHL goal that brings Bridgeport back to within one.

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But then Harrison Brunicke scores his fist regular season pro goal (he had a playoff goal last year) while the teams were at 4-on-4 that re-establishes the two goal Penguins lead.

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Couple things, I’m bearish on the Penguins chances in the postseason because they went 0/3 on the power play to this point. In a close game like this and the power plays just rolling into you, they gotta make these count.

Third Period: Hot start for Wilkes-Barre as Atley Calvert scores less than two minutes in and it’s a 5-2 Penguins lead.

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But :35 later, Joey Larson. scores to make it 5-3.

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I’m not going to bury Harrison Brunicke because he scored a goal in the contest, but you are a hockey player and not a traffic cop. What’s with the pointing? Cover the guy in front!

Turning point of the game here as Boko Imama crushes Sean Day into the boards and is ejected from the contest and the Islanders are given a 5:00 major power play.

Liam Foudy scores a power play goal with :13 left in it to bring the Islanders to one.

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At this point it was a holding on for the Penguins as the Islanders had all the momentum a team could have, and it’s a mere formality at this point.

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Damn.

Overtime: Bridgeport had all the possession time and it’s Pierrick Dubé scoring the goal to give the Islanders a ninth straight home win.

(Islanders stopped short of posting a GIF here)

Double damn.

Three Stars: 3) Daylan Kuefer (goal, assist) 2) Gabe Klassen (goal, assist) 1) Pierrick Dubé (goal, assist)

The Good: They are getting painstakingly close to wrapping up the first round bye, but now need a win Saturday and help from Hershey to beat the Charlotte Checkers in order to do it. If not, it’s three cracks next week. As for tonight? They scored five goals and that’s usually enough to carry them to a win.

The Bad: Besides handing Providence the Atlantic Division Championship with the OT loss, they could have put the game away if they would have scored on one of the early power plays in the game and didn’t. I’m starting to gather data and look at trends of the teams that have qualified for the playoffs, including the Penguins, but I am very, very bearish on this Wilkes-Barre team. This win for Bridgeport solidifies them as a solid playoff favorite and could get them home ice in the First Round. It was a playoff like atmosphere in Bridgeport and the Penguins didn’t win the game and on top of that coughed up a three goal lead in the third period. That’s not a Calder Cup contending team by any stretch of the imagination.

Turning Point: The Imama 5:00 major started the snowball down the hill for the Islanders and the rest was history.

Around the Division: They all watched us. No really, there were no other AHL games anywhere.

Standings: Providence 104 – Penguins 95 – Charlotte 89 – Bridgeport 70 – Hershey 67 – Springfield 66 – Lehigh Valley 62 – Hartford 56

Wheeling Update: The Nailers were off.

Video Highlights: 

They are off Friday and back Saturday as they reincarnate into the Steamtown Gandy Dancers. Train puns? Sure, why not!

Let’s Go Pens!