Chirps from Center Ice

         vs.        

2                               1

–

Big thanks to Rich in Hershey for the headline idea, I can use all the help I can get.

The Wilkes-Barre / Scranton Penguins can use all the help they can get as well after losing on this goal from Michael Pezzetta at 14:53 of overtime to give the Toronto Marlies a 2-0 series lead in the best of seven series with a 2-1 overtime win Friday night in Wilkes-Barre.

–

Referees Stephen Hiff and Graedy Hamilton took a long look at it on replay and ruled goal. The only explanation I can think of is that Murashov made contact with the puck and it deflected off of him and in. EDIT: All they had to see was this here, indisputable, that Murashov knocked it into his own net.

–

Again, they reviewed it on replay, after initially ruling no goal. Replay giveth, replay taketh. Full marks to the AHL for the replay angles and the transparency, also.

I don’t think it matters though because Wilkes-Barre has bigger problems then a disputed overtime goal / no goal before them.

They went down 1-0 in the first period on an Alex Nylander power play goal, here….

–

Then played about as flaccid you could play in the second period.

Nine shots by Toronto to start the period, already up 1-0 and coming out of intermission. There was one player playing for the Penguins, and he stood in goal.

No power plays to speak of, referees Hamilton and Hiff doled out all of their justice in the first period and their whistles stayed silent the rest of the way.

So this league best five on five juggernaut of a team was getting out five on fived by a fourth place hard nosed Toronto Marlies team that, when they did let a forward slip in or a defensemen’s shot from the blue line get through, were getting bailed out by goaltender Artur Akhtyamov.

I don’t know how to feel. Is it, “I can’t believe I fell for this again,” or is it just a tip of the cap to a team better in the moment with a goaltender you’ve never heard of pulling save after save out of his ass to send us to home in the Eastern Conference Finals?

I think it’s a little of both.

Aidan McDonough got us to this point. He scored all the big goals in the regular season and has racked up a lot of points for himself (44) and his team that ended up with 101, but he has been a ghost since.

Bill Zonnon hit the rookie wall seven games into his pro career. Ghost.

Avery Hayes, Rutger McGroarty, Ville Koivunen, Atley Calvert, where for art thou?

Also the injuries are hitting the defensive corps. Hard. Owen Pickering skated this morning but didn’t play Game 2. Alex Alexeyev was a scratch. Finn Harding was lost late in Game 2.

It’s a seasons worth of emotions wrapped up just two games into a seven game series.

Tanner Howe scored a very gritty goal about midway through the third period when he dug a rebound out, spun around and shot it and it went in which got them to overtime.

–

So a 2-0 series hole in a best of seven isn’t that deep to dig out of, but you have too much working against you, there’s no real urgency and when there is, like you saw in overtime in Game 2, the other team ends up winning anyway.

It’s like you work all week on a project at work, the boss walks in at 3 p.m on Friday to check your status and Sally from accounting, who didn’t do anything all week with you on the project, is the first person your boss sees and she gets most of the credit for the work you did.

It’s maddening. I can’t believe I feel for it again!

Here’s how they lined up, then I’m out of here. It’s 11:35 p.m. on a Friday. Ben Lovejoy used to say that nothing good happens after midnight.

–

No, if Pickering or Alexeyev return in the series, it’s not enough, given where the series is.

Three stars were Alex Nylander with a power play goal, Artur Akhtyamov with 33 saves and Michael Pezzetta with the game winning overtime goal in that order.

Roll that beautiful bean footage…

–

Enjoy them, while you still can. Talk to you Monday. Have a nice weekend.

Let’s Go Pens!