Chirps from Center Ice

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5                           3

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The AHL has a Morning Skate feature that they put up every morning on their website. They have general information about the series that are on going. You should check it out, like I do, whenever possible.

One of the stats that I found befuddling was the following:

Under Marlies Head Coach John Gruden, the Marlies have beaten the Penguins every time they have been in Northeastern Pennsylvania (they are 5-0) but, coming into Monday’s Game 3, Toronto is 0-3.

Well, make it 0-4 buddy as the Wilkes-Barre / Scranton Penguins have a huge third period and hang on to win 5-3 and now trail the best of series two games to one with Game 4 coming Wednesday.

Two players I called out after Game 2’s disappointment, Bill Zonnon and Aidan McDonough, had huge games, with a goal and an assist each, but McDonough’s fingerprints were all over this one especially early, as the Penguins were pressing on.

They weren’t getting the breaks in Game 1, they had no puck luck in Game 2 but were the better team in each game. In Game 3, they grabbed the game by the scruff of the neck, absorbed a few blows, but still managed to win.

But they aren’t here to just spend now a week in Toronto (Game 5 will be Friday) they want to force this series back to Wilkes-Barre by hook or by crook.

More to come on that. For now…

Here’s how they lined up…

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Lineup Notes: Swap Avery Hayes and Tanner Howe at wing, Owen Pickering returned form injury and Finn Harding joined Alex Alexeyev in the “undisclosed injury” territory. Coal Street called up David Breazeale from Wheeling earlier in the day.

First Period: There were 31 shots in the period and two sets of four on four. But the goal for the Marlies came at even strength and the goal for the Penguins came on the power play.

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The Penguins needed a big response and got one :40 later as Michael Pezzetta tripped Harrison Brunicke.

A few moments after that, 1:42 to be exact, Aidan McDonough finally broke through for his first goal of the series for a power play goal that tied the game at one.

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It was looking like another tight one heading into the…

Second Period: Penguins started on time with a goal at 2:04 by Bill Zonnon.

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This angle doesn’t show Zonnon tapping the puck across the line, but this one does…

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Wilkes-Barre limited the Marlies to just one shot for about the first ten minutes of the period.

Then Penguins found themselves in trouble when they essentially had to kill back to back penalties but navigated out of it okay.

The game opened up a bit in the final five minutes with Tanner Howe missing a breakaway chance. Later Luke Haymes has a shot broken up by a great back check by Chase Pietila but stayed with it, threw the puck back at the net front where it deflected off of Owen Pickering and in to tie the game yet again.

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Third Period: Wilkes-Barre withstands another penalty kill and then at four on four, Tristan Broz and Ville Koivunen took over.

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That’s two elite players just taking over a play and scoring a professional hockey goal. It’s a beautiful thing to see.

But you kind of got the sense that just one goal, with this much time on the clock, wouldn’t be good enough.

Enter Atley Calvert.

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Wilkes-Barre continued to draw time off of the clock, stayed clean on the side of the officiating (Riley Brace and Beau Halkidis were the referees, not the best but okay, I thought) and with time dwindling, down two, Artur Ahktyamov was vacated, Harrison Brunicke hit the post on an empty net and then old buddy and former Penguin Marc Johnstone scored at the doorstep that made it 4-3.

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There was no panic from the Penguins. The Marlies used their time out after the goal, but again, there was no panic from Wilkes-Barre. Tanner Howe skyhooked this one in to ice the game away.

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Ballgame.

Three Stars: 3) Luke Haymes (goal, assist) 2) Aidan McDonough (goal, assist) 1) Sergei Murashov (36 saves)

The Good: Nice to bounce back in a pretty much must win huge pressure Game 3. They recalibrated over the weekend, withstood the shots from the opponents but grabbed the game by the horns, established control, especially in the third, and won the game. Now, replicate this again in under 48 hours.

The Bad: This would be nitpicking, I think.

Turning Point: I think the back to back second period kills and the kill early in the third get it here. Wilkes-Barre was 3/3 on the kill in Game 3.

Video Highlights:

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Jobs not done, more after Game 4 Wednesday.

Let’s Go Pens!