Chirps from Center Ice

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4                           3

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Stop me if you have heard this before, but the Toronto Marlies scored another  pair of fluke-ish goals in this series.

In Games 1 and 2, they used those goals to win the game.

In Game 4? Not the case.

Wilkes-Barre / Scranton scored three unanswered goals in the second period to carry a 3-2 lead into the third where the Marlies score another controversial goal to tie the game but it’s Rutger McGroarty picking the pocket of Marlies sensation Easton Cowan to score the go ahead goal late and the Penguins hang on to win Game 4 4-3 and tie the best of seven series at two games a piece.

The ‘no holes’ explanation in the headline? The Penguins absorbed several punches in the game and still came out on top. This team is playing some unshakable hockey at present.

Oh, and Scooter Brickey, a Game 2 insertion in the series for Finn Harding, has been gangbusters in the series and scored a goal. If or when either Finn Harding or Alex Alexeyev may be healthy enough to play again, head coach Kirk MacDonald will have some impossible lineup decisions to make if the time comes.

Here’s how they lined up:

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Lineup Notes: No changes for the Penguins from Game 3 here in Game 4.

First Period: Wilkes-Barre to an early power play and goaltending adventurism from Sergei Murashov leads to this shorthanded goal from Bo Groulx.

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If you watched Game 3, this is the umpteenth time that this net has given Murashov problems. He narrowly averted disaster in Game 3 a few times, but here early in Game 4, it bit him.

On the same power play, Mikhail Ilyin made a move and beat Artur Ahktyamov, but the puck was kicked out by Dakota Mermis.

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Wilkes-Barre is later caught with too many men and :08 into the power play that followed for Toronto, Vinni Lettieri makes it 2-0 for the home team.

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The Penguins, despite the luxury (or lack thereof, given the score line thus far) trailed 12-8 on the shot board heading to the…

Second Period: Wilkes-Barre / Scranton storms back to the tune of three goals after an initial opening face-off breakaway from Vinni Lettieri. That would be the last shot that the Marlies would register because the come back was on.

Scooter Brickey scores at 3:14 to get the Pens on the board.

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A lotta noise in front of the crease there, but it’s playoffs. Goals aren’t supposed to be easy to come by.

Penguins get a power play and it felt like a, “not a must have but a good to have” type of power play.

Well, they didn’t score on the man advantage, but :14 later Chase Pietila let one fly from the blue line and scored to tie the game at 9:00.

Tertiary scoring. You love to see it.

Toronto woke up after that, being outshot 10-2 by the Pens after the Lettieri initial breakaway, and even had a power play.

Well, Wilkes-Barre killed that one decently enough but Toronto was still on the front foot.

But then Joona Koppanen throws a shot at Ahktyamov that goes off the pads and Gabe Klassen goes deep into the forest amongst the timbers to chop in the rebound to edge the Penguins ahead 3-2.

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Hell of a way to respond and a night vs. day effort for Wilkes-Barre / Scranton that period.

Third Period: For a long part of the period, the Penguins were missing defensemen Phil Kemp and Sebastian Aho. I don’t think I saw Aho at all in the third period and only Kemp in parts. He was favoring his shoulder early on, went off and returned late. I don’t know if it was matchup or what.

Toronto was playing fast and loose in their defensive zone. Avery Hayes, who has been offensively snakebit recently, had a chance but was stopped.

Here’s where Toronto scored on yet another controversial goal. This was on a power play.

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Here’s what I saw:

• Referee Graedy Hamilton in excellent position, as he should be.
• Way too much noise outside (emphasis added) of Murashov’s crease.
• Hamilton points, to signal Murashov is interfered with, then waves off.
• Goal is scored.
• Hamilton waves it off.

Hamilton was joined by his colleague Mike Sullivan and linesmen Luke Pye and Shawn Oliver and the overturned goal is awarded.

I don’t know. They don’t know. You don’t know. You can argue for or against till you’re blue in the face. Unless or until they clearly define what it is and what it isn’t they will never get it right and it’ll always be a guess.

Video review I don’t think will change this, it’s coming next season (I think) and they have it a league down in the ECHL where you can review. But if they review and let it stand, does it make you feel any better if you get jobbed on a call? I don’t know. I guess we find out next year, maybe.

Undeterred, the Penguins pressed on.

Enter Rutger McGroarty.

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Hoo hoy!

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Miss you in these parts, JB!

After a timeout and with Ahktyamov pulled, the Marleis were not able to find the equalizer.

Series tied.

Three Stars: 3) Vinni Lettieri (goal) 2) Scooter Brickey (goal, assist) 1) Gabe Klassen (goal, assist)

No love for McGroarty? Bollocks!

Video Highlights: 

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More Friday after Game 5. One of these teams will be heading to the brink, with Game 6 looming and now necessary in Wilkes-Barre Sunday at 6:05 p.m.

Let’s Go Pens!