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Snow kept me away from Binghamton tonight. I am sick of driving in it, dealing with it, shoveling it and worrying about it.

It was probably a good thing. Pens get throttled on the Southern Tier tonight and lose 6-2. Binghamton scores four power play goals, a shorthanded goal and an even strength goal after a Penguin turnover in the defensive zone and that was all she wrote.

You could say that the defensive zone turnover in the first period sealed the fate for the Penguins. Or, you could say that the B-Sens AHL leading 15th shorthanded goal soon after did because after that, the Pens never mounted much of a comeback.

Eric Hartzell opposed Andrew Hammond.

Penguins got Jayson Megna back (last game played November 23) Adam Payerl back (last game played November 30) and Brian Gibbons (last game played December 14) – Spencer Machacek was back too, from his minor lower-body whatever it was last weekend.

The healthiest and deadliest Wilkes-Barre / Scranton lineup since the start of the season would fare well against the B-Sens who had lost 3 of their last 4, right?

It didn’t mean a thing.

Mark Stone got the party started in the first period, cutting to the net and receiving an Andre Petersson pass on the back door to put the Sens up 1-0 on the power play.

Then, 1:08 later, Spencer Machacek would hack and whack a rebound on a Simon Despres shot from the point for a tie game.

Pens returned with a furious flurry against Hammond, but he didn’t break. Then Brendan Mikkelson tries to exit his own zone, Mark Stone picks his pocket, feeds Corey Cowick on a 2 on 1 with Scott Harrington back for a 2-1 Binghamton lead.

Penguins get a power play. Momentum changer right, No! You’re wrong! Jean-Gabriel Pageau skates in and scores to make it 3-1 Binghamton.

That would end Hartzell’s night. You really couldn’t fault him. Beat back door on a deadly Binghamton power play. D-zone gaffe leads to a 2 on 1 then a shorthanded goal against. Jeff Deslauriers would replace him.

Didn’t help. Mike Hoffman waits out a Wilkes-Barre body and fires through a crowd for a 4-1 Binghamton lead for another power play goal.

And this was just the first period. The four goals allowed were the most allowed by the Penguins in a period.

Second period didn’t offer much. Mike Carman had a shorthanded bid denied.

Third period. Penguins parade to the power play continued. All legitimate calls tonight by referee Dave Lewis. Bobby Farnham took a tripping penalty then as soon as that was killed, Simon Despres took a high sticking one. Cole Schneider slammed home a fluttering puck to extinguish any hopes of yet another third period comeback for Wilkes-Barre.

Footnotes. Tom Kostopoulos scored his 11th power play goal of the season for a 5-2 lead. Mike Hofffman responds and scores another power play goal for the B-Sens, their fourth power play of the night, and that ended it.

Three stars were Stephane Da Costa (two assists) Andrew Hammond (33 saves on 35 shots) and Mike Hoffman (two goals, assist)

Pens aren’t getting any help from behind them. Hershey wins in a shootout in Atlantic City 3-2 over the Albany Devils and Norfolk wins 2-0 against Syracuse at home.

Standings are Binghamton 64, Penguins 61, Hershey 60, Norfolk 60, Syracuse 44.

Conference has Manchester running away with it with 71 points, Springfield 67, Binghamton 64, Penguins and Providence tied with 61, Hershey and Norfolk with 60 and St. John’s rounding out the top 8 with 59 points.

Good news in the organization as the Nailers win 4-2 against Reading. Denver Manderson had two goals.

SendToNews highlights are here.

Pens now travel to Hershey for second place in the division. Saying that a better effort is needed is a huge understatement.

Gameday for that will be up at 3 p.m. Saturday.

Let’s Go Pens!

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Tell me Thursday night before I go to bed that the Penguins, 5 points back and really struggling to score pretty much anything that they would be a point out of leader Binghamton Sunday night before I go to bed and I take it. Lock, stock and barrel.

They did it. We really have Bobby Farnham, of all people, to thank. His game tying goal late forced overtime, but Dustin Gazley scored :47 into overtime and the Hershey Bears push their home winning streak to 11 with a 4-3 overtime win today.

Eric Harzell vs. Philipp Grubauer — Harrison Ruopp was in for Nick D’Agostino for the only lineup change.

First Period: 1:01 in, Ryan Stoa scored on a snap shot and the Bears were up 1-0 early. Then, Harry Zolnierczyk took a nice centering pass from Dominik Uher from the wall to tie the game at 1-1. Later, the Penguins score on a power play when Tom Kostopoulos collects and rifles home a deflected puck into a wide open Bears net push the Pens ahead 2-1. It was Kostopoulos’ 10th power play goal of the season, good for a tie for 4th in all the AHL.

Second Period: Penguins penalty kill was really good tonight. They have killed 27 of their last 27 penalties. A few good chances by the Bears but the Pens shut them down, even on one power play getting four shorthanded opportunities in one kill.

Matt Watkins gets behind the defense and scores on a backhander to tie the game late.

Third Period: I really thought sitting watching this one that the teams were destined for overtime. I was right, but it didn’t look like it to begin when Dane Byers is award a penalty shot and cashes going stick side over Hartzell. But then, Bobby Farnham zipped one home to tie the game again and force overtime.

Overtime: Dustin Gazley gets a nice pass from the point and slaps home a goal for the win for Hershey. I really don’t like that guy.

Three Stars: 3) Matt Watkins (goal, assist, +2) 2) Dane Byers (goal, +1) 1) Dustin Gazley (goal, even)

Around the Division: They all watched us.

Standings: Binghamton 62 — Penguins 61 — Hershey 58 — Norfolk 58 — Syracuse 44

Conference: 1) MCH (69) 2) SPR (67) 3) BNG (62) 4) WBS (61) 5) STJ (59) 6) PRO (59) 7) HER (58) 8) NOR (58)

Wheeling Update: Nailers lose 5-3 to Reading. Denver Manderson had a goal and an assist.

SendToNews Highlights: Are here.

Penguins now off for All-Star break. Brian Gibbons will head to St. John’s, Newfoundland for the All-Star Classic vs. Farjestad BK Tuesday and Wednesday. I may have something for the blog here during the Skills Competition and Classic. Stick with me on Twitter or just keep checking the blog!

Week 19 AHL Power Rankings will be out at 4 p.m. tomorrow.

Let’s Go Pens!

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Late in the game, early in the third, Simon Despres sees Mike Carman ahead of him with nothing but air in front of him.

He passes. The puck hits the tape of Carman and the third line winger skates in with Phantoms on his back. Forehand to backhand and in. Penguins extend the lead to 3-1.

Big goal at the time, as the Penguins narrowly eke out a 3-2 win against a pesky Phantoms team.

I don’t know who gets the credit for that sequence. Despres, with the wherewithal to make a perfect pass or Carman, who had to receive the pass, skate in and score.

Anyway, the Penguins are now two points behind the Binghamton Senators, who lost 5-4 in Ottawa to the Hamilton Bulldogs.

I’m really burying the real lead here, because this morning, Jayson Megna, Brian Gibbons and Harry Zolnierczyk all were sent to Wilkes-Barre. Zolnierczyk needed to clear waivers and did at noon. Only Zolnierczyk played. Radio said that Gibbons / Megna received a well deserved break. Also, Spencer Machacek was out with a “lower body” injury. Commenter Brenda spotted that last night.

Jeff Deslauriers vs. Cal Heeter

First Period: Nick Drazenovic gets a goal by going five hole on Heeter and the Pens go up 1-0. Deslauriers was making big saves all night as he stopped the Phantoms power plays all night.

Second Period: Brandon Alderson leads a 2 on 1 charge up ice, keeps it, and scores to tie the game at 1 all.

Then the Penguins all of a sudden find themselves with a 5-on-3 for more than a minute but aren’t able to score. Then, they need to kill a penalty.

Turning point here. Phantoms power play looked great all night. Deslauriers and the PK unit stifled them though. Unable to score on a 5-on-3, I wouldn’t have been surprised to see the Pens give up a goal.

They didn’t. Rather, they kill it and Zolnierczyk gets Heeter to drop down on one side of the post, wheels around the net to the other side and tucks it in for a 2-1 lead.

Third Period: Reid McNeill plays a puck while still in the penalty box, apparently there’s a rule against that, and is returned to the penalty box from which he came seconds before. Deslauriers with more acrobatic saves to shut down the Phantoms PP.

Then, Despres finds Carman. I set this up in my lead, so if you don’t read those, please do. If I’m too verbose and you forgot, look again. I don’t mind. Really. Go ahead.

Anyway, huge goal for the Penguins. Pesky Phantoms never backed down, getting a goal from Jason Akeson to cut it to 3-2. Phantoms get a power play late, but with a time out and Heeter pulled, never found the equalizer.

Three Stars: 3) Mike Carman (goal, even) 2) Nick Drazenovic (goal, assist, +2) and 1) Harry Zolnierczyk (goal, assist, +2)

Around the Division: Binghamton coughs up two leads and loses to Hamilton in Ottawa 5-4.…Hershey beats Portland 2-1, the home winning streak for the Bears is at 10…Norfolk loses to Hartford 3-1 and Syracuse forces overtime but lose to Springfield 6-5.

Standings: Binghamton 62 — Penguins 60 — Norfolk 58 — Hershey 56 — Syracuse 44

Conference: 1) SPR (67) 2) MCH (67) 3) BNG (62) 4) WBS (60) 5) STJ (59) 6) NOR (58) 7) ALB (57) 8) PRO (57)

Wheeling Update: Wheeling defeats Reading in Reading. 5-2. Reassigned Denver Manderson had an assist and scored a goal in the win. Manderson and Goers were sent back today by Wilkes-Barre.

SendToNews Highlights: Are here.

Pens travel to Hershey tomorrow for a 5 p.m. start with the Bears. The NHL is now on Olympic break so there are some guys, like we saw today with Megna and Gibbons, that can come back to their AHL clubs. Once all of the transactions complete, I’ll have a tidy blog post here for all to see.

Let’s Go Pens!!!