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The offensive woes continue.

The Penguins kicked off their seven game road trip in Providence and were shutout 2-0. Michael Hutchinson makes 20 saves for the clean sheet.

Cody Wild, Steve MacIntyre and Jasyon Megna were the scratches. Tom Grace said on radio pregame that Megna was driven up today by a WBS front office staffer and didn’t make the bus trip yesterday so as not to infect the bus with the stomach bug he had.

Jeff Zatkoff vs. the aforementioned Michael Hutchinson

First Period: Could best be described as a feeling out period for the two teams. The Pens had the better of the power plays but only took three shots on goal and only allowed the P-Bruins the same amount. It would be the lowest amount of shots taken by both teams all season.

Second Period: For two teams that only play each other twice in a year, there were five fights, including four in 7:34 and 79 PIMs. Zach Sill fought Tyler Randell. Randell clipped Sill with a punch that dropped him. Colby Cohen and Paul Thompson fought after a scrum in front of Hutchinson’s net. Then Bobby Farnham fought David Warsofsky, Christiaan Minella / Kevan Miller. Pens had to penalty kill halfway through the period but dispensed of the Providence power plays. Then, Bobby Robins, the AHL’s penalty minutes leader, charges Philip Samuelsson then fights him. Robins would get a five minute major for charging. The Pens, during the extended power play, only manage a single shot on goal and the P-Bruins played “bend but not break” and killed it.

Third Period: The P-Bruins looked out for blood. Zatkoff made save after save. Alex Grant takes an interference call. Jamie Tardif feeds Craig Cunningham on the back door. Power play goal. Pens get a power play. Puck flutters just past the cage of Hutchinson. No goal. Then the Bruins continue to pressure, come in three on two and score. That would be all the offense that the P-Bruins would need. Zatkoff was pulled but the Penguins did not score a goal.

Three Stars: 3) Jamie Tardif (assist, even) 2) Michael Hutchinson (20 save shutout) 1) Craig Cunningham (goal)

Around the Division: Binghamton shuts out Connecticut at home, 3-0. Syracuse takes down St. John’s in a shootout 3-2. Hershey was dropkicked by the Norfolk Admirals in Virginia 5-1.

Standings: Syracuse 77 — Binghamton 74 — Hershey 64 — Penguins 63 — Norfolk 57

Conference: 1) SYR (77) 2) SPR (75) 3) PRO (73) 4) BNG (74) 5) POR (70) 6) HER (64) 7) WBS (63) 8) MCH (62)

SendToNews Highlights: I don’t think Providence has them.

Wheeling Update: Wheeling wins 5-2 in Trenton.

Pens travel to Portland for a 7 p.m. game against the Pirates. I will have the Gameday setup here for you at 3 p.m.

Let’s Go Pens!

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Penguins win 2-1 in a shootout in thrilling fashion. A game that had pretty much everything:

1) A close to sell-out crowd.
2) A team desperate to get back on track and win again.
3) An Albany team that beat the league best Syracuse Crunch last night.
4) An untested goaltender in Max Clermont making his AHL debut for the Devils.
5) Action back and forth all night by two tight checking hockey clubs.

Adam Payerl got the better of Clermont in the shootout in the sixth round. Jeff Zatkoff stops Steve Zalewski to secure the win for the Penguins.

I couldn’t put my finger on what the bigger storyline was in the game. Whether it was Clermont, an untested goaltender coming in with a 3+ GAA with Elmira this season who didn’t know any better or the Penguins lack of puck luck.

Trevor Smith scored a power play goal in the slot in the first period which by all accounts was pretty even. I don’t know if Albany matched the same intensity that was seen by the Penguins last night or if the Pens were 100% invested in the game like they were not the first ten minutes of the game last night vs. Hershey.

Clermont established himself early on. All pucks hit him and stuck to him it seemed. He game up little rebounds. He looked relaxed.

In the second, Darcy Zajac slips away from the defense overloaded on the left side, and scores a goal to bring things even. Penguins had the better of the chances but Clermont was more than up to the challenge.

Overtime solved nothing. Devils had the better of the chances. There was a sequence where the Penguins thought they had scored but referee Ryan Fraser reviews it on replay and determines that the puck does not go in.

Shootout time. Mike Sislo in round one, Jayson Megna in round four, Tom Kostopoulos and Joe Whitney in round five and Adam Payerl in round six with Zatkoff stopping Steve Zalewski.

It was Albany’s tenth shootout loss, tops in the AHL.

Three stars were 3) Trevor Smith (goal, even) 2) Jeff Zatkoff (26 saves on 27 shots) and 1) Adam Payerl (shootout game winner)

Another night where I thought that the opposing goaltender deserved a star of the game. Clermont was spectacular when he needed to be, which was often.

Around the Division: Binghamton was in Toronto and won 4-2. Norfolk traveled to Hershey in an important game for both teams and coughed up a 2-1 lead with 2:33 left in regulation and lost 3-2. Rochester edged Syracuse in overtime 2-1.

Standings: Syracuse 75 — Binghamton 71 — Penguins 63 — Hershey 62 — Norfolk 54

Conference: 1) SYR (75) 2) SPR (73) 3) PRO (69) 4) BNG (71) 5) POR (67) 6) WBS (63) 7) HER (62) 8) CT (59)

Bears host the Crunch tomorrow and can leap frog the Penguins if they win. It is their game in hand against the Pens.

Wheeling Update: Nailers win 3-0 at home, shutting out the Trenton Titans. Chris Barton was 1-1-2, Paul Crowder was 1-2-3. Keven Veilleux had an assist.

SendToNews Highlights: Are here. Cut up are both regulation goals and the shootout goals.

Pens hit the road for seven straight games, hitting a ton of New England stops along the way.

Third Quarter Grades are due! 19 games left! The playoff push is on! Stick with me on Twitter for when to expect the grades. Probably some time early on in the week.

Let’s Go Pens!