Pens win their third game of the weekend, third in a shootout, winning today in Springfield 4-3 in a shootout. Patrick Killeen started the game and won his first AHL game. Pens finish off a perfect six point weekend.

But no one will remember any of that on this day. Why? Steve MacIntyre completely lost his mind and went into full rage mode. I will let the tweets of Penguins beat writer Jonathan Bombulie set this up:

MacIntyre received a five minute match penalty and a five minute roughing penalty which to me, was a bit lenient. However, the AHL is going to look at this and I would say that an undisclosed fine and a suspension in the neighborhood of ten games. More, if he went and struck a linesman, which may have happened.

Who knows. League usually announces these things Tuesday. We will see.

Anyway, another spirited tilt today in Springfield. For teams which played two games prior, three goals in 3:37. No flies on these teams in this third game in less than 48 hours.

Patrick Killeen vs. Paul Dainton – Brandon DeFazio was scratched for Matt Rust and Cody Wild for Philip Samuelsson.

First Period: Alex Picard takes a pass in the skates from Ryan Craig and scored. Next shift, ex-Pens prospect Nathan Longpre scored for Springfield to tie the game at 1. Then, Ryan Craig whacks in his won rebound to make it 2-1 Penguins. This was after lackadaisical defense from the Falcons blue liners, which let the Pens beat them to an icing call.

Second Period: Dainton made a pad save on a Craig shot, Jason Williams rebound. Joey Mormina took an interference penalty and Alex Giroux wasted no time in evening the score at two. Then, for some reason, Bill Guerin (yes, THAT Bill Guerin) got ejected for arguing a call. This put the Pens down two men as Brian Gibbons took a slashing call. In the power play, Alex Giroux scored a rebound goal to push the Falcons out to 3-2. Then, late, the MacIntyre insanity. He went full rage mode. He cross checked Amadio in the back, then went after Dainton. The scrum broke up then he suckered Dainton again. The Mass Mutual Center didn’t replay anything, but AHL Live will have it on archive probably tomorrow. I will take a look at it again to get a more better look. Out of it, the Falcons had an 8:00 power play.

Third Period: The Falcons could do little with the extended power play. They managed maybe one, two, shots on goal. Pens killed it all off. Then, Ryan Garlock (un)intentionally snowed Killeen and ended up in the box. On the power play, Alex Grant scored to even the game at three. Dainton had no idea where the puck was. He was looking the other way. Then it was on to…

Overtime: Solved nothing.

Shootout: Killeen let Cody Goloubef score in Round 1 but denied the next four shooters. Cal O’Reilly and Colin McDonald scored for the Pens. Game. Set. Match.

Three Stars: 3) Martin St. Pierre (two assists, -2) 2) Ryan Craig (goal, assist, +2) 1) Alexandre Giroux (two goals, -2)

Around the Division: Hey, a perfect three game weekend is great, but when the Norfolk Admirals have won FIFTEEN straight games, it’s downgraded to possibly insignificant. But the Pens remain on the heels of the Admirals, barely. The Admirals beat Bridgeport 6-3. A HUGE Wednesday tilt in Norfolk looms between the Pens and Admirals. The AHL record for consecutive wins is 17, set by the Philadelphia Phantoms a few years ago. Syracuse won 5-1 at home vs. Albany.

Standings: Admirals 87 / Pens 79 / Bears 72 / Crunch 60 / Senators 52

Conference: 1-NOR (87) 2-StJ (81) 3-BRI (72) 4-WBS (79) 5-HER (72) 6-CT (72) 7-MCH (65) 8-ALB (64)

Huge Wednesday game looms for the Pens. They will have help on the blue line as Simon Despres and Brian Strait were re-assigned this afternoon.

I drive home Monday morning. Fodder will be scarce otherwise as the team will most likely travel Tuesday. Stick with me on Twitter for the latest.

Let’s Go Pens!

Remember the time when the Penguins couldn’t win shootouts to save their tail? Remember when that was a concern? Not anymore. Pens win their second game in the three game New England trip by a score of 5-4, in a shootout for the second night in a row.

Solid effort tonight against a really good Bridgeport Sound Tigers team.

Scott Munroe vs. Kevin Poulin – Steve MacIntyre was in for Matt Rust as the Sound Tigers dressed pest Trevor Gillies but the two never fought.

First Period: Kevin Poulin was sharp, denying Nick Petersen and then Geoff Walker while the Pens were on a power play. In that power play, Colin McDonald would score from the bottom of the right circle to put the Pens up 1-0. Then, Ty Wishart tried to get the puck up ice past Poulin but instead of finding a teammate, it found Nick Petersen’s stick and in for a 2-0 Penguins lead. Penguins would have to kill off a 5-on-3 for :53 on two high sticking penalties. Late, Aaron Ness got run over by Robert Bortuzzo and then Cody Wild. Bortuzzo fought Brett Gallant for it.

First period thoughts – Wilkes-Barre controlled the period. For a Bridgeport team that has only lost twice since last playing the Pens on December 31, a positive thing. Also, with the first period scoring woes the Pens have had in the past few weeks this was a breath of fresh air leading into the…

Second Period: Kind of a physical period for both teams. Tony Romano scored when the puck went up in the air, and like in baseball, Munroe and Cody Wild didn’t call off one or the other with the “I got it” and it went in. Right after, Tyler McNeely scored to tie things at two. Much like last night in Providence. Kevin Poulin was diving all over the place, stopping attempt after attempt.

Third Period: Ping pong to Justin DiBenedetto who scores to make it 3-2. Then next shift Ben Street scores to tie the game at three. Street would score again on the power play then get denied by Poulin later for the hat trick. Late, with Poulin out, Rhett Rakshani scored to tie things with 1:20 to go. It was then off to…

Overtime: Goalies made some good saves, Brian Gibbons would take a hooking penalty but the Sound Tigers did not score.

Shootout: Much like last night, Munroe denied all Sound Tigers shooters and Cal O’Reilly and Colin McDonald scored for the Pens.

Three Stars: 1) Rhett Rakhshani (goal, +2) 2) Ben Street (two goals, +1) and 1) Colin McDonald (gaol, -1)

Around the Division: Hershey lost to St. John’s in the shootout 3-2. The Norfolk Admirals win their 14th game in a row 3-1 beating the Connecticut Whale in Hartford. Rochester thumped Binghamton 6-1 and Springfield edges Syracuse 6-5.

Standings: Admirals 85 / Pens 77 / Bears 72 / Crunch 58 / Senators 52

Pens wrap the three game series tomorrow afternoon in Springfield, where I am headed now. Remember to turn your clocks ahead an hour!

Let’s Go Pens!

Wonderfully tight checking game tonight here in Rhode Island and felt like a playoff game. A playoff game where neither team could score any pretty goals. Scott Munroe comes back from stopping no shots on Tuesday to stop all shots in the shootout and the Penguins skate away with the extra two points here in Providence winning 3-2.

Scott Munroe vs. Michael Hutchinson

Lineup notes: Simon Despres was called up to Pittsburgh today and Cody Wild took his spot Steve MacIntyre took warmups but was scratched. Matt Rust was in for the ailing Bryan Lerg.

First Period: Brian Gibbons was dispossessed at the blue line and Jared Staal and Kyle MacKinnon came in on a two on none nearly. Staal missed but MacKinnon put the rebound past Munroe and in to put the P-Bruins up 1-0. The very next shift, Josh Hennessy gets a puck fed to him off the wall and wrists a shot past Munroe to put the Bruins up 2-0.

Really nothing else happened this period. The Pens were just stuck in a bad minute of hockey where the P-Bruins scored two goals in :50.

Second Period: Ben Street crashed the net and Geoff Walker tapped in the rebound past Hutchinson to put the Pens on the board and cut the Bruins lead in half at 2-1. Zach Sill on a penalty kill took two David Warsofsky shots off the ankle but was fine. The second was a really tight checking period.

Third Period: Penguins only allowed the Bruins one shot on goal the entire period. They took ten themselves, including a Ben Street goal when Hutchinson didn’t seal the post and the puck went in the goal off of his back and in. The pressure really was ramped up by and for the Penguins.

Overtime: Solved nothing.

Shootout: No one scored in the first five rounds. Colin McDonald comes in and scores in Round Six, and Scott Munroe denied Jamie Tardif to seal the win for the Pens.

Three Stars: 3) Josh Hennessy (goal, +1) 2) Ben Street (goal, assist, +2) 1) Colin McDonald (game winning shootout goal, -2)

The Geoff Walker, Ben Street and Nick Petersen line was the best line for the Pens all night. They literally won the game for us.

Around the Division: Norfolk wins its 13th game in a row beating Adirondack in Glens Falls 3-1. Hershey loses a crazy game in St. John’s that saw Braden Holtby start the game, get pulled when he lets in the third goal for Dany Sabourin, who then got pulled when St. John’s scored its fourth goal. The IceCaps went on to win 6-1. Rochester beats Binghamton 3-1. Syracuse beats Albany in a shootout 2-1.

Standings: Norfolk has 83 points to the Pens 75. The Bears are stuck on 71 points. Syracuse 58 then Binghamton 52.

Conference: 1-NOR (83) 2-StJ (79) 3-BRI (71) 4-WBS (75) 5-HER (71) 6-CT (70) 7-ALB (64) 8-WOR (63)

Pens travel on to Bridgeport tomorrow to face the white hot Sound Tigers. Gameday will be up here at 3, I will have the live tweets from Harbor Yard at 7.

Let’s Go Pens!