They call the Verizon Wireless Arena “The Jungle” and I have been waiting ever since I started my blog to run this headline. I would have run this regardless if the Pens won or lost tonight.

Well, the Pens did win tonight 4-1. Really a dominating performance tonight for the Pens as they allowed Manchester only 18 shots on goal all night.

Brad Thiessen vs. Martin Jones.

First Period: In front of the majority of the Pittsburgh Penguins front office minus Ray Shero who could not make it because of snow, the Penguins started the game mesmerized by the fierce forechecking by the Monarchs. Bryan Lerg and Colin McDonald broke off and had a 2 on 1 but could not score. Then, Eric Tangradi shot a puck that dies behind Jones and somehow did not go in. Manchester would answer by buzzing big by hitting a post and getting robbed by a diving Thiessen with the blocker. The Pens would hold firm and then Brandon Kozun for Manchester would go off  for interference and the Pens would cash on a Brian Gibbons backhander. Right after, Geoff Walker would leave the game with an injury and not return.

Seemed like that first period was all Manchester early and late with the Gibbons goal sandwiched in between.

Second Period: Eric Tangradi would receive a nice feed and score to make it 2-0 from Colin McDonald while Manchester had its fourth line out. Then the Pens would go back on the power play and Nick Petersen would score when a puck would bat in off of a Manchester skate. This would be the end of Martin Jones as he’d be replaced by Jeff Zatkoff. Zatkoff would make a nice save on Bryan Lerg late.

Third Period: Niko Dimitrakos was everywhere this period as he backhanded a puck past Zatkoff but not in then get a pass from Brian Gibbons off of a faceoff to score to make things 4-0. Brandon Kozun would ruin the shutout bid for Thiessen scoring a power play goal late. Manchester would continue to buzz but the Pens defense and Brad Thiessen held firm to remain perfect on the road with a record of 5-0 and an aggregate score of 20-6.

Three Stars: Colin McDonald (two assists, +2) Brad Thiessen (17 saves on 18 shots) and Brian Gibbons (goal, two assists, +2)

Around the Division: Hershey lost in regulation to the red hot Adirondack Phantoms 2-1. The Phantoms lead the newly formed Northeast Division with 13 points. I don’t think the Phantoms got 13 points last year until December. Binghamton beat Rochester 3-1 and division leader Norfolk beat Syracuse 6-2.

Standings: Norfolk 15, Penguins 12, Hershey 12, Binghamton 12, Syracuse 11. With this division and how tight things are, drop two or three in a row and you could go from the penthouse to the outhouse quickly.

Penguins are off until hosting Hershey Friday at home. Blog wise, I may have a few feature pieces this week depending on what is available. Booster Club meet and greet dinner is this Tuesday. I may have something afterwards.

Go Penguins!

Pens win a strange one tonight 5-3 but not before a nearly 10 minute delay with less than a minute to play in the third period when the lights at the Onondaga County War Memorial at Oncenter went dim. Pens are perfect on the road this season so far.

Brad Thiessen vs. Iiro Tarkki.

First Period: With Mak Bell in the box for a holding the stick call, Jason Williams would score his first of the year through traffic. Later, Geoff Walker would absolutely just walk right past a Crunch defenseman and dish off to Colin McDonald to make it 2-0. It was all Penguins this period.

Second Period: Crunch would buzz, buzz and buzz and finally breakthrough at 9:33 of the second via a shot from Peter Holland which came on the power play with Robert Bortuzzo in the box on a tripping call in his first game of the year after suffering a knee injury in preseason. While AHL Live was in technical difficulties, Holland scored again. I have no idea how as I never saw it or never heard the description on radio. The second period was all Crunch.

Third Period: If you missed the opening two minutes, you missed two Penguins goals. Ex-WBS Penguin J-F Jacques was in the box from a hold over hook from the second period when Nick Petersen scored on the power play. Then, Brandon DeFazio scored to make it 4-3. Then, with the Pens on the power play, Jacques scored shorthanded. He picked off a pass from center ice and walked in all alone. Crunch would try to even the score but could not find the equalizer. The lights went dim with :48.5 left in the game and after about a ten minute delay play would resume. Tarkki would vacate his net for the extra attacker and Eric Tangradi would score the empty netter to seal the victory.

Three Stars: 3) J-F Jacques (goal, assist, +1) 2) Peter Holland (two goals, even) and 1) Nick Petersen (goal, assist, +1)

Around the Division: Springfield battles back to beat Hershey 4-3 in overtime. Binghamton beat Albany 4-2 at home and Norfolk doubled up Providence in the Divine City 4-2.

Standings: Norfolk 13, Hershey 12, Penguins 10, Syracuse 10, Binghamton 9. I sense a tight trend here.

Wilkes-Barre travels to Manchester overnight for a game tomorrow in New Hampshire. Gameday will be up here on the blog at 4 p.m.

Let’s Go Pens!

Penguins roll into Hershey tonight and win 3-1. A place that used to stymie the Penguins before in the past and look, eight straight wins in Giant Center if you go back to last year. Big win for Wilkes-Barre too. Statement win I think.

Brad Thiessen vs. Braden Holtby

First Period: Zach Miskovic held Ben Street and in the power play Jason Williams set up Brian Gibbons for the goal. Really the first half of the period was all Wilkes-Barre just dictating the pace and play. Then a scary moment with Eric Tangradi getting what looked like blindsided by Sean Collins. Long and short of this would see Tangradi go to the locker room but have no ill effects. First time this season that the Bears would be held scoreless in the first period.

Second Period: Pens would get a brief period of 5-on-3 hockey but the Bears would shake it off. Then, during four-on-four action, Simon Despres would score his first pro goal on a slapshot which beat Holtby. Bryan Lerg assisted on the goal and this is a five game point streak for Mr. Lerg. Then, Lerg would score to make it 3-0 after a nice tic-tac-toe pass from Paul Thompson. Bears would continue the undisciplined hockey with Patrick McNeill taking a cross checking penalty which the Bears would kill off. Then later after a whistle the Bears would try more rough stuff with Keith Aucoin and Philip Samuelsson being featured on the AHL Live feed.

Third Period: Pens would just puck possess the period to death. Not without Keith Aucoin getting robbed by a sitting Brad Thiessen and Christian Hanson ringing it off of two goal posts in on a breakaway. Matt Ford would finally break 100+ minutes of Brad Thiessen shutout hockey with a goal. Hershey would pull Holtby but not score and the Pens would deal the Bears their first regulation loss of the weekend and get four out of a possible four points this weekend.

Really a dominating performance by the Penguins. Radio was talking about the video scout for the Pens breaking down four hours of Bears tape on the ride in from Springfield last night. Give that man a raise!

Three Stars: Colin McDonald (2 assists, +2) Brad Thiessen (27 saves on 28 shots) and Bryan Lerg (goal, assist, +2)

If Lerg is not in the conversation for AHL Player of the Week or Player of the Month there is something amiss. Lerg has played five straight games where he has scored multiple points.

Around the Division: Binghamton beats Norfolk 3-2 in a shootout despite being outshot 15-5 in the third period. Lake Erie finally gets in the win column in overtime beating Syracuse in the Salt City 3-2.

Standings: Tight. Hershey and Norfolk have 9 points each. Syracuse and Wilkes-Barre have 8 points each and Binghamton has 7 points in last place.

Seven games in, if you are telling me I am going to be one point out of first, I take it. No matter how we get there.

Tomorrow: Wilkes-Barre and Binghamton are off. Norfolk travels to Charlotte and Syracuse to Hershey.

Pens play again next Friday in Syracuse. Updates this week as they come.

Let’s Go Pens!