Pens win tonight in Norfolk 2-1 to make the series 2-1. Game 4 tomorrow in Norfolk, VA.

Brad Thiessen vs. Dustin Tokarski

Lineup changes: John Curry backed up Thiessen. Joe Vitale and his wife welcomed their first child today. Tim Wallace was back in. For Norfolk, Blair Jones and Mattias Ritola were called up in the wake of some injuries and suspensions in Tampa Bay.

First Period: Pens would get two power play opportunities early via Johan Harju’s slashing. Pens would not be able to convert on the power play. Pens would have a ton of offensive zone time but weren’t able to crack Tokarski. Later, in the same shift, the Admirlas would hit the post which led to a Brett Sterling breakaway in which he would hit the post. Then, after an icing call and whistle, Brian Strait would throw Paul Szczechura into the boards and Szczechura would twist what looked like a leg and would need to be helped off. Brian would sit for roughing. Then, as a Norfolk power play was on, Mark Barberio would get whistled for interference on Ryan Craig and the teams would skate four on four. During this a Norfolk turnover would see Keven Veilleux score to give the Pens their first lead of the series at 1-0.

Second Period: Paul Szczechura did not come out and neither did the Captain, Chris Durno. I did not see the hit on Durno. Neither would return the rest of the game. Early, the Pens would get all sorts of chances on Tokarski but kept missing. Street missed, Potter missed, Craig missed, Veilleux missed once then on a rebound. James Wright would hook Tim Wallace and the Pens power play looked bad, bad, bad. Pens would not score. Later, Jesse Boulerice would take an absolute bonehead rough call and the Admirals would score on the power play to even the score at 1. Stefano Giliati scored the goal.

Third Period: Turnovers all across the board for Wilkes-Barre as Thiessen would deny all comers. Later there would be a scary incident as Chris Collins would get elbowed by Mathieu Roy with no call. Collins headed to the dressing room but did return. Then, Steve Wagner was high sticked by Pierre-Cedric Labrie and would bleed. This would lead to a 4:00 double minor for high sticking on Labrie. The Pens did not score on the front end of it but Head Coach John Hynes would call his time out with 2:05 left in the double minor and the Pens would finally breakthrough and score on the power play via Bryan Lerg. Huge goal. I called it on the Twitter side the turning point of the series. Meanwhile later the Pens would come in on a three on one and the puck would jump on Tim Wallace and the Pens would not score. The Pens would preserve the lead and hod on to win 2-1 after some tense moments leading up to the final whistle.

Three Stars: Dustin Tokarski (23 saves on 25 shots) Stefano Giliati (goal, even) and Bryan Lerg (game winning goal, even)

Quick turnaround as Game 4 is tomorrow from Scope. Expect Joe Vitale back and a guy like David Marshall to be scratched. With all the injuries to Norfolk, with Tampa Bay playing Pittsburgh in a Game 4 in Tampa Bay tomorrow don’t expect Blair Jones or Mattias Ritola back and the health of Chris Durno and Paul Szczechura is still in doubt. Despite all this, the Admirals flat out hung with the Penguins tonight. Tomorrow is an important game for both sides.

Elsewhere regarding the East Division teams: Hershey beat Charlotte 3-2 in Charlotte to recapture home ice in the series and take a 2-1 series lead. Game 4 in that series comes tomorrow. Binghamton lost to Manchester 6-3 despite a hat trick from Ryan Potulny. The B-Sens are on the brink of elimination trailing the series 3-1. The Monarchs can wrap up the series tomorrow in Binghamton.

Despite the win for Wilkes-Barre tonight, it is NOT a new series…yet. Lots to be decided tomorrow in Game 4.

Let’s Go Pens!

Since October, it has been easy live tweeting games and blogging. It is a simple when you are the leagues best team. It is easy interacting with other AHL fans from around the league when their team isn’t doing so well. I have to say that it is a tad difficult for me now having no journalistic experience.

But one thing I will never do is panic. There is no sense. Think about it. I am not getting paid to do this. I don’t think anyone who frequents the blog is getting paid to either. There isn’t any sense in panicking. Why? You’ll drive yourself nuts.

Pens fell in an 0-2 hole losing 2-0 tonight.

Brad Thiessen vs. Dustin Tokarski – no lineup changes for the Pens.

First Period: Keven Veilleux would get whistled for roughing just :08 into the game. Pens would kill it. Right after that a Corey Potter point shot would dribble to the red line and then die and the Admirals would sweep it away. Power play was a problem this period as the Pens would get handed another one as James Wright would get whistled for hooking. The Admirals would kill it. Later, the Pens would have to kill off a 1:09 of a 5 on 3 with Joey Mormina in the box with Chris Collins. Pens would kill it set up by a Robert Bortuzzo huge block. Then, Brett Sterling and Nick Petersen came in two on none and did not score.

Second Period: Corey Potter giveaway would lead to him high sticking. Mathieu Roy would ring a post. Pens would have open ice with a 4×4 with Brett Sterling in the box for interference on the goaltender and Mark Barberio in the box for a hook. Geoff Walker would come in with Joe Vitale on a 2 on 1 and fail to score. Then they would crash the net and Joey Mormina tried to snipe and Tokarski held the fort. Later, Ryan Craig had all day. Doesn’t score. Then Brett Sterling would jump in two on none with the Captain. No dice. Dustin Tokarski has played superb hockey. To make the case even stronger, Tokarski had a diving glove save on a Steve Wagner offering. Then, with :08 left, Paul Szczechura doesn’t give up on a play and makes it 1-0.

Second Period Intermission Thoughts: Lowest point of the year, if we don’t win the series. Sucked the life right out of the team. Norfolk can’t keep it up all series, can it? We just didn’t all of a sudden forget how to play, did we?

Third Period: Bryan Lerg had a chance on the doorstep of Tokarski and was denied. Another Pens breakdown defensively nearly led to a Norfolk goal. Norfolk blocked a ton of shots tonight. Pens would press, press and press but not score. They would pull Thiessen and of all people Marc-Antoine Pouliot would bury the empty netter from the blue line. Game. Set. Match.

Three Stars: Brad Thiessen (25 saves on 26 shots), Paul Szczechura (game winning goal, +1) and Dustin Tokarski (27 save shutout)

This nugget from the League gives Pens fans everywhere hope:

http://twitter.com/#!/TheAHL/status/59435564017000448

More from League observer and good friend Patrick Williams:

http://twitter.com/#!/AHLReport/status/59435561429114880

http://twitter.com/#!/AHLReport/status/59435910382620672

Bombulie’s postgamer rings true.

Game Three is Tuesday and a virtual must win.

It ain’t over till it’s over — Yogi Berra

Go Pens.

Norfolk takes Game 1 of the best of seven series tonight 2-1 and takes home ice with it as the series is a 2-3-2 format. Pens frustrated by what Norfolk was throwing at them. I don’t know if it was the 1-3-1 that the Admirals employ or what but it was just one of those nights where nothing went right. Defense didn’t look itself either, two Robert Bortuzzo turnovers lead to the Admirals scoring.

Brad Thiessen vs. Dustin Tokarski. John Curry was not back yet so Patrick Killeen backed up Thiessen. Paul Thompson was a scratch as was Carl Sneep. Tim Wallace did not dress. Steve Wagner and Bryan Lerg both returned to the line ups.

First Period: Good pace to start, Brett Sterling and Ben Street nearly connected on a goal. Then, Mark Barberio hooked Lerg as Bryan was breaking in. The Admirals killed it and then the Pens forechecked in the Norfolk zone for about a minute after the penalty expired. The teams would trade goalie interference calls and the first period would end scoreless.

Second Period: Bryan Lerg and Mike Vernace would get too heated in a shoving match and both would sit for roughing. In the 4 on 4 that would ensue, Robert Bortuzzo would turn a puck over in the neutral zone to Mattias Ritola who would roof it over Thiessen. It actually was a pretty goal. Later, Ryan Craig would clank one off of the post. Then, Blair Jones would sit for goalie interference. During this, Tokarski would make some amazing saves while down in a two pad stack on Bryan Lerg. Then, Bortuzzo would fail to clear the puck and Mattias Ritola was fire it at the net and Marc-Antoine Pouliot would score to make it 2-0.

Third Period: Pens would have :58 of carryover power play time on a Vladimir Mihalik elbow call from the first period they did not convert on. They had two good chances and that was it. Later, David Marshall would get high sticked in the neutral zone by Blair Jones. This was a crucial power play for the Pens. The Pens went 0 for 6 on the man advantage tonight. This needs to change. Very late, with 2:41 left A Geoff Walker point shot would rebound to Keven Veilleux to make it 2-1 and the place would finally come alive. But, Admirals coach Jon Cooper smartly took his time out. The Pens would pressure and get one good opportunity on Tokarski but not score even with Thiessen pulled. Too little. Too late.

Observations: The Mohegan Sun Arena at Casey Plaza had NO energy tonight. None. Zip. Zero. Nada. What the heck? The Pens are the best team in the AHL and I could hear the guy in Section 219 across from me phone ring. Get loud people. Second, what aided the Pens to the best record in the league failed them tonight, which is the defense. I’m not pinning this loss on any one particular person because you lose as a team.

Game 2 is a relative must win for this reason alone from Jo, loyal Twitter follower from North of the Border:

http://twitter.com/#!/africanbookrat/status/59066799576186880

Interesting.

Three Stars were all Admirals: Marc-Antoine Pouliot (game winning goal, +1) Mattias Ritola (goal, assist, +2) and Dustin Tokarski (32 saves on 33 shots)

Game 2 is tomorrow night.

Elsewhere in the AHL of interest to Wilkes-Barre directly or indirectly, Binghamton evened its series with Manchester 1-1 on a Derek Grant overtime game winner, 4-3. If you didn’t already know, Charlotte is up 1-0 o Hershey having defeated the Bears Thursday night in Hershey 5-4 in a run and gun game. If you follow me on Twitter you already knew this. If you don’t follow me on Twitter, what are you waiting for?

No time to panic. Why? One game does not a series make.

If you are wondering what the etiology of my headliner for the postgamer is, click here, then eat an orange.

Go Pens!