We needed a bounceback game after last night’s debacle v. Binghamton. The Sharks are not a push over. But, we somehow managed to stick to the basics and won 2-0 tonight.

Brad Thiessen v. Alex Stalock on Alex Stalock bobblehead night. No Sterling tonight. Bryan Lerg skated in his first game in what seemed like forever for him.

After an early Andrew Hutchinson high stick, Wilkes-Barre generated chance after chance after chance this evening.

The big story out of this game may not be a save, goal or fight but Nick Johnson’s left shoulder. After Dustin Jeffrey nearly scored in the first period, Worcester’s Mike Moore shoved Juice to the ice and he went down and stayed down. No penalty called. At first he went to the bench, then he and trainer Patrick Steidle went to the locker room.

This was all during a Sean Sullivan cross check penalty and a subsequent Ryan Craig power play goal. I tweeted very early this morning that Worcester boasted the best power play and penalty kill in the league. So much for that.

Wilkes-Barre penalty kill was perfect. Worcester could not set anything up. You can see that they focused on tightening that up. What made it even better, Tim Wallace scored in the second period on a shorthanded 2 on 1 with Dustin Jeffrey after a Corey Potter boarding call.

After that, Worcester had guns blazing late in the 2nd with multiple chances.

Third period was fast paced. You get that when Chris Cozzan is in the orange arm bands. I spoke with some Sharks fans during the action. Worcester is smack dab in the middle of Atlantic Division country, merely 2 hours away from Portland and Bridgeport and under an hour everyplace in between. Would love to be a season ticket holder here. Would probably attend close to 70 AHL games if I did.

Anyway. I counted only 17 Penguin skaters on the bench and did not see Nick Johnson in the third period. I can tell you that I saw him post hit. Perhaps they just rested him. I hope it’s nothing serious.

Eric Tangradi, Ryan Craig and Brad Thiessen were the three stars in that order. Final shots on goal were 38 for Worcester to Wilkes-Barre’s 26.

I liked the way we responded tonight after the 5-1 whipping Bingo put on us 24 hours ago. Nothing went right yesterday. Today, different story.

East Division scoreboard: Bridgeport beat Norfolk 3-2 in OT. Thanks, Sound Tigers. 2nd place Charlotte was idle. Checkers don’t play till Wednesday. Portland beat Albany 5-2. The Abbotsford Heat beat the Adirondack Phantons 4-2. Toronto beat Binghamton 4-3 and Hershey shutout the Syracuse Crunch 3-0. Dany Sabourin with the shut out for the Bears. Go figure. Copycats.

The AHL website was having issues tonight. Here is all you need to know. Wilkes-Barre is in first with 22 points. Charlotte is idle with 19. With the technical difficulties, I am not confident saying anything else, so here is the link to the AHL standings.

Please check out Jonathan Bombulie for more intelligent analysis.*

We’ll be back in the 570 tomorrow. Albany Tuesday in the Capital District of New York.  I have some fodder regarding the radio show I will run between now and Tuesday.

Go Pens!

*- JB reports in the postgamer that The Ticket made the trip, worked out today but did not play. He further mentioned Juice was banged up twice and Joe Vitale was limping late. I know I counted 17 players. I know I did because I did it five times, three times with my fingers. (4 lines, three players to a line = 12 players, plus 6 defensemen = 18 players) — we’ll see Monday what the walking wounded looks like and if there is a call up from The Nail.

Nothing can be said about this game, a 5-1 loss to the Binghamton Senators. Reminded me of flat soda. No pop. No fizz. Just flat. Like week old soda that sat out.

John Curry v. Barry Brust tonight. Joey Mormina was a scratch tonight and he really shouldn’t have been because Steve Wagner had a forgettable game.

Two power play goals by Binghamton in the first period tonight set the stage for a disastrous night for Wilkes-Barre. A Bortuzzo trip led to a Corey Locke goal then a Johnson hook led to a Bobby Butler goal. Butler is on a tear his rookie season.

Shots wise, WBS had the lead all night but if you just looked at who played better that last shift or block of time from whistle to whistle, Binghamton outplayed us. Strange too, because yesterday, Sens beat writer Joy Lindsay reported on her Twitter feed that practice was cancelled due to ice issues at the Broome County Veterans Memorial Arena yesterday. Perhaps the day off was just what the doctor ordered after getting smacked around by Rochester 6-3 on Wednesday.

Referee Ryan Fraser gave Wilkes-Barre every opportunity to make a game out of it. 0 for 6 on the power play and there is nothing to see here.

Eric Tangradi had a forgettable game. Andrew Hutchinson as well. Both played iffy games. Tangradi whiffed on a one-time on a power play in the 2nd and Andrew Hutchinson tip-tapped in the pussy willows in the same power play, in his own zone and it led to a Binghamton scoring chance. If anyone in Pittsburgh who reads this blog wonders why Eric and Andrew are here in Wilkes-Barre, look no further than this game.

I can’t make much more of a story tonight. Perhaps Jonathan Bombulie can in his postgame wrap. Bobby Butler scored two goals. He’s among the AHL rookie leaders. It’s never any good when Francis Lessard lights up the score sheet instead of the penalty sheet. He score late in the third to make it 5-1 and rub it in Wilkes-Barre’s faces.

Chris Collins got the lone Penguin goal late in the third. Roman Wick had the other Binghamton goal in the second at 35 seconds on a daft 2 on 1 with Jim O’Brien.

Brust, Locke and Butler were your three stars.

Around the division: Denis Hamel snipes for two goals and the Adirondack Phantoms cooled off the Norfolk Admirals. Hammer had the game tying and game winning goal (in overtime) as the Phantoms won 4-3. Hershey lost 3-2 to Toronto. Charlotte beat Bridgeport 6-5 and Syracuse shut out Albany 3-0. Standings wise: We are still in first with 20 points, Charlotte has 19 points, Norfolk and Binghamton have 16, Hershey and Syracuse have 15 points, Albany 12 and Binghamton 7. Not a bad night for Wilkes-Barre in the long run.

Off to Worcester tomorrow. I will be there. Booster club trip. They beat ManchVegas 3-1.

Yuck.