Chirps from Center Ice

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I never took French at any level of high school or college, so translate “Free Coffee” into French for your alternative headline for the night.

We will get to Rafäel Harvey-Pinard in a minute, but a moment for Sergei Murashov who was stellar in the third period when the Penguins were up 3-0 and the visiting Lehigh Valley Phantoms pushed and pushed and pushed. 14 shots in the period for the Phantoms and one of them went in to break up a shutout bid that the Penguins net minder had brewing. While the Penguins did have a two goal lead it felt like it wasn’t safe until Harvey-Pinard’s empty net goal sealed it. Penguins win 4-1 Friday night.

I kind of expect this every night from Harvey-Pinard but we just haven’t seen it this season. Tonight though was a different story. You hope that it continues.

Here’s how they lined up:

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Lineup Notes: Raivis Ansons and Zach Gallant out for William Dufour (WBS debut) and Nolan Renwick, Sebastian Aho for Logan Pietila on defense.

Personal Gripe: At the quarter pole of the season and are we already switching to the black jerseys at home? That’s what they wore Friday. Do less and stay whites at home please.

First Period: Aiden McDonough finds Gabe Klassen for Klassen’s first of the season and the Penguins were out to an early 1-0 lead.

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I don’t know what was nicer here, the goal by Klassen or the pass by McDonough.

Foreshadowing here, Harvey-Pinard had three good looks on net with about :20 left to play in the period.

Second Period: Harvey-Pinard finally gets a goal to go on a snipe at 9:03 and the Penguins doubled their lead.

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Felt like the Penguins were in control all period and a Rutger McGroarty power play goal that made it 3-0 proved that theory.

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All this kid does is score goals. Enjoy him here while you can.

Third Period: The patented Phantoms Third Period Push © was underway.

Seems like the entered third period was played in front of Sergei Murashov as the Phantoms dominated play from the drop. But for this Anthony Richard goal though, all was well.

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If by losing to the Penguins on three straight occasions by a 4-1 score, then yeah, that is how you do it.

Here’s the empty netter by Harvey-PInard because what the hell.

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Three Stars: 3) Rutger McGroarty (goal) 2) Sergei Murashov (31 saves) 1) Rafäel Harvey-Pinard (two goals)

The Good: They keep racking up points and are deep at all positions in a true next man up type of franchise.

The Bad: I think if it’s anyone else other than Murashov Lehigh Valley makes it closer. Do they let off knowing Murashov will bail them out?

Turning Point: The McGroarty power play goal put it a little too far out of reach for the visitors given who was standing in net for the home team.

Around the Division: Springfield rattles off six straight to overcome a this year is no different than last year Bridgeport Islanders team and win 6-3….Charlotte beats Toronto 5-1…Hartford beats Cleveland 6-4. Providence and Hershey were off.

Standings: Penguins 31 – Providence 28 – Lehigh Valley 24 – Charlotte 22 – Hershey 31 – Hartford 16 – Bridgeport 14 – Springfield 13

Wheeling Update: Nailers go into Toledo, a place that is not easy to win in, and throttle the Walleye 5-2. Scooter Brickey had a pair of goals and Finn Harding a pair of assists.

Video Highlights: 

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They will look to sweep the week Saturday in Hershey. More then.

Let’s Go Pens!

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6                             3

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It’s about damn time that two teams who are blood rivals that don’t like each other and play each other a ton of times had a game like this.

A fight in every period, and the Penguins win an almost two close to call Thanksgiving Eve game in Hershey 6-3.

Phil Tomasino making his Wilkes-barre debut had a goal, two assists and a fight for a Gordie Howe hat trick.

Rutger McGroarty stayed hot with another goal.

You won’t believe this, but it’s Joel Blomqvist’s first win against Hershey in Hershey.

So yeah, a good one to work up an appetite for tomorrow’s feasting.

Here’s how they lined up:

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Lineup Notes: Phil Tomasino and Sam Poulin for the recalled Tristan Broz and Nolan Renwick (who wasn’t recalled) up front and Harrison Brunicke and Jack St. Ivany for Sebastian Aho (scratch) and Finn Harding (Wheeling)

Prior to the game, Sergei Murashov was reassigned to Wilkes-Barre.

First Period: Bit of a feeling out period, but then Boko Imame finds himself behind the defense and is awarded a penalty shot.

He would score.

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Immediately after he would fight Dalton Smith.

Rutger McGroarty would continue his torrent pace with his third goal in as many games, after Phil Tomasino created a turnover.

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Then Avery Hayes would leak a puck through Garin Bjorklund that made it 3-0 Penguins.

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A good start against a team that is dealing with some injuries, call up and illness, G Clay Stevenson missed the game for the Bears with an illness.

Second Period: Quiet period. Phil Kemp laid a hit on a guy and fought Sam Bitten early on, nothing to write home about.

Brett Leason shoveled home a rebound that spittled away from Joel Blomqvist to put the Bears on the board with about four minutes left to play in the period.

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Third Period: Tomasino and Grant Cruikshank had a fight to start the third. Listen, Hershey is chasing a 3-1 deficit at this point and needed something to work up the jam to get them going in the form of a comeback.

It worked in part.

An Ilya Protas shorthanded goal cuts the deficit to one and here we go again?

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The Penguins would navigate these choppy waters with a power play goal on their second attempt at same since the Protas goal on a face-off dot violation on Hershey. Rutger McGroarty left a no look pass for Tomasino who slammed it home that gave the Penguins breathing room and made it 4-2.

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Hershey would vacate Bjorklund and Avery Hayes would shoot for the empty net, hit the post but chase his rebound into the far corner and shoot into the empty net at a bad angle to make it 5-2.

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Eriks Mateiko would score his first AHL goal on a one timer with 2:08 left and Hershey just wasn’t going away.

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But then Sam Poulin would shoot into another empty net from about 175 feet away and that would do it.

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Three Stars: 3) Brett Leason (goal, assist) 2) Rutger McGroarty (goal, two assists) 1) Phil Tomasino (goal, assist)

The Good: They beat up an undermanned Hershey team and took home two points.

The Bad: They let an undermanned Hershey team back into the game and almost lost two points.

Turning Point: The Tomasino goal that made it 4-2 took all the air out of the building and was a very big goal.

Around the Division: Springfield doubles up Hartford 6-3….Providence thumps Toronto 5-1.

Standings: Penguins 29 – Providence 28 – Lehigh Valley 24 – Hershey 21 – Charlotte 20 – Bridgeport and Hartford 14 – Springfield 11

Wheeling Update: Nailers stay hot with a 5-2 win at home against the Indy Fuel. Scooter Brickey had an assist and was +2. Maxim Pavlenko stopped 29.

Video Highlights: AHL VideoCenter you go!

Happy Thanksgiving. I’m thankful for you, the reader. And of course my cats, and my 51 VO2 max. Hills, people. Hills.

Talk to you Friday after the Phantoms come to town.

Let’s go Pens!

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I didn’t know what to make of this game, a 1-0 Wilkes-Barre win in Providence Saturday night where Rutger McGroarty scored an unassisted shorthanded goal.

Joel Blomqvist made 27 saves but really wasn’t tested. The Penguins were structurally better in comparison to Hartford on Friday, but you would think that a battle between the two best teams in the Eastern Conference would render a more exiting result. Who knows.

Here’s the McGroarty goal.

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Here’s how they both lined up:

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McGroarty for Matty De St. Phalle was the only lineup change. I would have thought there would have been some tinkering with defense after last night but Kirk MacDonald knew what he was doing.

The McGroarty goal came from nothing, he got a step, then another step then boom he was behind the defender and boom, he scored a goal.

The rest of the game seemed like a long feeling out period. I want to say that the Penguins had the better of the chances.

Feistiness picked up in the third period with Matt Poitras not making a lot of friends on the Penguins side. Zach Gallant and Colin Feliz fought and then later Gallant took a matching roughing penalty with Frederic Brunet.

Three Stars: 3) Valtteri Puustinen (7 shots) 2) Rutger McGroarty (goal) 1) Joel Blomqvist (27 saves)

The Good: They go back to the top of the Atlantic off of a solid performance by their goaltender. They may be a good team.

The Bad: Let’s just move on from this. I normally use this space to complain about the feed in Providence but it was clear and an enjoyable watch.

Turning Point: The McGroarty goal seemed innocuous at the time, but was the sole amount of offense in the entire 60 minute affair.

Around the Division: Lehigh Valley scores three in the third to beat Hartford 3-2….Cleveland beats Hershey 5-3….Syracuse does the same to Bridgeport with a 5-3 win….Grand Rapids beats Charlotte 2-1 in overtime.

Standings: Penguins 27 – Providence 26 – Lehigh Valley 24 – Hershey 21 – Charlotte 20 – Bridgeport 14 – Hartford 14 – Springfield 9

Wheeling Update: Nailers win 3-1 in Reading against the Royals.

Video Highlights: Link to AHL VideoCenter here.

Back at it midweek against old foes Hershey Wednesday. Weekend Preview will be up Wednesday morning. Talk to you then.

Let’s Go Pens!

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2                              5

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This game sucked.

Wilkes-Barre / Scranton was in control from the start but Hartford Wolf Pack goaltender Callum Tung settled in under the barrage of first period shots and the Wolf pack capitalized on turnovers from the Penguins, used that momentum to tip the game in their favor and skate away with a 5-2 win Friday night.

I guess every team in the AHL is allowed a clunker now and then and this one certainly was.

Here’s how they lined up. The Wolf Pack didn’t post a line graphic.

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Lineup Notes: Scheduled absent day for Rutger McGroarty per the team, Avery Hayes returned after a six game absence. Gabe Klassen also slotted back in up front. Sebastian Aho for Scooter Brickey on defense.

First Period: Penguins outshoot the Wolf Pack 22-6, yet the score was tied after one.

A turnover by Alex Alexyev sees ex-Penguin Derrick Pouliot score his first goal as a member of the Wolf Pack and it was Hartford that was out to a quick 1-0 lead…

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But then Owen Pickering scored to tie the game about three minutes later that tied the game at one.

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Second Period: Penguins would cash a power play goal when Rafäel Harvey-Pinard scored a tip in in front that put the Penguins ahead 2-1.

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But then Logan Pietila gives the puck away to future AHL Hall of Fame Trey Fix-Wolansky who scored and tied the game at two.

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The Penguins have controlled the game to this point from top to bottom, but it’s two bone head defensive giveaways that had the Wolf Pack on level terms.

Bad to worse, Anton Blidh scores a tip in in front and the Wolf Pack shockingly go ahead 3-2.

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They were making it harder then it needed to be.

Third Period: The Penguins made a push in the first half of the period, but Tung held firm and then Hartford iced the game away with a Brett Berard goal on a rebound in front that doubled the Wolf Pack lead.

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Adam Sykora salted it away on a two on one rush. Please drive home safely.

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Three Stars: 3) Anton Blidh (goal, assist) 2) Callum Tung (31 saves) 1) Derrick Pouliot (goal, two assists)

The Good: Have to love the start. 22 shots in the first period so they came ready to play.

The Bad: They were in the game and in control, but the turnovers defensively tipped momentum to Hartford and they played too tentatively after that. It’s hard to win when you are down a goal and playing not to lose when you are losing.

Turning Point: The Berard goal in the third iced it away. Figure if the Penguins tie it at three, they at least get a point or maybe win. That. never happened.

Around the Division: Charlotte deals the Grand Rapids Griffins their first regulation loss of the season with a 2-1 win in Michigan….Providence wins 3-2 over Lehigh Valley….Bridgeport wins 5-4 out in Rochester and Springfield shuts out Utica 2-0.

Standings: Providence 26 – Penguins 24 – Lehigh Valley 22 – Hershey 21 – Charlotte 19 – Hartford 14 – Bridgeport 14 – Springfield 9

Wheeling Update: Nailers lose 4-1 at home to Reading. Matt Quercia with the lone goal for Wheeling.

Video Highlights: AHL VideoCenter for the sickos in your life.

Back at it Saturday in Providence for what promises to be a tough one.

Let’s Go Pens!

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Let’s just get what they casuals love out of the way first.

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I am not a big analytic guy, but that post has over 24,000 views. Give the people what they want!

The casuals loved it.

The rest of us sickos loves this 3-1 Penguins win over the Springfield Thunderbirds. Like two ships passing in the night going different directions, the Penguins started on time Saturday night (unlike Friday) and teed off on last place Springfield to a tune of a 2-0 lead at the end of the first period. Bolstered by the Boko Imama / Kale Kessy heavyweight fight, in addition to Imama scoring a tip in front in the first, the Penguins were off to the races.

Gotta hand it to Kale Kessy. The guy is overmatched in height and weight but not heart. The man stands in there and takes on the toughest opponents all the time.

Anyway, here’s how they lined up.

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Lineup Notes: Oh yeah, burying the lede here, Joel Blomqvist and Rutger McGroarty were activated off of injured reserve and in the lineup. Other changes include Scooter Brickey for Sebastian Aho on defense, McGroarty and Raivis Ansons for Matty De St. Phalle and Gabe Klassen.

First Period: Kind of gave it away in the open, relentless pressure by the Penguins to start, Raivis Ansons slams one home at 2:20 after the Pensuins hemmed in Springfield for an extended amount of time to make it 1-0…

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See above for what happened next. It is rare anymore to see two dudes fight anymore and even rarer to see two dudes who actually know how to fight as well.

Here’s Boko’s tip in in front.

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Second Period: They let off or something seemed off. Again, you can get away with it I think against teams like Springfield and Bridgeport. I don’t know you about Hershey and definitely not Providence.

This despite Rutger McGroarty scoring just 66 seconds into the period.

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Aaron Huglen took a puck off the chops off an errant dump in by Phil Kemp and didn’t return.

Hugh McGing scored off the rush on a power play for Springfield late to break up any faint thoughts of a Blomqvist shutout bid.

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Third Period: Springfield played a better period but didn’t score despite lots of pressure, where they outshot the Penguins 12-4. Good defense by the Penguins and better goaltending by Joel Blomqvist keeps the Thunderbirds off the scoresheet.

Three Stars: 3) Joel Blomqvist (23 saves) 2) Rutger McGroarty (goal) 1) Boko Imama (goal, fight)

The Good: They are beating teams they should beat and amassing points.

The Bad: Sometimes the way they play teams they are beating isn’t good and I am concerned that when they play a better team they may not have as much success. Last week against Rochester comes to mind.

The Bad, Redux: They have one power play goal in the last 23 tries I thought I heard Nick Hart mention postgame. That isn’t good!

Turning Point: Pens had a kill around the five minute mark of the third period with Springfield pressuring and got the kill from there. If the Thunderbirds scored, I am not so sure the outcome would have been the same.

Around the Division: Charlotte shuts out Iowa 2-0…Providence beats Utica 3-2 in overtime….Laval beats Hartford 5-2…Rochester beats Bridgeport 5-3…Hershey beats Lehigh Valley with :13 left off a Ryan Strome goal and the Bears win 4-3.

Standings: Penguins 25 – Providence 24 – Lehigh Valley 19 – Charlotte and Hershey 17 – Bridgeport 12 – Hartford 10 – Springfield 6

Wheeling Update: Nailers beat the Maine Mariners 4-1. Mike Posma with two more goals against Maine. Long live the Portland Pirates.

Video Highlights: Not up yet, if I see them later I may edit them in, if not, AHL VideoCenter will have them for you.

They are off till next Friday which is nice because it gives you a break from the weekday games. Have a great week and we will talk next week for the Weekend Preview.

Let’s Go Pens!

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They looked lost for two periods, completely on an island (no pun intended) and in a 2-0 hole to start the third period.

Then the magic happened.

A five goal third period aided by defenseman Phil Kemp lifts the Wilkes-Barre / Scranton Penguins to a 5-3 win over the Bridgeport Islanders Friday night.

Kemp had a pair of goals and an assist in the win.

Here’s how they lined up with Bridgeport not posting a lineup graphic.

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Lineup Notes: There were none. They went with the same pairings and lines from Wednesday in Bridgeport. Of note, Daniel Laatsch joined Avery Hayes and Taylor Gauthier on the injured list.

First Period: They didn’t start on time.

Normally when you start your fourth line it provides a spark that sets the tone for the rest of the game.

The opposite happened. A penalty in the first minute of the game.

Cam Berg sweeps in a puck in the crease with Maxim Pavlenko facing the opposite direction and the Islanders were off to a 1-0 lead.

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Pathetic first period of hockey. They were disjointed and not crisp at all.

Second Period: It started to click a bit with some early pressure but an Alex Jeffries shot is blocked but caroms right back to him for a 2-0 Islanders lead.

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This was after the Penguins had back to back power play tries in an attempt to shift momentum to their side.

Third Period: Comeback on.

A Phil Kemp put on Parker Gahagen is stopped by the Islander goaltender but right to Tristan Broz who cleans up the mess and puts the Penguins on the board.

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Sebastian Aho scores his first goal as a Penguin through a screen I thought and ties the game at two.

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Head Coach Rocky Thompson calls time out to trying to and settle his troops. It worked, in part, because Andrej Šustr puts a pass on a zipline to Adam Beckman for a goal that re-establishes Bridgeport’s lead.

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I didn’t think Owen Pickering had his best game. He wasn’t on the ice there for the Beckman goal but I didn’t like his game at all Friday.

Aiden McDonough to the rescue ties the game.

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Then Phil Kemp got into the party with a goal here that puts the Penguins in front.

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Bridgeport pulls Gahagen in an attempt to tie the game back up, it didn’t work.

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Wow.

They looked like ass for forty minutes, seemingly flip a switch and explode for five goals.

Living on the edge, but you take them anyway you can get them.

Three Stars: 3) Sebastian Aho (goal, assist) 2) Tristan Broz (goal, assist) 1) Phil Kemp (two goals, assist)

The Good: To reiterate, they looked lost to start the game, explode for five like nothing in the third and win the game.

The Bad: How do you come back from this if you are Bridgeport? What a way to lose.

Turning Point: The McDonough goal to tie it up gets it here. It seems weird, but there’s no coming back from that if you are the Islanders because the Penguins kept picking themselves off the mat.

Around the Division: Charlotte ekes by Iowa in Des Moines 4-3…Hartford loses in OT to Rochester 4-3…Hershey takes out North Division leading Syracuse 2-1 and Lehigh Valley pounds Springfield 7-3. Providence was off.

Standings: Penguins 23 – Providence 22 – Lehigh Valley 19 – Herhsey and Charlotte 15 – Bridgeport 12 – Hartford 10 – Springfield 6

Wheeling Update: Good night for the Nailers who pound the Maine Mariners 5-1. Mike Posma had a pair of goals and an assist.

Video Highlights: 

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More tomorrow after Springfield is in for a 6 p.m. start.

Let’s Go Pens!

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5                            4

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A back and forth affair on Wednesday morning saw the Wilkes-Barre / Scranton Penguins outdo the Bridgeport Islanders 5-4 in a shootout in front of 8,577 people, most of them school aged children.

The kids got their monies worth as it was a see-saw affair that went to the very end.

Here’s how the Penguins lined up. The Islanders didn’t post lines:

Lineup Notes: So as I suspected, Filip Larsson was recalled to Pittsburgh to serve as the third goalie while the team is in Sweden for the weekend. No official recall was made.

As the graphic above indicated, Sebastian Aho made his return from injury. No other changes to the forward lines. Daniel Laatsch sat for Aho.

First Period: Islanders score on the first shot of the game at 1:16 as Cole McWard scored through a moving screen to give Bridgeport an early lead.

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Sam Poulin loves playing against the Islanders as he is their kryptonite. He scored his first of two in the morning with this rebound shot that tied the game for the Penguins.

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But then the Islanders would strike right back as an Adam Beckman shot found its way in when thePenguins failed to clear the zone.

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Wilkes-Barre put on a full court press and got themselves a goal late when Aaron Huglen scored his first AHL goal that tied it at two.

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Second Period: Both teams started on time with four goals but the second period saw no scoring. The most interesting thing that happened was Chase Pietila called for a roughing penalty where he removed his opponents helmet in a pushing and shoving match. Apparently, you can’t do that anymore.

Third Period: Alex Alexeyev had his second chance effort land in the net for a goal :39 into the period to give the Penguins a 3-2 lead.

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I didn’t like Bridgeport’s counterpunching in the game Because they answered right back to tie the game at three with this seemingly harmless shot that went in off the stick of Isiah George.

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Full disclosure, I have never stopped a hockey puck in my life, much less in a competitive game, so take my opinions with a grain of salt.

Sam Poulin would get his second of the contest with just over three minutes left to play in regulation and you thought that this would be enough to win the game…

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Well, you thought wrong.

With Marcus Högberg pulled for an extra attacker, Joey Larson would tip a shot past Pavlenko that would even the game at four a piece with :38 left.

(just trust me here as there is no GIF of the goal)

That meant detention for the kids in attendance the game went to…

Overtime: Solved nothing. Possession by both sides but both goaltenders were up to the challenges faced.

Shootout: Sam Poulin, Aaron Huglen, Valtteri Puustinen and Rafaël Harvey-Pinard scored, but Alex Jeffries in the bottom of the fifth couldn’t and the Pens skated away with the extra point.

Three Stars: 3) Sam Poulin (two goals) 2) Isiah George (goal, assist) 1) Rafaël Harvey-Pinard (shootout game winning goal)

The Good: They started on time and battled a scrappy team at an odd hour of the day and came away with two points.

The Bad: Seems like they are a step ahead of this Bridgeport team after seeing them four times so far this season but for some reason the Islanders always stay step for step and give them headaches. There are a lot of teams out there that are better than Bridgeport currently that play the Penguins.

Turning Point: The shootout goal from Harvey-Pinard gets it here I suppose.

Around the Division: A lot of games early today surprisingly. Springfield bests Laval 3-1 in the other game in the division this early Wednesday afternoon. Providence hosts Hartford later this evening.

Standings: The Penguins will go a point clear of Providence 21-20, but the P-Bruins have a chance to do something about that later Wednesday evening.

Wheeling Update: Surprisingly a lot of ECHL games going on Wednesday afternoon also, none involving the Nailers though who host Maine on Friday.

Video Highlights: VideoCenter will have them up soon I suppose.

These two teams rematch Friday at the more conventional time of 7:05 p.m. in Wilkes-Barre.

Let’s Go Pens!