Chirps from Center Ice

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It’s cold as ice in Pennsylvania in a brutal, brutal, winter that seems like it is never ending and relentless.

But Avery Hayes is hotter than the surface of the sun.

He scored two goals in his NHL debut Thursday and on Saturday night in Hershey he scores a hat trick, and with his final shot, breaks his stick and wins the game for the Wilkes-Barre / Scranton Penguins in overtime on the power play. Penguins win 4-3 in overtime.

Wilkes-Barre hits the All-Star break on 68 points, still three off Providence in the Atlantic Division.

Here’s how they lined up:

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Lineup Notes: Tanner Howe was given a scheduled day off. He was not injured. This was part of the plan. Ryan McAllister and Zach Gallant however, are injured with upper body injuries (likely concussions) with no timetables but “hopefully nothing too bad” per Nick Hart on radio.

Avery Hayes, Rutger McGroarty, Nolan Renwick were in for those three and Chase Pietila was in for Emil Pieniniemi on defense.

First Period: Avery Hayes didn’t have an NHL hangover. He scored a power play goal and followed that up with a shorthanded goal that gave the Penguins a quick 2-0 lead.

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First shorthanded goal of Hayes’ career.

But the Penguins again, as has been their modus operandi, go out to a quick lead and then it’s a stick foul fest. Ilya Protas finally settled the disastrous power play for Hershey and scored to cut the lead to 2-1.

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Second Period: Ivan Miroshnichenko misses a wide open net but atones and scores on a carryover power play for Hershey that ties the game at two.

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But then the Penguins respond with Melvin Fernström’s first AHL goal that edges the Penguins back ahead 3-2.

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But then Alex Suzdalev ties the game at three and like the Phantoms the night before, the Bears were not going away.

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The silly stick fouls continued, even when the Penguins were on a power play!

Third Period: They went back and forth for the entire period in what was a clean period until when there was :12 left and Ville Koivunen was high sticked. The Bears fans were upset at this because it put the Penguins on a late 4:00 power play that carried over to….

Overtime: Matt Dumba did slash a stick out of a Hershey players hand but the refs let it go (the same Mike Dietrich and Alex Lepkowski from the night before in Allentown) and the Bears fans were irate at this as well, and then Avery Hayes ended it…

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Three Stars: 3) Ilya Protas (goal, assist) 2) Rutger McGroarty (two assists) 1) Avery Hayes (three goals, overtime game winning power play goal)

The Good: Got the sense that the Penguins were more in control of the game tonight then they were Friday in Allentown. Friday was fly by the seat of your pants. Saturday was more controlled chaos, as it were.

The Bad: Two tripping penalties and a double minor for high sticking. Stick fouls! Cool it with the stick fouls! Your luck will run out!

Turning Point: Hayes’ third goal is the obvious choice here.

Around the Division: So of course the Providence Bruins also go to overtime and win, but this was in a shootout 2-1 over the Hartford Wolf Pack….Springfield loses 5-1 in Toronto…Charlotte loses 5-2 to Grand Rapids….Lehigh Valley loses 5-1 in Bridgeport.

Standings: Providence 71 – Penguins 68 – Charlotte 55 – Herhsey 48 – Lehigh Valley 46 – Bridgeport 45 – Springfield 38 – Hartford 38

Wheeling Update: The Nailers had a big night at home, winning 6-0 over the Cincinnati Cyclones. Max Pavlenko had a 31 save shutout. Daniel Laatsch had a goal, Matty De St. Phalle had two assists, Zach Urdahl had a goal, Brayden Edwards had a goal and an assist. Yeah, a big night.

Video Highlights: No one told me I could go straight to YouTube and look for video highlights straight from the team! Going forward, as long as they are there when I get to this point of the blog, I should be able to run them here.

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Enjoy the All-Star break. Pens are back in action next Saturday against Syracuse on Valentine’s Day the home against Cleveland next Sunday looking to chase down Providence. Have a great week, and I will be back here next Friday with the Weekend Preview.

Let’s Go Pens!

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It would have really sucked if the Wilkes-Barre / Scranton Penguins squandered a Matt Dumba hat trick of all things and somehow found a way to lose Friday night in Allentown against the Lehigh Valley Phantoms.

But it’s the third Dumba goal that stands up as the game winner as Wilkes-Barre wins 6-5 in a nail biter that shouldn’t have been over the Phantoms.

Glass half full, the Penguins were in control all night and the issue was never in doubt.

Glass half empty, they took way too many penalties and gave the Phantoms a pathway to mount a comeback.

Look, they are only going to run into better teams come playoff time with really good power plays. They can escape against middling Phantoms and Bears teams but when they run into a Providence, Charlotte or a team with a top five power play (Rochester, Belleville) they are going to run into problems.

Kirk MacDonald is a hell of a coach, so I have full confidence he can coach this out of them.

Here’s how they lined up:

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Lineup Notes: Tons of news here. Daniel Laatsch was assigned to Wheeling yesterday. Ryan McAllister was signed to an AHL contract by the Penguins yesterday. Previously he had been with the Charlotte Checkers and had his contract terminated by NHL Florida. Avery Hayes went up to Pittsburgh, scored two goals, and was re-assigned with Rutger McGroarty Friday. Those two were out of the lineup because you can’t have Hayes play four straight games. Brayden Edwards and Zach Urdhal were shipped to Wheeling Friday.

Jeez. That’s a lot. But we aren’t done yet.

Alex Alexeyev and Tristan Broz returned from injury, Ryan McAllister and Melvin Fernström made their AHL debuts. They replaced Nolan Renwick, Avery Hayes and Zach Urdahl. Chase Pietila came out for Alexeyev on defense. Broz ends up missing 7 games, Alexeyev, 22.

Kirk MacDonald has his hands full with these lineup decisions.

How to Read Tea Leaves: When the AHL announced a number of changes to the Atlantic Division All-Star lineup and Tristan Broz wasn’t replaced, that gave me hope that he would play in this weekends games. Turns out I was right.

First Period: Matt Dumba and Ville Koivunen scored in the first 4:11 of the game. Melvin Fernström went to the top line with Broz and Koivunen and that line produced the first two goals of the game in their first two shifts of the game.

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But then the Penguins started taking dumb penalties again but navigated through them cleanly. They were awarded a power play but Emil Pieniniemi misplays a puck which leads to a Tucker Robertson shorthanded goal that put the Phantoms on the board.

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Second Period: Phantoms tie the game on a Max Guenette goal from around the same spot that Dumba scored from in the first period.

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Matt Dumba scored his second of the night off a really nice feed from Melvin Fernström again and the Penguins edged ahead 4-3.

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But then Phil Tomasino scored against his old team when a Devin Kaplan shot hits the post and rebounds straight to Tomasino for what was an empty net goal.

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3-3 at the end of two periods. The Phantoms were hanging around like an unwanted houseguest and it was getting annoying.

Third Period: Wilkes-Barre finally stepped on the gas and got a goal from Aidan McDonough from a low angle after an Atley Calvert shot missed the net and caromed back to McDonough for the goal and then Rafaël Harvey-Pinard on a delayed penalty where Alex Alexeyev busts up a Grade A Phantoms bid and sweeps the puck out to Gabe Klassen who was hooked on a breakaway.

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Matt Dumba then scores his first ever professional hat trick for his fourth point of the night.

I take back all the bad things I said about the guy. That tête-à-tête he had with that fan he scored a goal for a week ago flipped a switch in him and he’s been playing otherworldly since.

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But here come the Phantoms again.

After Garrett Wilson bloodies Ryan McAllister with a high hit and then fights and crumbles Zach Gallant, the Phantoms connect on the ensuing power play that referees Mike Dietrich and Alex Lepkowski put them on with a Lane Pederson power play goal that made it 6-4.

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In case you are wondering, Dietrich and Lepkowski are the assigned scheduled officials Saturday in Hershey.

This seemingly gave the Phantoms life, as after back to back penalties by the Penguins they had momentum to score a fifth with their goaltender pulled with a Jacob Gaucher goal that made it 6-5.

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They would not, however, find the equalizing goal.

Goodness.

Three Stars: 3) Maxence Guenette (goal, assist) 2) Ville Koivunen (goal, two assists) 1) Matt Dumba (three goals, assist)

The Good: Goaltending won them the game. Goaltending won them the game Wednesday also.

The Bad: 

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If I am Blomqvist I am swinging that pick axe at the dopes that took all those stupid penalties in the third period.

Turning Point: The third Dumba goal gets it here because it ended up winning them the game.

Around the Division: Charlotte shuts out Grand Rapids 3-0…..Utica beats Bridgeport in a shootout 2-1….Providence beats Hartford 3-1….Rochester shuts out Springfield 4-0.

Standings: Providence 69 – Penguins 66 – Charlotte 55 – Hershey 47 – Lehigh Valley 46 – Bridgeport 43 – Springfield 38 – Hartford 37

Wheeling Update: Nailers lose 3-2 in a shootout against the Indy Fuel.

Video Highlights: I think I gave you the list of it above what with 11 goals.

They are in action Saturday in Hershey. More after that then it’s the All-Star break.

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Wilkes-Barre / Scranton wins 4-1 Wednesday night against their rival the Hershey Bears to keep pace with the Providence Bruins who also won 2-1 in Bridgeport.

Sergei Murashov was named first star of the game with 30 saves and the AHL All-Star goaltender kept his team in the game.

After a scoreless two periods, the Penguins offense roared to life, scoring four goals. Your goaltender keeps you in it and then your offense starts to roll downhill. Simple, really.

Tanner Howe scored his first professional goal in just his second game. Good night otherwise to have a name that starts with A, as Aaron Huglen, Avery Hayes and Aidan McDonough also scored for Wilkes-Barre.

Here’s how they lined up:

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Lineup Notes: The only change was in net, as Sergei Murashov got the start. Filip Larsson went unclaimed on waivers and had his contract terminated. He is now a free agent.

First Period: There’s a special teams problem. The Penguins killed two penalties in a scoreless first, then three more in a scoreless second.

Sergei Murashov though, was dialed in.

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His best save of the night, right there.

Second Period: Herhsey found themselves on the good end of a five on three for 1:19 and after a Derek King time out, the Penguins were able to successfully kill the whole thing.

You would think that this momentum would translate into a goal for the Penguins, but you would be wrong.

I thought that referees Andrew Bell and Patrick Hanrahan were okay. Not great, but just okay. Kind of like how the crowds are better on weekends and so-so on worknights, these two aren’t winning any awards and won’t work the All-Star Classic or deep into this years playoffs. They were just okay.

Tonight’s crowd though, announced at 4,112, was great. More people than usual for a Wednesday game. You love to see it.

Third Period: Finally, some offense!

Aaron Huglen throws a rather innocuous shot at Mitch Gibson who misreads it and it’s a 1-0 Penguins lead.

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But then a Grant Cruikshank unassisted goal ties it for Hershey.

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Hershey doesn’t have many household names left, but this guy always ends up agitating the Penguins. Heck of a player.

Penguins then go on a power play and it’s Avery Hayes near post that scores to make it 2-1…

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Then Tanner Howe tips in a Chase Pietila shot off of a media timeout and it’s 3-1.

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:57 later, a fantastic effort by Aidan McDonough to score to put it out of reach for Hershey and get the humanoids in attendance all free coffee at Abide Coffeehouse in Downtown Wilkes-Barre.

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Three Stars: 3) Tanner Howe (goal) 2) Avery Hayes (goal) 1) Sergei Murashov (30 saves)

The Good: 5/5 on the kill and they scored a power play goal. Special teams didn’t win them the game tonight, but it didn’t lose it, either.

The Bad: 5/5 on the kill. Yeah, the refs were iffy, but they have to cool it with the carelessness. A team with a lethal power play will make them pay.

Turning Point: In a game that chased it for a while, I kept coming back to the 1:19 of two man that Hershey squandered. If they get one here, it’s a different story.

Around the Division: You already know that Providence won because I gave it to you in the first paragraph. Syracuse beats Springfield in the other out of town divisional game 4-3.

Standings: Providence 67 – Penguins 64 – Charlotte 53 – Hershey 47 – Lehigh Valley 46 – Bridgeport 42 – Springfield 38 – Hartford 37

Wheeling Update: Nailers are back home and back in the win column with a 3-2 overtime win over Fort Wayne. Taylor Gauthier stopped FIFTY THREE shots for the Nailers.

Video Highlights: 

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More Friday after the visit to the Phantoms.

Let’s Go Pens!

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This game was 2-1 coming into the third period in favor of the Wilkes-Barre / Scranton Penguins.

Boko Imama scores 1:56 in, then Avery Hayes and Owen Pickering connect on the front and back end of a two man advantage for the Penguins and then Rafaël Harvey-Pinard scores on a Matt Dumba assist, his fourth of the game, and the Penguins run over the Lehigh Valley Phantoms 6-2 on Sunday afternoon.

We talked Saturday night in the win against Syracuse about starting on time, well the Penguins most defiantly finished on time here and took a perfect weekend to keep pace with the Providence Bruins, who swept the Checkers in Charlotte this weekend.

I am burying the lead story and that’s Matt Dumba. Four assists today to go with the assist and goal Saturday against Syracuse puts him in AHL Player of the Week territory. It’s not that I want to rip the guy for being here and playing bad. I cheer for the front of the jersey and always have but for three guys (Wade Brookbank, Ben Lovejoy and Casey DeSmith in that order) so just because you have the large muscular penguin on skates on your chest doesn’t give you a pass from me to skate around like an idiot and not care.

That said, Dumba had a hell of a weekend and I want to see it continue.

Here’s how they lined up…

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Lineup Notes: Tanner Howe made his long awaited AHL debut after knee surgery, replacing Brayden Edwards. Aiden McDonough slipped down to the third line. No changes to the defensive pairings.

First Period: Penguins killed two penalties, but in between there was a sequence that the penguins had a dog-on-bone mindset where Aidan McDonough finished this feed from Matt Dumba who threw it at the net that put the Penguins up 1-0.

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Dumba had an active fly by the seat of your pants, assisting on the McDonough goal, taking a penalty and then when the Penguins killed the penalty Fin Harding threw one out to the neutral zone that was picked up by Dumba who nearly scored on the breakaway.

Second Period: I particularly didn’t like the penalties the Penguins were taking and Lane Pederson made them pay early into the second period with this power play goal that tied the game at one.

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But then the Penguins fourth line saved the day as Nolan Renwick led a two on one charge down ice with Zach Urdahl and wired one in to make it 2-1 for the Penguins.

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Wilkes-Barre had to sweat out a late Tanner Howe tripping call but got through that one okay.

Third Period: Boko Imama have a puck literally hand to him by ex-teamate Phil Tomasino and scored to make it 3-1 Penguins.

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Oof.

The Penguins power play is bad. League worst bad. But against the Phantoms? The Penguins have scored like half of their power play goals this season against the Phantoms penalty kill.

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I mean they made it look easy and put the game out of reach.

Anthony Richard tried to make it interesting and brought it back to within three for the Phantoms with this goal here…

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But then Rafaël Harvey-Pinard tipped in a Gabe Klassen shot that made it 6-2.

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Referees Liam Maaskant and Sydney Harris thought that the patrons paid to see them, so some goofy penalties were called right to the very end.

Three Stars: 3) Christian Kyrou (two assists) 2) Joel Blomqvist (23 saves) 1) Matt Dumba (four assists)

The Good: I am hoping that this weekend is a turnaround point for Dumba, and that you can expect more of the same out of a guy that has had 10 years in the NHL.

The Bad: The penalties are out of control at this point and you worry that a league memo starts going around to watch the Penguins because they are careless. Tighten things up with all the stick fouls, men!

Turning Point: Connecting on the front and back ends of the two man advantage in the third period will ice it away for just about every team in the AHL, so that gets the nod here.

Around the Division: Providence blanks Charlotte 3-0 to sweep the Checkers this weekend…Bridgeport and Springfield started at 5. That box is here.

Standings: Providence 65 – Penguins 62 – Charlotte 53 – Hershey 47 – Lehigh Valley 46 and the rest of it isn’t accurate because the Islanders / Thunderbirds game isn’t final yet.

Wheeling Update: Nailers lose a 1-0 affair in Worcester. I miss Worcester. Fine city.

Video Highlights: You are your on your own with these.

Hershey is in Wednesday. Weekend Preview will be up Wednesday afternoon so check that out then.

Let’s Go Pens!

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I mean if there ever was a way to start a hockey game, the Wilkes-Barre / Scranton Penguins followed the blueprint to a tee Saturday night.

Starting on time and getting a goal from Avery Hayes at 7:09 of the first period followed by a Rafaël Harvey-Pinard goal 1:26 later, the Wilkes-Barre / Scranton Penguins ride that momentum to a 4-1 win over the Syracuse Crunch Saturday night.

The Penguins also got scoring from Gabe Klassen and Matt Dumba, so all the important guys in these four added offense and Sergei Murashov made 26 saves.

Here’s how they lined up:

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Lineup Notes: Back to the standard 12 forwards. 6 defensemen, Brayden Edwards and Zach Urdahl were back in the lineup for the recalled Rutger McGroarty and the seventh defenseman. Emil Pieniniemi made his AHL debut. Scooter Brickey was scratched and David Breazeale was sent to Wheeling.

First Period: Started on time as mentioned in the open, here’s the Hayes goal off a nice give and go with Owen Pickering.

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Continuing to pepper Fanti, Harvey-Pinard scores to extend it to 2-0 less than two minutes later.

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Things leveled off from there.

Second Period: Things were pretty level and it was falling into a bit of a blah game. Matt Dumba takes a penalty AFTER the Penguins were awarded one, putting the teams on four on four. Just dumb.

But then Dumba atones for the gaffe, and scores here to make it 3-0.

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Sophia…who’s Sophia? Context…

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Can she come to every game?

Third Period: Crunch get one on a power play when Conor Geekie busts up the would be Murashov shutout with a goal here.

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Momentum was starting to slip, as the Penguins were back on a penalty kill. But then Gabe Klassen scores this goal shorthanded to make it 4-1 Penguins.

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Syracuse pulled their goaltender with about four minutes left but didn’t find any goals. Sergei Murashov tried for the empty net, missed wide by about fifteen feet.

Three Stars: 3) Sergei Murashov (26 saves) 2) Gabe Klassen (goal, assist) 1) Matt Dumba (goal, assist)

The Good: Easy when the plan comes together right? Get on them early, stay on them, force mistakes, win the game.

The Bad: Didn’t like how careless they were with the penalties.

Turning Point: The Klassen shorthanded goal took all the air out of the Crunch sails.

Around the Division: Providence wins in Charlotte 4-1….Hershey wins in overtime in Utica 4-3….Springfield beats Hartford 4-1…Lehigh Valley beats Bridgeport 5-3.

Standings: Providence 63 – Penguins 60 – Charlotte 53 – Hershey 47 – Lehigh Valley 46 – Bridgeport 40 – Springfield 38 – Hartford 37

Wheeling Update: Nailers batted back to get it to overtime but lose in Worcester 3-2.

Video Highlights: 

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More Sunday evening after the Pens visit Allentown to take on the Phantoms.

Let’s Go Pens!

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This is a classic game to show a new hockey fan to get them hooked on the sport and possibly the Wilkes-Barre / Scranton Penguins.

On the road, at a rival, coming off a gut wrenching overtime loss two nights prior, the Penguins scratch out a 4-3 shootout win against the Hershey Bears Friday night.

They get a late goal from Avery Hayes setup by Rutger McGroarty who factored into every non-shootout goals this evening which tied the game late and then a thill a second overtime saw no scoring and then a shootout round that saw Ville Koivunen score the only goal in the round. Koivunen also scored a goal in regulation.

Sergei Murashov stopped 27 shots. The Penguins also got scoring from Owen Pickering.

Amazing how an edge of your seat game like this makes things feel a bit better for a Penguins team that lacks any serious scoring threat because they are either hurt or playing for another team at the present time. And to do so where they trailed for a large portion of the third period and win in comeback fashion.

Would make a new hockey fan hungry from more, right?

Here’s how they lined up:

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Lineup Notes: Joona Koopanen is the latest add to the Penguins infirmary, lower body with no timetable. All others status quo. Tristan Broz has a lower body injury. Zach Urdahl came in for Koppanen.

First Period: Disaster start for the Pens, taking a penalty at :21 and then Ilya Protas scoring at :43 to make it 1-0 Bears.

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But then the Pens clamped down from there and played quite well.

They limited the Bears chances from there.

Gabe Klassen wins a face-off to Phil Kemp, playing in his 300th game, who finds Owen Pickering who scores to tie the game.

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Wilkes-Barre was cycling in their zone for a good bit but then took what I thought was a momentum busting penalty, but they killed that with literal ease and then Rutger McGroarty finds Ville Koivunen for a goal that made it 2-1.

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Second Period: Disaster start for Hershey? They take a penalty :32 into the period.

Nope.

Grant Cruikshank comes flying in like a bat out of hell and beats Murashov shorthanded to tie the game at two.

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The five forwards on the power play experiment quickly ended after that.

Later, Andrew Cristall chops a puck in for a 3-2 Hershey lead. Three Penguins standing stationary puck watching here.

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Bears outshot the Penguins 16-10 in the period and just flattened any chances that the Pens mustered in the period.

Third Period: No disaster starts here and the Penguins were pushing for the first 10+ minutes of the period with no results.

Hershey takes a puck over glass penalty with about 5 minutes left to play but the Penguins never got rooted in the offensive zone for any threats.

But then McGroarty notches his third assist of the game to find Avery Hayes for the Sidney Crosby-esque knee drop goal far post that ties the game at three.

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No further regulation scoring.

Overtime: Thrill a second, but not in a good way for Wilkes-Barre / Scranton. Louie Belpedio misses an empty net. Matt Dumba, who I thought had a decent, quiet defensive game, was shaky in overtime, stumbling while defending and then turning over the puck on the same shift that Sergei Murashov had to bail him out on.

Kirk MacDonald called his timeout to settle his team and it worked, but there was only :56 left on the clock. Gabe Klassen had two great looks but wasn’t able to beat Clay Stevenson.

Shootout: Murashov stops Ivan Miroshnichenko in the top of the first, Ville Koivunen flips one upstairs on Clay Stevenson in the bottom of the first, Ilya Protas, Aaron Huglen can’t score in the second with 9,000 moves combined between the two and then Sergei Murashov shopped Brett Leason in the third to secure the extra point.

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Three Stars: 3) Bogdan Trineyev (two assists) 2) Rutger McGroarty (three assists) 1) Ville Koivunen (goal, assist, shootout goal)

The Good: Great to shower off the stink of the disappointing overtime loss on Wednesday with a gritty come from behind road win at your biggest rival.

The Bad: I thought the Penguins were the better team at five on five and probably deserved to win in regulation but not starting on time, and giving up a shorthanded goal shows that yeah, this is a great team, but they still have shortcomings.

Turning Point: The Hayes goal that tied it late gets it here.

Around the Division: Hartford beats Bridgeport 3-2….Charlotte scores eight, but gives up five against Lehigh Valley but still win….Providence beats Belleville 2-1 in overtime and Springfield beats Toronto 4-3 in overtime.

Standings: Penguins 58 – Providence 57 – Charlotte 49 – Hershey and Lehigh Valley 42 – Bridgeport and Hartford 37 – Springfield 34

Wheeling Update: Nailers win 3-1 at home against Reading. Matty De St. Phaille had a goal and Taylor Gauthier stopped 31.

Video Highlights: AHL VideoCenter is the call here.

Charlotte is in for a 6:05 Saturday start. Don’t be late and bring a friend.

Let’s Go Pens!