Chirps from Center Ice

The Penguins, boasting what will probably be their best lineup put forth all season due to inevitable call ups and injuries, completely obliterate the Hartford Wolf Pack by a score of 6-2. 

Power play scored twice, penalty kill was perfect. 

More in a bit. 

Tom Kostopoulos isn’t going out this way. 

In what could very well be his final season, a five point performance propels the Wilkes-Barre / Scranton Penguins to a 6-2 win which forces a deciding Game 7 Sunday in Hershey. 

Kostopoulos and his linemates Carter Rowney and Jake Guentzel swept three stars and combined had 11 points between them. 

The most complete 60 minute game I think I have ever witnessed. 

More to follow in a bit. 

The Hershey Bears re-claim home ice in the best of seven series with a 5-2 win tonight here in Wilkes-Barre Saturday night. Hershey takes a 2-1 series lead with Game 4 set for Monday in Wilkes-Barre.

Casey DeSmith was pulled after allowing five goals. While the first two weren’t his fault and maybe the third, big saves needed by the goaltender were not had when the game was still within striking distance.

Penguins scored twice in the third period after the game was well out of reach for them.

Questions remains as to who starts Game 4. The Penguins are not out of the series by any stretch of the imagination, but the my cannot afford another showing like this if they want to get this to a Game 6 or beyond.

Lots more to come in a bit.

Wilkes-Barre started out gangbusters after the fist period, firing 20 shots at Jeremy Smith and took a 1-0 lead into the dressing room. 

Through parts of the second, it looked as if the lead may hold. 

But the Providence Bruins too good of a hockey team that are wel coached with a full complement of players. 

The Pens lost 3-1. But it wasn’t all because of the whole loaded team in front of Smith for Providence. 

The Penguins had many power play opportunities in the game and could not capitalize on any of them. 

With Hershey winning tonight at home against Lehigh Valley, they lock up the Atlantic Division Championship. That means that the Penguins and Bruins are locked as first round opponents in the Calder Cup Playoffs. 

More to follow in a bit.  

Full disclosure. I would have razzed Hershey fans pretty good if the Penguins would have swept the Bears with Brian Foster in net yesterday and Casey DeSmith today. 

It didn’t happen. It almost did as the Pens came back twice in the third period to tie the game, but fall in defeat to the Hershey Bears by a score of 5-3.

DeSmith was signed to a PTO Sunday morning and Tristan Jarry was recalled toPittsburgh at 4pm later that day. Matt Murray’s health going forward remains a question mark going forward. 

More in a bit. 

Wilkes-Barre put 40 shots at Martin Ouellette tonight and he didn’t flinch. 

Wilkes-Barre had eight opportunities on the power play and the Lehigh Valley penalty killing unit didn’t flinch. 

A 4-0 throttling at the hands of the Phantoms and all of a sudden the Penguins have lost three straight and have allowed an opponent to score a hat trick in two of the last three games. Adam Comrie did the honors tonight. 

That’s pretty much this one on an eggshell. More detailed explanation when I get before a computer. 

Final shots on goal for this one was 40-24 for the Penguins who did everything they could and threw the kitchen sink at the Bridgeport Sound Tigers but an Alan Quine hat trick and a lot of blocked shots is enough for the visitors to get out of town with a 5-2 win over the Pens tonight. 

Pens magic number drops to two with the Hartford Wolf Pack losing to the Portland Pirates who are in tomorrow to face off against the Penguins. Hershey Bears were in overtime agains the Providence Bruins last I looked so the Pens will fall out of first by one point if not more. 

Full recap in a bit.