Chirps from Center Ice

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There is no such thing as a machine that prints money. Well, legally, and not controlled by the Federal Government at least.

There is, however, such a thing that churns out American Hockey League points right now and they skate in all white with yellow and black trim with a skating Penguin behind an upside-down triangle on their chests.

After falling down 0-2 to the Providence Bruins, the same Providence Bruins who ousted the Wilkes-Barre / Scranton Penguins last April, the Penguins storm back and respond with three straight goals only to see the Bruins score a late goal to tie with the extra man on but it would be the Penguins who would prevail in overtime with Ryan Haggerty getting the game winning goal just :20 into the extra frame.

Let’s talk about Ryan Haggerty for a second. Here is a guy who didn’t see action in the first seven contests for the Penguins. Now, Haggerty has eight points in just five games for Wilkes-Barre after a three point night tonight as the Penguins take down the Providence Bruins 4-3 in overtime to pick up their ninth straight game with at least a point, a 17 out of a possible 18.

Casey DeSmith opposed Zane McIntyre.

The Penguins didn’t have any lineup changes from Wednesday against Toronto, scroll down if you didn’t link in direct to see the lines.

First Period: 1:33 in, the Bruins scored when Matt Grzelcyk found Ryan Fitzgerald as he split a pair of Penguins defenders to give the visitors a lead early on.

There were two fights in the period, which is something you just don’t see anymore. Tom Sestito lost a fight with Chris Breen then Andrey Pedan ate league MVP Kenny Agostino for lunch in a separate fight.

Second Period: Pens found themselves in a bit of a hole when Colby Cave threw an end over end puck ay DeSmith that got by to give the Bruins a 2-0 lead.

Here is a rad statistic from color man Nick Hart that nearly blew my socks off…

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About two minutes later, Kevin Czuczman put a backhander through McIntyre’s five hole to get the Pens back within one…

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McIntyre had a yeoman like effort on a Penguin power play at the end of the period.

Third Period: Game to this point had the feel of a heavyweight affair. Not so much like Wednesday against Toronto because it wasn’t filled with fights and the general bad blood that the Pens and Bruins had.

Jarred Tinordi let one rip from the point that got past McIntyre to tie the game for Wilkes-Barre.

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Pens had a long 5-on-3 but were not able to get anything past McIntyre. Then, with 2:23 left, Andrey Pedan let one rip and Thomas DiPauli got a stick on it to put the Pens ahead 3-2…

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…Call at the time was Pedan’s goal, but that was later reversed back to DiPauli.

Providence, undeterred by the circumstances, pulled McIntyre and then Ryan Fitzgerald scored his second…

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So the game was headed to…

Overtime: :20 in, Czuczman set up J-S Dea who quickly found themselves on a 2-on-1 with Ryan Haggerty. Dea dished to Haggerty and that was the ballgame.

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Three Stars: 3) Andrey Pedan (assist, +1) 2) Ryan Fitzgerald (two goals, +2) 1) Ryan Haggerty (game winning overtime goal, two assists, +2)

Around the Division: Springfield picks up an impressive win against Laval after falling in a 3-0 hole. The Thunderbirds win 6-4….Syracuse cools off Charlotte 5-3….Hershey smokes Lehigh Valley 6-1….Hartford beats Bridgeport 2-1.

Standings: Penguins (.792 percentage points) — Charlotte (.714) — Lehigh Valley (.667) — Providence (.625) — Hershey (.500) — Hartford (.464) — Bridgeport (.462) — Springfield (.233)

Wheeling Update: with a 5-3 win over the Nailers.Toledo splits the series with the Wheeling Nailers Reid Gardiner had two assists. Sean Maguire takes the loss after stopping 23 of 27 shots. The Nailers take on the Norfolk Admirals back at home at 3:05 Sunday.

Video Highlights: 

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Pens take on the Hershey Bears Sunday afternoon in Hershey. Clark Donatelli revealed his starting goaltender to Tom…

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Gameday setup hits the blog Sunday at 1.

Let’s Go Pens!

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Shoutout to Citizens Voice Penguins beat writer Tyler Piccotti for the headline suggestion here.

This was a methodical takedown of the North Division leaders in Toronto by the Wilkes-Barre / Scranton Penguins. After getting punched in the mouth early, the Penguins clamped down defensively, wore down the Marlies lines and were able to win a Wednesday night home game 4-2 to take sole possession of first place in the Eastern Conference.

Veteran option on lines tonight cause it’s a work night and I have to get up for work in the morning…

Casey DeSmith – Colin Stevens

DeSmith opposed Garrett Sparks.

Lineup Notes: The Pens sent forward Freddie Tiffels and defensemen Jeff Taylor and Dylan Zink to Wheeling in a 5 pm transaction on Wednesday. With Wheeling playing three games in a row this weekend, it will be good for both club and player to get reps in. Gage Quinney went in between Garrett Wilson and Daniel Sprong. Tom DiPauli was back in as Tiffels departed to Wheeling earlier in the day. Pens also had their full compliment of defensemen but for Frank Corrado, who is still up with Pittsburgh.

First Period: 1:08 in and the Marlies scored on a Daniel Sprong turnover in his own end…

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Game settled a bit after that, because the Marlies came out and dominated, going up 5-0 in shots before the goal. Game ebbed and flowed both ways where the Penguins would get zone time, then the Marlies would follow.

Andrey Pedan scores his first of the season when he unleashed this shot that caught a lot of Sparks on the way through…

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Penguins found themselves in penalty trouble late, with Chris Summers and J-S Dea going off :06 apart, but Jarred Tinordi blocked three shots by the Marlies in the two-man advantage to help the Penguins kill the penalties heading into the…

Second Period: Penguins really found their wind and ran circles around the Marlies, outshooting the visitors 17-4. Neither team gave an inch however as it remained tied late into the period.

Ryan Haggerty with this dart that would make a sniper blush…

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A lot of the Marlies would be shots went wide and never registered, but the Penguins ones did and Haggerty made his effort count. Not bad for a guy who was scratched the first seven games of the season. Haggerty has scored five goals in for games.

Third Period: Thomas DiPauli busted around a guy, made a move to deke Sparks and scored to extend the Penguins lead to 3-1 on this pretty play…

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Nikita Soshnikov made it interesting with about six minutes to play. He waited and waited, danced around a Penguin, shot it, followed his shot and cashed the rebound left by DeSmith to cut it to 3-2…

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With time dwindling, the Marlies pulled Sparks and no sooner after that Thomas DiPauli put a puck into the empty net at center Ice to ice the game away.

Three Stars: 3) Ryan Haggerty (goal, +2) 2) Andrey Pedan (goal, assist, +2) and 1) Thomas DiPauli (two goals, +2)

Around the Division: Lehigh Valley and Bridgeport played a kids day game up in Connecticut this morning. The Phantoms scored four unanswered to beat the Sound Tigers 4-2…. Utica hosted the Charlotte Checkers and lost 5-2…Hershey was in Springfield and won 3-1.

Standings: Penguins (.773 percentage points) — Charlotte (.750) — Lehigh Valley (.714) — Providence (.636) — Bridgeport (.500) — Hershey (.462) — Hartford (.423) — Springfield (.179)

Wheeling Update: The Nailers host the Toledo Walleye Friday.

Video highlights…

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Pens are off Friday. But for anything breaking between now and the next time they are on the ice, which is Saturday at home against Providence, look for the Gameday setup of that contest to hit here Saturday at 3.

Let’s Go Pens!