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Tonight was a tale of a good team beating a not too good team.

After falling behind 3-1 which was three consecutive goals for the opponent, the better team battled back tonight. Pens win this one 6-3 over Springfield.

Work night veteran option on the lines tonight. They were:

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Lineup Notes: Josh Archibald was recalled after his rehab stint and Tom Sestito was out, so Ryan Haggerty and Gage Quinney swapped in.

First Period: Another good start by the Penguins who established a lot of offensive zone time which later paid off by this goal from Andrey Pedan on an absolute snipe:

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Nice backhand pass from Ryan Haggerty to find Pedan there all alone in the slot for the goal.

Then, the Penguins let off and in a span of 1:29, the Thunderbirds scored twice.

A shot by Max Fortunus deflected off of a Penguin and past DeSmith to put the Thunderbirds on the board.

Then Maxim Mamin scored in close and high and tight on DeSmith to push Springfield ahead 2-1 heading into the…

Second Period: It was appearing that young goaltender Samuel Montembeault was dialing in and working on a upset. He had the run support coming into the period, and just denied the Penguins a bunch of times on their power play.

He got even more run support when Chase Balisy shot a puck that deflected off of a Penguins defenseman skate and into the net.

If you are keeping score, that’s two defected off of a teammate goals that Casey DeSmith had given up to this point.

Penguins could have tucked their tails in here, but the two goal deficit seemed to anger them.

They re-established offensive zone time and got a rebound goal from ex-Thunderbird Greg McKegg that pulled the Penguins to within one.

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About two and a half minutes later, seconds after a power play expired just like the McKegg goal, Daniel Sprong from the far dot zipped in a one timer that went so fast in and out of the goal if you blinked you missed it.

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Pens had battled back, stuck to the game plan if you want to call it, and tied the game at three heading into the….

Third Period: Pens came in on a 2-on-1 with Garrett Wilson and Daniel Sprong and Sprong scored his second of the night that pushed the Penguins ahead 4-3. He scooped up the loose puck and put it in.

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Pens made it 5-3 when Ryan Haggerty scored to make it a two goal lead on a dart. A nice shift and o-zone time by Pedan and Aston-Reese set this goal up and for Aston-Reese it was his third assist of the game.

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Patrick McGrath hit an empty net for his first goal of the season and first in front of the home crowd that made it 6-3.

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Three Stars: 3) Zach Aston Reese (three assists, +3) 2) Andrey Pedan (goal, assist, +2) and 1) Daniel Sprong (two goals, +1)

Around the Division: Providence shuts out Hershey 3-0. Charlotte beats Lehigh Valley 5-2. Connecticut (Hartford and Bridgeport) had the night off.

Standings: Providence (.720 percentage points) — Penguins (.667) — Charlotte (.648) — Lehigh Valley (.625) — Bridgeport (.542) — Hershey (.482) — Hartford (.463) — Springfield (.362)

Wheeling Update: The Nailers were off.

If Coal Street adds a video highlight package later I will edit it in this space.

Pens hit the road for a pair of games in Connecticut against the Hartford Wolf Pack Friday and the Bridgeport Sound Tigers Saturday. But for any news Thursday, I’ll have the Gameday setup for you here Friday at 3 for the game against the Wolf Pack.

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The Wilkes-Barre / Scranton Penguins are in losing funk. Reasons why include slow starts and lack of power play success.

They looked like an entirely different team Sunday afternoon in Hershey.

Scoring twice on the power play and racing to a 3-1 start after the first period, the Wilkes-Barre / Scranton Penguins defeated the Hershey Bears 4-1 in Chocolatetown tonight.

Sean Maguire started the game and collected his first AHL win of the season. The problem, as I have said all along this, now forgotten losing streak, has not been in goal.

He opposed Pheonix Copley, which Head Coach Troy Mann put out there against the Penguins because Copley had been undefeated coming into the meeting this evening with a 6-0 record, a 1.54 GAA and a .943 SV%. Styles make fights, but that decision led to a first round TKO for his Hershey side.

Lines were….

Josh Archibald – Colin Smith – Christian Thomas
Zach Aston-Reese — J-S Dea – Patrick McGrath
Garrett Wilson – Greg McKegg – Daniel Sprong
Tom Sestito – Teddy Blueger – Thomas DiPauli

Andrey Pedan – Zach Trotman
Chris Summers – Ethan Prow
Kevin Spinnozi – Frank Corrado

Sean Maguire – Anthony Peters

Lineup Notes: Two changes on the back end for the Pens, Kevin Spinozzi for Jarred Tinordi who is still banged up from that shot block in the third period Friday against Charlotte and Ethan Prow, recalled from Wheeling earlier in the day, in for Lukas Bengtsson, who had “fallen ill” per radio. Up front, Patrick McGrath in for Ryan Haggerty. McGrath’s first appearance since November 12.

First Period: Penguins finally got the start they needed Friday against Charlotte.

After a turnover by the Bears, Christian Thomas victimized his old team for a 1-0 Penguin lead….

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…this was right after a power play where the Pens enjoyed a lot of offensive zone possession time and had a power play look good.

Later, Reid Anderson and Jeremy Tufts, the two bozos that worked the game Friday against the Checkers in Wilkes-Barre, called P-C Labrie for a slash and then during the setup for the face-off, didn’t like what Garrett Mitchell was saying and put him in the box for unsportsmanlike conduct gift wrapping the Penguins a 5-on-3 power play opportunity.

:40 in, Daniel Sprong scored his fourth goal in as many games and yet another goal against the Bears in Giant Center, where he has scored in every other game…

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Later, Thomas DiPauli scored on another turnover by the Bears, this time caused by Tom Sestito. The rout was on…

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Or was it? On a late Bears power play, Ty Graovac scored on a perfect tic-tac-toe play to put Hershey on the board with :01 on the man advantage.

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Shots were 15-4 Wilkes-Barre / Scranton heading into the…

Second Period: Quiet period in terms of scoring because there wasn’t any by either team. Radio picked up that Tom Sestito was absent during the second period. Bears had the majority of shots (10 to WBS’ 7) and power plays (3-2) but Wilkes-Barre played bend but not break and maintained their two-goal lead.

Third Period: Penguins would connect on another power play goal with a two-man advantage when Zach Trotman scored his first of the season which made it 4-1 Penguins and iced the game away…

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Period was really marred by starts and stops and penalties, all the Penguins needed to do was chip the time off of the clock and insulate Maguire and that is what they accomplished.

Three Stars: 3) Colin Smith (two assists, +1) 2) Thomas DiPauli (goal, +1) and 1) Daniel Sprong (goal, assist, even)

Around the Division: Hartford beats Springfield 5-3…Rochester pounds Bridgeport 4-1…Providence with their third third period comeback of the weekend, slips by Utica 4-3 in overtime. Lehigh Valley and Charlotte were off.

Standings: Providence (.708 percentage points) — Charlotte (.660) — Penguins (.652) — Lehigh Valley .635) — (.542) — Hershey (.500) — Hartford (.463) — Springfield (.375)

Wheeling Update: The Nailers were off.

Video Highlights:

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One thing I did want to note before I wrap it up here, Josh Archibald can play Wednesday against the Springfield Thunderbirds then his conditioning stint is over and he must return to Pittsburgh, so we will see what happens with him the early part of this week.

My Week 10 AHL Power Rankings will hit the blog Monday at 4.

Let’s Go Pens!

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There were 17 total power plays issued in this game officiated by referees Reid Anderson and Jeremy Tufts. 10 for the Checkers and 7 for the Penguins.

But it’s not a reason why the Penguins lost.

Sean Maguire started his first game for the Penguins this season and stopped 28 of 30 shots.

But it’s not a reason why the Penguins lost.

OK, so you want to know why the Penguins lost tonight? I will let you. A team coming into a Friday night game against a division rival that they only play four times this season needs to get off to a hotter start then the Penguins did tonight. The Penguins only managed four total first period shots on Checkers starting goaltender Jeremy Smith tonight and didn’t register their first until 8:49 of the period. The Checkers fired 14 shots on Maguire and took control of the game from there.

Maguire was fine tonight. I hate to be the bearer of news you don’t want to hear, but the Penguins are in this funk that they are on right now with out without Casey DeSmith.

You can’t come out and just put up an anemic four shots on goal in the first period, give up two goals in the second then chase the game the rest of the way and look like you are involved in the game in the third period when you are fighting the opponent and two referees slowly losing control of the game.

Pens lose 2-1. With other finals in the division tonight Wilkes-Barre goes from first to fourth in the ultra competitive Atlantic Division.

Lines were…

Josh Archibald – J-S Dea – Ryan Haggerty
Zach Aston-Reese — Colin Smith – Gage Qunney
Garrett Wilson – Greg McKegg – Daniel Sprong
Tom Sestito – Teddy Blueger – Thomas DiPauli

Andrey Pedan – Zach Trotman
Chris Summers – Kevin Czuczman
Jarred Tinordi – Lukas Bengtsson

Sean Maguire – Anthony Peters

Lineup Notes: Greg McKegg and Dominik Simon swapped positions with the Pittsburgh Penguins. In an unrelated move Wilkes-Barre sent Jarrett Burton sent to the Wheeling Nailers.

First Period: Penguins got the first power play of the game but were unable to get anything going because they couldn’t establish any offensive zone production. Forward tries to bring the puck in the zone, is knocked away by a defenseman. Regroup. Dump and chase. Puck skips and goes back out. Rinse and repeat.

Checkers had three power plays in the first and Maguire was up to the task. Shots after one were 14-4 Charlotte heading into the…

Second Period: Andrew Miller opened the scoring when the Penguins collapsed on the near side and him. Play was set up by Daniel Sprong listening to the fans yell SHOOT! all night…

https://twitter.com/CheckersHockey/status/939303186078359553

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Checkers connected on a power play goal when Andrew Poturalski sniped this one in to put the Penguins in a big hole….

https://twitter.com/CheckersHockey/status/939304890488279041

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Third Period: Penguins got a power play :34 into the period.

:03 in, J-S Dea wins a face-off back to Daniel Sprong….

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Penguins lose Jarred Tinordi to a blocked shot. He didn’t return. Donatelli told Tyler postgame that he didn’t think it was anything major.

After this, every penalty was met with a scrum or pushing and shoving. Garrett Wilson and Jarred Tinordi were thrown out of the game after a feeble attempt by Tufts / Anderson to get the game under control.

Then, on a Penguins power play, Checkers clear the puck out to Jeremy Smith. He comes out of his crease to play the puck and his run into by Ryan Haggerty. I don’t know who made contact with who but Haggerty was assessed a charging penalty.

The whole goaltender leaving the crease to play the puck is a gray area that should be addressed. They open themselves up to “fair game” but are protected by the referees. Either don’t allow a goaltender to play a puck or eliminate the “fair game” part of the rulebook.

Through the mess of what was supposed to be a hockey game at the end, the Penguins would lose 2-1.

Three Stars: 3) Daniel Sprong (goal, -1) 2) Andrew Miller (goal, assist, +1) and 1) Andrew Poturalski (goal, assist, +1)

Around the Division: Lehigh Valley fights off a late third period charge from the Hershey Bears and win 5-4….Providence takes a shootout win over Hartford 4-3….Rochester takes down Springfield 2-1. Bridgeport was off.

Standings: Providence (.682 percentage points) — Lehigh Valley (.660) — Charlotte (.646) — Penguins (.636) — Bridgeport (.591) — Hershey (.500) — Hartford (.420) — Springfield (.365)

Wheeling Update: The Nailers lost 3-2 in Indiana tonight against the Indy Fuel. Troy Josephs assisted on both goals scored by Riley Bourbonnais.

Doubt there will be any video highlights but if there are I’ll run an edit.

Pens have the night off Saturday. Phantoms and Hershey rematch Saturday in Hershey, Providence hosts Utica, Charlotte visits Binghamton and Bridgeport is in Springfield. I may run late Saturday final score updates here, but if not, look for the next post to be the 1 p.m. Gameday setup against Hershey Sunday afternoon.

Let’s Go Pens!