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It wasn’t pretty, but it was enough to get the job done.

A 4-3 Penguins win at home tonight over the Bridgeport Sound Tigers who stuck around all game and almost and rightfully maybe, should have won.

Bridgeport did not have a single power play tonight. After a dominating, scoreless first by the Sound Tigers, the Penguins strike twice in the second period to go up 2-0, then see Bridgeport cut the deficit to one three times. The Pens had gone up 3-1 (Bridgeport scored to make it 3-2) then 4-2 and then your 4-3 final.

Call it a test passed by the Penguins. Bridgeport is a very good hockey team that is missing a big break to put them over. Are they elite? No. But I have stressed that in this AHL, there are a few great teams, a handful of good teams and a boat load of bad teams. The Penguins right now are a great team. Bridgeport right now is a good team.

The thing that plays in the favor of the Sound Tigers is that they get two more cracks at the Penguins. Next Friday in Bridgeport then Saturday back at Wilkes-Barre. They are well coached and have good leadership and a crop of promising players.

Casey DeSmith opposed Stephon Williams.

Lines were…

Garrett Wilson – Carter Rowney – Tom Kostopoulos
Kevin Porter – Jake Guentzel – J-S Dea
Thomas DiPauli – Oskar Sundqvist – Josh Archibald
Reid Gardiner – Sahir Gill – Ryan Haggerty

Reid McNeill – Chad Ruhwedel
David Warsofsky – Lukas Bengtsson
Cameron Gaunce – Ethan Prow

Casey DeSmith – Tristan Jarry

Lineup Notes: Dominik Simon is day to day with a lower body injury as told to the WBS media postgame by Head Coach Clark Donatelli. Sahir Gill and Ryan Haggerty were in for the injured Simon and Patrick McGrath. Ethan Prow, who should play every game in my opinion, was in for Stuart Percy, who should also play in my opinion. Percy is nursing an injury, so maybe this is good that he and Prow swap games.

First Period: Casey DeSmith made 13 saves in the period and every single one of them were challenging. A deflection stopped with the pad. A denial in close. More saves on deflection. Pens didn’t register a shot on goal until the nine minute mark and were getting dominated. Wilkes-Barre was lucky to not be down a goal or more heading into the…

Second Period: Penguins scored what appeared to be a good goal five seconds into a power play but referee Guillaume Labonte waved it off immediately on account of an Oskar Sundqvist high stick. The arena showed the replay (I don’t think they are supposed to) and what I saw was a 50/50 call that could have gone either way. Labonte, then gave the Penguins :41 of 5-on-3 but Wilkes-Barre was not able to score.

It was the Sound Tigers that didn’t have a shot on goal for a long stretch of the period. Oskar Sundqvist finally scored a goal that counted when he punched one through the pads of Williams. Sundqvist is now tied for the team lead in goals (6) with Jake Guentzel.

Pens doubled their lead on a nice keep in by Lukas Bengtsson who chipped it back to Garrett Wilson who found Kevin Porter in front who was denied initially but collected his own rebound and scored. Bengtsson collected the secondary assist on the goal, his first North American point.

Bridgeport responded. They started with a naked two on one, then scored when Bracken Kearns scored to cut it to one. DeSmith made one acrobatic save but could not make a second an the Sound Tigers were on the board.

Two minutes and ten seconds later, J-S Dea scored on a deflection in front that re-established the two goal lead for Wilkes-Barre / Scranton.

But the Sound Tigers would score with 26.5 seconds left when Andrew Rowe sweeps in a puck that popped over DeSmith and cut it back to one.

Bridgeport coasted for 13 minutes, got scored on twice and came back and scored two.

Third Period: Garrett Wilson pushed Pat Cullity into Stephon Williams as Williams came out to play a puck cycling around his net. Williams fell down. Tom Kostopoulos scored the easiest goal in his life that made it 4-2 Penguins.

Penguins outshot the Sound Tigers 10-7 in the period and were looking like they were going to cruise to a win. Not so fast, my friend. Josh Winquist scores a tap in back door goal at 14:55 that made it a one goal game again.

But with Williams off with time dwindling his team was never able to find the equalizer.

Three Stars: 3) Jon Landry (two assists, +2) 2) J-S Dea (goal, +1) and 1) Carter Rowney (goal, assist, +1)

It’s the first time all season that an opponent scores more than one goal on Casey DeSmith.

Around the Division: Hershey beats Syracuse 5-1. Bears may be a bit understaffed tomorrow against the Penguins. They may end up seeing players get called up to Washington and may be dealing with a rash of injuries. Utica beats Springfield 5-4 in overtime. Strange game here. Darren Archibald scored in overtime on a goal which was not initially rewarded….Lehigh Valley scores two in the third period to tie it then one in overtime to win it against the Providence Bruins. 4-3 the final there and the Phantoms have won eight straight. Hartford was off.

Standings: Penguins (.767 percentage points) — Lehigh Valley (.750) — Hershey (.633) — Bridgeport (.615) — Springfield (.567) — Providence (.429) — Hartford (.357)

Wheeling Update: The Nailers were smoked by the Indy Fuel 6-1. Christian Hilbrich scored the only goal for the Nailers. Doug Carr took the loss, stopping 24 of 30.

Video highlights….

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Pens travel to Hershey for a 7:00 date with the Bears. Gameday setup for the blog will be here at 3 p.m.

Let’s Go Pens!

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In the third period of a tight game, the Lehigh Valley Phantoms explode for three straight goals and win this one 4-1. It’s the seventh win in a row for the Phantoms, who are edging closer to the Penguins at the top of the Atlantic Division. Lehigh Valley scored four straight goals and have now won seven games in a row.

Anyone looking at just the score line would think that it was a blow out win by the Phantoms and they couldn’t be more wrong.

Third period. Tie game at 1-1. Shot from the point deflects off of Chad Ruhwedel to Greg Carey down low who catches Penguins starting goaltender Tristan Jarry out of position and puts it behind him.

Later in the period, Lukas Bengtsson took an uncalled high stick that briefly stunned him and put him out of position when Taylor Leier scored to make it 3-1.

T.J. Brennan hit an empty net from 180 feet away that made it 4-1 in garbage time.

Sometimes it’s better to be lucky than good. The Penguins probably will never be able to hash out this equation with the Toronto Marlies because they only play them twice this season but with the Phantoms, these two teams meet 11 more times.

It was the aforementioned Tristan Jarry against Alex Lyon.

Lines were…

Garrett Wilson – Carter Rowney – Tom Kostopoulos
Kevin Porter – Jake Guentzel – Dominik Simon
Thomas DiPauli – Oskar Sundqvist – Josh Archibald
Reid Gardiner – J-S Dea – Patrick McGrath

Reid McNeill – Chad Ruhwedel
David Warsofsky – Lukas Bengtsson
Cameron Gaunce – Stuart Percy

Tristan Jarry – Casey DeSmith

Lineup Notes: Today was the 300th AHL game for Kevin Porter. The second game in a row that the ‘GRK’ line was broken up. Garrett Wilson was on the top line with Jake Guentzel centering the second line. Sahir Gill took warmups but was scratched. Tim Erixon is battling a lower body injury and was a scratch.

First Period: No scoring, but both teams did everything but score.

Carter Rowney actually did…

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…but it was waved off by referee Alex Garon on account of incidental contact with the goaltender. That player was Garrett Wilson. Tough call to make, but these officials have to allow these goaltenders to play their position.

Tristan Jarry turned away all 16 shots he faced by the Phantoms high powered offense. He was on his game early on. He stopped Scott Laughton point blank after the Penguins failed to score on the only power play in the period.

Second Period: Thomas DiPauli was featured by Coal Street this week, so what does he do to back up the press? Score a dirty goal.

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Phantoms then had a chance to go on a power play and Tristan Jarry made a couple of big saves for his team. Colin McDonald whiffed on a rebound laying there before Jarry covered. Penguins got a chance to go on a power play and Chad Ruhwedel struck iron.

Corban Knight scored for the Phantoms on what looked like a lucky goal…

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Third Period: Wilkes-Barre went 0-for-5 on the power play tonight. Tom offered some foreshadowing…

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They didn’t. They got close when Alex Lyon stoned Oskar Sundqvist in close off of a perfect deed by Kevin Porter, but almost doesn’t count.

Lehigh Valley weathered the early storm and scored to go ahead on the Greg Carey goal reference earlier in the lede…

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Smidge has a tendency to jump on the table where the computer where I watch the games from. She is here most of the time anyway, so who’s table is it, really?

Taylor Leier scored 54 seconds later…

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Don’t worry. Smidge is 12 years old, which is like 84 in cat years. She’s pretty spry for an octogenarian.

Joking aside, the Phantoms shut down the Penguins power plays that were awarded by referees Chris Schlenker and Alex Garon. If the Penguins score on one or two of them, it’s an entirely different result quite possibly.

T.J. Brennan with army sniper marksmanship on this empty net goal from deep in his own zone iced the game away…

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Before you think the sky is falling, remember that this is just the third time in 14 games where the Penguins have allowed more than two goals.

Three Stars: 3) Greg Carey (game winning goal, +1) 2) Alex Lyon (30 saves on 31 shots) and 1) Corban Knight (goal, +1)

Around the Division: Hershey beats a bad Utica team 4-2 in New York…Hartford battles back from an 0-2 deficit to beat the Springfield Thunderbirds 3-2 in a shootout. Bridgeport and Providence were off.

Standings: Penguins (.750 percentage points) — Lehigh Valley (.731) — Bridgeport (.667) — Hershey (.607) — Springfield (.571) — Providence (.423) — Hartford (.357)

Wheeling Update: The Nailers did not play today.

If the Phantoms put up video highlights I will edit those in when I see them. Otherwise, short of anything breaking news wise Thursday look for the next blog update to come Friday for the Gameday setup at 3 p.m. against the Bridgeport Sound Tigers.

Let’s Go Pens!