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Late in the second period of this game and with the Penguins cruising 4-0, I had the thought of a tank that was running out of control downhill. That was the story of this game, a 5-0 Penguins win against the Binghamton Senators.

The Senators had come into the game winning four games in a row and were looking to slow the momentum of the Wilkes-Barre / Scranton Penguins who had just finished a weekend sweep of their bitter rivals in Hershey.

A sleepy Wednesday night game against an opponent well out of the playoff discussion. The definition of a trap game, if there ever was one.

But not tonight. The Penguins got on the board early, dominated the visitors in large portions the entire game and methodically win the hockey game to remain in first place in the Atlantic Division. Their magic number to clinch a playoff spot shrinks to 13.

Tristan Jarry opposed Chris Driedger.

Lines were…

Dominik Simon – Dustin Jeffrey – Adam Krause
Mattias Plachta – Carter Rowney – Tom Kostopoulos
Jake Guentzel – Kael Mouillierat – Josh Archibald
Tom Sestito – Jarrett Burton – J-S Dea

Tim Erixon – Steve Oleksy
Will O’Neill – Barry Goers
Niclas Andersen – Harrison Ruopp

Tristan Jarry – Franky Palazzese

Lineup Notes: Nic Andersen was back in the lineup and Reid McNeill was out sick. Jake Guentzel made his professional debut on the third line with old college buddy Josh Archibald and Kael Mouillierat. Patrick McGrath took warmups but was scratched.

First Period: Period zipped by with no penalties and few stoppages. The Pens got on the board quickly as Carter Rowney banged home his 21st goal of the season:

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That goal extended Rowney’s career best point streak to eight games. He has 15 points (7G-8A) during the run.

Shots were 12-4 Penguins who controlled the period in large chunks.

Second Period: Despite the good start by the Pens, it was still just a one goal game.

The Penguins took care of that quickly.

Dominik Simon collected this puck from out of the air, let it settle and knocked it in on a Penguin power play:

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The Penguins then continued to dominate the offensive zone time. Harrison Ruopp connected with J-S Dea and Dea whipped home this one for a 3-0 Wilkes-Barre lead.

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That was Harrison Ruopp’s first ever AHL point.

Kael Mouillierat and Josh Archibald started up ice and Mouillierat fed Archibald who tapped it in for a 4-0 Pens lead.

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At this point the tank was rolling downhill, obliterating everything in its path.

In the next shift, Zack Stortini tagged Tim Erixon hard into the boards. Josh Archibald then fought Travis Ewanyk.

Third Period: Simon added his second power play goal of the night putting home a rebound of a shot by Tom Kostopoulos that iced the game away and drowned any Binghamton hopes of a comeback:

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Pens killed two consecutive Binghamton power plays quite easily.

Harrison Ruopp, clearly feeling the momentum of picking up his first AHL point, then fought Buddy Robinson. Here is tail end footage of the fight:

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Penguins then had a power play and spent the entire time in the offensive zone but could not connect.

Tristan Jarry didn’t see many pucks in the game, so the only question would be would he collect the shutout. He was dialed in and stopped a quick developing chance by Binghamton who was looking to break up the clean sheet by the Penguins rookie netminder.

I thought that Jake Genteel had a fine debut. He has a nose for the puck, can skate, and doesn’t want you to blink or else you will miss his shot. Once he rounds into form and eases into the pro game, he should be fine.

Three Stars: 3) J-S Dea (goal, assist, +1) 2) Dominik Simon (two goals, even) and 1) Tristan Jarry (20 save shutout)

Around the Division: The Hershey Bears took out a weekend of frustration out on the Lehigh Valley Phantoms and defiled the Phantoms 8-0….Portland beats Bridgeport 6-3….Providence edges Hartford 3-2 in overtime. Springfield was off.

Standings: Penguins (.638 percentage points) — Hershey (.638) — Providence (.615) — Bridgeport (.591) — Portland (.570) — Hartford (.562) — Lehigh Valley (.462) — Springfield (.422)

Wheeling Update: The Nailers lost 1-0 in overtime out in Fort Wayne, Indiana to the Komets.

Video highlights…

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Rematch between these to teams is Friday in Binghamton. Don’t be surprised if Franky Palazzese starts that one to keep Jarry fresh for Providence Saturday at home in a game which has bigger implications.

Let’s Go Pens!

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What a weekend for the Wilkes-Barre / Scranton Penguins as compared to weekends past.

Two games with their biggest rivals looking to overtake them in a weekend with a lineup patched together by ECHL talent and some high profile trades against a Hershey Bears side firing with all cylinders driving towards a playoff spot gunning towards a twelfth Calder Cup Championship.

The Wilkes-Barre / Scranton Penguins played the brick wall that the Hershey Bears crashed into this weekend.

A thrilling, come from behind victory by the Penguins overcoming a two goal deficit in the third period to win 6-5 in overtime. With the win, both teams are tied in games played, points and percentage points but due to the first tie breaker which is most regulation or overtime wins, the Wilkes-Barre / Scranton Penguins are again in first place in the Atlantic Division.

Gobs of video to look at in this game recap. Hit the jump if you didn’t link in direct.

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This game was a lot closer than the scoreline would indicate.

The shots at one point of the second period were 19-9 Wilkes-Barre / Scranton Penguins. Then the Hershey Bears took the game over from a standpoint of it felt like they were on a perpetual power play.

A lot of turning points from this one but the one that stood out the most was a third period stand with about seven minutes played where the Hershey Bears set up shop in their offensive zone and continually cycled the puck and continually generated chance after chance at Tristan Jarry and an already tired Wilkes-Barre / Scranton Penguins defensive corps trailing 2-1.

Another turning point you could say was the Bears inability to score on any of the five power play opportunities that the referees awarded them tonight.

It was a game that the Penguins were prepared for and one that they executed the game plan perfectly.

The final tonight was 4-1 Penguins, but the game was much closer than that as it was 2-1 late and the Bears in desperation mode pulled starting goaltender Dan Ellis in favor of an extra attacker for an empty net while the Penguins found the empty net twice.

Lines were…

Kael Mouillierat – Dustin Jeffrey – Dominik Simon
Mattias Plachta – Carter Rowney – Tom Kostopoulos
Tom Sestito – J-S Dea – Josh Archibald
Adam Krause – Jarrett Burton – Patrick McGrath

Tim Erixon – Steve Oleksy
Reid McNeill – Barry Goers
Ryan Parent – Will O’Neill

Tristan Jarry – Franky Palazzese

First Period: Bears power play woes would get started off the bat when Carter Rowney had a Grade A chance on a shorthanded try on a Penguins clear. He skated in unabated towards Ellis and was denied but in the scrum that ensued Chris Bourque was penalized for roughing.

The Penguins would get a full two minutes of five on three when the Bears were called for two separate penalties but would not cash on the two man advantage. Will O’Neill was slashed but referee Cameron Voss thought that he sold the play a bit too much and also put O’Neill in the box for embellishment so the teams were four-on-three. In that sequence, Tom Kostopoulos knocked home a loose puck on the crease of Ellis to put the Penguins ahead 1-0.

How crucial is it for the Penguins to score the first goal with half of the regulars up in Pittsburgh? I should dig up the stat line on scoring first under Donatelli.

Hershey would respond 1:09 later as Travis Boyd took a shot that Riley Barber pounced on and poked home to tie the game at one.

Then Tom Sestito fought Liam OBrien. Video…

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Liam O’Brien, channeling his inner Dennis Bonvie, did the following after the fight…

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I suppose that O’Brien didn’t take kindly to getting punched in the head by Sestito after being prone on the ice. Sestito was assessed a ten minute misconduct for continuing the fight, so O’Brien’s antics were justified in my eyes. Total heel move doing that three or four times to the Wilkes-Barre faithful, but hey, as the band ‘The Jam’ used to sing, “That’s Entertainment.”

Second Period: Penguins would edge ahead on a shot from Barry Goers at the point that would get tipped in by Dustin Jeffrey to give the Pens a 2-1 lead.

Then, the turning point I referenced in the lede.

Bears would go on a power play and only manage one shot on goal at Jarry. An adjustment had to have been made by Bears head coach Troy Mann because Hershey set up shop in the Penguins end and stayed there the remainder of the game. They forced the Pens into a too many men on the ice call when the Pens were hemmed in deep and were trying to exchange tired bodies for fresh ones.

The Penguins killed that penalty but the pressure was mounting into the…

Third Period: Tristan Jarry robbed Christian Djoos coming down the slot with the glove that I hope runs in the Coal Street highlight reel package I can embed later because it was a highlight reel save.

Then, the stand.

Bears set up and just came with chance after chance at the Penguins keeping the puck in the zone and not allowing for the Penguins to clear or Jarry to cover up. Barry Goers made a big block that he told Tom about postgame…

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It really felt like a continual power play for Hershey, but the Penguins withstood it all and came out unscathed.

Teams traded power plays but neither could score. Then Mann pulled Ellis giving the Bears the extra attacker. Dustin Jeffrey flipped one in the air from about 160′ away that found the Bears empty net to give the Penguins a 3-1 lead.

Ellis was pulled again and this time Tom Sestito of all people scored which made it 4-1 and made Chris Bourque mighty angry…

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Bourque was assessed a 10 minute misconduct for his antics. He was mad that the linesman missed Josh Archibald potentially being offsides during the sequence that led to the Sestito goal.

Three Stars: 3) Tom Kostopoulos (goal, even) 2) Dustin Jeffrey (two goals including the game winner, +2) and 1) Tristan Jarry (25 saves n 26 shots)

Barry Goers to Tom postgame:

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Won’t have long to wait. These two teams rematch Sunday afternoon.

Around the Division: Providence goes into Toronto and wins 5-4. Despite the loss though the Marlies are the first team to clinch a playoff berth in the Calder Cup Playoffs….Bridgeport beats Portland 2-1 in overtime…Hartford beats Springfield 4-3 in a shootout. Lehigh Valley was off.

Standings: Hershey (.635) — Penguins (.627) — Providence (.603) — Bridgeport (.594) — Portland (.556) — Hartford (.556) — Lehigh Valley (.477) — Springfield (.435)

Wheeling Update: The Nailers win in Kalamazoo by the score of 5-2. John McCarron had a goal for the Nailers in the win.

Coal Street infographic…

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And video highlights…

The Gameday setup for what is essentially first place in the Atlantic Division will hit the blog Sunday at 1.

Let’s Go Pens!