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I really wanted the Penguins to score six goals tonight. Just so that the headline “Deep Sixed — Pens WIN 6-1” could play with the puns that you see me use from time to time here on the blog. They didn’t, so the effort comes off as amateurish. But hey, this is a blog, I’m not a paid professional and couldn’t come up with anything else.

The Wilkes-Barre / Scranton Penguins had some lineup adjustments and won tonight 5-1. After being deadlocked in a 1-1 battle with the Pirates after 40 minutes, the Pens explode for four goals, including two back to back on the power play and roll the Pirates.

Portland had scored a power play goal in ten straight games coming into tonight including four Wednesday in Binghamton. While they did have some chances to score, the Wilkes-Barre penalty kill did not allow any tonight.

Eric Hartzell vs. Mark Visentin

Lineup Changes: Essentially Spencer Machacek for Paul Thompson and Andrew Ebbett for Denver Manderson up front. Harrison Ruopp played on defense while Nick D’Agostino took warmups but was the scratch.

First Period: Penguins pressure in the Pirates end all period and finally get a goal on the one timer from Carter Rowney in the final minute to put the Pens ahead 1-0.

The new look power play lines were Zlobin, Drazenovic, Ebbett and Kostopoulos with Despres on the first unit and Machacek centering Zlobin and Torquato with Mikkelson and Samuelsson on the blue line.

Second Period: More of the same for the Pens, who just couldn’t capitalize on their chances and had the better of the power plays. But, a blown assignment by Despres and Drazenovic allow Jordan Martinook to skate from center ice in to score an ugly shorthanded goal for the Pens to give up to tie the game at 1 all.

In hindsight, that goal was a turning point. If the Pens lose, it’s pointed at as a culmination of frustration of recent efforts by Wilkes-Barre. But there was no time to think about that because it was time for the…

Third Period: Wilkes-Barre had left over power play time from a penalty late in the second and wasted no time.

No I mean, literally, they wasted no time.

Ebbett at :20. The power play streak is over. 2-1 Wilkes-Barre.

Machacek pumps one home in close in a narrow slot :50 later at 1:10. 3-1 Wilkes-Barre.

Andrew Ebbett 2:43 later at 3:53. 4-1 Pens.

For good measure, Tom Kostopoulos pumps a shot in from between the circles off a face-off win at 8:47 for a power play goal. Back to back power play goals.

So it felt like the Penguins of a few months ago. Stay relevant to the third period, then just overwhelm your opponent with goal after goal after goal.

Portland had no answer, and the Penguins, who do play well with a lead hold on for the win.

Three Stars: 3) Spencer Machacek (goal, +1) 2) Tom Kostopoulos (goal, assist, even) 1) Andrew Ebbett (two goals, assist, even)

Around the Division: Binghamton had the night off. Norfolk gets a late goal in the third period and hang on to win 1-0 over the Hartford Wolf Pack down in Virginia. Hershey loses 4-1 to Rochester and Syracuse loses 4-2 to Springfield.

Standings: Binghamton 61 — Penguins 58 — Norfolk 58 — Hershey 54 — Syracuse 43

Conference: 1) MCH (67) 2) SPR (65) 3) BNG (61) 4) WBS (58) 5) NOR (58) 6) STJ (57) 7) ALB (55) 8) PRO (55)

Wheeling Update: The Nailers were off.

SendToNews Highlights: Are here for your viewing enjoyment.

Adirondack is in tomorrow. They did not play tonight, so they will be the fresher of the daisies on the sidewalk. Gameday for that will be up at 3 p.m. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have to go work on my puns.

Let’s Go Pens!

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4                                                  0

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Penguins power play late in the third period was Pierre Leblond, Bobby Farnham and Carter Rowney. Not three guys that are necessarily offensive forces. But with the way this game went, a 4-0 loss to the Rochester Americans, Head Coach John Hynes would figure to give it a whirl and see how it goes.

Surprisingly, they did not score a power play goal.

Shocking, Wilkes-Barre as a whole hasn’t scored one, still, since Portland two weeks ago.

Whenever the team is shutout, there isn’t really a whole heck of a lot to recap. But, giving it the ol’ college try, I offer the following….

— Eric Hartzell vs. Nathan Lieuwen in net. Lieuwen came into this game with a 2.47 GAA and a nice .923 SV% which has got to be up there in the AHL as a top five or at the very least top ten save percentage.

— Hartzell’s night lasted 7:46, after giving up a goal to Luke Adam at 1:21 and one to Freddy Roy at 7:46. The goals weren’t necessarily all Hartzell’s fault. Rochester came out guns blazing to start and Adam cashed on a rebound for the 1-0 lead. Then Joel Armia shakes off two Pens players at the blue line and passes to a cutting Roy for a 2-0 lead. It was really a nice move by Armia that set up that goal that chased Hartzell.

— Penguins settle after that, but Rochester never really stopped with the pressure. In between a tussle with Bobby Farnham and Freddy Roy and some power play chances for both teams, Luke Adam puts a long shot off the net that Jeff Deslauriers saves with the pad, but also puts out an enormous rebound to Johan Larsson who scored to put the game away for the Amerks.

— I can’t really remember a good chance for Wilkes-Barre tonight. Denver Manderson and Carter Rowney had some looks in the second killing a penalty but that was about it.

— Penguins couldn’t do a thing in the third to mount any kind of a comeback. Armia shoots in a put away goal off a nice feed from Adam late to seal it. Ballgame.

— Seven wins in a row for the Rochester Americans.

Three Stars: 3) Freddy Roy (goal, assist, +2) 2) Luke Adam (goal, assist, +2) and 1) Nathan Lieuwen (26 save shutout)

Around the Division: Binghamton pastes Portland 7-1….Norfolk beats Syracuse 3-2 in a shootout….Hershey loses 4-1 to Adirondack in Philly 4-1.

Standings: Binghamton 61 — Norfolk 56 — Penguins 56 — Hershey 52 — Syracuse 41

Conference: 1) MCH (65) 2) SPR (61) 3) BNG (61) 4) NOR (56) 5) WBS (56) 6) STJ (55) 7) ALB (55) 8) HER (52)

Wheeling Update: Nailers lose a tough one to Kalamazoo 3-1. Peter Mannino stopped 28 of 30.

SendToNews Highlights: Not much to look at from a Penguins perspective. They are here if you are brave enough to look.

My Week 18 AHL Power Rankings will be up Monday. Something to watch Sunday though (besides the obvious) is Norfolk and Hershey from Hershey at 2 p.m. Whenever there is a game like this drawing so much interest from a market outside of both, you hope for a regulation win. Since Norfolk has a game in hand on the Penguins, this may be the only time you see this, but let’s go Bears!

No.

Let’s Go Pens!!!