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Turning point of this game, a 3-0 Penguins loss on Friday night against the Hershey Bears, was in the middle of the second period when they just went down 2-0. Pheonix Copley, the starting goaltender for the Bears on this night, hadn’t been tested much to this point.

The Penguins rattled off a couple of good chances in succession, but Copley wasn’t having any of it. You needed a cheap one to beat him tonight but with the way the Bears were playing as a unit tonight, it wasn’t going to happen.

Copley collects his second shutout of the season, both against the Penguins but he lost that game in a 1-0 Penguins shutout win a while back. Wilkes-Barre’s eight game point streak is also over.

That’s pretty much it, on a night where Wilkes-Barre was out possessed in the first and went down early on a Matt Moulson tap in goal on a power play off a rebound of a Christian Djoos one timer. In the second it was a busted rush up ice for the Penguins that turned into a rush up ice for Hershey which resulted in a Garrett Pilon goal that made it 2-0. You could argue that this sequence here was the crusher that sealed the deal for Hershey and not be wrong. An empty net goal by Liam O’Brien late in the third was the other goal.

I could remember, but for the second period buzz which Copley shut down, a Kevin Roy breakaway and a Joseph Blandisi follow up attempt in the first period which Copley stopped. Also, a Chase Berger deflection on a Zach Trotman shot. That was about it offense wise for the Penguins.

Wilkes-Barre had a great penalty kill sequence in the third period when they were on a two man disadvantage. P-O Joseph broke his stick blocking a shot and was without it but still managed to get in the way and Penguins starting net minder Casey DeSmith stopped a one timer from going across the goal line. It really was a sight to see and the sole bright spot on an overall bad night for the Penguins.

That’s really it. They get Lehigh Valley Saturday night at home. Better luck next time, I guess.

Here is how they lined up.

They jumbled up the combinations and put Adam Johnson on the top line. Myles Powell was recalled from Wheeling and I liked what I saw from the guy. I think he hit a Bear on every single one of his shifts Friday. Brandon Hawkins was the extra on ice. Emil Larmi backed up and scuttlebutt on the concourse is that Dustin Tokarski broke his finger.

Garrett Pilon (goal), Matt Moulson (power play goal) and Pheonix Copley (31 saves) were the three stars in that order.

Around the Division: If Hershey was going to win this game Friday, then you wanted to see Hartford do the same. They couldn’t. Charlotte beat them 6-0. Lehigh Valley beat Springfield 4-1. Bridgeport and Providence were off.

Standings: Hartford and Hershey 63 — Providence 57 — Penguins 56 — Providence 55 — Springfield 54 — Lehigh Valley 46 — Bridgeport 37

Wheeling Update: Nailers were off.

Video Highlights: 

Lehigh Valley in Saturday, game is on WYOU if you are local. Gameday setup Saturday afternoon here at 3.

Let’s Go Pens!

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On a lazy Wednesday night in a low scoring game, the captain of the hockey team and the star goaltender carried the mail and got the home team the win.

In a bit of a perfect storm of a contest, the Penguins beat the Binghamton Devils 2-1 exactly how I described. No trap game here. David Warsofsky scores both goals on the power play and Casey DeSmith stopped 22 shots to pick up the win.

Casey DeSmith opposed Gilles Senn.

Lineup:

Lineup Notes: Chris Brown for Jordy Bellerive. Macoy Erkamps took warmups as the extra. Bellerive was listed among the injured pregame. If anyone heard Nick Hart mention what it was that happened to Bellerive, drop a comment below.

First Period: Nondescript first fifteen or so minutes. Both teams killed a penalty then Binghamton found itself on the wrong end of a two man advantage and David Warsofsky scored through a crowd with under five seconds left on it to give the Penguins a 1-0 lead.

Second Period: Binghamton had 1:30 of two man advantage and could not score. Then Brett Seney wheels around the net at full speed and centers to Nick Merkley for an easy tap in which tied the game at one.

Close game to this point.

Third Period: David Warsofsky, again, six seconds in on the power play, puts the Penguins ahead 2-1.

DeSmith and the Penguins defense held on from there.

Three Stars: 3) Cole Cassels with two assists, 2) Casey DeSmith with 22 saves and 1) David Warsofsky with two power play goals.

The Good: Leadership and special teams win the day. Exactly how it should be.

The Bad: I don’t know about you, but I don’t like these close games against non-playoff teams. Also giving away six power plays to the opponent isn’t a recipe for success, no matter what day it is.

Turning Point: Warsofsky’s third period power play goal is the obvious choice.

Around the Division: Two other games in the Atlantic. Bridgeport and Syracuse played a kids game in Connecticut this morning. Syracuse gets a late goal and beats the Sound Tigers 3-2 and Springfield and Hartford connected for their third game in three straight meetings and Hartford takes sole possession of the Atlantic Division with a 7-4 win. Everyone else was off.

Standings: Hartford 63 — Hershey 61 — Providence 57 — Penguins 56 — Springfield 54 — Charlotte 53 — Lehigh Valley 44 — Bridgeport 37

Wheeling Update: Nailers were off.

Video Highlights: 

Power Rankings hit the blog Thursday at 11, barring unforeseen delays. Check them out then.

Let’s Go Pens!

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The Bridgeport Sound Tigers are in last place in the Atlantic Division. In a division that looks like this…

…after Saturday’s action, the Sound Tigers don’t seem to be interested or have the guns to compete in the division on a night to night basis.

Well, it sure didn’t look like it tonight.

A 3-2 shootout loss for the Penguins who, as you can see above, are in one for the playoff seeding. They led Saturday at 1-0 and again at 2-1 only to see the Sound Tigers even it late then win in a shootout that went seven rounds. Emil Larmi was the hard luck loser in goal.

The thing about the Sound Tigers that I noticed tonight was they got under your skin at every opportunity. How many times would you see a game Penguins team hang with some of the better teams in the AHL and go on to find a way to win? Penguins teams of old just wore on teams and it won them games and playoff berths. Same thing happened tonight, but the roles were reversed.

Larmi opposed Jared Coreau.

Lines were…

Lineup Notes: Sam Lafferty got recalled to Pittsburgh before the game so Brandon Hawkins went in on the fourth line where Jake Lucchini was. Lucchini replaced Lafferty’s spot on the top line. John Nyberg took warmups.

Bridgeport doesn’t post lines because not only does Lou Lamoriello not like facial hair, he doesn’t like when his top minor league affiliate posts a lineup graphic.

First Period: Joseph Blandisi scored this highlight reel goal on a power play to give the Penguins a 1-0 lead.

Shots were a pretty even 9-8 for the Sound Tigers who carried the play for much of the period. It was a highlight reel goal only that had them trailing.

Second Period: On a delayed call against the Penguins, Oliver Wahlstrom goes bar down to tie the game at one for the Sound Tigers.

Jake Lucchini would score when Zach Trotman swept a pretty pass to him for a goal that made it 2-1 Penguins heading into the third.

Third Period: Felt like there were more than just seven total (three for Bridgeport, four for Wilkes-Barre) power plays in the game, but that was one area that goes to the top of the story where you need to just skate away when you have someone bothering you.

Through the loss of Zach Trotman (puck to the face, later returned) and David Warsofsky (off then back, quick) the Penguins were without their two best defensemen and Bridgeport hung around and hung around and finally got the equalizing goal with about two and half minutes left to play.

It was off to…

Overtime: Emil Larmi had a couple of huge stops in the overtime round, Joseph Blandisi had a chance on a two on one with Joseph off of one of those Larmi saves to end it but ran out of room.

Shootout: Much like the game, Bridgeport had an answer for every Penguins goal and finally got a save from Coreau when it mattered. Matt Lorito in the bottom of the first, Travis St. Denis in the bottom of the fifth and finally Simon Holmstrom in the bottom of the seventh to win it. Jake Lucchini and Thomas DiPauli for the Penguins scored in the second and fifth rounds, respectively.

The Good: Teachable moments for playoffs if they make it there on how to take advantage of a tight game?

The Bad: What the hell were they doing keeping a Bridgeport team, who is the lowest scoring team in the AHL, around for?

Turning Point: Ho-Sang’s goal which forced overtime kind of cooked the goose. The Pens were done from there.

Three Stars: 

Around the Division: Charlotte got revenge on the Marlies and beat team 4-3 Saturday afternoon….Lehigh Valley beat Hershey 3-0 for just their fifth win on the road this season….Springfield gets a measure of revenge on Hartford 2-0….Providence beats up on Syracuse 6-2.

Standings: Gave them to you in the lede. Scroll up, please.

Wheeling Update: Orlando beats Wheeling 5-2. The Solar Bears strike on both power play attempts. Wheeling went 0-for-4.

Video Highlights: 

Pens are back Wednesday when they take on the Binghamton Devils, who have been on a tear recently. But for anything breaking, look check us out Wednesday at 3 for the Gameday setup.

Let’s Go Pens!