Phantoms vs. Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins: Second Period

We have started on the PK, and spen the first minute or so in our end. However, the Phantoms have been very effective at keeping any shots from reaching the net. We killed the entire rest of that penalty without allowing a shot. Now that we're back at even strength, we have Curry with Bartulis and the Ross line on the ice. Unfortunately, we are still stuck in our end, and NOW the Pens are getting some attempts on goal. Scotty scrambled to keep the puck out, but out it stayed. We did get to carry the puck out of our end, followed by a soft dump into the corner behind the Pens' Curry before the line got off the ice.

Laliberte took a booming shot on goal, but John Curry deflected it up into the netting. Matsy's lne will get an offensive zone draw. Guenin and Syvret are our D. Oh, get a LIFE, referee, Maroon didn't even touch him! We lost that faceoff, and at some point during his pursuit of the puck carrier, it was deemed he held onto the opponent. I beg to differ, as do the Phantoms Phaithful in the house.

ANYway. Our first two forwards out were Raduns and Kalinski. Raduns has a ful cage on his face, to protect a broken nose. Scotty has been making life look interesting over there between the pipes, but as long as he's keeping a part of himself between puck and net, it's all good. One of our D broke a stick, and a forward handed his stick off in return, but I couldn't see who either of them was. (Time for new glasses, methinks.) Though we spend the entire penalty n front of Munroe, we prevented a PP goal from going in.

Unfortunately, on the next shift following our return to even strength, we had an even-strength goal go in. Boy, there are a lot of Penguins fans in here. Boo. The score is now tied 1-1, and the Penguins are now outshooting us 16-15. We have only had one shot in this period so far, with 13:44 left. We are going to have to tilt the ice back toward the western end of the rink, pronto.

OH, GUENIN -- as I was typing that, he let loose a freaking CANNON from the pont that John Curry nearly flubbed. We came inches from regaining the lead. Ice shot. Sorry to say, on the ensung faceoff the play proceeded right back down to keep Munroe company again. This is getting ridiculous. After spending nearly the whole frst period on the attack, we have spent almost NONE of this period outside our zone. Come on, guys, let's go.

Here comes Ratchuk with Kalnski, Bellamy, and Matsumoto (who seems to be a steady forward with the fourth ine tonight, rather than rotating those duties with other centers). Whatever the Pens were doing to try and stop us, the ref took issue with it and is sending a Penguin to the box. PP for us. Ross's line, plus Syvret and DeSantis. Ross is circling the net like a shark, looking for rebounds, but so far we haven't actually shot the puck yet.

Dratted Jaffrey got hold of the puck when our guy at the point fell down, and took a shot, before we got the puck back and headed back to the Pens' end. We had a couple of nice goalmouth scrambles, but unfortunately none ended with a puck across the goal line. At the end of the PP, the SOG are Phantoms 18, Penguins 19.

Clackson just imbedded Caputi into the boards, right next to the Phantoms bench. Caputi skated back toward his bench holding his nose. He's likely to feel that tomorrow. However,since he's still on the ice for thenext shift, he can't have been dented too badly.

I like how Ratchuk is looking in this game. He's had some nice plays at both ends of the ice.

We are headed to the PK with 6:01 left in the period. SOG are even at 19.

Kalinsk and raduns are our first PK unit today, with Syvret and Guenin. Scotty has been making me nervous with some unorthodox-looking saves, some of which have been made with him practically flat on the ice, but by gosh the puck is staying out so I'm not complaining. I do want him to make himself as big as possible in net, though, as he's a good-sized guy and he's capable of blocking plenty of net just by Being There. At the end of the PK, the SOG are Phantoms 20, Pens 21.

Yet again, when we returned to even strength we continued to be stuck in our own end. I am not liking how the Pens keep finding ways to keep us hemmed in,

Guenin just dumped Caputi to the ice at the half boards. Dang, Caputi is going to be one big bruise by this time tomorrow at this reate. Now here goes Ross with Giroux, trying to attack. A Penguin laid a just-barely-legal hit on Giroux. Neither of them had the puck, but they were both heading toward it. Had they been a bit farther from the loose disk, that could have been interference. But I guess they were close enough for the ref to overlook it. (Like he overlooked when Cote, lying on the ice, took down Ross by pinning his legs around Ross's legs during our PP earlier in this period. The kids behind me thought it was funny when I called the ref a pinhead. But I digress.)

The period is over. SOG at the end of the second: Phantoms 20, Penguins 21.