IceCaps Freeze Penguins 2-1

Tonight's game can be summed up rather easily. In a low-scoring tight game, you need to capitalize on any chances your team is given if you hope to win. Going 0-for-6 on the power play, including passing up a 5-on-3 power play late in the third period, is not a recipe for success.

Give credit to St. John's IceCaps' goalie Eddie Pasquale, who made 31saves on 32 shots and played a heck of a game, but the lack of finish from the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins is what did them in tonight.

The Penguins were off and running again tonight in the first period, dominating play and spending much of the period in the offensive zone. The goals weren't coming, but that changed 13:23 into the first when Jayson Megna and Harry Zolnierczyk broke into the zone on a 2-on-1 after a nice play from Chris Conner.

Megna carried the puck down the wing, and at the last possible second, flipped a pass across the top of the crease for an easy tap-in goal from Zolnierczyk. Megna's three game goal scoring streak was snapped tonight, but a four game point streak since returning to Pittsburgh is still going strong.

The IceCaps seemed to have the extra step after the Pens' goal and tied the game at 1-1 about three minutes later on a nice shot from IceCaps defenseman Travis Ehrhardt. From there it was much of the same. The Penguins pressuring the IceCaps, but either failing to convert on their chances or being stopped by Pasquale.

The IceCaps took a 2-1 lead late in the second period after a wave of pressure caught the Penguins off-guard.

That would cap the scoring for the night. Add in some more missed chances by the Penguins, most notably a Tom Kostopoulos shot that hit the crossbar and went straight down. The light never came on and the referee waived no goal, but they reviewed it just to be sure.

Not a bad showing defensively from the Penguins, who've allowed just four goals in the last three games, but they'll certainly be looking to finish off the play when these two teams rematch at the Mohegan Sun Arena again tomorrow night.