Sports

AHL

By Tom Robinson
Go Lackawanna sports correspondent

WILKES-BARRE TWP. – Andy Chiodo flashed some of the skills that made him one of the most beloved players in Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins history.

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Wilkes-Barre/Scranton’s Jesse Boulerice and Binghamton’s Tim Spencer trade blows in the first minute of play at the Wachovia Arena at Casey Plaza Friday night.

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Chiodo’s return to Wachovia Arena, however, ended Friday night with the Binghamton Senators goalie retrieving his helmet and rubbing the back of his head after landing hard on the play that yielded Dustin Jeffrey’s game-winning goal 28 seconds into overtime.

Jeffrey’s goal helped the Penguins bounce back from allowing the tying goal with 35 seconds left in regulation while posting a 3-2 overtime victory over the Senators in an American Hockey League game.

Chris Lee’s long break-out pass went off a Binghamton defenseman and Jeffrey picked it up with momentum between the red line and the offensive blue line.

Chiodo came out to meet Jeffrey, who made a back-hand move and put a shot through the Binghamton goalie’s legs right before the two collided.

“The top of his head and his upper body hit pretty hard into my legs,” Jeffrey said. “I didn’t see after that.

“I hope he’s OK.”

Chiodo got up slowly but skated off the ice in defeat while the Penguins were still on the ice celebrating the win that moved them ahead of the Senators into third place in the AHL East Division. Both teams have 28 points in the standings, but the Penguins (13-10-1-1) have one more win and have played one fewer game than the Senators (12-10-3-1).

Penguins goalie John Curry and Chiodo kept the game scoreless until the last minute of the second period.

Chiodo, the hero of the Penguins run to the 2004 Calder Cup finals, is back in the league after spending the previous three seasons in Europe. He stopped the first 22 shots he faced, including 10 during a nine-minute stretch when the Penguins controlled play late in the first period.

Deryk Engelland broke the scoreless tie when the Penguins defenseman sent a high wrist shot through traffic from the right point with 31.6 seconds left in the second.

Curry, who finished with 34 saves, stopped the first 25 shots he saw until Martin St. Pierre’s shot from the right side trickled through Curry’s pads and slowly crossed the goalline at 5:36 of the third.

The Penguins went back in front by winning an offensive faceoff and crashing hard to the net. Chiodo stopped Konstantin Pushkarev on a rebound in front, but the puck kicked right to Vitale, who scored from near the right post.

Vitale’s goal was his first in 22 games this season.

“Joey and I had a discussion this morning about the fact that he hadn’t scored yet,” Penguins coach Todd Reirden said. “I mentioned to him that everyone’s evaluated on different criteria. We’re happy with him here in Wilkes-Barre and the organization is happy with him, whether he has a goal or no goal.

“You don’t want to start hitting the panic button. He’s doing the right thing.”

That work paid off for Vitale, who also had one of the assists on Engelland’s goal.

After killing seven penalties against the league’s fifth-highest scoring team, the Penguins were unable to escape when Binghamton coach Don Nachbaur pulled Chiodo late for an extra skater.

Curry lost his stick and Wyatt Smith broke his, adding to the Binghamton advantage before Craig Schira scored from the top of the right circle with 25 seconds left.

Reirden said Jeffrey’s winner was another case of a player continuing to do the right thing and not get frustrated when he is unable to convert.

First Period -- No scoring. Penalties -- Binghamton, Yablonski (fighting), 0:03; Penguins, Boogaard (fighting), 0:03; Binghamton, Spencer (fighting), 0:04; Penguins, Wallace (high sticking), 1:59; Penguins, Guenin (slashing), 5:57; Binghamton, Yablonski (hooking), 14:28; Penguins, Boulerice (high sticking), 17:27; Penguins, Strait (boarding), 18:31.

Second Period -- 1. Penguins, Engelland 1 (Vitale, Caputi) 19:28. Penalties -- Binghamton, Condra (interference), 1:14; Penguins, Pushkarev (boarding), 9:29; Binghamton, bench (too many men on ice), 10:41.Third Period -- 2. Binghamton, St. Pierre 11 (Hamel, Kudelka), 5:36; 3. Penguins, Vitale 1 (Wallace, Pushkarev) 8:17; 4, Binghamton, Schira 3 (D. Smith, Keller) 19:35. Penalties -- Penguins, Pushkarev (boarding, roughing), 1:36; Binghamton, Condra (roughing), 1:36; Penguins, Lovejoy (roughing), 13:40.

Overtime -- 5. Penguins, Jeffrey 5 (Lee) 0:28. Penalties -- None.Shots on goal - Binghamton 9-8-19-0=36; Penguins 11-12-7-1=30. Power-play opportunities - Binghamton 0 for 7; Penguins 0 for 3. Goaltenders - Binghamton, Chiodo (5-8-0) (31 shots, 28 goals, 58:00); Penguins, Curry (11-8-1) (36 shots, 34 saves, 60:28).

A - 6,815.