Author: Beaver County Radio

Henrique, Getzlaf help Ducks win again, beat Penguins 4-2

PITTSBURGH (AP) — Adam Henrique and Ryan Getzlaf each had a goal and an assist, and the Anaheim Ducks rallied past the Pittsburgh Penguins 4-2 on Monday night.

The Ducks won for the ninth time in 10 games after spotting the Penguins a two-goal lead. Henrique started the comeback with a power-play goal early in the second period and Getzlaf’s empty net tally in the final minute pushed Anaheim to its sixth straight road win. Ondrej Kase and Kiefer Sherwood also scored for the Ducks.

John Gibson, a Pittsburgh native, stopped 28 shots, including the final 24 he faced to pick up the victory in his hometown.

Evgeni Malkin got his 11th goal of the season for Pittsburgh and Bryan Rust added his sixth but the Penguins couldn’t cool off the Ducks. Casey DeSmith finished with 32 saves but lost for only the third time in his last 11 starts.

The Penguins have spent the last month slowly recovering from a sluggish start that at one point had them flirting with last place in the Eastern Conference. Yet even as they’ve pulled themselves back into contention — thanks in no small part to solid play by DeSmith — the Penguins are still sorting things out on the defensive end. They swept a back-to-back with Boston and Los Angeles over the weekend, games they won despite allowing a combined 92 shots.

Pittsburgh coach Mike Sullivan cautioned it’s not a formula that was sustainable. And for a brief stretch in the first period it appeared the Penguins were intent on buckling down. Pittsburgh jumped to a 2-0 lead on a power-play goal by Malkin 9:38 into the game and Rust followed with his fifth in four games when he jammed in a shot from the near post less than five minutes later.

However, deficits do little to deter the Ducks. Each of Anaheim’s previous nine victories came in games they were either tied or trailing heading into the final period. Anaheim didn’t wait that long this time to get back in it. The Ducks 19 consecutive shots during one stretch. Henrique’s power-play goal 2:07 into the second got Anaheim going. Sherwood streaked down the slot, took a feed from former Penguin Carter Rowney and fired a wrist shot by DeSmith to even the score at 5:33.

Kase then put Anaheim in front. Getzlaf won a draw in the left faceoff circle and flipped the puck on net. Kase jumped on the rebound with 1:13 left in the second to give the Ducks the lead.

Gibson made sure it stood up. He held firm as the Penguins made a push in the third period and Getzlaf’s empty netter with 49 seconds left gave Anaheim its third consecutive win over Pittsburgh.

NOTES: Pittsburgh fell to 6-1-1 against the Pacific Division. … Ducks F Daniel Sprong, traded from Pittsburgh to Anaheim in exchange for D Marcus Pettersson earlier this month, had an assist in 14:47. Pettersson skated 18:07 for the Penguins. … Pittsburgh D Kris Letang returned to the lineup after missing two games with a lower-body injury. … Penguins Fs Patric Hornqvist (concussion) and Dominik Simon (lower body) remain “day to day” according Sullivan. … Pittsburgh scratched Ds Chad Ruhwedel and Juusso Riikola and F Jean-Sebastien Dea. Anaheim scratched F Ben Street and D Andrej Sustr. … Anaheim D Hampus Lindholm played in his 400th NHL game. … The Ducks went 1 for 2 on the power play. The Penguins were 1 for 4.

UP NEXT

Ducks: Continue a season-high six-game road trip on Tuesday in New York against the Rangers.

Penguins: Travel to Washington on Wednesday. The teams have split their first two meetings, both winning on home ice.

“Presents For Patients” Now In Its 35th Year

At this time of year, and at a certain point in most of our lives, the Christmas season becomes less about expecting gifts and more about expecting to be the giver of cheer.

St. Barnabas Health System & St. Barnabas Charities have done their part over the last 35 years, as “Presents For Patients” continues to provide those in care with gifts this time of year. Charities Director Shelli Sommariva talked with Matt Drzik on A.M. Beaver County regarding this year’s drive, including instructions on how to help and what to get.

To contact St. Barnabas Charities regarding Presents For Patients, you can phone them at (724) 625-3770 or visit them online at www.presentsforpatients.com.

To hear the full interview between Matt & Shelli, click on the players below!

Part 1

Part 2

Check Red & Green lettuce from Giant Eagle

Giant Eagle has removed a specific brand of red and green leaf lettuce from its stores’ produce departments and advised any customers making recent purchases to dispose of the lettuce, due to concerns about potential E. coli contamination.

There have been no local reports of illness, but it “is conducting this voluntary recall out of an abundance of caution.”

The affected products are from a California supplier, Adam Bros. Farming Inc., and are identified on labels as PLU 4076 for green lettuce and PLU 4075 for red. The products were removed from store shelves as of Friday morning, according to a Giant Eagle spokesman.

The company said sediment from a reservoir near where the produce was grown had tested positive for E. coli, and water from the reservoir may have come in contact with the produce. It also said it knew of no illnesses connected to the products.

Giant Eagle said in a news release that customers with either of the lettuce products identified should either dispose of it or return it to the supermarket, and they should bring any grocery receipts to assist with a refund. Customers with questions may call Giant Eagle’s customer service department from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. weekdays at 800-553-2324.

Former Penn Hills, Pitt and NFL offensive lineman remembered

Bill Fralic, the former Penn Hills, Pitt and NFL offensive lineman died Thursday of cancer. Players not even born when Mr. Fralic was flattening opponents during his All-Pro NFL career saluted him during a parade and rally held in Penn Hills. They were celebrating the state championship won on Dec. 7.

In his final days, Mr. Fralic made one more great play for his alma mater: taking care of the hotel bill so that all 62 players and the coaching staff could spend the night before the championship game in Hershey. Without his help, the team would have had to make the four-hour drive on game day.

Mr. Fralic also had donated and raised much of the money to build the high school’s $1 million Bill Fralic Athletic Center, which includes a weight room, locker room, training room and 50-yard practice field.

Son of late local labor leader making a difference

At 10 a.m. on Friday, The Beaver County Times annual Toys for Tots drive had collected $865 and 149 toys. The goal of $2,700 seemed unreachable in the 3 hours remaining.

Then the Son of late local labor leader Edwin Hill showed up with a $2,000 donation from Hill’s estate.
“My father was from Beaver County, retired in Beaver County and always had an affinity to this area,” Hill’s son said Friday. “He would take what he could and help Beaver County residents. That’s what we plan to continue to do.”

Hill’s contribution, along with others from dozens of readers and Times’ employees, has helped Beaver County’s Toys for Tots program provide more than 20,000 Christmas presents to local children in recent years.