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PENGUINS LOSE IN LONE VISIT TO ROCHESTER

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BOXSCORE

ROCHESTER, N.Y. – The Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins kicked off a three-in-three weekend set on Friday night with a 12-3 loss to the Rochester Americans at Blue Cross Arena.

Wilkes-Barre/Scranton (30-14-3-1) lost three defensemen to injury throughout the course of the game, as Rochester had three different players score twice.

Just 1:17 into the game, the Americans’ Colin Blackwell levied a massive hit on Lukas Bengtsson that left the Penguins blueliner fallen in the corner. Roughly six minutes later, Chris Summers was clipped up high in an awkward collision with two other players. As he slowly got back to his feet and retreated to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton’s bench, Seth Griffith took advantage of the confusion and scored the game’s first goal at 7:06 of the opening frame. Adam Krause and Zach Redmond tallied within 2:09 after Griffith’s goal to catapult Rochester into a 3-0 lead.

Griffith scored for the second time 2:53 into the second period, and the Penguins decided at this point to replace starting goalie Casey DeSmith with Anthony Peters. Shortly into Peters’ tenure between the pipes, Alexander Nylander added another goal to make it 5-0. Nylander’s first goal of the evening marked the third-straight man advantage marker scored by the Americans.

The Penguins made a charge with two strikes separated by a little over two minutes of game time in the second period. A Jarrett Burton goal followed by a brilliant display of passing between Jean-Sébastien Dea and Cody Wydo cut the deficit to only three. Joseph Cramarossa recorded the primary assist on Burton’s goal, giving Cramarossa his first point as a Penguin while skating in his Wilkes-Barre/Scranton debut.

However, Rochester halted that momentum when Brendan Guhle launched a perfect shot under the crossbar 52 seconds after the Wydo goal. Sean Malone closed out the second period reestablishing the Americans’ five-goal lead, giving them a 7-2 edge going into the second intermission.

Wilkes-Barre/Scranton scored a power play goal of its own with Greg McKegg firing one more past Linus Ullmark at the 6:05 mark of the third period, but once again, Rochester shut down any burgeoning momentum as Nylander netted his second of the night a minute later.

Kyle Criscuolo found the back of the net twice followed by goals from Stuart Percy and Matt Tennyson during a five minute stretch in the final frame of regulation, bringing the game to its final score of 12-3.

Frank Corrado left the game after a collision at center ice behind the play felled the fifth-year pro during the third period.

The Americans tallied six times on nine power play opportunities.

DeSmith recorded 10 saves on 14 shots before being replaced by Peters, who made 15 saves on 23 shots faced. Ullmark posted 35 stops as Rochester snapped a season-long five-game winless skid.

The Penguins’ next game is tomorrow, Saturday, Feb. 17, and they’ll take on the Utica Comets at Mohegan Sun Arena at Casey Plaza for the first time this season. Saturday’s contest is also Wilkes-Barre/Scranton’s annual Military Appreciation Night presented by MetLife. Puck drop between the Penguins and Comets is scheduled for 7:05 p.m. Individual tickets for all Penguins home games are available at the Mohegan Sun Arena at Casey Plaza box office, online at TicketMaster.com, or by calling 800-745-3000.

Season ticket packages for the 19th season of Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins hockey, including 12-game and Flexbook plans, are available by contacting the Penguins directly at (570) 208-7367.

PENGUINS FALL TO BRUINS, 4-0

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BOXSCORE

PROVIDENCE, R.I. – For the second time in less than a month’s time, the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins visited the Dunkin’ Donuts Center on an impressive winning streak and couldn’t push it further as they fell to the Providence Bruins, 4-0, on Friday night.

Wilkes-Barre/Scranton (29-13-3-1) was shut-out by Zane McIntyre for the second trip to Providence in a row, as the Bruins goaltender recorded a 22-save clean sheet to end the Penguins’ four-game win streak.

The Penguins’ netminder, Casey DeSmith, was tested early and often as the Bruins peppered him with 22 shots in the first period, including a blitzkrieg just after the six-minute mark. Both teams battled for position in front of DeSmith, clogging his crease and limiting his vision. Still, DeSmith made a number of tremendous saves before the Penguins cleared the puck and broke the press.

Providence finally solved DeSmith at 8:53 of the first period as Kenny Agostino buried a puck just under the crossbar. A shot from Connor Clifton bounced off the back boards and right onto Agostino’s stick, giving him the opportunity to seize the first lead of the game.

The Bruins extended their lead to 2-0 at 14:39 of the second period while on the power play. A turnover by Andrey Pedan led to Colton Hargrove snapping a wrist shot past DeSmith.

McIntyre continued to hold Wilkes-Barre/Scranton at bay in the third period while Providence tallied twice to make it 4-0. Matt Beleskey thwarted a Penguins clearing attempt and then slid a pass over to Tommy Cross for a one-timer goal 5:58 into the final frame of regulation. Clifton set up another Bruins tally roughly 11 minutes later when he and Colby Cave combined to get Adam Payerl the puck in prime scoring position.

DeSmith stopped 39 of the 43 shots he faced, while McIntyre earned his second shutout in a row against Wilkes-Barre/Scranton.

The Penguins’ next game is Sunday, Feb. 11 when they hope to bounce back in a rematch with the Bruins at Dunkin’ Donuts Center. Wilkes-Barre/Scranton’s next home game is Saturday, Feb. 17, and they’ll take on the Utica Comets for the first time this season. Puck drop between the Penguins and Comets is scheduled for 7:05 p.m. at Mohegan Sun Arena at Casey Plaza. Individual tickets for all Penguins home games are available at the Mohegan Sun Arena at Casey Plaza box office, online at TicketMaster.com, or by calling 800-745-3000.

Season ticket packages for the 19th season of Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins hockey, including 12-game and Flexbook plans, are available by contacting the Penguins directly at (570) 208-7367.

PENGUINS WIN SPECIAL TEAMS BATTLE, BEAT T-BIRDS, 3-1

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BOXSCORE

SPRINGFIELD, Mass. – The Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins used a great night on the special teams front to defeat the Springfield Thunderbirds, 3-1, on Wednesday night at MassMutual Center.

In addition to receiving excellent goaltending by Casey DeSmith, Wilkes-Barre/Scranton (29-12-3-1) used two power play goals and an impenetrable penalty kill to earn its first win at MassMutual Center since Feb. 5, 2016.

The first period was a back and forth affair that ended in a scoreless tie. The Thunderbirds had their best opportunity to pull ahead late in the frame when they went on a 1:24-long two-man advantage, but DeSmith came up with a series big with saves, keeping the score knotted at zero.

The teams traded goals in the second frame with Gage Quinney breaking things open at 10:49 of the second period. Quinney raced onto the ice following a line change and ended up in perfect position to receive a pass from Reid Gardiner. However, a mere 2:04 later, Springfield’s Dryden Hunt tied it up, 1-1.

With just 13.1 seconds left in the second period, Wilkes-Barre/Scranton pulled ahead on a power play goal from Thomas Di Pauli. Di Pauli buried his own rebound, snapping a 15-game scoreless drought and putting his team back on top, 2-1.

Late in the third and final frame of regulation with the game still separated by only one goal, DeSmith conjured one of the finest saves made by a Penguins goaltender this year. After a shot from the point created a rebound directly to the left of DeSmith, Ed Wittchow was staring at a wide open net with the puck on his stick. Wittchow threw the puck at the yawning cage, only to see DeSmith reach back with his glove, slap the puck out of midair and away from danger to keep his team in the lead.

Garrett Wilson tallied a power play, empty net insurance marker with 1:13 to go in the third period.

The Penguins finished the night two-for-seven on the man advantage, while the Thunderbirds couldn’t capitalize on any of their three power play opportunities.

DeSmith made 23 saves in his return to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton. Springfield goalie Evan Cowley posted 37 saves in defeat.

The Penguins’ next game is Friday, Feb. 9 when they visit the Providence Bruins. Wilkes-Barre/Scranton’s next home game is Saturday, Feb. 17, and they’ll take on the Utica Comets for the first time this season. Puck drop between the Penguins and Comets is scheduled for 7:05 p.m. at Mohegan Sun Arena at Casey Plaza. Individual tickets for all Penguins home games are available at the Mohegan Sun Arena at Casey Plaza box office, online at TicketMaster.com, or by calling 800-745-3000.

Season ticket packages for the 19th season of Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins hockey, including 12-game and Flexbook plans, are available by contacting the Penguins directly at (570) 208-7367.

AWE-INSPIRING NIGHT BY JARRY HELPS PENGUINS BEAT PHANTOMS

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BOXSCORE

WILKES-BARRE, Pa. – Tristan Jarry stole the show at Mohegan Sun Arena at Casey Plaza on Saturday night, as he and the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins came away with a 2-1 win against the Lehigh Valley Phantoms.

Wilkes-Barre/Scranton (28-12-3-1) received stellar goaltending all night long as Jarry consistently stymied Lehigh Valley in a shining 34-save performance. The Penguins also used two early tallies to put some distance between them and their in-state rival, and that quick outburst proved to be the difference.

Jean-Sébastien Dea found the back of the net only 26 seconds into the game. Dea came streaking down the right wing wall and perfectly placed his shot over Dustin Tokarski’s shoulder, into the top corner and off the back bar. This marked the third time this season that the Penguins scored on the Phantoms in the first minute of regulation.

Not long after Dea’s opening goal, Jarry began to face an onslaught by the Phantoms. Lehigh Valley racked up 10 shots before the midway mark of the first period, but turned them aside every time. After Jarry came up big on multiple point blank opportunities, Wilkes-Barre/Scranton used a power play goal from Daniel Sprong to jump out to a 2-0 lead at 12:53 of the opening frame. The man advantage marker was the AHL All-Star’s 20th goal on the season.

The second period saw an abundance of power plays, but neither team able to score. Both netminders were sharp, and the score remained 2-0 in favor of the Penguins heading into the second intermission.

Lehigh Valley got another power play in the third period and finally cashed in as Chris Conner snuck the puck through Jarry’s legs from right in front of the net at the nine-minute to pull the Phantoms within one.

Penguins defenseman Chris Summers lent a big hand to his goaltender by making a brilliant defensive play to preserve Wilkes-Barre/Scranton’s lead with just under five minutes to play. While a loose puck lingered dangerously around Jarry’s crease with the goalie unable to locate the puck while contending with an abundance of traffic, Summers stepped into Matt Read and held him at bay for several seconds until a teammate could swoop in and sweep it away from the net-mouth.

Despite the Phantoms pulling Tokarski for an extra attacker with roughly two minutes remaining in regulation, Lehigh Valley couldn’t muster an equalizer on Jarry, who remained dialed in until the sound of the final buzzer.

Tokarski finished the night having made 19 saves on 21 shots faced.

The Penguins’ next game is Wednesday, Feb. 7 when they visit the Springfield Thunderbirds. Wilkes-Barre/Scranton’s next home game is Saturday, Feb. 17, and they’ll take on the Utica Comets for the first time this season. Puck drop between the Penguins and Comets is scheduled for 7:05 p.m. at Mohegan Sun Arena at Casey Plaza. Individual tickets for all Penguins home games are available at the Mohegan Sun Arena at Casey Plaza box office, online at TicketMaster.com, or by calling 800-745-3000.

Season ticket packages for the 19th season of Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins hockey, including 12-game and Flexbook plans, are available by contacting the Penguins directly at (570) 208-7367.

FAN FRIDAY INFO

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PEDAN PROPELS PENGUINS PAST BEARS, 4-1

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BOXSCORE

WILKES-BARRE, Pa. – The Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins were buoyed by the play of defenseman Andrey Pedan as they turned away the Hershey Bears with a 4-1 victory at Mohegan Sun Arena at Casey Plaza on Friday night.

Wilkes-Barre/Scranton (27-12-3-1) saw Pedan score twice, including the game-winner, as the team extended its winning streak on home ice to seven games.

Pedan wasted little time firing up the crowd and his teammates, dropping the gloves to fight Hershey’s Zach Sill just five seconds into the game. The early donnybrook didn’t yield immediate results for the Penguins though, as it was the Bears striking first, 6:22 into the first period. A pass by Tyler Graovac intended for Riley Barber was broken up by Penguins forward Gage Quinney, but redirected off of Barber and floated into Wilkes-Barre/Scranton’s net.

Two minutes before the first intermission, the Penguins tied it up while on the power play. A rocket of a shot from Pedan rifled to the top corner and through a screen that Pheonix Copley couldn’t stop.

Both teams registered nine shots on goal during the second period, but both Tristan Jarry and Copley were up to the task, keeping the score even at 1-1.

Wilkes-Barre/Scranton got their first lead of the game 5:34 into the third period when Pedan tallied for the second time on the night off a perfectly timed drop pass from Greg McKegg. Pedan’s fellow defenseman, Kevin Czuczman, added an insurance goal for the Penguins at 11:40 of the third period.

Hershey pulled Copley for an extra attacker and Jarrett Burton took advantage after accepting a pass from Daniel Sprong right in the slot and put the game on ice with 2:16 left in regulation.

Jarry denied 25 Hershey shots, while Copley successfully fended off 22 of the 25 bids that Wilkes-Barre/Scranton threw his way.

The Penguins’ next game is tomorrow, Saturday, Feb. 3 against their other Keystone State rival, the Lehigh Valley Phantoms. Puck drop between the Penguins and Phantoms is scheduled for 7:05 p.m. at Mohegan Sun Arena at Casey Plaza. Saturday’s contest will also be Wilkes-Barre/Scranton’s annual Pink in the Rink night. Individual tickets for all Penguins home games are available at the Mohegan Sun Arena at Casey Plaza box office, online at TicketMaster.com, or by calling 800-745-3000.

Season ticket packages for the 19th season of Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins hockey, including 12-game and Flexbook plans, are available by contacting the Penguins directly at (570) 208-7367.

FAN FRIDAY INFO

Would you like more info on tickets for any of our upcoming FAN FRIDAY games? Simply fill in your contact info below, and a Penguins ticket representative will contact you within 48 hours.

SPRONG POSTS TWO ASSISTS FOR ATLANTIC, BUT NORTH DIVISION WINS ALL-STAR CHALLENGE

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(Lindsay Mogle | AHL)

UTICA, N.Y. – In a wild night of back-and-forth, end-to-end, action, the North Division won the 2018 AHL All-Star Challenge three-on-three tournament at Adirondack Bank Center at the Utica Memorial Auditorium in Utica, New York.

The Atlantic Division didn’t make it to the final, going 1-2-0 in its three games, but Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins All-Star Daniel Sprong recorded two assists during the course of the night.

“We had fun, and we had some laughs out there,” Sprong said. “I’ll always remember this experience. I’ll remember the friends I saw and the new friends I made… This whole thing is just all about fun.”

This year’s AHL All-Star Challenge format was the same as the two years prior, with team representing each of the league’s four divisions skating in a three-on-three round robin tournament. The two divisions with the best records at the end of the initial phase played went on to face one another in the final.

Sprong and the Atlantic Division first faced off against the Central Division in the second game of the night, and won that match-up in convincing fashion, 5-2.

Wilkes-Barre/Scranton’s leading goal scorer notched an assist in the Atlantic’s second contest, dishing the puck to Providence’s Austin Czarnik when their team had their goalie pulled for an extra attacker in an attempt to tie the game. Unfortunately, that goal came a bit too late, as the Pacific Division defeated Sprong and company, 4-3.

In the Atlantic’s last game, Sprong used a lengthy pass from the defensive zone to the far blue line that led to a breakaway goal for Lehigh Valley’s T.J. Brennan. The rookie’s long-distance helper put the Atlantic into a 3-0 lead with 2:58 left in the game.

“I don’t think that’s happening next time we play [the Phantoms],” Sprong said of his feed to Brennan. “I told him he had to return the favor eventually this year. But you know, you set up a guy like that for a breakaway, he had a really good chance of scoring.”

However, the Atlantic’s 3-0 lead disappeared in a flash, as the North Division stormed back with four goals in 2:38 to win the game, 4-3, and clinch a date in the final with the undefeated Pacific.

C.J. Smith of the Rochester Americans scored the lone goal of the final, as the North took down the Pacific for the title, 1-0.

Sprong will be back on the ice with the Penguins for their next game on Friday, Feb. 2 against the Hershey Bears.  Wilkes-Barre/Scranton’s showdown with Hershey is also a WBRE/WYOU Eyewitness News Fan Friday with lower bowl seating available for $14 and select draught beers on sale for $2 from 6:00-7:30 p.m. Puck drop between the Penguins and Bears is scheduled for 7:05 p.m. at Mohegan Sun Arena at Casey Plaza. Individual tickets for all Penguins home games are available at the Mohegan Sun Arena at Casey Plaza box office, online at TicketMaster.com, or by calling 800-745-3000.

Season ticket packages for the 19th season of Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins hockey, including 22-game, 12-game and Flexbook plans, are available by contacting the Penguins directly at (570) 208-7367.

FAN FRIDAY INFO

Would you like more info on tickets for any of our upcoming FAN FRIDAY games? Simply fill in your contact info below, and a Penguins ticket representative will contact you within 48 hours.

SPRONG, EASTERN ALL-STARS WIN 2018 SKILLS COMPETITION

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UTICA, N.Y. – The Eastern Conference came away with an 18-12 victory over the Western Conference in the 2018 AHL All-Star Skills Competition at the Adirondack Bank Center at the Utica Memorial Auditorium on Sunday night.

Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins forward Daniel Sprong participated in three events, helping the East claim victory in the AHL Live Rapid Fire, Turning Stone Resort Casino Pass & Score and Dunkin’ Donuts Breakaway Relay. During the Breakaway Relay, Sprong drew oohs and ahs from the crowd by pulling off a between the legs move.

“I don’t think Clarkie (Donatelli) would appreciate that if I tried that in a game, but it’s called a skills competition for a reason,” Sprong said. “It’s about creativity. We’re here to have fun and show off a little bit.”

Sprong showed off more of his creativity during the Pass & Score event, during which groups of three players would attack a goaltender unopposed and shoot as long as they had each touched the puck once. The Penguins’ leading scorer orchestrated a move straight out of Hollywood that unfortunately did not count towards the East’s winning score because their time had expired.

“On the last one, we were trying to do the Flying V like the Mighty Ducks,” Sprong said. “I think it should have counted, I don’t know why it didn’t count. I think it should have counted. I don’t think the people on TV realized it didn’t count, so at least we looked good on TV.”

Alexandre Grenier of the Springfield Thunderbirds shined in his return to Utica, where he is the Comets franchise’s all-time leader in goals, assists and points. Grenier won the CCM Hardest Shot event with a shot clocked at 104.1 miles per hour – the third-hardest shot ever recorded in an AHL skills competition.

Defenseman John Gilmour of the Hartford Wolf Pack claimed the CCM Fastest Skater title with a lap of 13.663, the fourth-fastest in event history. And Eastern Conference teammates Chris Bourque of the Hershey Bears and Chris Terry of the Laval Rocket shared the Turning Stone Resort Casino Accuracy Shooting crown by each breaking four targets in five attempts.

The Eastern Conference salted away the win by earning an 8-3 victory in the Dunkin’ Donuts Breakaway Relay.

The Providence Bruins’ Jordan Binnington and the Ontario Reign’s Cal Petersen shared the CCM Top Goaltender award, as each turned aside 16 of 18 shots on the evening. Petersen made history in the AHL Live Rapid Fire, becoming the fifth goaltender ever to stop all 10 attempts.

The 2018 AHL All-Star Classic presented by Turning Stone Resort Casino continues on Monday with the AHL Hall of Fame Induction and Awards Ceremony at 11 a.m., featuring the enshrinement of Jim Bartlett, Don Biggs, Brian Kilrea and Glenn Merkosky as the AHL Hall of Fame Class of 2018 and also celebrating honorary All-Star Classic captains Scott Pellerin and Craig Cunningham.

The league’s mid-season showcase wraps up Monday night at 7:00 p.m. ET with the 2018 AHL All-Star Challenge, a round-robin tournament among the league’s four divisions played at 3-on-3. The All-Star Challenge will air live across the United States on NHL Network, across Canada on Sportsnet and on the internet at AHL Live.

FAN FRIDAY INFO

Would you like more info on tickets for any of our upcoming FAN FRIDAY games? Simply fill in your contact info below, and a Penguins ticket representative will contact you within 48 hours.

PENGUINS DOWN DEVILS IN OVERTIME, 4-3

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BOXSCORE

WILKES-BARRE, Pa. – On a night of returns, the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins defeated the Binghamton Devils in overtime, 4-3, at Mohegan Sun Arena at Casey Plaza on Saturday night.

Wilkes-Barre/Scranton (26-12-3-1) saw Jean-Sébastien Dea and Tom Kostopoulos tally points in their return to the lineup while Zach Aston-Reese recorded his second game-winner in the last three games.

Fresh down on reassignment from Pittsburgh, Dea put the Penguins up, 1-0, at 10:29 of the first period when he took a pass from Ryan Haggerty in the neutral zone, turned on the jets to beat the Devils defense, and deposit the puck bar-down over Mackenzie Blackwood.

Wilkes-Barre/Scranton got the second tally of the night on a beautiful drop pass from Gage Quinney back into the slot for Kevin Czuczman 11:59 into the second frame.

The Devils used a pair of power play goals in the second period to pull even with the Penguins, starting with a man advantage marker from Nick Lappin 2:10 after Czuczman’s tally. Lappin scored again on the power play at 18:33 of the second period as the Devils also utilized a drop pass from Bracken Kearns back into the slot for Lappin.

The Penguins appeared to have found a late game-winning goal when Garrett Wilson took a lovely feed from Kostopoulos that Wilson rocketed to the near-side top corner behind Blackwood. However, 35 seconds later, Kearns redirected a shot off the post that then ricocheted off of Tristan Jarry’s back and across the goal line, tying the game, 3-3, and forcing overtime.

It took most of the back-and-forth overtime period, but Wilkes-Barre/Scranton got the game-winner from the stick of Aston-Reese at 3:28 of the extra frame. Aston-Reese won a battle below the Devils’ goal line, Teddy Blueger dished him the puck right back. Aston-Reese wrapped around the blue paint and put it behind a floundering Blackwood.

Aston-Reese’s game-winner secured the Penguins’ third win of the season against the Devils, all of which have been decided by identical 4-3 scores.

Jarry made 26 saves in his first game back with Wilkes-Barre/Scranton since Oct. 28. Blackwood was dealt the overtime loss despite also recording 26 stops.

The Penguins rest up for the All-Star Break, but return to the ice on Friday, Feb. 2 against the Hershey Bears. Wilkes-Barre/Scranton’s showdown with Hershey is also a WBRE/WYOU Eyewitness News Fan Friday with lower bowl seating available for $14 and select draught beers on sale for $2 from 6:00-7:30 p.m. Puck drop between the Penguins and Bears is scheduled for 7:05 p.m. at Mohegan Sun Arena at Casey Plaza. Individual tickets for all Penguins home games are available at the Mohegan Sun Arena at Casey Plaza box office, online at TicketMaster.com, or by calling 800-745-3000.

Season ticket packages for the 19th season of Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins hockey, including 22-game, 12-game and Flexbook plans, are available by contacting the Penguins directly at (570) 208-7367.

PENGUINS LOSE IN ALLENTOWN, 5-2

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BOXSCORE

ALLENTOWN, Pa. – The Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins were out-dueled in a clash between the Atlantic Division’s top two teams, as the Lehigh Valley Phantoms skated to a 5-2 victory at PPL Center on Friday night.

Wilkes-Barre/Scranton (25-12-3-1) still hold first place in the Atlantic despite the loss and appeared to be in control of Friday’s contest until an early goaltending change turned the tide.

Daniel Sprong wasted little time to start the scoring, charging forth on a breakaway and rifling a shot through Dustin Tokarski’s five-hole 56 seconds into the game.

Lehigh Valley’s Greg Carey tied the game at 5:06 of the first period, but a redirect by Zach Aston-Reese put the Penguins back in the lead 1:20 later. At this point, Phantoms coach Scott Gordon decided to pull Tokarski and replace him with back-up Alex Lyon.

With time ticking down in the opening frame, Nic Aubé-Kubel got loose for a mini-break and hoisted a backhand shot over the pads of Anthony Peters. Aubé-Kubel’s goal tied the game, 2-2, three minutes before the second intermission.

The Phantoms took their first lead of the game when T.J. Brennan converted on a two-on-none rush at 11:48 of the second period.

Lehigh Valley tacked on two goals in the third period with tallies from Mike Vecchione and Aubé-Kubel separated by 1:21 of game time. Peters finished the game having made 25 saves. Tokarski only stopped two of the four shots he faced, but Lyon denied all 26 shots thrown his way in relief.

The Penguins’ next game is tomorrow, Saturday, Jan. 27 against the Binghamton Devils. Puck drop between the Penguins and Devils is scheduled for 7:05 p.m. at Mohegan Sun Arena at Casey Plaza. Individual tickets for all Penguins home games are available at the Mohegan Sun Arena at Casey Plaza box office, online at TicketMaster.com, or by calling 800-745-3000.

Season ticket packages for the 19th season of Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins hockey, including 22-game, 12-game and Flexbook plans, are available by contacting the Penguins directly at (570) 208-7367.

PETERS, PENGUINS BLANK BEARS, 4-0

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BOXSCORE

HERSHEY, Pa. – The Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins coasted to a 4-0 win over the Hershey Bears at Giant Center on Wednesday night as Anthony Peters continued his recent run of stellar goaltending.

Peters turned aside all 18 shots he faced to post the first shutout of his AHL career as Wilkes-Barre/Scranton improved to 25-11-3-1 on the season.

Though Wilkes-Barre/Scranton only had four shots on goal in the first period, they capitalized on two of them. Zach Aston-Reese got the scoring started as he took a pass from Greg McKegg and beat Pheonix Copley 3:40 into the first period. The Penguins increased their lead to 2-0 midway through the frame when Jarrett Burton’s backhander from below the goal line deflected off of Copley’s back and into the net.

The second period saw the Bears get three opportunities on the man advantage in addition to several odd-man rushes, but the Penguins managed to limit them to only four shots in the frame.

The Penguins exploded for two more goals in a 1:07 span during the third period starting with a goal from Christian Thomas. Thomas Di Pauli found Thomas wide open between the hashmarks and the Olympian buried it at 10:54 of the third act. A little over one minute later, Wilkes-Barre/Scranton made it 4-0 off the stick of Zach Trotman, who was set up wonderfully by Gage Quinney and Daniel Sprong.

Sprong’s assist on Trotman’s goal gave him his second helper on the night and pulled the rookie into first place on the Penguins in points (30).

Copley stymied 17 of Wilkes-Barre/Scranton’s 21 shots in the loss.

The Penguins’ next game is Friday, Jan. 26, when they take on the Lehigh Valley Phantoms at PPL Center.  Wilkes-Barre/Scranton’s next home game is the following night, Saturday, Jan. 27 against the Binghamton Devils. Puck drop between the Penguins and Devils is scheduled for 7:05 p.m. at Mohegan Sun Arena at Casey Plaza. Individual tickets for all Penguins home games are available at the Mohegan Sun Arena at Casey Plaza box office, online at TicketMaster.com, or by calling 800-745-3000.

Season ticket packages for the 19th season of Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins hockey, including 22-game, 12-game and Flexbook plans, are available by contacting the Penguins directly at (570) 208-7367.