FEISTY GAME ENDS WITH PENGUINS OT LOSS TO CRUNCH
SYRACUSE, N.Y. – The Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins battled to a 4-3 overtime loss against the Syracuse Crunch on Saturday night at Upstate Medical University Arena.
Syracuse Crunch Barely Eeks Out a Win
Wilkes-Barre/Scranton (24-26-5-5) picked up a point in the standings with the OT decision, moving closer to playoff position in the process.
The Penguins struck first, turning a net-front scramble into the night’s first goal. Justin Addamo swept in a rebound that lingered behind Crunch goalie Hugo Alnefelt at 7:38 of the opening frame.
Syracuse responded with a redirect goal from Lucas Edmonds at 10:58.
The two clubs engaged in several fiery, post-whistle scrums throughout the first period, but things really boiled over in the second period. Wilkes-Barre/Scranton and Syracuse combined for 30 total penalty minutes during the middle chapter, including a pair of fights.
Amidst the chaos, the Penguins took back the lead. Tyler Sikura polished off a feed from Filip Hållander to put Wilkes-Barre/Scranton ahead, 2-1, at 12:45 of the second period.
Syracuse rattled off two goals in under 30 seconds early in the third to flip its one-goal deficit into a one-goal lead. First Félix Robert knocked in a backdoor pass at the four-minute mark, followed by Trevor Carrick granting the Crunch their first lead of the night.
Hållander equalized with a bullet shot at 11:42 of the final frame, and game eventually reached overtime.
The Penguins went a perfect six-for-six on the penalty kill, including a clutch kill during the sudden-death session. However, Syracuse’s Declan Carlile buried the game-winner with just 28.5 seconds left in OT.
Taylor Gauthier recorded 25 saves while manning the crease for the Penguins, while Alnefelt denied 23 shots for the Crunch.
Don’t Miss the Next Penguins Game!
Wilkes-Barre/Scranton wraps up its busy, three-in-three weekend tomorrow, Sunday, Mar. 19, in a matinée matchup with the Lehigh Valley Phantoms. Game time between the Penguins and Phantoms is scheduled for 4:05 p.m. at PPL Center.
The Penguins’ next home game is next Saturday, Mar. 25, another tilt against the Phantoms for the club’s annual STAR WARS NIGHT. Puck drop for the Penguins and Phantoms will be 6:05 p.m. at Mohegan Sun Arena at Casey Plaza.
Individual game tickets for the Penguins’ remaining home games, as well as season-ticket packages for the 2023-24 season are on sale now. Full-Season, 22-game, 12-game, Flexbook and Premium Seating plans are available by reaching out to the Penguins directly at (570) 208-7367.
