WILKES-BARRE, Pa. – Oskar Sundqvist led the attack for the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins, tallying twice to give the American Hockey League’s top team a 5-1 win over the Lehigh Valley Phantoms on Tuesday night at the Mohegan Sun Arena at Casey Plaza.
The win capped off a six-game home stand for the Penguins (37-11-3-0), during which Wilkes-Barre/Scranton post a 4-2-0-0 record, including a pair of wins over the division rival Phantoms (32-15-2-0).
The Penguins opened up the scoring at the 5:37 mark of the first frame. Derrick Pouliot fired one in on the first power play of the game, giving Wilkes-Barre/Scranton a 1-0 lead.
Later in the period, Jean-Sébastien Dea forced a turnover in the offensive zone, allowing Dominik Simon to capitalize and put the Penguins up, 2-0, with just under three minutes remaining in the first.
The Phantoms kicked off the second period with a power play, but 57 seconds into the frame, Sundqvist scored on a shorthanded breakaway, extending the Penguins lead to 3-0.
Lehigh Valley got their first and only goal of the game, when Nicolas Aubé-Kubel put a wrap-around off of the Penguins defense and past Tristan Jarry 9:10 into the second period.
Dea made it 4-1 in favor of Wilkes-Barre/Scranton at the 16:23 mark of the second period with a short-side, top-corner snipe from the right side half-wall that beat Phantoms goalie Anthony Stolarz over his left shoulder.
Sundqvist finished off the scoring for the night, recording his second tally of the game 4:20 into the final period, securing the Penguins 5-1 victory.
Jarry stopped 27 of 28 shots faced for his league-leading 22nd win of the season. Stolarz turned aside 38 shots in the loss for the Phantoms.
Wilkes-Barre/Scranton’s next game is Friday, Feb. 17 when they travel to upstate New York and take on the Albany Devils. Puck drop between the Penguins and Devils is scheduled for 7:00 p.m. Wilkes-Barre/Scranton’s next home game isn’t until Wednesday, Mar. 8, and once again its opponent will be the Lehigh Valley Phantoms.
Individual game tickets for Mar. 8’s game and 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.
Penguins ticket packages, including 12-game and 10-voucher flex packs, are available directly through the Penguins offices by calling (570) 208-7367.
