PENGUINS ROLL EARLY, DEFEAT WOLF PACK, 4-1

BOXSCORE

HARTFORD, Conn. – The Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins rode a strong first period to a 4-1 triumph over the Hartford Wolf Pack on Friday night at XL Center.

Wilkes-Barre/Scranton (28-12-5-1) scored 29 seconds into the game and did not look back. Rutger McGroarty picked up a goal and an assist during the team’s soaring start, and defenseman Filip Král notched a pair of assists.

McGroarty wasted no time getting his team on the scoreboard, as the rookie picked the top corner on a two-on-one rush before the night was a half-minute old.

The Wolf Pack were assessed two minor penalties on the same play, giving the Penguins a full, two-minute, five-on-three man advantage. That lengthy power play led to Avery Hayes sweeping a loose puck underneath Hartford goalie Louis Domingue at 12:03 of the opening frame.

Four minutes later, a tic-tac-toe passing play culminated in a backdoor bury for Boris Katchouk and a 3-0 lead for Wilkes-Barre/Scranton.

The Penguins’ offense cooled in the second period, while Hartford picked up the pace. Eventually, the Wolf Pack cut into Wilkes-Barre/Scranton’s lead with Maxim Barbashev’s first AHL goal.

However, the Penguins clamped down in the third period, allowing few scoring opportunities. Marc Johnstone snagged an empty-net goal late in regulation, securing victory for the Black and Gold.

Filip Larsson posted 26 saves in the Penguins’ win, while Domingue stopped 24 of 27 shots faced in defeat.

Wilkes-Barre/Scranton continues its three-in-three weekend through New England with a matchup against the Springfield Thunderbirds tomorrow, Saturday, Feb. 22. Game time for the Penguins and T-Birds will be 7:05 p.m. at MassMutual Center.

The Penguins’ next home game is Tuesday, Mar. 4, when the team welcomes the Belleville Senators to town. Puck drop between the Pens and Sens will take place at 7:05 p.m. at Mohegan Arena at Casey Plaza.

Season-ticket packages for the Penguins’ 2024-25 season, including Full-Season, 22-game, 12-game, Flexbook and Premium Seating plans, as well as Corporate Partnership opportunities are available by reaching out to the Penguins directly at (570) 208-7367. Individual-game tickets are also available by visiting Ticketmaster.com, the Mohegan Arena at Casey Plaza Box Office or calling the Penguins’ front office at (570) 208-7367.

Every minute of Penguins hockey can be watched online with the league’s streaming service, AHLTV on FloHockey. AHLTV on FloHockey provides its subscribers access to not just every regular-season and Calder Cup Playoff game for all 32 AHL teams, but also more than 21,000 hockey contests from other professional and junior leagues on FloHockey, as well as access to all other live event streams and replays across FloSports.