ALLENTOWN, Pa. – In the first of three consecutive games against one another, the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins recorded a 3-2 win over the Lehigh Valley Phantoms on Friday night at PPL Center. A late goal in the third period from Corey Andonovski snared the win for Wilkes-Barre/Scranton (29-19-7-1), which has yet to lose in regulation to Lehigh Valley this season (3-0-2-1).
How Did Andonovski Help the Penguins Snare a Win?
A power-play goal from Austin Rueschhoff got the Penguins off and running just 4:28 into the game. Rueschhoff was the man on the spot to gather a rebound off the pads of Cal Petersen and give Wilkes-Barre/Scranton a 1-0 lead.
A pair of tallies from Rhett Gardener in the second period gave propelled the Phantoms to a 2-1 lead. The first of Garnder’s goals came on a three-on-two rush for Lehigh Valley, and the second arrived on a two-man advantage power play.
Lukas Svejkovsky’s first goal of the season pulled things even, 2-2, at 2:18 of the third period.
With 2:08 remaining in regulation, Andonovski capped off a chippy third period and silenced the rowdy crowd in Allentown. Andonovski, hovering in the slot, redirected a perfect feed from Ryan Shea past an unsuspecting Petersen.
Joel Blomqvist turned away four great looks by Lehigh Valley after it pulled its goalie for an extra attacker, helping the Penguins lock down the one-goal win. Blomqvist ultimately finished with 27 saves, while Petersen turned away 18 of 21 shots from Wilkes-Barre/Scranton.
Don’t Miss the Next Penguins Game!
The Penguins return to home ice for another tilt with the Phantoms tomorrow, Saturday Mar. 9. Game time for the second match in this three-game set is slated for 6:05 p.m. at Mohegan Sun Arena at Casey Plaza.
Individual-game tickets for the remaining contests in the Penguins’ 25th season as well as season-ticket packages for the 2024-25 campaign 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. Individual-game tickets are also available by visiting Ticketmaster.com, the Mohegan Sun Arena Box Office or calling the Penguins’ front office at (570) 208-7367.
