WILKES-BARRE, Pa. – The Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins came up short against the Lehigh Valley Phantoms, losing 3-2 in overtime on Wednesday night at Mohegan Sun Arena at Casey Plaza.
Cooper Marody’s heroics sunk Wilkes-Barre/Scranton (26-17-7-1) after the Phantoms forward tied the game in the third period and then won it 63 seconds into overtime.
Jagger Joshua put the Penguins on the board at the 6:13 mark in the first period. Jonathan Gruden hit the post from the slot, and the puck laid in the crease for Joshua to slam it into the net.
Penguins goalie Joel Blomqvist was phenomenal in the opening period, stopping all 12 shots and making multiple ten-bell saves to keep his team ahead.
A breakaway by Alex Nylander put the Penguins ahead by two at the 14:43 mark of the second period. Vinnie Hinostroza forced a turnover in Wilkes-Barre/Scranton’s zone and found the Swedish winger streaking down the middle of the ice with a perfect lead pass. Nylander faked a deke to his backhand and slid the puck between the legs of Phantoms netminder Felix Sandström.
However, Bobby Brink got the Phantoms on the board 73 seconds later, sending the teams into the intermission with a 2-1 score.
Marody’s first goal evened things up with 8:36 remaining in regulation. He later knocked in his own rebound to win the game in overtime.
Blomqvist finished with 33 saves on 36 shots, his efforts a major reason why the Penguins were able to grab a point in the standings and reach 60 points on the season. At the other end, Sandström recorded 22 saves for Lehigh Valley.
The Penguins are back in action on Friday, Feb. 23, traveling to Chocolatetown for a matchup with the league-leading Hershey Bears. Puck drop is slated for 7:00 p.m. at Giant Center.
Wilkes-Barre/Scranton’s next home game is the next night, Saturday, Feb. 24, as they host the Bridgeport Islanders for Military Appreciation Night presented by MetLife. Opening puck drop for Penguins and Islanders will be 6:05 p.m. at Mohegan Sun Arena at Casey Plaza.
Season-ticket packages for the Penguins’ 25th season of hockey 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.
