GOERS BURIES OVERTIME WINNER AS PENS BEAT PHANTOMS, 4-3

BOXSCORE

WILKES-BARRE, Pa. – Barry Goers scored the overtime game-winner with 15 seconds remaining in the extra frame to lift the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins to a 4-3 victory over the Lehigh Valley Phantoms at PPL Center on Saturday night.

The Penguins (38-15-3-0) snapped a four-game skid thanks to Goers’ first goal of the season coming while skating in his 300^th professional game.

Wilkes-Barre/Scranton netted the night’s first tally when Tom Kostopoulos scored his 20^th goal of the season while the two clubs were playing four-on-four at 17:08 of the first period. The goal secured Kostopoulos’ sixth 20-goal season of his career.

Greg Carey tied the game, 1-1, 8:43 into the second period on the man advantage for Lehigh Valley. Later in the frame, Danick Martel snuck one past Tristan Jarry, giving the Phantoms a 2-1 lead.

Less than two minutes after Martel’s goal, the Penguins responded. Oskar Sundqvist’s pass to Jarrett Burton found the back of the net after it bounced off Burton’s skate, sending the game to a 2-2 tie for the third period.

Wilkes-Barre/Scranton jumped back ahead when Dominik Simon sent a picture perfect pass to Jean-Sébastien Dea who was all alone in the slot and rifled one into Lehigh Valley’s cage. Dea’s goal gave the Penguins a 3-2 lead 2:04 into the third period.

However, another power play goal for the Phantoms equalized the score at 3-3 with 7:57 left in regulation. This time, Corban Knight was the one responsible for Lehigh Valley’s man advantage marker.

At 4:45 of the overtime period, Goers jumped up into the play and batted in a rebound for his first goal since Apr. 18, 2015, clinching the win for the Penguins.

Jarry turned away 34 shots in the victory for the Penguins. Alex Lyon stopped 28 shots in the overtime loss for the Phantoms.

Wilkes-Barre/Scranton’s next game is a week from now, Saturday, Mar. 4, and it will take on the Hershey Bears at Giant Center. Puck drop between the Penguins and Bears is scheduled for 7:00 p.m. Wilkes-Barre/Scranton’s next home game is 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.