SPRINGFIELD, Mass. – A third-period comeback propelled the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins to a 3-2 overtime win against the Springfield Thunderbirds on Friday night at MassMutual Center.
Wilkes-Barre/Scranton (10-8-2-0) erased a 2-0 deficit in the third period to force the extra frame. Jack Rathbone assumed the hero’s role, scoring swiftly in OT.
Goaltender Magnus Hellberg made 36 saves in the come-from-behind victory. Hellberg was busy early, denying all 18 Springfield shots in the first period.
Nathan Walker put Springfield on the board six minutes into the second period. Three minutes later, Ryan Suzuki deflected a Dylan Coghlan point shot past Hellberg for a power-play goal that lifted Springfield to a two-goal lead.
Rem Pitlick potted the Penguins’ first goal of the game during a third-period man advantage. Alex Nylander stole the puck away from a streaking Springfield penalty killer, then saucered the puck across the offensive zone to Pitlick. Pitlick’s low shot along the ice found its way over the line at 8:43 and birthed momentum for the Penguins.
Wilkes-Barre/Scranton tied the game with just under six minutes remaining in regulation. Matt Filipe, a Massachusetts native, redirected a slap shot from Xavier Ouellet for his first tally as a Penguin.
Another born-and-raised Massachusetts man delivered the dagger, as Rathbone netted the game winner 68 seconds into OT.
T-Birds netminder Malcolm Subban recorded 26 stops in the overtime loss.
Wilkes-Barre/Scranton returns home tomorrow, Saturday, Dec. 2, for another matchup with Springfield. Opening puck drop for the second game of the home-and-home set is slated for 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.
