UTICA, N.Y. – The Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins were dealt late-game heartbreak by the Utica Comets in a 4-3 loss on Friday night at NBT Bank Arena.
Wilkes-Barre/Scranton (4-4-1-0) allowed three unanswered goals, including the winning tally with 30.8 seconds left in regulation.
Penguins rookie Melvin Fernström lit the lamp 2:46 into the contest, wiring a wrist shot over the glove of 15-year veteran netminder David Rittich.
The Comets didn’t take long to respond, as Lenni Hämeenaho converted on a breakaway two minutes later.
Utica went to the power play midway through the first period, but its first crack at the man advantage saw Wilkes-Barre/Scranton regain the lead, 2-1. Avery Hayes stole the puck from the Comets in the Penguins’ zone, then rushed up ice, swooped into the slot and launched a bullet over Rittich’s glove for a shorthanded goal.
The shorthanded strike not only extended Hayes’ season-opening point streak to seven games but also marked his 100th AHL point.
Atley Calvert set up Bill Zonnon for a one-touch snapshot from between the hashmarks at 5:43 of the second period, extending Wilkes-Barre/Scranton’s lead to 3-1.
The Comets flipped the game on its head by scoring twice in eight seconds of game time to even the scales, 3-3. First, Ryan Schmelzer redirected a shot from the point, followed by Shane Lachance muscling a bar-down shot behind Joel Blomqvist just before the 14-minute mark of the middle frame.
The 3-3 deadlock held until the late stages of regulation, but Utica’s Dmitry Osipov found twine with 30.8 left to give the Comets their first lead of the night. The Penguins immediately called timeout after surrendering the go-ahead goal to Osipov, but didn’t have enough time for an equalizer.
Both Rittich and Blomqvist finished the game with 20 saves.
Wilkes-Barre/Scranton’s next game is its first of 12 matchups with the Hershey Bears this season on Sunday, Oct. 30. Game time between the Penguins and Bears is set for 5:00 p.m. at GIANT Center.
The Penguins’ next home game is also against the Comets on Tuesday, Nov. 10, and it is the Penguins’ first Winning Weekday of the season. If the Penguins secure a win, fans who are in attendance will receive a free ticket to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton’s next mid-week home game. Puck drop is slated for 6:35 p.m. at Mohegan Arena at Casey Plaza.
Season-ticket packages for the Penguins’ 2026-27 regular season, including Full-Season, 22-game, 12-game, Flexbook and Premium Seating plans, as well as Corporate Partnership opportunities are also available by reaching out to the Penguins directly at (570) 208-7367. Individual-game tickets can also be purchased at wbspenguins.com, at the Mohegan Arena at Casey Plaza box office or by calling the Penguins’ front office at (570) 208-7367.
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