BRIDGEPORT, Conn. – The Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins rattled off six unanswered goals to stun the Bridgeport Islanders and secure a 6-3 comeback win on Saturday night at Total Mortgage Arena.
Wilkes-Barre/Scranton went down by three goals early in the game, but erupted in the third period to maintain its undefeated, 4-0-0-0 record to start the season. Six different players scored during the rally, and six different players recorded multiple points in the third period alone.
The Penguins were awarded an early power-play opportunity, only to have Islanders forward Alex Jeffries sprint away for a shorthanded goal at 3:37 of the opening frame.
Adam Beckman buried a backdoor pass while the two teams were skating at four-on-four at 7:18, and two-and-a-half minutes later, Hunter Drew ran Bridgeport’s lead to 3-0.
Wilkes-Barre/Scranton put a dent in its deficit when Ryan Graves blasted a slap shot to the short-side, top corner behind Parker Gahagen late in the second period.
The Penguins’ unstoppable third period started with Valtteri Puustinen and Sam Poulin combining for a silky set-up for Rafaël Harvey-Pinard to finish 98 seconds into the frame. Poulin then batted in a rebound to tie the game, 3-3, at 4:16 of the third.
Ville Koivunen put Wilkes-Barre/Scranton in the lead shortly thereafter, finding a loose puck in the slot and wiring it past a scrambling Gahagen for his first tally of the season.
Danton Heinen found twine to complete a three-point night (1G-2A) at the midway mark of the third period, and Atley Calvert gathered a shorthanded goal at 12:48 for the Penguins’ sixth-straight strike.
Sergei Murashov secured the win with 29 saves in his second-straight start. Gahagen made 23 saves for Bridgeport.
The come-from-behind win secured Wilkes-Barre/Scranton its fourth 4-0-0-0 start in franchise history. It is also just the second time that the Penguins opened a season with four consecutive regulation wins (2013-14).
Wilkes-Barre/Scranton’s next game is back at home on Wednesday, Oct. 22 against the Lehigh Valley Phantoms. Puck drop for the Penguins and Phantoms is slated for Mohegan Arena at Casey Plaza.
Season-ticket packages for the Penguins’ 2025-26 season, including Full-Season, 22-game, 12-game, Flexbook and Premium Seating plans, as well as Corporate Partnership opportunities 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 Arena at Casey Plaza Box Office or calling the Penguins’ front office at (570) 208-7367.
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