Wilkes-Barre/Scranton took its 30e win of the season (30-12-2-2) by scoring four goals in the third period for the second straight game. The match was deadlocked at 0-0 going into the final frame, thanks to steadfast penalty killing and a strong performance in the net from All-Star goalkeeper Sergei Murashov.
Murashov stopped the Bears at every turn in the first period, coming up with 17 stops during the opening stanza. His most stunning denial came on a backdoor pass to Brett Leason, who had a wide-open net taken away by the lightning-quick pads of the Penguins’ 21-year-old netminder.
Early in the second period, Hershey was awarded a lengthy five-on-three power play. The Bears even called their timeout prior to the 79-second two-man advantage, but Murashov and the Penguins held on.
By the end of the 40 minutes, the Penguins were five-on-five after the penalty.
The third period began when Aaron Huglen’s wrist shot cleared the paddle of Bears goalie Mitch Gibson and into the top corner of Hershey’s net 99 seconds later. However, Grant Cruikshank quickly evened the score by going coast to coast for the Bears’ first and only goal.
Avery Hayes put the Penguins ahead again with a man-advantage marker that beat Gibson through his five-hole at 7:55 of the third.
Tanner Howe, playing in his second AHL game, got his first pro goal at 14:40 of the third, redirecting a shot from the point on a designed face-off play. Less than a minute later, Aidan McDonough slipped through the Bears’ defense and over Gibson’s crease for a dazzling finish that gave Wilkes-Barre/Scranton a commanding 4-1 lead.
Murashov finished with 30 saves. Gibson took the loss with 25 stops.
Wilkes-Barre/Scranton’s next game is Friday, Feb. 6 against its other Keystone State rival, the Lehigh Valley Phantoms. Game time for the Penguins and Phantoms starts at 7:05 PM at the PPL Center.
The Penguins’ next home game isn’t until after the AHL All-Star Break, a date with the Syracuse Crunch on Saturday, February 14. The Valentine’s Day game is scheduled for 6:05 p.m. at Mohegan Arena at Casey Plaza.
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