ALLENTOWN, Pa. – The Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins were victimized by a series of quick strikes in the second period, leading to a 5-3 loss to the Lehigh Valley Phantoms on Friday night at PPL Center.
Wilkes-Barre/Scranton (7-3-0-0) allowed two pairs of goals 46 and 36 seconds apart during the middle frame, ultimately bringing its four-game win streak to an end.
Ville Koivunen started the scoring for the Penguins with a power-play goal. Koivunen snapped a shot through the five-hole of Phantoms goalie and fellow countryman Eetu Mäkiniemi six minutes into the first period.
Lehigh Valley had an opportunity to equalize with its own power play, but instead, Wilkes-Barre/Scranton scored while shorthanded. Sam Poulin broke loose for a shorthanded chance, but heavy back pressure from the Phantoms steered him off course and knocked him off balance. Poulin, while lying on his stomach behind the goal line, flicked the puck back towards the net and banked it off of Mäkiniemi and in at 13:49.
The Phantoms’ surge started a minute and a half into the second period with a man-advantage marker from Louie Belpedio. Forty-six seconds later, Alexis Gendron tied the game, 2-2.
However, Jonathan Gruden stripped the Phantoms of the puck for an unassisted goal at 3:09 of the middle stanza, putting the Penguins ahead, 3-2.
Oscar Eklind tucked in a power-play goal at 14:03 of the second, followed by another tally from Gendron 36 seconds after that.
Lehigh Valley put things to bed with an empty netter by Eklind in the third period.
Tristan Jarry posted 15 saves on 19 shots faced in the fifth and final game of his conditioning loan from the Pittsburgh Penguins. Mäkiniemi recorded 33 saves in the win.
Wilkes-Barre/Scranton’s next game is back at home tomorrow, Saturday, Nov. 9. Tomorrow’s game will be the Penguins’ Veteran’s Day Celebration, as well as the first and only visit made by the Rochester Americans this season. Puck drop between the Penguins and Amerks will take place at 6:05 p.m.
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