WILKES-BARRE, Pa. – The Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins demonstrated a flair for the dramatic as they defeated the Hershey Bears, 2-1, on Friday night at Mohegan Sun Arena at Casey Plaza.
Marc Johnstone was the hero for Wilkes-Barre/Scranton (5-4-0-0), guiding a perfectly placed shot into Hershey’s net with only half a second left in the game.
Set up after a Bears turnover, Johnstone snapped a wrist shot from the blue line over the shoulder of Bears goalie Hunter Shepard, sending the crowd at Mohegan Sun Arena at Casey Plaza into a frenzy.
The Penguins fell behind early thanks to a Mike Vecchione power-play goal. Vecchione deposited a shot from the slot at 6:27 of the opening frame.
The second period was another tight-knit, defensive battle, with few shots and scoring opportunities. The Bears’ stingy defense continued to hold the Penguins scoreless until Alex Nylander fired a one-timer past Shepard with 37 seconds left before the second intermission.
Gradually throughout the third, the Penguins blitzed the Bears, but Shepard stood tall for Hershey, who eyed its eighth win in 10 games.
That eighth win was denied thanks to Johnstone’s electrifying buzzer-beater.
Joel Blomqvist recorded 19 saves for Wilkes-Barre/Scranton to earn his fourth win of the season, which leads all rookie goaltenders. His counterpart, Shepard, stopped 22 for Hershey.
Wilkes-Barre/Scranton plays on its home ice again tomorrow, Saturday, Nov. 4, when they host the Belleville Senators for the first and only time this season. Puck drop between the Pens and Sens is scheduled 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.
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