WILKES-BARRE, Pa. – Filip Larsson put forth a starring, 41-save performance as the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins shut-out the Lehigh Valley Phantoms, 3-0, on Saturday night at PPL Center.
Wilkes-Barre/Scranton (3-1-0-0) won its third-straight game, thanks in large part to Larsson’s stellar showing. His 41 stops marked the first clean sheet of his AHL career as well as the second-most saves in a shutout in franchise history.
The Penguins took the lead three minutes into the game when Emil Bemström polished off a two-on-none rush with Sam Poulin.
The Phantoms proceeded to out-shoot the Penguins by a 31-7 margin over the next two periods, including a 19-3 advantage in the middle frame. Larsson remained calm in the wake of a heavy workload and did his part to keep his team up 1-0 through 40 minutes.
Another early goal in the third period pushed Wilkes-Barre/Scranton’s lead to 2-0. Joona Koppanen’s bullet from the slot hit the back of the net at 3:28 of the final frame.
Lehigh Valley head coach Ian Laperrière got aggressive pulling his goalie for an extra attacker with more than six minutes left in regulation. Initially, the extra attacker gave the Phantoms a five-on-four advantage for roughly two minutes, then a more traditional six-on-five format. Larsson held firm with a series of excellent saves until Boris Katchouk notched an empty netter.
Phantoms goalie Alexei Kolosov denied 14 of the 16 shots he faced in the loss.
Wilkes-Barre/Scranton’s next game is the start of another home-and-home weekend, kicking off Friday, Oct. 25 against the Syracuse Crunch. The Penguins and Crunch will drop the puck at Upstate Medical University Arena at 7:05 p.m.
The Penguins return home for another serving of Crunch on Saturday, Oct. 26. The second tilt between Wilkes-Barre/Scranton and Syracuse will start at 6:05 p.m. at Mohegan Arena at Casey Plaza.
Season-ticket packages for the Penguins’ 2024-25 season 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.
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