WILKES-BARRE, Pa. – The Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins were down but never out in what became a 4-3 shootout triumph over the Hershey Bears on Thursday morning at Mohegan Arena at Casey Plaza.
Wilkes-Barre/Scranton improved to 2-0-0-0 in the preseason by rallying from an early deficit and eventually getting the shootout-winning goal from Logan Pietila. The game was the Penguins’ annual “Learn With Hockey” School & STEM Game, featuring a 10:30 a.m. start time and nearly 3000 students from across the region attending the game.
Hershey’s Ryan Leibold was the first to raise his hand for roll call, scoring 75 seconds into the game. The Penguins fell into a two-goal hole five minutes later, when Grant Cruickshank slammed in a rebound atop the crease.
Jordan Martel found the perfect angle to put Wilkes-Barre/Scranton on the board, launching a wrist shot off the crossbar and in with 1:18 left in the first period.
The Penguins tied things up when Jared Westcott found Matt Quercia in the slot three minutes into the middle frame.
Instead of taking their first lead of the game on a second-period power play, the Penguins surrendered a shorthanded goal to Leibold at 6:52. Undeterred, rookie defenseman Mats Lindgren galvanized (verb: shock or excite into taking action) the young crowd by evening the scales, 3-3.
After an intense but scoreless third period, the game went to overtime and ultimately a shootout. Pietila, who picked up his fourth point of the preseason with an assist on Martel’s first-period tally, scored the only goal in the three-round shootout, granting Wilkes-Barre/Scranton the win.
Sergei Murashov turned aside 17 of 20 shots during regulation and overtime, then stymied the Bears on all three of their shootout attempts. Garin Bjorklund started the game in net for Hershey and denied 12 of 14 shots faced. Seth Eisele took over for the Bears midway through the second period, stopped 19 of 20 shots during the game and then two of three shootout attempts.
Wilkes-Barre/Scranton is back at it for its third preseason game tomorrow, Friday, Oct. 4, visiting Hershey for a rematch at Giant Center. Game time is slated for 7:00 p.m. The Penguins then close out their exhibition slate at home on Sunday, Oct. 6 against the Lehigh Valley Phantoms. Puck drop for the Penguins’ preseason finale will be 3:05 p.m. at Mohegan Arena at Casey Plaza.
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