Penguins feeling good about selves after loss

HERSHEY – The Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins played a nearly perfect first period during Sunday’s game against the Hershey Bears.

The only problem was Hershey was almost flawless for the last two periods, going on to beat the Penguins 5-4 on a goal with one minute remaining in the game.

Despite the loss, the Penguins had plenty to be happy about with the game. They outshot the AHL’s top team 17-4 in first period, jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the first 30 minutes and answered Hershey’s go-ahead goal with a score of their own late in the third period.

“You have to take the positives with the negatives,” said forward Wade Brookbank, who had a goal and two fights on the night. “Even though we didn’t get the job done, we took a step in the right direction. If we keep buying in, we can stop them eventually.”

The Penguins will have plenty of chances to do just that as they face the Bears four more times this season. And if they can mimic their play of the first period again, a win over Hershey isn’t out of the question.

The Penguins dominated the first period by cycling the puck at will in the Hershey end.

“That was a complete commitment to playing in the offensive zone,” said head coach Todd Reirden. “With time of possession – we carried the play in the first period.”

That’s what Eric Tangradi did to set up the Penguins first goal of the night. After out-muscling two Heshey defenders behind the net, Tangradi slid the puck out to Joe Vitale, who neatly reached around the post with a backhand to give the Penguins a 1-0 lead at 13:01 of the first period.

Nick Johnson made it 2-0 when he stickhandled around Hershey’s Bryan Helmer and roofed a backhand shot over Semyon Varlamov at 18:08.

Brookbank opened things up in the early stages of the second period when he deflected a Vitale shot to give the Penguins a 3-0 lead.

“They’re an elite team. When you get them back in the corner like we had them early, they’re going to give you their best,” Brookbank said. “They got going and we couldn’t quite contain them.”

Mathieu Perreault got the Bears on the scoresheet at the midway mark of the second period, and he followed it up with a power play tally three minutes later. Andrew Joudrey scored for the Bears 26 seconds later and all of a sudden the Penguins three-goal lead evaporated into a 3-3 tie.

The Penguins put themselves in a hole during the third period when they were whistled for three penalties. Perreault recorded a hat trick with his goal during the second power play of the period, but the Penguins answered back 26 seconds later when Chris Conner beat Varlamov in front.

“They have a dangerous power play and we gave them three chances (in the third period). That’s the discouraging part,” Reirden said.

Although the Bears didn’t score during the third power play of the period, they found the back of the net eight seconds after the man advantage expired when Helmer blasted a slapshot from the point. The goal gave Hershey a 5-4 lead with 1:04 to play, but the Penguins ran out of time for a second comeback.

Still, considering the Bears outscored the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton 15 to eight in their two previous meetings, Sunday’s result left the Penguins feeling like the took a step in the right direction.

“We gave ourselves a chance to win and next game I hope we take another step in the right direction,” he said. “All four lines and all six D have to get going. Once we do that we have a good team, but we still have a long ways to go.”

NOTES

• With a goal and an assist on Sunday, Nick Johnson has five points (two goals, three assists) in the three games he has played since being sent down by Pittsburgh on Feb. 1.

• Tim Wallace was sent down from Pittsburgh on Saturday and was in the lineup on Sunday.

Scoring – 1. WBS, Joe Vitale 5 (Tangradi) 13:01. 2. WBS, Nick Johnson 9 (Smith, Conner) 18:08. Penalties – HER, Kane (slashing) 5:03; HER, Giroux (slashing) 14:27; WBS, Brookbank (fighting) 16:41; HER, Amadio (fighting) 16:41.

Second Period Scoring – 3. WBS, Wade Brookbank 3 (Sill, Lovejoy) 3:31. 4. HER, Mathieu Perreault 8 (Bourque, Bouchard) 10:09. 5. HER, Mathieu Perreault 9 (Wilson, Bouchard) power play 13:00. 6. HER, Andrew Joudrey 9 (Bourque, Osala) 13:26. Penalties – WBS< Caffaro (cross-checkiing) 1:07; HER, Aucoin (slashing) 1:07; HER, P. McNeill (tripping) 6:24; WBS, Strait (tripping) 11:14; WBS, Brookbank (fighting) 13:01; HER, G. McNeill (fighting) 13:01; WBS, Lovejoy (roughing) 15:46; HER, Perreault (tripping) 19:48.

Scoring – 7. HER, Mathieu Perreault 10 (Helmer, Wilson) power play 10:46. 8. WBS, Chris Conner 9 (Johnson) 11:12. 9. Bryan Helmer 5 (Perreault, Wilson) 18:56. Penalties – WBS, Strait (hooking) 4:43; WBS, Smith (high-sticking) 9:47; WBS, Strait (hooking) 16:48.

Goaltenders:Penguins – Brad Thiessen 2-8-0 (28 saves – 33 shots). Hershey – Semyon Varlamov 2-0-0 (26-30)

Starters:Penguins – G Brad Thiessen, D Ben Lovejoy, D Brian Strait, LW Luca Caputi, C Wyatt Smith, RW Tim WallaceHershey – G Simeon Varlamov, D John Carlson, D Patrick Wellar, LW Alexandre Giroux, C Ketih Aucoin, RW Andrew Gordon

Three Stars:1. HER, Mathieu Perreault (three goals, assist) 2. HER, Bryan Helmer (game-winning goal, assist) 3. WBS, Chris Conner (goal, assist)