Penguins

AHL

COREY ERDMAN For The Times Leader

TORONTO – A day after Halloween, the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins still didn’t look like themselves.

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The Penguins were unable to extend their six-game point streak, falling 4-2 to the Toronto Marlies on Sunday afternoon.

Marlies center Christian Hanson scored the game-winning goal with less than six minutes remaining in the game.

“This was definitely a game we could have won,” said Penguins head coach Todd Reirden. “We out-chanced them in their own building.”

Wilkes-Barre/Scranton was offered plenty of freebies in the final stop of their three-game Canadian road trip, but left them all on the table in the first period.

Coming into the game, the Penguins ranked 10th overall in the AHL in power-play efficiency. However, the special teams corps squandered all four of its 5-on-4 opportunities.

The Penguins’ early power-play woes caught up with them quickly, as the Marlies opened the scoring late in the first period on a man-advantage of their own. After goaltender Brad Thiessen robbed Viktor Stalberg on a one-timer attempt orchestrated by former Pittsburgh Penguin Mike Zigomanis, Hanson collected the rebound and easily slid it over the goal line.

“There were couple of iffy calls,” said Penguins winger Tim Wallace of the officiating. “But you have to expect that, especially on the road,”

Wallace put the Baby Pens on the board at 6:40 of the second period, tipping a Ben Lovejoy wrist shot past Toronto netminder James Reimer.

But Stalberg and Zigomanis tormented the Penguins once again in the second period.

After a turnover in the neutral zone, Zigomanis sprung Stalberg free on an uncontested breakaway and beat Thiessen blocker side to put the Marlies ahead, 2-1.

The Penguins’ Ryan Bayda later netted his team-leading sixth goal of the season on a beautiful effort, snapping a shot over Reimer’s shoulder and under the crossbar on a partial break.

Despite the close score, the game was characterized by missed opportunities and bad bounces for the Penguins, who outshot the Marlies 36-28.

Mark Letestu had a chance to give the Penguins the lead midway through the third period, but a sprawling Reimer scrambled across the crease to deny a backhand attempt.

“(Reimer) played great,” said Wallace. “And defensively, you have to commend them for clearing us out from the front of the net.”

Across the rink, Thiessen made 24 saves in just his second start of the season.

Nonetheless, the Penguins collected points in all but one contest in their four-game road trip, despite being significantly short-staffed.

Hot prospect Eric Tangradi continues to rehab a shoulder injury, while veteran defenseman Wade Brookbank is nursing a knee injury as well.

“Overall, we played the right way and we continued to do the right things that we feel we need to do to win,” said Reirden.

Wallace and his teammates agree that the loss is nothing to mull over.

“Its been a pretty long road trip for us,” he said. “We’ve been all over Canada, so we’re definitely taking this as a positive.”