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It had been over a year since the Penguins had faced Hartford. They didn’t lose their touch in the series.
Kasper Bjorkqvist scored in overtime and rookie Filip Lindberg posted another strong showing in net as Wilkes-Barre/Scranton continued its mastery of Hartford with a 2-1 win Friday night at Mohegan Sun Arena.
The Penguins had won all three meetings with the Wolfpack in the 2019-20 campaign before it was shut down during the COVID-19 pandemic. The teams didn’t face each other during the truncated 2020-21 season.
Hard work helped lead to both Penguins goals in Friday’s games.
With the score tied 1-1 halfway through the 3-on-3 overtime period, Jordy Bellerive won a puck battle along the boards in the Hartford end. The Penguins (2-1-0-0) dug out the puck to defenseman Cam Lee, who had plenty of room to operate in the high slot.
Lee dragged the puck around the first defender who came out to challenge him and sent a backhander on net, where NHL veteran Keith Kinkaid turned it aside. And right onto the waiting stick of Bjorkqvist.
The third-year pro calmly deposited it behind a diving Kinkaid for the winner. That prompted a one-knee, fist-pumping celebration by Bjorkqvist, who is looking to establish himself in North America after his rookie year was derailed by an injury and he spent much of the 2020-21 season on loan to a team in his native Finland.
It was the second rebound goal of the night for the Penguins, who opened the scoring in the first period with Filip Hallander’s first career AHL tally.
A neutral zone turnover led to an odd-man break the other way for Wilkes-Barre/Scranton as Bellerive broke in on the right side with rookie Nathan Legare.
Legare launched a shot from the circle that caromed off Kinkaid’s pads and back into the slot, where a charging Hallander was there to slam it home.
Hallander, 21, had originally been drafted by parent club Pittsburgh in 2018 before being traded to Toronto, then reacquired by Pittsburgh in another trade this offseason.
Lindberg finished with 30 saves on 31 shots, giving him wins in his first two pro appearances. The 22-year-old, who helped lead UMass to a national title last season, signed with Pittsburgh as a free agent in the offseason.
The lone goal against him on Friday came in the final minute of the first when Anthony Greco scored for Hartford.
Bellerive had two assists in the win while Legare and Lee had one apiece.
The Penguins are back on the ice Sunday for their first road game of the season as they head to Allentown to face Lehigh Valley at 3:05 p.m. The Penguins beat the Phantoms 2-1 in last week’s season-opener.