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It came down to the wire, but the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins staved off a late come-back attempt by the Utica Comets to hold on for a 3-2 win on Friday.
The win kicks off a two-game road trip through New York, culminating on Saturday in Binghamton, before the AHL All-Star break. Casey DeSmith stopped 27 of 29 shots as Kevin Porter, Cameron Gaunce and Tom Sestito each recorded two points in the win. Tom Kostopoulos was held without a point and remains one shy of 500 points for his AHL career.
The Penguins (32-9-3-0) have won three straight and remain atop the Atlantic Division and the AHL overall.
On Friday, they got to work with a strong first period in the first meeting of the season against Utica. Josh Archibald scored his ninth goal of the year when he rocketed a shot past Utica goaltender Richard Bachman midway through the opening period. Porter and Gaunce earned the assists on the goal.
Six minutes later, Tim Erixon made it 2-0 when he blasted a backhand pass from Sestito.
Utica pushed back in the second period but failed to beat DeSmith, who robbed Comets forward Alexandre Grenier with a sprawling glove save midway through the period.
Danny Kristo and Gaunce each hit a post in the period as the Penguins entered the final frame up 2-0.
Utica struck within the first two minutes of the third period with a power-play goal from Grenier to cut the Penguins’ lead to 2-1.
Minutes later, however, Derrick Pouliot struck just after a Penguins power play expired to regain the two-goal lead. Pouliot’s shot from the point made it through traffic in front to beat Bachman, and was generated after Sestito dug the puck out from behind the net for a pass.
The tally, Pouliot’s second of the season, would prove crucial as Utica would strike with under three minutes left to pull to within one, 3-2.
With Bachman pulled for the extra attacker, the Comets gained possession in the Penguins end during the last minute. The Penguins iced the puck four times in 30 seconds before time finally expired, holding on for the 3-2 win.
NOTES
– After being recalled by Pittsburgh on Thursday, Carter Rowney was reassigned by the big club and played in Friday’s game. He had one shot and no points on the night.
– DeSmith has now allowed two goals or less in four of his last five starts and is 5-0 during the stretch.
