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It was only six games, but for Adam Johnson the span felt like an eternity.

With a two-goal performance on Friday against the Hershey Bears, Johnson broke out of his early-season slump and led the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins (5-2-0-0) to a 4-1 win. Johnson added an assist for a three-point night and Tristan Jarry stopped 27 shots.

“It’s a little bit of weight off your shoulders,” Johnson said of his first goals of the season. “It’s been a long six games not scoring.”

After losing to the Bears in the first matchup of the season — 3-2 on Oct. 17 — the Penguins turned in a nearly flawless effort on Friday.

And it all started with a strong first period.

With Hershey going on their second power play of the period, Anthony Angello shifted the momentum when he rushed down the ice and blazed a wrist shot past Vitek Vanecek for a shorthanded goal.

Carrying a 1-0 lead into the second period, the Penguins hoped to create some breathing room and Jarry helped keep Hershey at bay.

He was superb in net during the period, and Jarry’s biggest save came when he flashed the glove to stop Brian Pinho on a breakaway during a Hershey power play.

“If they scored that would’ve made it 1-1,” Penguins head coach Clark Donatelli said. “I thought he made some really big, timely saves and that was definitely one of them.”

Midway through the period, Johnson extended the Penguins’ lead to 2-0, thanks to a play created by Thomas Di Pauli.

With the play in the Penguins’ end, Di Pauli tipped the puck past Garrett Pilon at the point and raced down the ice and beating defenseman Jonas Sigenthaler with a power move to the net. Di Pauli’s shot was stopped, but the rebound slid out to Johnson who scored his first goal of the season.

“You can tell whenever (Di Pauli) gets a rush like that he’s going to make something happen,” Johnson said. “I was lucky enough to pick up the loose change. He did all the work.”

Late in the period, Johnson made it 3-0 with his second of the night — a wrister into the top corner to complete a two-on-one rush with Stefan Elliott.

Both teams exchanged goals in the third period, with Hershey’s Liam O’Brien ruining Jarry’s shutout bid with 8:46 remaining, followed by Jimmy Hayes deflecting a Matt Abt point shot to extend the Penguins’ lead to 4-1.

The win gives the Penguins a momentum boost heading into Saturday when they’ll travel to Hershey to complete the home-and-home series.

“It’s going to be a good game. They’re really good at home,” Donatelli said. “We’re going to have to come out and play the same way, and if we settle in we should be good.”

NOTES

– Will O’Neill was out of the lineup while serving a one-game suspension. Jeff Taylor took O’Neill’s spot ont he blueline.

Johnson
https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/web1_Adam-Johnson-mug.jpg.optimal.jpgJohnson
Adam Johnson scores twice in 4-1 win

By Tom Venesky

[email protected]

Penguins 4, Hershey 1

Hershey`0`0`1 — `1

Penguins`1`2`1 — `4

First Period

Scoring – 1. WBS, Anthony Angello 3 (Johnson, Summers) shorthanded 13:55. Penalties – WBS, McGrath (slashing) 6:13; WBS, Aston-Reese (slashing) 12:32.

Second Period

Scoring – 2. WBS, Adam Johnson 1 (Di Pauli) 9:27. 3. WBS, Adam Johnson 2 (Wilson, Summers) 16:25. Penalties – HER, Lewington (hooking) 4:22.

Third Period

Scoring – 4. HER, Liam O’Brien 5 (Whitney, Pilon) 11:14. 5. WBS, Jimmy Hayes 2 (Abt, Prow) 15:24. Penalties – WBS, Aston-Reese (elbowing) 1:32; HER, Hobbs (interference) 3:09; HER, Hobbs (fightiing, misconduct) 17:27; WBS, McGrath (fighting, misconduct) 17:27.

Shots on goal

Hershey – 6-12-10-28

Penguins – 10-12-6-28

Power-play Opportunities

Hershey – 0 of 4

Penguins – 0 of 2

Goaltenders

Hershey – Vitek Vanecek 2-3-1 (24 saves-28 shots)

Penguins – Tristan Jarry 2-1-0 (27-28)

Starters

Hershey – G Vitek Vanecek, D Connor Hobbs, D Aaron Ness, LW Axel Jonsson-Fjallby, C Jayson Megna, RW Beck Malenstyn

Penguins – G Tristan Jarry, D Jeff Taylor, D Zach Trotman, LW Anthony Angello, C Adam Johnson, RW Garrett Wilson

Three Stars

1. WBS, Adam Johnson (two goals) 2. WBS, Chris Summers (two assists) 3. WBS, Tristan Jarry (27 saves, one goal allowed)

Referee – Brandon Blandina, Jason Williams. Linesmen – Bob Goodman, Jud Ritter.

Attendance – 4,312