Click here to subscribe today or Login.
WILKES-BARRE — A six-minute segment in the third period turned out to be the difference for the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins in a game that featured plenty of power plays, a few fights and a goaltender throwing his stick at the puck.
Sam Lafferty had a goal and an assist and Ethan Prow scored on the power play en route to a three-point night as the Penguins defeated the Hartford Wolf Pack, 5-3. The two teams meet back at the Mohegan Sun Arena for a rematch on Saturday in what could be another wild affair.
With a 2-2 tie entering the third period, the Penguins blew the game open in the first six minutes. It began when Zach Aston-Reese fed a pass right on the stick of Lafferty, who was streaking through the neutral zone. Lafferty split through two defensemen and flipped a backhand into the net for a 3-2 lead.
“It was outstanding,” said head coach Clark Donatelli. “Not just the move — it was great — but just coming through the neutral zone with speed. He finally got rewarded for it.”
Things got better for the Penguins as Hartford was called for slashing two minutes later. The Penguins connected on the power play as Prow sneaked into the low slot and wristed home a loose puck to make it 4-2.
On the next shift, Ryan Haggerty laid a crushing hit along the boards and followed it up with a fight, adding to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton’s momentum and giving the Penguins another power play.
“It’s big. We wanted to come out flying and set the tone,” Prow said. “A couple of big plays — Lafferty makes a great play and then Haggerty gets in on the forecheck, throws his weight around and kind of gets in a fight. It gets everyone on the bench going.”
The Penguins generated several good chances with the man advantage, highlighted by a Lafferty drop pass to Adam Johnson whose shot came close. Halfway through the period, the Penguins had outshot Hartford 11-2 and were dominating in every aspect.
For as well as the first half of the period was for the Penguins, Hartford wasn’t out of it. With Anthony Angello and Chris Summers both in the box, the Wolf Pack promptly scored with a two-man advantage to cut the lead to 4-3 with just under six minutes left.
But Angello put the game away when he scored with three minutes left to make it 5-3.
Things ended on a bizarre note after Hartford pulled Dustin Tokarski. Tristan Jarry gained possession in his crease and fired a shot down the ice as Tokarski raced back and threw his stick at the puck, which was going wide.
The referee immediately called a penalty and it appeared Jarry would be awarded his first career goal.
“I thought I’d have a good chance at getting it down (the ice) so I went for it,” Jarry said. “I didn’t see him throw his stick. I wasn’t sure what happened.”
Instead of a goal for Jarry, Hartford was assessed a penalty. Donatelli said it was the right call because Tokarski was on the ice, and not the bench, when he threw his stick at the puck.
Despite the win and the number of big plays by the Penguins, Prow doesn’t expect Hartford to come out flat Saturday.
“It doesn’t really set a tone. Anytime you play a team back-to-back, it’s always tough to win on the second night,” he said.
