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With Wilkes-Barre/Scranton in town, the Charlotte Checkers branded Friday night’s game as “The Office” Night at their arena.
Fittingly, the Penguins felt right at home.
Wilkes-Barre/Scranton turned in one of its best performances of the season, running up a big early lead on the first-place Checkers en route to an impressive 5-1 win.
Charlotte came into the night as far and away the AHL’s top team at 27-8-3-0, with their 57 points a full 10 more than anyone else in the league.
It didn’t stop the Penguins (19-15-4-1, 43 points) from putting up three goals in the first period against netminder Scott Darling, chasing the NHL veteran from the game before the intermission.
There was a quick hint that it might be the Penguins’ night when their fourth line cashed in for a goal just three minutes in as Jarrett Burton swept home a rebound of an Ethan Prow shot. Ryan Scarfo picked up an assist, his first point with Wilkes-Barre/Scranton since coming over in a trade last month.
Linus Olund added a shorthanded goal midway through the period as Darling let a perimeter shot leak through with Jean-Sebastien Dea in the box for hooking.
Anthony Angello made it 3-0 when he jumped on a loose puck in the slot off another Darling rebound, prompting the change in net.
But the Penguins kept up the offense against new goalie Alex Nedeljkovic as Teddy Blueger scored his team-leading 17th goal of the season to make it a four-goal lead on the team’s first shot of the second period.
Andrew Poturalski got the Checkers on the board midway through the middle frame as the home team began to take control of the play. But Charlotte never got closer.
After failing to convert on their first five power plays of the night, the Penguins put the game away on their sixth-man advantage as Dea closed out the scoring.
On a day where Casey DeSmith received a three-year contract extension as Pittsburgh’s backup goalie, Tristan Jarry turned in a strong performance in net, stopping 28 of 29 shots for the win.
Prow finished with three assists while Angello and Blueger had two points apiece. Eleven different Penguins recorded at least one point.
Wilkes-Barre/Scranton won’t have time to dwell on the victory as the Checkers will have a chance for revenge on Saturday when the teams face off again in Charlotte. Puck drop is 6 p.m.