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WILKES-BARRE TWP. — During a two-man advantage in the third period, Wilkes-Barre/Scranton defenseman Ethan Prow blasted a shot from the point and allowed the Penguins’ playoff hopes to remain alive.
Prow’s goal tied the game, 2-2, and eventually forced overtime on Friday against Hartford. The Wolf Pack went on to win it during the shootout, but the Penguins still managed to gain a valuable point. On a night when the three teams ahead of the sixth-place Penguins – Hershey, Providence and Lehigh Valley – all came away with at least a point, forcing overtime was a win in itself.
“If we play like that and execute our game plan like that, we’ll have success,” said head coach Clark Donatelli. “We’re happy with that one.”
Both teams came out energized to start the game, and the Penguins struck first when Joseph Cramarossa skated into the low slot, froze goaltender Brandon Halverson with a shoulder fake and slid a backhander into the net.
The pace in the second period, but Hartford connected twice, including once on the power play, to take a 2-1 lead.
The Penguins out-shot the Wolf Pack 16-11 in the period and generated numerous chances, highlighted by a Sam Lafferty shot from the corner that slid along the goal line, just out of the reach of Adam Johnson’s stick.
“I thought we played a really good game, especially the second and third periods. The puck just didn’t go in the net,” Donatelli said.
Prow got the Penguins back in it midway through the third period when a pair of Hartford penalties gave Wilkes-Barre/Scranton a two-man advantage for 1:57.
With the puck in the offensive zone, Prow skated around the perimeter and blasted a shot from the top that made it past Halverson for a 2-2 tie.
Donatelli said the two-man advantage was a “must score” situation.
“You have to take advantage of that. That’s a momentum swing,” he said.
After limiting Hartford to just three shots in the third period, the Penguins couldn’t connect again and headed to overtime.
Tristan Jarry came up big early in the extra period, stopping Vinni Lettieri on a breakaway with a glove save.
But Hartford needed just one goal in the shootout to deny the Penguins the extra point. Despite the loss, Donatelli was happy with his team’s performance, and it’s one that will be needed when a red-hot Syracuse Crunch teams comes to the Mohegan Sun Arena on Saturday.
“If we can play the same way we did tonight, we should be fine,” he said.
