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WILKES-BARRE TWP. – Technically, Chase Priskie scored the game-winning goal for the Charlotte Checkers on the power play with 4:27 left in regulation Saturday night.
As far as Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins coach Mike Vellucci was concerned, however, his team’s 1-0 loss was the result it earned with a listless effort through the game’s first two periods.
The defeat, after a 4-2 win in Springfield Friday night, ended a six-game American Hockey League winning streak for the Penguins.
“Sometimes that happens when you win so many games,” Vellucci said. “You win so many games in a row that you take things for granted.
“We got what we deserved.”
On Charlotte’s sixth power-play chance of the night, Priskie scored with a hard wrist shot from the right circle.
“It was a decent shot, but it hit (Dustin Tokarski)’s glove and went off his mask,” Vellucci said. “It was kind of, I don’t want to say a fluke, because it was a goal, but that’s not why we lost the game. We were terrible in the first two periods.
“We had one scoring chance in two periods. It was flat as can be.”
The Penguins were much better for the early part of the third period, but Alex Nedeljkovic made 14 of his 22 saves over the final 20 minutes to post the shutout.
Charlotte outshot the Penguins, 22-8, in the first two periods.
“I just told them it was embarrassing and ‘we need some leadership to step up here’,” Vellucci said. “There was no life on the bench, nobody talking. It was very flat and disappointing with your own home crowd.
“We had nine chances in the third period. We played obviously better, but it was just a little too late.”
The Penguins (11-6-1-1) also had six power-play chances, but could not convert.
“Hopefully, we learned our lesson,” Vellucci said. “You get what you put into it and we didn’t put enough into it.
“You can’t play just one period, no matter who you play.”
In this case, the Penguins were playing the Charlotte team that Vellucci led to the Calder Cup title last season.
“A ton of interactions,” Vellucci said. “ … Talked with everybody, talked with the players. It was a lot of fun to be around them.”
Priskie was named number-one star of the game, followed by Nedeljkovic and Tokarski, who made 26 saves in the loss.
The Penguins are home again Wednesday night against the Lehigh Valley Phantoms.
Charlotte 1, Penguins 0
Charlotte`0`0`1`—`1
Penguins`0`0`0`—`0
First Period — No scoring. Penalties — Sheppard, Charlotte (slashing), 13:42; Abt, Penguins (tripping), 17:22.
Second Period — No scoring. Penalties — Agozzino, Penguins (roughing), 1:23; Joseph, Penguins (hooking), 10:09; Miletic, Penguins (slashing), 12:08; McCormick, Charlotte (cross checking), 14:16; Priskie, Charlotte (slashing), 18:24.
Third Period — 1, Charlotte, Priskie 3 (Gust, Forsling), 15:37 (PP). Penalties — Gibbons, Charlotte, (tripping), 4:03; McCormick, Charlotte (holding), 7:41; Lorentz, Charlotte (hooking), 10:12; Blandisi, Penguins, (interference), 11:49; Abt, Penguins (hooking), 13:54.
Shots on Goal — Charlotte 8-14-5 — 27. Penguins 4-4-14 — 22.
Power-play opportunities — Charlotte 1 of 6; Penguins 0 of 6.
Goalies — Charlotte, Nedeljkovic 3-5-1 (22 shots-22 saves). Penguins, Tokarski 2-1-1 (27 shots-26 saves).
A — 4,537.
Referees — Jordan Deckard, Brett Roeland. Linesmen — Tyler Loftus, J.P. Waleski.