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It was the kind of road trip that had the potential to sink the season. Instead, Wilkes-Barre/Scranton is coming home with momentum for the rest of 2020.
Thomas Di Pauli broke a tie with just 1:27 left in regulation and added an empty-netter to give the Penguins a 4-2 win in Charlotte on Saturday, finishing off their season-long trip with four straight wins and nine points out of a maximum of 12 in the stretch.
Wilkes-Barre/Scranton’s second win as many nights at the home of the reigning Calder Cup champs moved them into a tie with the Checkers at 51 point for fourth place in the Atlantic Division. The top four teams at the end of the season reach the playoffs.
It was a critical stretch for the Penguins (22-16-3-4), who opened their six-game swing with a pair of losses at Texas. But in the second game, they erased deficits of 2-0 and 3-2 to force overtime and claim a point before losing in a shootout.
From there, the Penguins earned two wins at San Antonio before getting two significant victories in Charlotte, where head coach and general manager Mike Vellucci won a championship just last year.
While it certainly helped that Pittsburgh was able to return a handful of talented players for this weekend during the NHL’s All-Star break — leading scorer Andrew Agozzino, Sam Lafferty, Joseph Blandisi and defenseman Kevin Czuczman — Wilkes-Barre/Scranton has been getting contributions from more players.
On Saturday, it was Di Pauli, who used his speed to break in alone on Calder Cup champion goalie Alex Nedeljkovic and beat him five-hole for the game-winner. He added the insurance marker with 15 seconds left.
Rookie Jordy Bellerive also continued his hot streak, scoring two more goals in a three-minute span in the second period to give the Penguins their first lead of the game after surrendering a goal in the opening minute of the evening. Charlotte tied the game back up before the second intermission.
Bellerive entered the road trip with just three goals on the season before exploding for five during this four-game win streak. He also scored the shootout winner in San Antonio that started it.
Blandisi had a pair of assists in the win. Rookie goalie Emil Larmi stopped 24 of 26 shots and was helped by strong discipline in front of him, as the Penguins didn’t take a penalty all night.
Up next is the AHL All-Star break, as winger Sam Miletic will head to California to represent the Penguins and the Atlantic Division in the 3-on-3 tournament. The rest of the squad will rest up before returning to the ice Friday at Mohegan Sun Arena against Lehigh Valley.