The Penguins hold off a late comeback from Norfolk, hanging on for a 3-2 win over the Admirals tonight. The win brings the Pens within one point of idle Portland for 5th place in the conference.
The game winner came with the Penguins already up 2-0. The Penguins pounced on a neutral zone turnover and came in 4-on-1. Brian Dumoulin found Chris Collins open in the slot for Collins' first goal of the season.
"It finally came and it felt pretty good," Collins said of his first goal in his 15th game with the Penguins this season. "I've been getting chances lately so I knew it was going to come."
In hindsight, it couldn't have come at a better time. The Admirals stormed back with two third period goals to draw the game within one. Warren Peters hustled down the wing with an empty net to shoot at and was hauled down with 28 seconds left, ending Norfolk's chances of a comeback.
"We knew going into the third period they were going to come with a hard push," head coach John Hynes said. "We got back on our heels a little bit but we found a way after they scored the second goal to regroup."
Trevor Smith gave the Penguins a 1-0 lead about four minutes into the game, taking a feed from Chad Kolarik and beating Frederick Andersen on the rebound of his breakaway shot. The play was reviewed since the puck went in off of Smith's skate but it was ruled a good goal. Cody Wild, playing in his first game since March 1st, added a secondary assist on the play.
"We wanted to do a quick transition on this team, and especially with that line on the ice," said Wild, who told me it felt good to get back in the lineup.
It was the 4th time in as many games that the Penguins scored the first goal of the game.
The Penguins added to their lead late in the second period while on a 3-on-2 rush. Kolarik fed a pass across to the near side where Riley Holzapfel let loose a cannon of a shot that hit the inside post and popped out, prompting another goal review. The good goal gave WBS a 2-0 lead.
All in all, two more points in the standings for the Penguins, who will stay overnight in Norfolk before a ten hour bus ride to Glens Falls tomorrow in preparations for Friday night's game against the Adirondack Phantoms.
ROSTER NOTES
Jeff Zatkoff got the start in net tonight. Cody Wild replaced the called-up Robert Bortuzzo on defense. The Pens went with the same 12 forwards as Saturday night in Binghamton.
Injured list: Tom Kuhnhackl (shoulder - out for season) and Phil Dupuis (out indefinitely since 1/15)
Healthy scratches: Clark Seymour, Reid McNeill, Chris Minella, Dominik Uher and Steve MacIntyre
Lines
Holzapfel - Smith - Kolarik
Bennett - Gibbons - Thompson
Collins - Peters - Payerl
Farnham - Sill - Megna
Reese - Dumoulin
Mormina - Samuelsson
Wild - Grant
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