It's only three games into the 2013-14 season, but the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins have certainly been a third period team thus far. In these first three games, the Pens have out scored their opponent 10-1 in the final frame. Tonight, they tallied five third period goals, coming back from a 2-1 deficit to win 6-3.
Team captain Tom Kostopoulos scored his first two goals of the season, both re-directed pucks in front of the net on the power play. Nick Drazenovic, Jayson Megna, Harry Zolnierczyk and Dominik Uher also added goals for the Penguins tonight, who are a perfect 3-0-0-0 on the season.
The Pens jumped out to a 1-0 lead late in the first period while on the power play. Scott Harrington fed a pass cross ice to Nick Drazenovic at the face-off circle. Drazenovic let it fly and team captain Kostopoulos was in front of the net and was able to tip the puck in past Riku Helenius.
The Crunch scored a power play deflection goal of their own in the second period to things up at 1-1. Vlad Namestnkiov tipped a Matt Taormina point shot past Jeff Deslauriers halfway through the 2nd period.
Andrew Ebbett, playing the point on the power play, went for a backdoor play on the man advantage 14:30 into the middle period and just missed the pass from Chris Conner, springing the Crunch to a 2-on-1 shorthanded rush the other way. Deslauriers stopped the initial shooter but Cedric Paquette slammed home the rebound to give the Crunch a 2-1 lead with 5:21 left in the 2nd period.
The Penguins power play was buzzing late in the second period but couldn't find the back of the net. They got their chances on Helenius but couldn't find the equalizer heading into the third period trailing by one goal.
The Pens got an early power play in the third period, courtesy a J.T. Brown boarding minor. Kostopoulos was at it again in front of the net, tipping in his second goal of the game to tie the game at 2-2.
Scary play early in the third period as Cedric Paquette ran Nick D'Agostino from behind in the WBS defensive zone. Paquette was given a major penalty for boarding as well as a fighting major as Zach Sill challenged Paquette following the hit.
The Pens capitalized on the man advantage and took a 3-2 lead when Drazenovic dangled a puck out from the corner into the slot and fired a shot past Helenius. Chris Conner and Brendan Mikkelson got the assists.
They weren't done there, as Andrew Ebbett found a streaking Megna on a shorthanded breakaway 8:48 into the third period. Megna made no mistake, coming in on Helenius and sliding the puck five-hole for his first goal of the season and a 4-2 lead for the Pens.
The Crunch didn't quit, getting back within one shortly after on a laser of a point shot from Matt Taormina. Taormina's shot through traffic eluded a screened Deslauriers and made it a one goal game with 9:34 to play.
That's as close as the Crunch would get though, as a timely pinch in the offensive zone by Simon Despres led to a Conner shot and Zolnierczyk rebound goal to put the Pens back in front by two. It was Zolnierczyk's 3rd goal of the season. Dominik Uher added an empty net goal to complete the 6-3 final.
I caught up with the Penguins captain from last season, defenseman Joey Mormina, who is now on the Syracuse Crunch after the game today and talked about him playing against his former team, the friends and memories made in Wilkes-Barre and his first impressions of his new team in Syracuse.
Check for that story on Mormina tomorrow afternoon since the Penguins probably won't practice after back to back games.
Roster Notes
Scratched tonight: Peter Merth, Reid McNeill, Mike Carman, Anton Zlobin, Dustin Stevenson, Harrison Ruopp, Bobby Farnham, Eric Hartzell
Starting goaltender: Jeff Deslaurers
Lines:
Zolnierczyk-Ebbett-Kuhnhackl
Megna-Gibbons-Conner
Uher-Drazenovic-Kostopoulos
Leblond-Sill-Payerl
Despres-Samuelsson
Mikkelson-Harrington
Dumoulin-D'Agostino
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