Pens Hold On For 2-1 Win

Photo credit: @ItsJacki

The Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins grind out a 2-1 win over the Syracuse Crunch tonight. Jeff Deslauriers had his shutout bid snapped with 1:43 left in the game, but he stood tall in the final 103 seconds stopping 25 of the 26 shots he faced for his 12th victory of the season.



The real turning point of the hockey game was the penalty kill by the Penguins at the end of the 2nd period that they finished killing off into the 3rd period in a 1-0 game. The Pens got a power play of their own and made it 2-0 less than two minutes into the final frame to extend the lead.

The power play goal from Brendan Mikkelson proved to be the game winner. If the Crunch score at the end of the 2nd period and head into the third knotted at one, the game would've played out much differently in the 3rd period.

The Pens got things going on the power play in the opening period, as Zack Torquato buried a shot from the point past Cedric Desjardins to give the Pens a 1-0 lead. The goal was Torquato's first as a Penguin in his WBS debut. Barry Goers and Nick D'Agostino got the assists at 9:15 of the first period.

From there, the Penguins continued to play sound defensive hockey. They held the Crunch to four shots in the first period and nine in the second.

The Pens spent much of the third period in their own zone and were out shot 13-2 in the final period.

Amidst all the call ups and injuries, the Penguins organization as a whole has continued to push the issue. Both the AHL and NHL Penguins are in first place in their respective divisions. The WBS Penguins haven't been as hot at Pittsburgh, who has won ten straight at home, but they found a way to get the two points tonight.