Hartzell Stands On His Head - Penguins Prevail In Shootout

Hartzell is taking over the team's #1 goaltender spot on the depth chart with his recent play.

The Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins jumped on Eric Hartzell's back in the third period and rode the rookie goaltender all the way to the 8th round of the shootout. He stopped all 14 third period shots, the four shots in overtime and all eight Admirals shooters in the shootout en route to a 2-1 win.

After seven rounds with no goals, Kuhnhackl skated down the ice and beat ex-WBS goaltender Brad Thiessen to the blocker side, while Hartzell had one more save left in him tonight on Devante Smith-Pelly.The win, coupled with a Binghamton loss, brings the Pens within one point of the East Division leader.

Scary moment in the final minute of regulation, as Zach Sill up-ended Nolan Yonkman and Yonkman accidentally caught Sill's forearm with his skate. The incident happened in the corner where the door to the WBS locker room and Sill ran off the ice into the room as back up goaltender Jeff Deslauriers stood up in the opening and started screaming for WBS trainer Kyle Moore. Those in attendance in Norfolk also reported that an EMT rushed to the WBS locker room to help Moore tend to Sill. Let's hope Sill is okay.


A much better first period from the Pens tonight, winning puck battles and getting to loose pucks first more times than not. They took a 1-0 lead on a weird dribbling puck that eluded Brad Thiessen.

Brendan Mikkelson teed up a shot from the point but it was blocked down by a sliding Admirals defender. The puck trickled to the top of the crease and was seemingly touched by Paul Thompson and then Mike Carman, who got credit for the game's opening goal 12:27 into the contest. Scott Harrington tallied a secondary assist on the play.

The Penguins continued to carry the play in the beginning of the 2nd period, out shooting Norfolk 5-1 to start the middle frame. The Penguins dominated much of the period until the final few minutes.

Mike Carman took a high sticking minor with exactly 60 seconds left in the 2nd and the Admirals tied the game on a power play goal from Smith-Pelly with 8.2 seconds remaining before the intermission.

The Admirals were the better team in the third period, not allowing a Penguins shot on goal in the final frame until about halfway through the period. They peppered Eric Hartzell with 14 shots, but the Pens netminder made some spectacular saves, combined with some well-timed clear outs by the defense.

Sill's penalty with 35 seconds left was served by Kuhnhackl and the Penguins killed off 1:25 of 4-on-3 power play time to start the overtime, before clinging on to get it to the shootout. The Pens were out shot 4-0 in OT.

ROSTER NOTES

Eric Hartzell got the start in net tonight for the Penguins against ex-WBS goaltender Brad Thiessen.

Two lineup changes from last night as forwards Denver Manderson and Carter Rowney replaced Anton Zlobin and Zack Torquato, who joined defensemen Nick D'Agostino and Harrison Ruopp as the teams healthy scratches.

Lines

Kuhnhackl - Drazenovic - Kostopoulos
Zolnierczyk - Sill - Uher
Carman - Manderson - Thompson
Farnham - Rowney - Leblond

Samuelsson - Despres
Harrington - Mikkelson
Dumoulin - McNeill