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| Harry Zolnierczyk's first period goal got the Penguins rolling at home again tonight. Photo credit: @ItsJacki |
Another dominating performance tonight by the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins, who shut out the Norfolk Admirals 4-0 en route to their fourth straight victory in an attempt to fortify their East Division lead.
Peter Mannino only needed to make 12 saves to earn his first shutout of the season for the Penguins, who outshot Norfolk 40-12. Mannino is now 3-0-1 in four games in March since returning from Wheeling. More on Mannino and the WBS goaltending situation early next week.
Offensively, Tom Kostopoulos and Bobby Farnham led the Penguins attack with two assists each. Harry Zolnierczyk, Brian Dumoulin, Chuck Kobasew and even Pierre-Luc Leblond got on the scoresheet as each tallied goals in the Penguins win.
The trend of the weekend for the Penguins? Goals scored late in a period after sustained cycling and systematic forechecking. All nine goals on the weekend - all five Friday night and the four tonight - were scored in the final 8:40 of a period or later. The stats suggest the Pens simply out-hustled and wore their opponents down this weekend.
Much like last night, the Penguins were off and running in front of the home crowd, outshooting Norfolk 12-6 in the opening frame and taking a 2-0 lead into the first intermission on Farnham's night.
Harry Zolnierczyk tallied his 18th of the season on a wrap around play with 8:40 left in the 1st period to put the Pens out in front early. His linemates, Drazenovic and Kostopoulos, tallied assists on the first goal of the game.
Moments later it was the 4th line getting on the scoresheet as Pierre-Luc Leblond put a rebound past the out-stretched arms of Gibson to put the Pens in front 2-0 with 3:52 left in the 1st. Adam Payerl and Farnham added assists on the play.
The Penguins kept their foot on the gas in the second period, extending their lead to 4-0 and continued to force Norfolk into taking penalties.
Brian Dumoulin scored his 2nd power play goal in as many nights halfway through the 2nd period, and moments later Farnham set up Kobasew for his 2nd goal in a WBS uniform to put Norfolk away.
Norfolk didn't go away quietly into the night as the Admirals continued to play a physical game until the final horn sounded. Adam Payerl was hit up high in open ice, with the major penalty for interference on Garnet Exelby resulting in an ejection late in the second period.
Late in the third, Zolnierczyk was seen leaving the ice and heading to the WBS dressing room with trainer Kyle Moore. Zolnierczyk didn't return and did not come out post-game when announced as the first star of the game.
Plenty of time for some banged up forwards to rest up as the Penguins next game isn't until Friday night up in Syracuse against the Crunch.
ROSTER NOTES
Peter Mannino got the start in net, his 4th in the team's last five games, stopping all 12 shots he faced for his first shutout of the season.
Brendan Mikkelson was the Pens' veteran scratch, so some shuffling took place. Barry Goers replaced Mikkekson on the blue line, while Spencer Machacek returned to the WBS lineup after sitting out as the veteran scratch last night.
To make room for Machacek, Mike Carman was scratched and Adam Payerl slid down to center the fourth line.
Lines
Machacek - Ebbett - Kobasew
Zolnierczyk - Drazenovic - Kostopoulos
Uher - Manderson - Zlobin
Farnham - Payerl - Leblond
Samuelsson - McNeill
Harrington - Goers
Dumoulin - D'Agostino
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