Zlobin And The Penguins Take Game One in Overtime

Anton Zlobin was the hero tonight. Photo credit: @ItsJacki.

After three waived off goals with the score tied 2-2, including a Binghamton goal in overtime, Anton Zlobin played the role of hero in overtime for the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins.

Andrew Ebbett lost a face-off at the WBS blue line, but Chuck Kobasew forced BSens defenseman Mark Boroweicki to send an errant pass to the WBS offensive blue line where Kobasew and Zlobin teamed up for the game winner.

Kobasew set a screen on BSens defenseman Patrick Mullen and let Zlobin weave his way into the slot and fire a shot past Andrew Hammond to give the Penguins a 3-2 win and a 1-0 lead in the best-of-five series.

The Penguins and Senators are back at it in Game Two tomorrow night in Binghamton.

Binghamton jumped out to a 1-0 lead 6:06 into the game on a power play blast from Cody Ceci from just inside the blue line.

Despite the 1-0 deficit for the Penguins heading into the intermission, it was pretty even in terms of even strength play. The BSens capitalized on their power chance and the Pens failed on two of their man advantages in the first frame.

The Penguins out worked the BSens in the 2nd period and were rewarded with 7:37 left in the middle frame. Tom Kostopoulos kept a puck in the offensive zone and fed a fresh from the bench Brian Dumoulin, entering the zone with speed. Dumoulin skated the puck to the top of the right face-off circle and let loose a shot that eluded Andrew Hammond. Harry Zolnierczyk crashed the net and found the loose puck, tapping it home and tying the game at 1-1.

The BSens came right back and re-gained the lead less than two minutes later as a Jean-Gabriel Pageau shot beat a screened Peter Mannino to put the BSens back in front at 2-1.

The sea-saw battle continued as the Penguins evened things up again with a late 2nd period shorthanded goal from Andrew Ebbett, and the Penguins had a great chance to take the lead at the end of the middle frame with 1:51 of two-man advantage time, but were unsuccessful on the power play.

The third period was a whacky one. With the game tied 2-2, Carter Rowney appeared to have put the Pens up 3-2 but the goal was immediately waived off by referee T.J. Luxmore. After a review, the referees determined there was incidental contact with the goaltender.

The BSens appeared to have also taken a 3-2 lead moments later as a puck hit the crossbar and got behind Mannino. The red goal light came on and the goal horn sounded but the referee behind the net was in perfect position and immediately waived off the goal. After another review, it was determined the puck didn't cross the line.

A third waived off goal, in overtime, was called off because the referees determined Shane Prince made a distinct kicking motion in the play that resulted in the puck going in past Mannino.

ROSTER NOTES

Peter Mannino got the start for the Penguins in Game One. Matt Murray was the backup goaltender for the Pens.

Scratches: Jeff Deslauriers, Eric Hartzell, Philip Samuelsson (lower body), Mike Carman, Spencer Machacek (veteran), Nick D'Agostino, Harrison Ruopp, Josh Archibald, Scott Wilson and Conor Sheary.

Lines

Zlobin - Ebbett - Kobasew
Zolnierczyk - Drazenovic - Kostopoulos
Uher - Rowney - Payerl
Leblond - Sill - Farnham

McNeill - Despres
Harrington - Mikkelson
Dumoulin - Goers