AHL Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins

Eric Meloche scores game-winner in OT as Pens win, 3-2

April 18, 2004 - American Hockey League (AHL)
Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins News Release


WILKES-BARRE, Pa. - Eric Meloche scored two goals, including the game-winner 3:08 into overtime to lift the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins to a 3-2 win over the Bridgeport Sound Tigers before a crowd of 5,824 on Sunday at Wachovia Arena at Casey Plaza.

All three games in the series have gone to overtime, with the home team winning each game. And with the win, the Penguins now trail the best-of-seven series, two games to one.

Game Four of the series will be played on Tuesday at Wachovia Arena (7:05 p.m. start) before the series returns to Bridgeport for Game Five on Thursday (7:05 p.m. start) at the Arena at Harbor Yard.

The Penguins fell behind early for the second time in the series, as Rob Collins scored 56 seconds into the game to give the Sound Tigers an early 1-0 lead. Later in the period, the Penguins lost defenseman Brooks Orpik, who received a game misconduct for boarding at 5:59. Bridgeport failed to capitalize as the Penguins successfully killed off the five-minute power play.

Early in the second period, Bridgeport increased their lead to 2-0 when Sean Bergenheim scored a short-handed goal with a slap shot from the top of the circle at 3:26. But late in the period, the Penguins closed within a goal as Meloche scored his second goal of the playoffs at 16:30 of the second period.

For the second straight game, the Penguins rallied late to force overtime as Matt Murley scored his second goal of the postseason with 5:58 left in regulation to tie the game at 2-2.

The Penguins scored on one of ten power play chances, while the Sound Tigers were scoreless on three chances.

The Penguins outshot the Sound Tigers, 37-17, for the game. The Penguins have now outshot Bridgeport in all three games and hold a 119-67 edge in shots for the series.

Penguins' goaltender Sebastien Caron stopped 15 of 17 shots to earn his first postseason win, while Dieter Kochan made 34 saves in a losing effort.

Check out the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins Statistics



American Hockey League Stories from April 18, 2004


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