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AHL Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins

Gruden's Shorty Lifts Penguins Over Checkers, 3-2

February 1, 2025 - American Hockey League (AHL)
Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins News Release


CHARLOTTE, N.C. - Turnabout was fair play as the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins, who lost 3-2 to the Charlotte Checkers the night before, defeated Charlotte by that same score in the rematch on Saturday night at Bojangles' Coliseum.

Offenses were hot to start the game but cooled after the clubs combined for four goals in the first seven and a half minutes of play. Jonathan Gruden scored a shorthanded game-winning goal in the third period, sending Wilkes-Barre/Scranton (23-11-4-0) into the All-Star Break with a win.

The scoring started early when Vasily Ponomarev swatted a puck out of midair and behind Checkers goalie Ken Appleby just 16 seconds into the game.

Charlotte answered with its league-leading 12th shorthanded goal of the season. Patrick Giles got loose on the rush and rifled in an equalizer at 3:44 of the first period.

Corey Andonovski showcased slick hands to put the Penguins back ahead, but the Checkers' Will Lockwood responded fewer than two minutes later to tie the game at two goals apiece.

Sergei Murashov delivered a clutch save at the tail end of the second period, preventing Charlotte from taking the lead. Both teams started the third period with the same pace that they had in the first, but Murashov and Appleby kept the game deadlocked at two.

The Penguins were sent to the penalty kill for a puck-over-glass delay of game penalty midway through the final frame, but 34 seconds into the kill, Gruden delivered the game winner. Picking up a rebound at Wilkes-Barre/Scranton's net-front, Gruden propelled the puck into the air back towards the Checkers zone. The 24-year-old kept his feet moving, roared past a defender and then knocked the puck off of Appleby's stick and into the Checkers' net for the sixth shorthanded goal of his career.

Murashov staved off Charlotte's late surge with an extra attacker, improving to 5-0-0 to start his AHL career.

Murashov made 29 saves, while Appleby posted 13 saves in defeat.

Wilkes-Barre/Scranton will take several days off during the AHL All-Star Break before returning to home ice for its next game on Friday, Feb. 7 against the Bridgeport Islanders. The Penguins first game back from the break marks another WBRE 28/WYOU 22 Fan Friday with select draft beers on sale for $2 from 6:00-7:30 p.m. courtesy of Coors Light. Fans are encouraged to stick around after the final buzzer for postgame autographs with two Penguins players presented by Northeast Music Center.

Puck drop between the Penguins and Islanders is set for 7:05 p.m. at Mohegan Arena at Casey Plaza.

Season-ticket packages for the Penguins' 2024-25 season are on sale now. Full-Season, 22-game, 12-game, Flexbook and Premium Seating plans are available by reaching out to the Penguins directly at (570) 208-7367.

Every minute of Penguins hockey can be watched online with the league's streaming service, AHLTV on FloHockey. AHLTV on FloHockey provides its subscribers access to not just every regular-season and Calder Cup Playoff game for all 32 AHL teams, but also more than 21,000 hockey contests from other professional and junior leagues on FloHockey, as well as access to all other live event streams and replays across FloSports.

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