Penguins Lose Special Teams Battle to Falcons, Fall 5-2
Published on February 27, 2016 under American Hockey League (AHL)
Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins News Release
SPRINGFIELD, Mass. - The Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins were sunk by three-straight power play goals by Craig Cunningham, as the Springfield Falcons skated away with a 5-2 win at MassMutual Center on Saturday night.
Cunningham strung together a natural hat trick composed of nothing but power play markers, as Springfield went three-for-six on the man advantage in the contest.
With a power play goal at 15:26 of the first period, Kael Mouillierat gave Wilkes-Barre/Scranton a 1-0 lead.
Springfield's Cunningham responded with a power play goal of his own to tie the game at 16:54 of the first.
Forty seconds later, Cunningham potted another man advantage marker, putting the Falcons on top, 2-1.
Cunningham completed that hat trick with yet another power play goal when only 23 seconds remained in the second period. Cunningham's natural hat trick gave Springfield a 3-1 lead heading into the third and final frame of regulation.
Just 20 ticks into the third period, Jean-Sébastien Dea cut the score to 3-2 by banging in a rebound and thus ending a 12-game scoring drought.
An unfavorable bounce for the Penguins saw a shot from Phil Lane wildly change direction off the leg of Dave Warsofsky and behind Tristan Jarry for Springfield to reestablish its two-goal lead 4:50 into the third period.
Lane sealed the win for Springfield with an empty net goal, making it 5-2 in favor of the Falcons when only 36 seconds remained in the game
In a battle of rookie goalies, the Penguins' Tristan Jarry made 27 saves on 31 shots in the loss, while Marek Langhamer stopped 33 of the pucks thrown his way.
Wilkes-Barre/Scranton's next game is tomorrow, Feb. 28, when it travels to face the Providence Bruins who are also coming off of a Saturday night loss. The Sunday matinée between the Pens and Bruins is scheduled for a 3:05 p.m. start time.
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