AHL Hershey Bears

Penguins Win Wild Offensive Battle in Shootout

Published on December 28, 2011 under American Hockey League (AHL)
Hershey Bears News Release


HERSHEY, Pa. - Four power play goals were not enough for the HERSHEY BEARS as Geoff Walker scored in the ninth round of the shootout, helping the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins claim a come-from-behind 6-5 victory on Wednesday night at GIANT Center.

After a scoreless first period, the Penguins got on the board first after Alex Grant's slap shot deflected off of Eric Tangradi and past Dany Sabourin at 1:21 of the second period.

The BEARS would then take a 2-1 lead, first on a power-play goal from Graham Mink whose shot from the top of the goal crease slid around Penguins goaltender Scott Munroe at 10:44. Cody Eakin then beat Munroe with a snap shot at 13:52, but the Penguins knotted the score 2-2 just 1:05 later when Walker scored off of a faceoff win by Bryan Lerg.

The visitors took a 3-2 lead on a shorthanded goal from Zach Sill, whose low shot slid along the ice and through the pads of Sabourin. But with time winding down on the same power play and the second period, Tomas Kundratek launched a slap shot that got through traffic and behind Munroe at 19:07, tying the score 3-3.

The BEARS cruised to a 5-3 advantage at the 7:59 mark of the third on power-play goals from Chris Bourque and Ryan Potulny. But the Penguins drew to within one when Tangradi banked a shot off of Sabourin and into the net from the left corner, and then tied the game on Nick Petersen's bank-shot from behind the goal line with 1:53 left in regulation.

The Penguins outshout the BEARS 7-0 in overtime, but Sabourin held his teammates in the game.

Lerg scored for the Penguins in the third round of the shootout, and Eakin answered in round four. After Munroe and Sabourin each denied their opponents through the next four rounds, Walker finally beat Sabourin by lifting a backhand shot into the upper part of the net, sending the Penguins to victory.

Sabourin suffered his first loss in December and saw his overall record slip to 8-4-2, making 30 saves on 35 shots. Munroe improves to 6-3-2, stopping 23 of 28 shots.

The BEARS finished the night 4-for-5 on the power play and 4-for-5 on the penalty kill. The shootout loss dips the BEARS record to 18-8-3-3 on the season and keeps them with a three-point lead at the top of the East Division.

The BEARS will host the Norfolk Admirals on New Year's Eve this Saturday, for a special 6:00 PM faceoff. Individual tickets for this and all regular-season home games are on sale now by calling (717) 508-BEAR, or by visiting ticketmaster.com.

HERSHEY BEARS season ticket plans are also on sale now by calling (717) 508-BEAR, with many different flexible plans still available. Season ticket plans start as low as $160.

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American Hockey League Stories from December 28, 2011


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