Three-Goal Third Period Puts Pens Over Phantoms, 4-3
February 22, 2023 - American Hockey League (AHL)
Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins News Release
WILKES-BARRE, Pa. - The Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins came from behind to defeat the Lehigh Valley Phantoms, 4-3, on Wednesday night at Mohegan Sun Arena at Casey Plaza.
Wilkes-Barre/Scranton (22-21-2-5) was propelled to victory by three-straight goals in the third period separated by two minutes and 41 seconds of game time. The Penguins also dominated on special teams, going three-for-five on the power play and seven-for-eight on the penalty kill.
The Phantoms struck first, getting a goal from former Penguin Garrett Wilson at the 11-minute mark of the opening frame. Lehigh Valley extended that lead to 2-0 when Max Willman found the back of the net at 4:16 of the second period.
Wilkes-Barre/Scranton's rally started with a power-play goal by Drake Caggiula at 13:17 of the second. After Phantoms goalie Nolan Maier kicked away a one-timer by Valtteri Puustinen, Caggiula stepped up and thrust the rebound across the goal line.
Lehigh Valley maintained its one-goal lead until there was 5:21 left in regulation. That's when Wilkes-Barre/Scranton rattled off its three-straight, third-period tallies. First, Nathan Légaré shoveled in a backhander to tie the game at two goals apiece. Two minutes later, Alex Nylander picked the top corner during a four-on-three power play, granting the Penguins their first lead of the night. Sam Houde swiftly tacked on another man-advantage marker, making it 4-2.
The Phantoms made things interesting by pulling their goalie for an extra attacker during a late-game power play, leading to a rebound goal by Elliot Desnoyers. However, Dustin Tokarski held down the fort the rest of the way, and finished the night with 34 saves for the victory.
Phantoms starting goalie Troy Grosenick left the game during the first intermission due to a suspected injury and was replaced by Maier. Grosenick turned away all eight shots faced in the first period, while Maier denied 19 of 23 bids in relief.
Wilkes-Barre/Scranton's next game is on Saturday, Feb. 24 when the team visits the Syracuse Crunch. Game time for the Penguins and Crunch is 7:00 p.m. at Upstate Medical University Arena. The Penguins' next home game is Military Appreciation Night presented by MetLife on Saturday, Feb. 25. The Penguins will host the Belleville Senators for the first and only time this season, and opening puck drop the Penguins and Phantoms is 7:05 p.m. at Mohegan Sun Arena at Casey Plaza.
Individual game tickets and season-ticket packages for the 2022-23 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.
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