Pack Downed 8-1 in Wilkes-Barre
Mar 10, 2017(Photo courtesy of Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins)
Taylor Beck scored his first Wolf Pack goal Friday night at the Mohegan Sun Arena at Casey Plaza in Wilkes-Barre, PA, but that was the only bright spot for the Wolf Pack in an 8-1 loss to the Eastern Conference-leading Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins.
Defenseman Derrick Pouliot led the way for the winning side with a goal and three assists, and Jean-Sebastien Dea, Kevin Porter and Barry Goers had a goal and two assists apiece.
The Penguins took control of the game in the first period, building a 3-0 lead through the first 20 minutes.
Pouliot opened the scoring for Wilkes-Barre/Scranton at the 6:27 mark, scoring his sixth of the year in a 4-on-4 situation. Dea won a faceoff from Dan Catenacci in the circle to the left of Wolf Pack goaltender Mackenzie Skapski (27 saves), and Goers worked the puck to Pouliot at the middle of the blue line. Pouliot’s slap shot beat Skapski on the stick side.
Pouliot was also largely responsible for the Penguins’ second goal, which came 1:48 later, at 8:15. He carried out of the defensive zone and sped into the Wolf Pack end on the right side, beating a check and passing the puck to the middle. The feed found Jarrett Burton, who put the puck past Skapski’s right skate.
Wilkes-Barre/Scranton made it a 3-0 advantage with 17.2 seconds remaining in the first, on a goal by Porter. David Warsofsky kept the puck in the Wolf Pack zone at the left point and slung it towards the net. Skapski made the save but could not control the puck, and Porter, unguarded to Skapski’s left, backhanded the rebound into the goal.
The Penguins got a fourth goal at 5:50 of the second period, on a deflection by Dea. Goers snapped the puck at the net from the right point and Dea, in the midst of a crowd of players, tipped it past Skapski.
Hartford got on the board at the 9:02, with Beck scoring his first goal in three games with the Wolf Pack. Michael Joly threaded a pass across the slot to Beck from the left-wing boards, and Beck rifled a forehand shot high into the net behind Wilkes-Barre/Scranton netminder Casey DeSmith (19 saves).
The Penguins got that one back, though, at 14:22, on a goal by Sahir Gill. Ryan Graves blocked a shot by Dea from high in the slot, but the puck caromed to Gill, who put a shot home from the left side of the slot.
Wilkes-Barre/Scranton would tack on three more in the third period, starting at 6:53, when Dominik Simon was credited with his tenth goal of the season. Simon attempted to center the puck from the left-wing side, and hit the stick of Wolf Pack defenseman Garrett Noonan and deflected over the goal line.
Tom Kostopoulos made the score 7-1 on a Penguin power play at 10:17, with Tommy Hughes off for holding. Porter banged the puck at the net from the left point and Skapski made the save, but Kostopoulos buried the rebound from right on top of the Wolf Pack goaltender.
Wilkes-Barre/Scranton’s final goal was scored by Goers at 17:49, as he stickhandled his way down the right side and knifed a shot past Skapski from close range.
The Wolf Pack continue a stretch of six straight road games Saturday night, when they travel to Springfield to take on the Thunderbirds. Faceoff is 7:05 PM, and all of the action can be heard live on News Radio 1410 WPOP, and on-line at www.newsradio1410.com and iHeartRadio. Video streaming is available at www.ahllive.com.
The next Wolf Pack home game is Friday, March 24 vs. the Providence Bruins. That is a 7:15 PM game, and, as at all Friday-night Wolf Pack home games, fans can enjoy $1 hot dogs and $2 beers through the start of the second period.
Tickets for all remaining Wolf Pack 2016-17 home games are on sale now at the Agera Energy Ticket Office at the XL Center, on-line at www.hartfordwolfpack.com and by phone at (877) 522-8499.
Season ticket information for the Wolf Pack’s 2016-17 AHL season can be found on-line at www.hartfordwolfpack.com. To speak with a representative about all of the Wolf Pack’s many attractive ticketing options, call (855) 762-6451.
Hartford Wolf Pack 1 at Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins 8
Friday, March 10, 2017 - Mohegan Sun Arena at Casey Plaza
Hartford 0 1 0 - 1
W-B/Scranton 3 2 3 - 8
1st Period-1, W-B/Scranton, Pouliot 6 (Goers, Dea), 6:27. 2, W-B/Scranton, Burton 3 (Pouliot, DeSmith), 8:45. 3, W-B/Scranton, Porter 10 (Warsofsky), 19:42. Penalties-Noonan Hfd (roughing), 5:44; Haggerty Wbs (roughing), 5:44; Paliotta Hfd (holding), 10:45; Burton Wbs (interference), 13:19.
2nd Period-4, W-B/Scranton, Dea 17 (Goers, Pouliot), 5:50. 5, Hartford, Beck 14 (Joly, Summers), 9:02. 6, W-B/Scranton, Gill 5 (Krause, Dea), 14:22. Penalties-No Penalties
3rd Period-7, W-B/Scranton, Simon 10 (Porter, Prow), 6:53. 8, W-B/Scranton, Kostopoulos 21 (Porter, Warsofsky), 10:17 (PP). 9, W-B/Scranton, Goers 2 (Pouliot), 17:49. Penalties-Di Pauli Wbs (double minor - high-sticking), 1:39; Hughes Hfd (slashing), 9:32; Haggerty Wbs (slashing), 10:44; Porter Wbs (cross-checking), 13:43; Carey Hfd (tripping), 14:30.
Shots on Goal-Hartford 9-5-6-20. W-B/Scranton 15-9-11-35.
Power Play Opportunities-Hartford 0 / 5; W-B/Scranton 1 / 3.
Goalies-Hartford, Skapski 1-7-0 (35 shots-27 saves). W-B/Scranton, DeSmith 16-4-2 (20 shots-19 saves).
A-5,177
Referees-Cameron Voss (41), Michael Mullen (7).
Linesmen-Kory Nagy (97), Jud Ritter (34).