2024 Calder Cup Playoffs: Game 1, Lehigh Valley - 2 at W-B/Scranton - 1 (4/24/24)

WILKES-BARRE, Pa. - The Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins opened up the 2024 Calder Cup Playoffs Wednesday night looking to make the most of home-ice advantage in a sure-to-be hotly contested best-of-three series with rival Lehigh Valley.

Instead, the Phantoms had other plans - jumping out to a 2-0 lead early in the second period before clinging to a one-goal lead throughout the third to take Game 1 and put the Penguins on the brink of elimination heading into Friday night's Game 2.

Veteran forwards Adam Brooks and Rhett Gardner provided all the goals Lehigh Valley would need, while veteran Cal Petersen stopped all but one of the 22 shots he faced in the Phantoms' victory.

Ville Koivunen, making his Penguins' debut, tallied the lone goal for Wilkes-Barre/Scranton late in the second period to draw the Pens within a goal heading to the third after Sam Poulin picked up a turnover at the left-wing wall and quickly sent it to the net front for Koivunen to re-direct and record his first goal as a Penguin.

Joel Blomqvist stopped 30 of 32 in the loss for Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, who enters must-win territory on the road for Friday night's Game 2.

Post-Game EXTRA!

Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins head coach JD Forrest

On the bad 2nd period performance, what led to it, etc.

"We just weren't really playing our game. It looked like we were playing a little bit tight, not really executing some simple plays. Not really sure why we had that in our game tonight, but we did. And it made it tough to get out of our zone. It made it tough to make some plays and we gave them a bunch of looks."

On the start, what led to momentum shift.

"I thought we started off well. It wasn't like...it wasn't even a lack of effort in general, it was more like what are we putting our effort into? Like, we're working hard but what are we doing here? A little bit too much. We're trying to do other people's jobs on the ice. So I thought the start was fine. I think we got a few shots right away. We played in their zone for a little bit. And that first, you know, 15 minutes, and then it kind of.. the table's turned there for a little while, we were out of sorts, and we got it back together just too late."

Penguins forward Sam Poulin

On what went wrong in the 2nd period, dropping Game 1 in best-of-three and facing elimination.

"It's playoff hockey. So anything can happen and it goes quick. Best-of-three can go either way, so it's a matter of who wants more, and I think they wanted it a little bit more in the first part of the game. So we have to regroup, and get ready for the next one."

On his assist to set up Ville Koivunen's goal late in 2nd period

"We were on the forecheck and I saw that both of their (defensemen) were behind the goal line. So I just try to, you know, fire it across. And luckily, it's the right play to do. You know, it's playoff hockey - there's going to be some random goals, some bounces and some tips. So I don't think it's a bad play to put the puck on net. So that's just what I tried to do there."

GAME STORY

The opening minutes were a bit of a feeling out process for both teams.

Lehigh Valley had the game's first dangerous chance, though it ended up not counting as an official shot on goal as Olle Lycksell made a defender miss entering the Phantoms' offensive zone on the opening shift of the hockey game before ringing his shot off the back glass behind Blomqvist.

From there, the Penguins had the Phantoms hemmed in - generating several grade-A scoring chances. Unfortunately for Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, they were unable to convert on those chances in the opening 20 minutes.

It wasn't until there was over six and a half minutes played in the first frame that Lehigh Valley was credited with their first shot on goal, but after weathering the storm in the opening minutes the Phantoms got to their game and later took the 1-0 lead with 5:23 left before the first intermission.

After a D-to-D pass from Louie Belpedio to Adam Ginning resulted in getting the puck up the left wing to Brooks, the Phantoms' veteran forward did the rest - skating with speed entering the offensive zone before letting a bad angle shot go that somehow squeezed through Blomqvist.

The referee in-position at the net made no indication after Brooks' shot to the net, but the goal judge turned the light on. The officials gathered at the scorers table to converse before conducting a quick review to confirm the goal, giving the Phantoms the 1-0 lead.

There's no sugarcoating the second period for the Penguins. It was one of their worst periods of hockey they played all season.

A bit of puck-watching in the defensive zone in the opening minute proved costly after Gardner buried a rebound goal to put Lehigh Valley ahead 2-0 just 58 seconds into the middle frame.

From there, it got worse for the Penguins. They were outplayed in just about every facet of the game.

Out-shot by an 11-2 margin by the Phantoms halfway through the middle period, not to mention the 2-0 deficit, things were looking grim for the home crowd at Mohegan Sun Arena when Austin Rueschhoff was whistled for a roughing penalty with 9:06 left before the second intermission.

That's when the Penguins penalty killers made a stand, not only killing off the ensuing Phantoms power play but also generating some chances while shorthanded - perhaps giving them the momentum they needed to get onto the scoreboard before the second intermission.

Shortly after missing the net on a high, hard shot from the high-slot on the last rush into the offensive zone, Sam Poulin got a puck behind the Phantoms' net to set up a forecheck - gliding toward the left-wing wall while Belpedio sent a blind backhanded clearing attempt around the boards and right to Poulin.

Poulin wasted no time quickly firing a hard pass to the top of the crease where Koivunen was able to re-direct one past Petersen to draw the Penguins within a goal down 2-1 with 1:44 left before the end of the period.

The Penguins put pressure on the Phantoms throughout the third period, but ultimately were unable to find a game-tying goal in the waning moments  of regulation time with Blomqvist pulled for the extra attacker for the final two minutes of the contest.

Lehigh Valley Phantoms Lineup Notes

Cal Petersen got the start in net for the Phantoms in Game 1. Alexei Kolosov served as Lehigh Valley's backup goaltender.

The Phantoms went with an 11-forward/seven defensemen lineup to open the postseason.

Phantoms Scratches: Parker Gahagen, Felix Sandstrom, Adam Karashik, Will Zmolek, Ethan Samson, Mason Millman, Zayde Wisdom, Massimo Rizzo, Jon-Randall Avon, Tyler Gratton, Matt Miller, Samu Tuomaala, Jacques Bouquot, Matt Brown and Ryan Johansen

Lines/Pairings:

Olle Lycksell - Tanner Laczynski - Adam Brooks Cooper Marody - Rhett Gardner - Bobby Brink Garrett Wilson - Jacob Gaucher - Brendan Furry Evan Polei - Elliot Desnoyers - xxxxxxxxx

Emil Andrae - Louie Belpedio Adam Ginning - Ronnie Attard Hunter McDonald - Helge Grans Victor Mete

Cal Petersen (Backup: Alexei Kolosov)

Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins Lineup Notes

Joel Blomqvist got the start in net for the Penguins Wednesday night for Game 1, with Ludovic Waeber serving as the team's backup.

Jonathan Gruden returned from his injury in time for Game 1.

Forwards Tristan Broz (pro debut) and Ville Koivunen made their Penguins' debuts.

Penguins Scratches: Taylor Gauthier (week-to-week, lower body), Marc Johnstone (longer term, upper body), Vasily Ponomarev (longer term, lower body), Joona Koppanen (longer term, lower body), Logan Pietila, Ty Smith (longer term, lower body), Peter Abbandonato (longer term, lower body), Max Cajkovic, Owen Pickering, Mathieu De St Phalle, Sam Houde (out for season, upper and lower body), Beau Jelsma, Scooter Brickey, Cooper Foster, Emil Pieniniemi, Owen Headrick and Raivis Ansons

Lines/Pairings:

Vinnie Hinostroza - Radim Zohorna - Corey Andonovski Ville Koivunen - Sam Poulin - Valtteri Puustinen Jagger Joshua - Tristan Broz - Austin Rueschhoff Matt Filipe - Jonathan Gruden - Avery Hayes

Ryan Shea - Jack St. Ivany Xavier Ouellet - Dmitri Samorukov Jack Rathbone - Taylor Fedun

Joel Blomqvist (Backup: Ludovic Waeber)

GAME SUMMARY

1st Period

12:57: WBS - (PP) Ouellet, minor (slashing) 13:37: LV - (PP) Mete, minor (holding) 14:37: LV - Brooks (1) - Ginning, Belpedio

2nd Period

0:58: LV - Gardner (1) - Belpedio, Marody 1:35: LV - (PP) McDonald, minor (interference) 18:16: WBS - Koivunen (1) - Poulin

3rd Period

19:29: WBS - (PP) Hinostroza, minor (holding)

BOXSCORE

Lehigh Valley   1 - 1 - 0 = 2 W-B/Scranton  0 - 1 - 0 = 1

Shots

Lehigh Valley   6 - 16 - 10 = 32 W-B/Scranton  6 - 7 - 9 = 22

Goalies

LV: Cal Petersen (21 saves - 22 shots) WBS: Joel Blomqvist (30 saves - 32 shots)

Power Play

LV: 0-for-2 WBS: 0-for-2

Penalty Kill

LV: 2-for-2 WBS: 2-for-2