AHL Preseason 2023: Lehigh Valley - 2 at W-B/Scranton - 5 (10/7/23)

WILKES-BARRE, Pa. - In their final tune-up in preparation of the 2023-24 regular season, the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins finished off their four-game pre-season slate on home ice Saturday night against in-state rival Lehigh Valley Phantoms.

After a bit of a slow start, the Penguins returned to form and took it to the Phantoms with the trio of Lukas Svejkovsky (goal, assist), Evan Vierling (primary assist) and Jagger Joshua (goal, assist) leading the way offensively in a 5-2 Penguins victory.

Jack St. Ivany (goal), Jordan Frasca (two goals) and Dmitri Samokurov (two assists) also contributed offensively, while goaltender Taylor Gauthier stopped 25 of the 27 shots he faced to pick up the win.

Alex Kile and Adam Karashik scored goals for Lehigh Valley in the loss, while Nolan Maier stopped 19 of 23 in the loss.

It was a bit of a sluggish start for the Penguins despite the home team fielding a few more regulars than the opposition.

In fact, Lehigh Valley opened the scoring 2:51 into the contest after the Pens defense was unable to locate a rebound in the slot.

Gauthier made the initial stop on a shot from former Penguin Jordy Bellerive, but it was Kile getting control of the rebound in the slot before firing a backhander past the Penguins' netminder.

The Pens got to their game as the first frame progressed, getting a pair of goals on back-to-back shifts to turn the tides on a 1-0 deficit - turning it into a 2-1 lead.

First, a series of nice passes from Svejkovsky to Vierling to Joshua ended up with Joshua tapping in what amounted to an empty net goal at the far-side post after Vierling won a race to get to Svejkovsky's area pass in the left-wing faceoff circle.

Just 47 seconds later, Ty Glover cycled a puck from low to high up to St. Ivany at the right point and the Penguins defender wasted no time - firing a hard shot that appeared to change direction on its way into the net.

Regardless, the Penguins seized momentum and took advantage with a pair of quick tallies.

Both teams settled in after the Penguins' goals gave them the lead, and it wasn't until the waning moments of the first frame that the game's next goal was scored.

Credit Dillon Hamaliuk with some strong work down low in the corners to force a turnover on a forecheck before sending it to the net-front where Frasca stuffed one in past Nolan Maier to give the Pens a 3-1 lead with 14.6 left before the first intermission.

Lehigh Valley made it a one-goal game early in the middle frame, catching the Penguins defense up-ice a bit in scoring in transition. Evan Polei was able to center the puck to a trailing Adam Karashik, who joined the rush from his defense position and was able to tuck a backhander five-hole past Gauthier at 5:13.

The Penguins were awarded the game's first power play 8:00 into the middle frame and while they weren't able to convert during the two-minute man advantage, Svejkovky was able stuff home a rebound amid net-front scramble to restore the Pens' two-goal lead at 4-2 just past the midway mark of regulation.

Wilkes-Barre/Scranton found themselves in penalty trouble late in the middle frame, taking a pair of penalties and giving Lehigh Valley 47 seconds of five-on-three power play time. Luckily for the Penguins, they were able to kill off both penalties to maintain their 4-2 lead heading into the third period.

Things slowed down in the third frame as the 4-2 score held until Lehigh Valley pulled their goaltender with over four minutes left in regulation.

Frasca picked up an empty netter for his second tally of the game to complete the 5-2 final score.

Lehigh Valley Phantoms Lineup Notes

Nolan Maier got the start in net for Lehigh Valley Saturday night.

Phantoms scratches: Jake Kucharski, Cal Petersen, Helge Grans, Ethan Samson, Louie Belpedio, Tanner Laczynski, Ronnie Attard, Garrett Wilson, Cooper Marody, Rhett Gardner, Samu Tuomaala, Olle Lycksell, Adam Ginning, Trevor Thurston, Matt Brown, Elliot Desnoyers and Victor Mete

Lines/Pairings:

Evan Polei - Brendan Furry - Devon Paliani Ryan Chyzowski - Shane Sellar - Zayde Wisdom Alexis Gendron- Adam Brooks - Kyle Olson Jordy Bellerive- Jacob Gaucher - Alex Kile

Mason Millman - Adam Karashik Will Zmolek - Ethan Samson Darren Brady - Koletrane Wilson

Nolan Maier - Parker Gahagen

Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins Lineup Notes

Taylor Gauthier got the start in net for the Penguins Saturday night, with Joel Blomqvist backing him up.

Saturday afternoon, prior to the game, the AHL Penguins announced four cuts from their AHL training camp roster as forwards Cédric Desruisseaux and Tanner Laderoute, as well as defensemen Davis Bunz and Quinn Wichers, were released from their tryouts and will attend Wheeling Nailers (ECHL) training camp.

Meanwhile, Pittsburgh signed forward Colin White to a one-year, two-way contract Saturday evening - adding more forward depth to the organization and likely allowing the AHL Penguins to get another forward back from Pittsburgh before they kick off their regular season next weekend in Charlotte.

Penguins Scratches: David Tendeck, Alex Nylander, Corey Andonovski, Joona Koppanen, Ty Smith, Austin Rueschhoff, Matt Filipe, Jonathan Gruden, Sam Houde, Isaac Belliveau and Justin Addamo

Lines/Pairings:

Rem Pitlick - Sam Poulin - Valtteri Puustinen Andreas Johnsson - Marc Johnstone - Avery Hayes Jagger Joshua - Evan Vierling - Lukas Svejkovsky Dillon Hamaliuk - Jordan Frasca- Ty Glover

Xavier Ouellet - Jack St. Ivany Dmitri Samorukov - Taylor Fedun Justin Lee - Thimo Nickl

Taylor Gauthier - Joel Blomqvist

GAME SUMMARY

1st Period

2:51: LV - Kile (1) - Bellerive 8:18: WBS - Joshua (1) - Vierling, Svejkovsky 9:05: WBS - St. Ivany (1) - Glover 19:45: WBS - Frasca (1) - Hamaliuk, Samorukov

2nd Period

5:13: LV - Karashik (1) - Polei, Paliani 8:00: LV - (PP) Bellerive, minor (boarding) 10:11: WBS - Svejkovsky (2) - Hayes, Joshua 11:57: WBS - (PP) Nickl, minor (boarding) 13:10: WBS - (PP) Ouellet, minor (holding) 19:17: LV - (PP) Bellerive, minor (hooking)

3rd Period

3:41: WBS - (PP) Pitlick, minor (hooking) 15:56: WBS - ENG - Frasca (2) - Samorukov 18:02: LV - (PP) Gaucher, minor (tripping)

BOXSCORE

Lehigh Valley 1 - 1 - 0 = 2 W-B/Scranton  3 - 1 - 1 = 5

Shots

Lehigh Valley 11 - 10 - 6 = 27 W-B/Scranton  7 - 11 - 6 = 24

Goalies

LV: Nolan Maier (19 saves - 23 shots) WBS: Taylor Gauthier (25 saves - 27 shots)

Power Play

LV: 0-for-3 WBS: 0-for-3

Penalty Kill

LV: 3-for-3 WBS: 3-for-3