GAME STORY: Bridgeport - 2 at W-B/Scranton - 9 (4/2/22)

WILKES-BARRE, Pa. - The Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins showed up in a big way Saturday night in a game against the Bridgeport Islanders, as the Penguins and Islanders entered the contest separated by just .0005 points percentage points with the Pens just on the outside of the Atlantic Division playoff bubble.

The Islanders opened up a 2-0 lead in the opening 11:52 of play, but the Penguins responded to the tune of nine (!) unanswered goals - including a five-goal second period - to more than complete the comeback in a convincing 9-2 win to move themselves back into the final playoff spot in the division.

Seven different Penguins players scored goals, while all but three skaters recorded at least a point in a full team-effort kind of win in front of a sold-out Mohegan Sun Arena on Marvel Night.

Sam Poulin and Drew O'Connor tallied two goals apiece, while Juuso Riikola (three assists) led all skaters with a game-high three points. After allowing two goals on the first seven shots he faced, Louis Domingue stopped the final 24 shots that came his way to finish the night with 29 saves to earn the win.

Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins Lineup Notes

Louis Domingue got the start in net for the Penguins Saturday night against Bridgeport. Tommy Nappier served as the team's backup.

Defenseman Taylor Fedun remains out of the lineup for the Penguins. Head coach J.D. Forrest said after Wednesday's game that Fedun is still a few weeks away.

Penguins Scratches: Filip Lindberg, Taylor Fedun, Corey Andonovski, Nathan Legare, Clayton Phillips, Colin Swoyer, and Ty Glover

Lines/Pairings:

Drew O'Connor - Michael Chaput - Valtteri Puustinen Filip Hallander - Sam Poulin - Alex Nylander Felix Robert - Jonathan Gruden - Kyle Olson Jamie Devane - Jordy Bellerive - Kasper Bjorkvist

Juuso Riikola - Mitch Reinke P.O. Joseph - Will Reilly Cam Lee - Matt Bartkowski

Louis Domingue - Tommy Nappier

Bridgeport Islanders Lineup Notes

Jakub Skarek got the start in net Saturday against the Penguins. Ken Appleby served as the Islanders' backup.

Islanders Scratches: Mike Cornell, Collin Adams, Paul Thompson and Trevor Cosgrove

Lines/Pairings:

Michael Dal Colle - Otto Koivula - Austin Czarnik Simon Holmstrom - Andy Andreoff - Chris Terry Arnaud Durandeau - Jeff Kubiak - Cole Bardreau Erik Brown - Kyle MacLean - Blade Jenkins

Seth Helgeson - Mitch Vande Sompel Robin Salo - Paul LaDue Samuel Bolduc - Parker Wotherspoon

Jakub Skarek - Ken Appleby

GAME STORY

1st Period

The opening shifts looked like two teams trying to feel each other out, but Bridgeport took an early 1-0 lead 4:43 into the contest after a nice give-and-go play between Austin Czarnik and Michael Dal Colle resulted in Czarnik receiving the puck back open just inside the left-wing circle. Czarnik made no mistake - taking the opportunity to fire a quick snap shot past Louis Domingue to give the Islanders an early lead.

The Penguins drew themselves the game's first power play less than four minutes later, setting things up and getting a few good looks toward Jakub Skarek but the Islanders goalie was equal to the task in preventing the Pens from tying the game right back up.

Instead, it was the Islanders adding to their lead moments after the Pens' failed power play - with Chris Terry re-directing a Dal Colle shot from the slot past Domingue with 8:08 left in the opening period. Parker Wotherspoon added a secondary assist on the play.

Wilkes-Barre/Scranton responded less than two minutes later to cut the 2-0 deficit in half after a ferocious forecheck created several Grade-A scoring chances.

Alex Nylander was a man on a mission on that shift, whizzing one just wide on a chance after the Islanders' initial turnover on their attempted breakout. Luckily for Nylander, he got another opportunity seconds later and made it count - slamming home the rebound of Cam Lee's shot with 6:12 left before the first intermission. Filip Hallander created the turnover and got it to Lee to make the play possible, and he was credited with a secondary assist for his efforts.

From there, it seemed like the Pens seized momentum - as they continued to pressure and spent a majority of the final minutes in the offensive zone.

The Pens' fourth line finished the period, and Jody Bellerive and Jamie Devane made the opposition's shift a tough one - with the period ended and a meeting of the minds ensuing. At one point, Cole Bardreau leaped onto the back of Devane to get his attention and attempt to mitigate any further rough stuff.

2nd Period

The Penguins had momentum to begin the middle frame, and after Alex Nylander was stoned on a breakaway - the flood gates opened to the tune of three Pens' goals in a span of 90 seconds to turn a 2-1 deficit into a 4-2 lead.

First, Sam Poulin elected to shoot on a 2-on-1 - with a laser of a shot from the right-wing circle that beat Skarek clean to the far side.

On the next shift, Kasper Bjorkvist fed Devane in front for his third of the season just 20 seconds after Poulin recorded his 14th of the season.

Then, 1:10 later - Felix Robert fired his 15th of the season past Skarek to make it a 4-2 Penguins' lead, prompting Bridgeport head coach Brent Thompson to take his timeout.

The Pens were relentless on the forecheck, and downright dominant in the opening half of the period - out shooting the Islanders 10-4 to go along with those three, quick strike tallies to flip the script.

For good measure, they added two more goals late in the period and the rout was on.

Kyle Olson stole a puck at the defensive zone blue line and managed to get a backhander to trickle through Skarek to make it 5-2, then less than two minutes later Michael Chaput made it four straight games with a goal as he notched his 10th of the season with 2:10 left before the second intermission to complete the five-goal middle frame for the home team.

3rd Period

Ken Appleby replaced Skarek in net to begin the third period, and surrendered a goal on the first shot he faced - a mini breakaway by Drew O'Connor.

O'Connor's 10th of the season just 28 seconds into the third provided the Penguins with the 'extra point' to give the home team a 7-2 lead.

The Penguins simply didn't take their foot off the gas, extending their lead to 8-2 on Poulin's second of the contest with 12:34 left in the third and getting it to 9-2 on O'Connor's second tally of the third period with 1:21 left to play to cap the scoring.

GAME SUMMARY

1st Period

4:43: BRI - Czarnik (10) - Dal Colle 8:17: BRI - (PP) Helgeson, minor (interference) 11:52: BRI - Terry (23) - Dal Colle, Wotherspoon 13:48: WBS - Nylander (20) - Lee, Hallander 15:32: WBS - (PP) Gruden, minor (interference)

2nd Period

5:43: WBS - Poulin (14)  - Nylander, Reinke 6:03: WBS - Devane (3) - Bjorkvist, Bellerive 7:13: WBS - Robert (15) - Gruden, Lee 11:52: WBS - (PP) Gruden, minor (boarding) 15:55: WBS - Olson (11) - unassisted 17:50: WBS - Chaput (10) - Reinke, Riikola 20:00: BRI - LaDue, minor (unsportsmanlike) 20:00: WBS - Bellerive, minor (unsportsmanlike)

3rd Period

0:28: WBS - O'Connor (10) - unassisted 6:40: BRI - (PP) Salo, minor (high-sticking) 7:26: WBS - Poulin (15) - Puustinen, Riikola 12:16: WBS - Gruden, minor (slashing) 12:16: BRI - Andreoff, minor (roughing) 13:55: WBS - (PP) Bartkowski, minor (tripping) 18:59: WBS - (PP) Gruden, minor (hooking)

BOXSCORE

Bridgeport       2 - 0 - 0 = 2 W-B/Scranton  1 - 5 - 3 = 9

Shots

Bridgeport       10 - 10 - 11 = 31 W-B/Scranton  11 - 20 - 17 = 48

Goalies

BRI: Jakub Skarek (25 saves - 31 shots in 40:00) and Ken Appleby (14 saves - 17 shots in 20:00) WBS: Louis Domingue (29 saves - 31 shots)

Power Play

BRI: 0-for-4 WBS: 1-for-2

Penalty Kill

BRI: 1-for-2 WBS: 4-for-4