Game Story: Charlotte - 1 at W-B/Scranton - 4 (12/29/23)

WILKES-BARRE, Pa. - The Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins needed to bounce back after Wednesday night's loss in Hershey, and they did just that in the first of two games on the weekend against the Charlotte Checkers - opening up a 3-0 lead and never looking back in route to a 4-1 victory Friday night.

Will Butcher opened the scoring in the first period, while Alex Nylander and Colin White tallied goals in the middle frame to push the Penguins' lead to 3-0.

Lucas Carlsson got the Checkers on the board late in the third, but a great hustle play from Matt Filipe allowed the Penguins to nab an empty net tally in the final seconds to complete the 4-1 final score.

The Penguins didn't put a ton of pucks through to Checkers netminder Spencer Knight (15 saves - 18 shots), but made the most of their chances.

At the other end, it was a busy night for Penguins goalie Joel Blomqvist - who had another strong night between the pipes in stopping all but one of the 31 shots that came his way.

Post-Game EXTRA!

W-B/Scranton Penguins head coach JD Forrest

On the goal-saving play from Jack St. Ivany in the 2nd period

"It just kind of [sneaked] through Joel there, and Jack was just Johnny on the spot - or Jack on the spot - whatever you want to call him. And he made a desperation play to knock it out of there. And that really, like you said, it changes the dynamic of the game."

On the lack of shots on goal, but making most of chances

"I don't think the shots... you know, there's a ton of penalty kills on our side. And I think in the first period, especially, we had chances we just weren't hitting the net, which is something we obviously, we need to get a little bit better at. It's hard to score goals and get shots if you don't hit the net. So didn't think that was a clear indication of the chances that we had. But yeah, I mean, when we did have some high quality chants and nice plays, we made them count."

Penguins defenseman Jack St. Ivany

On the mantra heading into tonight's game after bad loss Wednesday.

"Yeah, I think it was just get back to our identity. And our identity is work and compete. So I think we just wanted to come in tonight and do everything we could - and if bounces go our way, they go our way - but we were, for sure, going to work and compete."

On the play he made in 2nd period to swat puck away from goal line to prevent a goal against.

"Joel made a really nice save, and it just kind of squeaked behind him. Thankfully, I saw it just kind of jumped through and got my stick on it. It was right on the goal line. Luckily, the ice was a little snowy back there - slowed it down for me."

GAME STORY

Despite the scoreless start to the contest, it was an entertaining opening five minutes of play with some good end-to-end action and chances for both teams as the Checkers held an early edge in shots on goal.

It wasn't until a disruptive Penguins' forecheck near the midway mark of the period that the game's opening goal was produced.

Corey Andonovski separated the puck from a Checkers' forward in the corner, and Rem Pitlick quickly pounced on the loose puck - sending the puck to the left point for Butcher who patiently skated in and proceeded to snipe one past Knight to the top shelf 9:25 into the contest.

The goal marked Butcher's second goal and sixth point in his ninth game with Wilkes-Barre/Scranton.

Charlotte started to generate the better of the chances in the second half of the period, stretching their advantage in the shots on goal department to an uneven 12-4 edge, but credit Blomqvist who was equal to the task to preserve the Penguins' 1-0 lead to the first intermission.

The Pens came out with some jump in their step to start the middle frame, extending their lead to 2-0 just 59 seconds into the period.

After Abbandonato and White did the work down low and forced a turnover from behind the Checkers' net, the puck darted right into the slot onto the tape of Nylander's stick for an easy goal.

The two teams seemed to settle in from there, until a parade of penalties in the second half of the period opened up the ice as both teams exchanged power play chances.

Charlotte nearly scored to cut the deficit to 2-1, but a heads-up play from Jack St. Ivany prevented the goal. A shot trickled past Blomqvist and was heading towards the goal line when St. Ivany quickly got behind his goalie and scooped the puck out of the crease to prevent any damage.

It potentially became the turning point of the contest, as it prevented a one-goal game and instead allowed the Pens to build on their lead.

It wasn't until the waning moments of the period that a power play goal was scored, and it was the Penguins extending their lead to 3-0 on a deflection goal from White after Abbandonato got the puck up to the point for a blast from Xavier Ouellet.

The third frame began the way the middle frame ended, with penalties aplenty.

The two teams traded power plays in the opening five minutes of the period before a scrum with 13:29 left added a pair of off-setting minor penalties.

The physical play, both during the action and after whistles, continued to pick up as the period wore on - and the penalties kept coming.

After the Checkers killed off a Jake Wise tripping minor, Carlsson broke Blomqvist's shutout bid with 6:20 after a great individual effort to wheel around the Penguins' defensive zone with the puck on his stick before breaking to the net and tucking a quick shot past Blomqvist to the far side post.

From there, the Penguins defense held it together - and Filipe added an empty net tally with 11.7 seconds left to seal the deal on the Pens' 4-1 win.

Charlotte Checkers Lineup Notes

Spencer Knight got the start in net for the Checkers Friday night. Ludovic Waeber served as the team's backup goaltender.

Dennis Cesana took the warmup skate but was the team's final scratch.

Checkers Scratches: Mack Guzda, Calle Sjalin, Will Reilly, Patrick Khodorenko, Alexander True, Patrick Giles and Brendan Perlini

Lines/Pairings:

Wilmer Skoog - Rasmus Asplund - Zac Dalpe Ryan McAllister - Justin Sourdif - Mackie Samoskevich Cameron Morrison - Jake Wise - Gerry Mayhew Mark Senden - Skylar Brind'Amour - Riley Bezeau

Lucas Carlsson - Santtu Kinnunen Matt Kiersted - Casey Fitzgerald Uvis Balinskis - Michael Benning

Spencer Knight (Backup: Ludovic Waeber)

Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins Lineup Notes

Joel Blomqvist got the start in net for the Penguins Friday night. Taylor Gauthier, called up from Wheeling Friday, served as the team's backup goaltender.

Forward Dillon Hamaliuk, also called up from ECHL-Wheeling Friday, took the warmup skate but was the team's final healthy scratch.

Penguins Scratches: Taylor Fedun (veteran), Sam Houde (lower body), Dillon Hamaliuk, Owen Headrick, Raivis Ansons (lower body) and Avery Hayes

Lines/Pairings:

Peter Abbandonato - Colin White - Alex Nylander Matt Filipe - Joona Koppanen - Austin Rueschhoff Rem Pitlick - Sam Poulin - Corey Andonovski Jagger Joshua - Jonathan Gruden - Marc Johnstone

Ryan Shea - Dmitri Samorukov Will Butcher - Jack St. Ivany Jack Rathbone - Xavier Ouellet

Joel Blomqvist (Backup: Taylor Gauthier)

GAME SUMMARY

1st Period

9:25: WBS - Butcher (2) - Pitlick, Andonovski 11:28: WBS - (PP) Joshua, minor (interference)

2nd Period

0:59: WBS - Nylander (11) - Abbandonato, White 4:42: WBS - (PP) Abbandonato, minor (holding) 11:56: WBS - (PP) Andonovski, minor (roughing) 11:56: WBS - Filipe, minor (roughing) 11:56: CHA - Wise, minor (roughing) 13:59: WBS - (PP) St. Ivany, minor (delay of game) 14:50: CHA - (PP) Samoskevich, minor (hooking) 17:22: CHA - (PP) Morrison, minor (unsportsmanlike) 18:08: WBS - PPG White (5) - Ouellet, Abbandonato

3rd Period

2:36: WBS - (PP) Johnstone, minor (holding) 5:05: CHA - (PP) Balinskis, minor (cross-checking) 6:31: CHA - Carlsson, minor (boarding) 6:31: WBS - Gruden, minor (roughing) 8:40: WBS - Andonovski, minor (roughing) 8:40: CHA - Kinnunen, minor (roughing) 11:14: CHA - (PP) Wise, minor (tripping) 13:40: CHA - Carlsson (9) - Asplund, Mayhew 19:48: WBS - Filipe (3) - Andonovski

BOXSCORE

W-B/Scranton  1 - 2 - 1 = 4 Charlotte  0 - 0 - 1 = 1

Shots

W-B/Scranton  4 - 6 - 6 = 16 Charlotte  11 - 10 - 10 = 31

Goalies

WBS: Joel Blomqvist (30 saves - 31 shots) CHA: Spencer Knight (12 saves - 15 shots)

Power Play

WBS: 1-for-4 CHA: 0-for-5

Penalty Kill

WBS: 5-for-5 CHA: 3-for-4