GAME STORY: Charlotte - 4 at W-B/Scranton - 1 (4/13/22)

WILKES-BARRE, Pa. - The Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins fell behind early in the 1st period against the Charlotte Checkers, and clawed their way back to within a goal in the second before ultimately surrendering two goals in the final 7:07 of the third in a 4-1 setback Wednesday night.

Zac Dalpe (29th) and German Rubtsov (3rd) tallied first period goals for the Checkers, while Penguins forward Filip Hallander (11th) scored shorthanded in the middle frame to cut Charlotte's lead in half.

The Penguins had several opportunities to tie the game on the power play - both late in the second period and during a brief 5-on-3 in the final frame - but were unable to find an equalizer before Connor Bunnaman (7th) provided the Checkers with an insurance marker with 7:07 left to play. Alexander True added an empty net tally to complete the 4-1 final score.

"I felt like the game got away from us in the second [period]," Checkers captain Zac Dalpe told InsideAHLHockey.com after the game. "But I guess the old saying of 'good teams find a way to win', and at this point in April, and May, you're going to have push back from teams, and you got to find a way to play through it. So, lesson learned and go from there."

Joey Daccord stopped all but one of the 28 shots he faced in the win for Atlantic Division-leading Charlotte, who are now 14-2-2 in their last 18 games as they eye the #1 seed in the division with a pair of games against 2nd place Springfield on the horizon this weekend.

Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins Lineup Notes

Louis Domingue got the start in net for the Penguins Wednesday night against Charlotte. Tommy Nappier served as Domingue's backup.

Colin Swoyer made his pro debut on defense. He began the game on the right side paired P.O. Joseph. Cam Lee was the odd man out on the blue line to make room for Swoyer.

Scratches: Filip Lindberg, Taylor Fedun, Corey Andonovski, Jamie Devane, Cam Lee, Nathan Legare, Felix Robert, Clayton Phillips and Ty Glover

Lines/Pairings:

Radim Zohorna - Drew O'Connor - Alex Nylander Filip Hallander - Sam Poulin - Valtteri Puustinen Jonathan Gruden - Michael Chaput - Anthony Angello Kasper Bjorkvist - Jordy Bellerive - Kyle Olson

Juuso Riikola - Mitch Reinke P.O. Joseph - Colin Swoyer Matt Bartkowski - Will Reilly

Louis Domingue - Tommy Nappier

Charlotte Checkers Lineup Notes

Joey Daccord got the start in net for Charlotte Wednesday night against the Penguins. Christopher Gibson served as his backup.

Scratches: Antoine Bibeau, Karch Bachman, Max Gildon, Grigori Denisenko, Zach Uens, Max McCormick, John Ludvig and Carsen Twarynski

Lines/Pairings:

Henry Bowlby - Alexander True - Logan Hutsko Scott Wilson - Zac Dalpe - Aleksi Heponiemi Connor Bunnaman - Cole Schwindt - Serron Noel German Rubtsov - Luke Henman - Patrick Giles

Matt Kiersted - Connor Carrick Dennis Cholowski - Chase Priskie Gustav Olofsson - Dennis Cesana

Joey Daccord - Christopher Gibson

GAME STORY

1st Period

Charlotte came out and took it to the Penguins in the first period, taking an early 1-0 lead and continuing to control play throughout the opening frame.

Checkers' captain Zac Dalpe recorded his 29th of the season to give Charlotte the game's opening goal 1:56 into the contest. After fanning on his initial attempt from the high-slot, he sniped one high to the glove side on Louis Domingue. Gustav Olofsson and Scott Wilson were credited with assists on Dalpe's early-game tally.

Halfway through the period, Charlotte managed seven of the game's first eight shots on goal. After a failed clearing attempt from the Penguins, they extended their lead to 2-0.

Luke Henman stole a puck just inside the Checkers' offensive zone blue line and got it to German Rubtsov, who scored his first goal since joining the Checkers in the Claude Giroux trade to give his new team a two-goal advantage with 8:07 left before the first intermission.

The Penguins got a late period power play opportunity, but were unable to manage much in the way of dangerous scoring chances during the two minutes of 5-on-4.

2nd Period

The Penguins had two prime opportunities to cut into the 2-0 deficit to begin the middle frame, getting back-to-back power plays in the opening 3:55 of play. Unfortunately for the home team, they were unable to generate much in the way of chances - actually being out-shot 3-2 by Charlotte in the opening seven-plus minutes of the period.

It looked like things were going from bad to worse when Jordy Bellerive was whistled for roughing with 12:44 left in the period. Already trailing Charlotte 2-0, it was a must-have penalty kill for the Penguins if they were to have any hopes of climbing back into the game.

The Pens' PK started with a dangerous chance when Michael Chaput fed Kyle Olson in front on a 2-on-1 shorthanded rush. Daccord came up big to make the save, but the Pens' PK later tallied shorthanded to cut the Checkers' lead in half.

Credit Drew O'Connor for some strong work in the defensive zone to muscle a puck out and create a shorthanded rush with Filip Hallander. O'Connor gained entry to the offensive zone along the left-wing wall before dropping it back to Hallander, who did the rest - sniping Daccord from inside the left-wing circle for his 11th of the season to get the Penguins on the board just prior to the halfway point of regulation.

Much as you would expect, the shorthanded goal from Hallander shifted momentum in the Penguins' favor. They seemingly got to their game, and were buzzing as the period progressed.

Hallander had a chance for his second goal of the period on a breakaway chance with just over five minutes left before the second intermission, but Daccord was equal to the task to preserve the Checkers' one-goal lead.

Jonathan Gruden had an empty half of the net to shoot at with Daccord sliding from his left to right on the next shift after Hallander's breakaway attempt, but the Penguins' forward pushed it just over the top of the net.

After being dominated in the first period, the Penguins responded following Hallander's shorthanded tally - out shooting Charlotte 12-9 in the middle frame and getting to the third period in a one-goal game.

3rd Period

Things tightened up defensively in the final frame as the two teams were fighting for every inch of ice in a 2-1 game.

Penalties began to pile up, with three minor penalties called in a span of 1:17 - providing the Penguins with a brief 5-on-3 power play when Michael Chaput exited the box with 11:08 left to play and a whistle was blown. The Pens were able to set up with an offensive zone face-off with 14 seconds of two-man advantage time, but were unable to find a tying goal - going 0-for-5 on the man advantage on the evening.

Instead, Connor Bunnaman picked up a loose puck in the offensive zone that was over-skated by a Penguins forward and he converted on the mini-breakaway to put Charlotte up 3-1 with 7:07 left to play.

"I didn't really touch the puck, kind of a little gift from I think it was O'Connor or something like that and it was in the slot," Bunnaman said of the play leading up to his goal. "Didn't even look. Just shot it and it went in, so happy about that."

The Penguins pulled Domingue for the extra attacker with just under three minutes left, but to no avail as Alexander True hit the empty net with 1:12 left to cap the scoring on the Checkers' 4-1 win.

GAME SUMMARY

1st Period

1:56: CHA - Dalpe (29) - Olofsson, Wilson 3:06: WBS - (PP) Swoyer, minor (hooking) 11:53: CHA - Rubtsov (3) - Henman 15:08: CHA - (PP) Olofsson, minor (tripping)

2nd Period

0:59: CHA - (PP) Schwindt, minor (holding) 3:55: CHA - (PP) Kiersted, minor (cross-checking) 7:16: WBS - (PP) Bellerive, minor (roughing) 8:57: WBS - SHG Hallander (11) - O'Connor

3rd Period

1:46: WBS - (PP) Reilly, minor (tripping) 6:52: WBS - (PP) Chaput, minor (hooking) 7:06: CHA - (PP) Heponiemi, minor (high-sticking) 8:09: CHA - (PP) Olofsson, minor (tripping) 12:53: CHA - Bunnaman (7) - unassisted 18:48: CHA - ENG True (18) - Cholowski, Schwindt

BOXSCORE

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

Shots

Charlotte       14 - 9 - 6 = 29 W-B/Scranton  7 - 12 - 9 = 28

Goalies

CHA: Joey Daccord (27 saves - 28 shots) WBS: Louis Domingue (25 saves - 28 shots)

Power Play

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

Penalty Kill

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