GAME STORY: Hartford - 1 at W-B/Scranton - 2 OT (10/22/21)

WILKES-BARRE, Pa. - The Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins (2-1-0) finished up a season-opening three-game home stand against the Hartford Wolf Pack Friday night  in dramatic fashion, sealing the deal 2:40 into overtime when forward Kasper Bjorkvist hit the back of the net on a rebound of a shot coming off the stick of defenseman Cam Lee.

The Penguins and Wolf Pack each tallied goals in the first period, with the Pens taking the 1-0 lead on Filip Hallander's first career AHL goal and the Wolf Pack tying it with 22.2 seconds left before the intermission on a goal from Anthony Greco, but the game quickly turned into a goaltender's duel between Penguins' rookie netminder Filip Lindberg (30 saves - 31 shots) and Wolf Pack veteran goalie Keith Kinkaid (25 saves - 27 shots).

Wilkes-Barre/Scranton forward Jordy Bellerive tallied assists on both Penguins goals to led the home team's attack Friday.

The Pens have a rare Saturday night off before traveling to Allentown Sunday afternoon for a 3:15 p.m. ET face-off against the Lehigh Valley Phantoms in the second of 12 scheduled meetings in the regular season. The Penguins and Phantoms will also play Wednesday night in Wilkes-Barre, 7:05 p.m. ET face-off.

Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins Lineup Notes

Filip Lindberg got the start in net for the Penguins Friday night against Hartford. Louis Domingue served as Lindberg's backup.

Penguins Scratches:  Tommy Nappier, Mitch Reinke, Will Reilly, Jan Drozg, Justin Almeida, Anthony Angello, Niclas Almari and Sam Houde

Penguins' Lines/Pairings:

Sam Poulin - Radim Zohorna - Valtteri Puustinen Kasper Bjorkvist - Michael Chaput - Felix Robert Filip Hallander - Jordy Bellerive - Nathan Legare Jamie Devane - Jonathan Gruden - Kyle Olson

Pierre-Olivier Joseph - Taylor Fedun Juuso Riikola - Matt Bartkowski Chris Bigras - Cam Lee

Filip Lindberg - Louis Domingue

Hartford Wolf Pack Lineup Notes

Keith Kinkaid got the start in net Friday in Wilkes-Barre with Adam Huska serving as the team's backup.

Wolf Pack scratches: Jeff Taylor and Hunter Skinner

Wolf Pack Lines/Pairings:

Tim Gettinger - Jonny Brodzinski - Lauri Pajuniemi Ty Ronning - Tanner Fritz - Anthony Greco Patrick Khodorenko - Justin Richards - Alex Whelan PC Labrie - Mike O'Leary - Austin Rueschoff

Anthony Bitetto - Zac Jones Matthew Robertson - Braden Schneider Tarmo Reunanen - Zach Giuttari

Keith Kinkaid - Adam Huska

GAME RECAP

1st Period

The Penguins took an early penalty when Jordy Bellerive at the 1:46 mark, but after a strong PK effort it was the Penguins getting the first few chances of the hockey game. Sam Poulin was stopped on a mini-breakaway by Hartford goalie Keith Kinkaid, and moments later Taylor Fedun crept in from the right point for a quick shot from the top of the circle that the WolfPack goalie was able to steer out of danger.

Wilkes-Barre/Scranton continued to gain momentum, and struck first 6:53 into the contest after some good work in transition on a designed 3-on-2 rush into the offensive zone.  Bellerive made a short, quick pass to the right wing for Nathan Legare entering the zone and Legare took a sharp angle shot from below the right-wing circle. Kinkaid made the pad stop, but the rebound bounced right into the slot where Filip Hallander was crashing to the middle. Hallander slammed the puck into the empty net for his first of the season to get the Penguins off and running.

Hartford took a penalty on the next shift, and while the Penguins didn't cash in on the ensuing man advantage they were able to keep momentum on their side in the opening half of the period while maintaining their 1-0 lead.

The Wolf Pack got to their game in the second half of the period, getting a late-period power play after Michael Chaput was too aggressive on a forecheck with 3:42 left before the first intermission. Hartford didn't score on the ensuing power play, but were able to tie the game at 1-1 in the final 30 seconds of the period after good work by Tarmo Reunanen at the offensive zone blue line to keep a puck in and create some separation at the right point.

Reunanen flung a puck toward the net that was blocked down by Wolf Pack forward PC Labrie, and Labrie quickly turned to the middle and sent a quick pass to the slot for a shot by Anthony Greco that beat Lindberg with 22.2 seconds left on the first period clock - sending the two teams into the first intermission deadlocked at one apiece.

2nd Period

Hartford's late-period surge in momentum carried over into the opening five or so minutes of the middle frame. They got an early power play advantage when Kasper Bjorkvist was whistled for interference 3:56 into the stanza, but were unable to get one past Lindberg for a go-ahead goal.

Instead, the Penguins went to work on a power play of their own heading toward the midway mark of regulation when Penguins' defenseman Chris Bigras was tripped up in the defensive zone by Patrick Khodorenko.

The WolfPack killed off the penalty, and nearly scored on a 2-on-1 with Lindberg coming up big on Ty Ronning to keep the game tied at 1-1 near the middle of the frame.

The teams continued to trade power plays throughout the period, with the Penguins getting the final chance of the period with Austin Rueschoff in the box for tripping.

Despite all the power plays for both teams, it was a relatively quiet period for both teams with the Penguins mustering just four shots on goal in the period to the Wolf Pack's seven.

It was a bit of a goaltending duo between rookie Lindberg (Penguins) and veteran Kinkaid (Wolf Pack) heading to the final frame in a 1-1 game.

3rd Period

For as quiet as the middle frame was for both teams, the intensity ramped up in the third - which featured back-and-forth action and chances and a bit of feisty play. There was good end-to-end action despite most of the period being played at 5-on-5.

The third period had some four-on-four play in the opening five minutes of the stanza, but it produced no goals. The goaltending duel continued on.

It's only two games into his pro career, but Lindberg continued to come up clutch on several occasions to keep the game even at 1-1 as the clock continued to wind down in the final frame.

Nathan Legare stole a puck in the neutral zone and came in on Kinkaid on a breakaway, beating the Wolf Pack goalie but catching the post instead to put the Penguins inches away from taking a 2-1 lead.

Neither team was able to find a go-ahead goal in regulation, sending the game to overtime.

Overtime

In the three-on-three, Lindberg came up with one more stop to finish the night with 30 saves and it was the Penguins finishing things off in OT with Kasper Bjorkvist cashing in on a rebound getting to the net from inside the the left-wing circle as Cam Lee stickhandled from the center point to the right circle for a shot.

Kinkaid made the initial stop on Lee's bid from the right-wing circle, but both Wolf Pack defenders closed in on Bellerive crashing the net atop the crease - leaving Bjorkvist unmarked in the bottom of the left-circle for an easy rebound put-back to seal the victory and two points for the Penguins in front of the home crowd at Mohegan Sun Arena.

GAME SUMMARY

1st Period

1:46: WBS - (PP) Bellerive, minor (cross-checking) 6:53: WBS - Hallander (1) - Legare, Bellerive 7:43: HFD - (PP) Rueschoff, minor (tripping) 16:18: WBS - (PP) Chaput, minor (hooking) 19:37: HFD - Greco (1) - Labrie, Reunanen

2nd Period

3:56: WBS - (PP) Bjorkvist, minor (interference) 7:02: HFD - (PP) Khodorenko, minor (tripping) 12:00: HFD - (PP) Gettinger, minor (cross-checking) 15:24: WBS - (PP) Olson, minor (boarding) 18:24: HFD - (PP) Rueschoff, minor (tripping)

3rd Period

2:16: HFD - Khodorenko, minor (roughing) 2:16: WBS - Olson, minor (roughing)

Overtime

2:40: WBS - Bjorkvist (1) - Lee, Bellerive

BOXSCORE

Hartford 1 - 0 - 0 - 0 = 1 W-B/S  1 - 0 - 0 - 1 = 2

Shots

Hartford 13 - 7 - 10 - 1 = 31 W-B/S  12 - 4 - 8 - 3 = 27

Goalies

HFD: Keith Kinkaid (25 saves - 27 shots) WBS: Filip Lindberg (30 saves - 31 shots)

Power Play

HFD: 0-for-4 WBS: 0-for-4

Penalty Kill

HFD: 4-for-4 WBS: 4-for-4