Game Story: Hartford - 2 at W-B/Scranton - 4 (10/28/23)

WILKES-BARRE, Pa. - The Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins benefited from a hot start in the first period, jumping out to a 4-0 lead and never looking back in a 4-2 win Saturday night over the Hartford Wolf Pack.

Valtteri Puustinen, Joona Koppanen, Jonathan Gruden and Rem Pitlick provided all the offense the Penguins needed, and all in the first period.

Joel Blomqvist, though not tested much early, had to be strong in the third period - stopping 15 of the 16 shots he faced in the final frame to help preserve the Penguins' lead.

Turner Elson and Jonny Brodzinski scored in a losing effort for Hartford, while Dylan Garand stopped 37 of the 41 shots he faced.

The Penguins got the offensive attack rolling in the opening period, with Smith sending a long breakout pass to the far side blue line for Puustinen - springing the forward down the right wing for his first tally of the season to put the Pens up 1-0 just 3:24 into the contest.

Shorthanded near the midway mark of the period, the Penguins were actually able to extend their lead to 2-0 after Joona Koppanen won a puck battle high in the defensive zone, and took off the other way on a breakaway before coming to a stop atop Garand's crease and slipping a quick shot to the top shelf for his first goal on the season.

The Pens weren't done there, with the fourth line of Jagger Joshua, Marc Johnstone and Gruden buzzing around in the offensive zone before Gruden was able to jam home a rebound to make it a 3-0 Pens lead with 8:49 left in the opening period.

Wilkes-Barre/Scranton managed to get the power play on the board, too, to break open the game to a 4-0 score after good work along the left wing wall by Jansen Harkins to cut back down low before sliding a puck into the left-wing circle for a quick, bar-down shot from Pitlick to really give the Penguins a commanding lead.

Despite being unable to their lead in the middle frame, the Penguins controlled large portions of play - out shooting the Wolf Pack 13-3 in the period.

Elson tallied a late second period goal to break Blomqvist's shutout bid, but the Pens seemed to still be firmly in control with a 4-1 lead and 31-8 edge in shots on goal heading to the third period.

Much as you'd expect from a team down three goals, Hartford came out hard in the third - firing 16 shots on net in the final 20 minutes of play.

Brodzinski tallied a power play goal in the opening minute of the period to cut the Pens' lead to 4-2, but that's as close as the Wolf Pack would get as Blomqvist and the Pens' defense shut things down from there to preserve the 4-2 win.

Penguins Post-Game EXTRA!

Head coach JD Forrest

On the strong first period, managing the game in the third:

"Yeah, we had a strong start. That's for sure. I thought the first two periods were really, really good. Their goalie especially the second period, he made some unbelievable saves that kind of held them in there, or at least put them within striking distance. And so I thought he played really well. And then, obviously, they had some fight left in the third. It's a good team. But we came on strong, and we had a strong 40 minutes. And then I think we've managed the third fairly well. Not ideal, but fairly well."

Forward Jonathan Gruden

On the big first period

"Yeah, it's a lot of fun and that's what it's all about. All four lines are going, power play is going, PK getting a big shorty. Obviously they had a big push, so maybe it's tough to maintain that because obviously they're gonna come out a little pissed off there in a second. So I mean, at the end the day we got the win, you know, we held off so it's all it matters."

On his line with Jagger Joshua and Marc Johnstone

"Oh yeah. 100%. Yeah, I have a lot of fun playing with those guys so far. We kind of want to be out there in all situations and you know, just be  reliable - whatever J.D. needs. Maybe the [other] team is giving it to us a bit and we got to go in the offensive zone and spark one for the team so I thought we did a good job so far the first six games just got to keep it going."

Hartford Wolf Pack Lineup Notes

Dylan Garand got the start in net for the Wolf Pack Saturday night. Former Penguins goaltender Louis Domingue served as Garand's backup.

Wolf Pack Scratches: Ben Harpur, Karl Henriksson, Bobby Trivigno and Drew Worrad

Lines/Pairings:

Brennan Othmann - Jonny Brodzinski - Alex Belzile Adam Edstrom - Riley Nash - Anton Blidh Adam Sykora - Jake Leschyshyn - Brett Berard Turner Elson - Ryder Korczak - Matt Rempe

Matthew Robertson Brandon Scanlin Connor Mackey - Nikolas Brouillard Blake Hillman - Mac Hollowell

Dylan Garland Backup: Louis Domingue

Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins Lineup Notes

Joel Blomqvist got the start in net for the Penguins Saturday night. Garret Sparks served as the team's backup goaltender.

Penguins Scratches: Andreas Johnsson (veteran scratch, away from team on personal leave), Austin Rueschhoff, Justin Lee, Colin White (injured, veteran scratch), Matt Filipe and Libor Hajek

Lines/Pairings:

Alex Nylander - Jansen Harkins - Valtteri Puustinen Rem Pitlick - Sam Poulin - Avery Hayes Sam Houde - Joona Koppanen - Corey Andonovski Jagger Joshua - Jonathan Gruden - Marc Johnstone

Ty Smith - Taylor Fedun Jack Rathbone - Dmitri Samorukov Xavier Ouellet - Jack St. Ivany

Joel Blomqvist Backup: Garret Sparks

GAME SUMMARY

1st Period

3:24: WBS - Puustinen (1) - Smith 5:21: HFD - (PP) Scanlin, minor (tripping) 8:47: WBS - (PP) Johnstone, minor (slashing) 9:04: WBS - SHG Koppanen (1) - unassisted 11:11: WBS - Gruden (2) - St. Ivany, Smith 12:06: HFD - (PP) Elson, minor (slashing) 13:41: WBS - PPG Pitlick (2) - Harkins, Ouellet 14:53: HFD - Brouillard, minor (roughing) 14:53: HFD - Mackey, minor (roughing) 14:53: WBS - (PP) Gruden, minor (roughing) 14:53: WBS - Gruden, minor (roughing) 14:53: WBS - Johnstone, minor (roughing) 15:07: HFD - (PP) Nash, minor (hooking) 17:36: HFD - Rempe, major (fighting) 17:36: WBS - Joshua, major (fighting) 19:02: HFD - (PP) Mackey, minor (tripping)

2nd Period

10:42: HFD - (PP) Nash, minor (cross-checking) 12:13: HFD - (PP) Mackey, minor (cross-checking) 16:45: HFD - Elson (1) - Brodzinski 18:41: WBS - (PP) Andonovski, minor (cross-checking)

3rd Period

0:39: HFD - (PP) Brodzinski (5) - Belzile, Hollowell 11:25: HFD - Berard, minor (slashing) 11:25: WBS - Hayes, minor (slashing) 17:19: WBS - (PP) Samorukov, minor (high-sticking)

BOXSCORE

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

Shots

Hartford  5 - 3 - 16 = 24 W-B/Scranton  18 - 13 - 10 = 41

Goalies

HFD: Dylan Garand (37 saves - 41 shots) WBS: Joel Blomqvist (22 saves - 24 shots)

Power Play

HFD: 1-for-4 WBS: 1-for-6

Penalty Kill

HFD: 5-for-6 WBS: 3-for-4