Game Story: Hartford - 3 at W-B/Scranton - 1 (11/11/22)

WILKES-BARRE, Pa. - The Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins (6-3-1) find themselves in a bit of a skid after dropping their third straight game in regulation Friday night in a 3-1 decision to Atlantic Division foe Hartford (4-4-2).

Drew O'Connor scored in his first game back from Pittsburgh, and Dustin Tokarski stopped 20 of the 22 shots he faced but it wasn't enough for the Penguins in a losing effort.

Tim Gettinger (two goals) and Lauri Pajuniemi (GWG in 3rd period) paced the Wolf Pack's attack in the win, while veteran goaltender Louis Domingue stopped all but one of the 30 Penguins' shots to help preserve his team's lead into two points.

After an uneventful opening 14 minutes of play, the Penguins were awarded the game's first power play and looked to get to the attack in a scoreless game. Instead, after a turnover along the wall near the Penguins bench, it was the Wolf Pack scoring shorthanded to take a 1-0 lead late in the period.

Tanner Fritz stole a puck off Alex Nylander, who had trouble corralling a loose puck along the boards just outside of the Penguins' defensive zone blue line, creating a 2-on-1 shorthanded rush. Fritz got the puck across to Tim Gettinger for a quick shot past Tokarski with 5:26 left before the first intermission.

Play opened up a little bit in the middle frame as five power plays and a pair of fights saw a lot of special teams play, but both goaltenders were able to make the necessary saves to keep the game low scoring.

Things got heated after Corey Andonovski made contact with Domingue as the Wolf Pack goalie came way out of his crease to play a puck along the right wing wall. Domingue nearly chased after Andonovski up-ice before Matt Rempe dropped his gloves and dropped Andonovski in a quick scrap 6:02 into the period.

Rempe was assessed an instigating minor, giving the Penguins a power play chance they would convert on to tie the game. Xavier Ouellet got a puck down low for Drake Caggiula, who spun away from a defender in the corner before feeding Drew O'Connor for a quick shot from the right-wing circle that eluded Domingue for O'Connor's third of the season.

More opportunistic offense was had in the third, with Hartford converting on an odd-man rush to re-take the lead. Bobby Trivigno stole a puck in the defensive zone and broke out 3-on-2 with his linemates before centering for Gustav Rydahl, who quickly shuffled it to his left for a quick shot from Pajuniemi past an out-stretched Tokarski 1:54 into the final frame.

That's all the offense the Wolf Pack would need as Domingue continued to shut the door.

Gettinger added an empty net power play goal to complete the 3-1 final score.

Post-Game EXTRA!

Hartford Wolf Pack

Louis Domingue got the start in net for the Wolf Pack Friday night against his former team. Rookie Dylan Garland served as the team's backup goaltender.

Wolf Pack Scratches: Austin Rueschhoff, Ryder Korczak, Hunter Skinner, Patrick Khodorenko and Blake Hillman

Lines/Pairings:

Will Cuylle - Jonny Brodzinski - Turner Elson C.J. Smith - Tanner Fritz - Alex Whelan Tim Gettinger - Gustav Rydahl - Lauri Pajuniemi Bobby Trivigno - Karl Henriksson - Matt Rempe

Ben Harpur - Zach Giuttari Brandon Scanlin - Andy Welinski Matthew Robertson - Ty Emberson

Louis Domingue - Dylan Garland

Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins Lineup Notes

Dustin Tokarski got the start in net for the Penguins Friday night. Filip Lindberg served as the team's backup.

Defenseman Mark Friedman was called up to Pittsburgh, announced Friday afternoon. Sam Poulin was assigned to AHL Penguins in a corresponding move, but Poulin was not in the lineup for W-B/Scranton Friday night.

Mitch Reinke returned to the lineup after missing several games with a lower body injury.

Kyle Olson also returned to game action after sustaining an upper body injury in a 3rd period fight two weeks ago against Cleveland.

Penguins Scratches:  Jordan Frasca (lower body), Colin Swoyer, Sam Poulin, Jamie Devane, Ty Glover and Sean Josling

Lines/Pairings:

Alex Nylander - Drew O'Connor - Corey Andonovski Drake Caggiula - Jonathan Gruden - Valtteri Puustinen Kyle Olson - Tyler Sikura - Nathan Legare Raivis Ansons - Sam Houde - Lukas Svejkovsky

Ty Smith - Taylor Fedun Xavier Ouellet - Mitch Reinke Jon Lizotte - Jack St. Ivany

Dustin Tokarski - Filip Lindberg

GAME SUMMARY

1st Period

14:18: HFD - (PP) Brodzinski, minor (roughing) 14:34: HFD - SHG Gettinger (3) - Fritz 16:40: WBS - (PP) Puustinen, minor (interference)

2nd Period

0:47: HFD - (PP) Pajuniemi, minor (hooking) 4:01: WBS - (PP) Lizotte, minor (holding) 6:02: WBS - Andonovski, major (fighting) 6:02: HFD - (PP) Rempe, minor (instigating) 6:02: HFD - Rempe, major (fighting) 6:02: HFD - Rempe, ten-minute misconduct 7:35: WBS - PPG O'Coonnor (3) - Caggiula, Ouellet 13:07: HFD - (PP) Cuylle, minor (boarding) 15:15: WBS - Legare, major (fighting) 15:15: HFD - Gettinger, major (fighting) 17:44: WBS - (PP) O'Connor, minor (tripping)

3rd Period

1:54: HFD - Pajuniemi (5) - Rydahl, Trivigno 3:27: HFD - (PP) Smith, minor (roughing) 18:40: WBS - (PP) Svejkovsky, minor (hooking) 19:00: WBS - (PP) Fedun, minor (slashing)

BOXSCORE

Hartford       1 - 0 - 2 = 3 W-B/Scranton  0 - 1 - 0 = 1

Shots

Hartford       5 - 7 - 11 = 23 W-B/Scranton  12 - 6 - 12 = 30

Goalies

HFD: Louis Domingue (29 saves - 30 shots) WBS: Dustin Tokarski (20 saves - 23 shots)

Power Play

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

Penalty Kill

HFD: 4-for-5 WBS: 4-for-4