Game Story: Lehigh Valley - 2 at W-B/Scranton - 3 (SO) 11/25/22

WILKES-BARRE, Pa. - Despite trailing 2-0 late into the third period, the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins rallied for back-to-back goals in the final 6:47 of regulation to force overtime before completing the comeback in the shootout.

Valtteri Puustinen and Drake Caggiula recorded goals late in the third period to erase the Penguins' 2-0 deficit, while Alex Nylander converted the lone goal in the shootout to lift the Penguins to a big come-from-behind win over the Philadelphia Flyers' AHL affiliate.

Friday night showcased a bit of a goaltending duel between Dustin Tokarski (32 saves) and Pat Nagle (33 saves), with both netminders playing well and keeping things low scoring.

It was a slow start for both teams Friday night in a post-Thanksgiving matchup of rivals. It wasn't until the two teams traded power plays in the middle part of the opening period that the game's first goal was produced.

The Flyers' AHL affiliate opened the scoring shortly after their first power play of the contest had expired. Olle Lycksell got a puck up to the right point for Louis Belpedio, whose big shot from up top was redirected in front by Tyson Foerster on its way past Tokarski.

The Penguins seemed to respond with the momentum despite being down 1-0, as they held their opponent without a shot in the final 6:27 of the period - spending a majority of the final minutes of the opening frame in the offensive zone on the attack.

Credit Nagle for making the necessary saves in the waning moments of the period to prevent the Penguins from overcoming their 1-0 deficit before the two teams headed into their respective locker rooms for the first intermission.

Wilkes-Barre/Scranton was largely out-chanced throughout the middle frame, at one point being out-shot by an 11-3 margin in the period. They managed to fire the final seven shots of the period toward Nagle, but were unable to get one past the opposing goaltender and headed to the second intermission trailing 1-0.

Eliot Desnoyers put the Penguins in a 2-0 hole with 9:27 left in regulation, bringing the puck out from behind the net and quickly sneaking it underneath Tokarski's pads for his sixth goal of the season.

The Pens responded to make it a one-goal game with 6:47 left as Puustinen's fifth of the season gave the home team life. Caggiula and Xavier Ouellet added assists on the play.

A tripping penalty on Kyle Olson with 2:42 left to play appeared to have halted the Penguins' comeback hopes, but the penalty killers came through with a gargantuan effort - with Hallander stealing a puck on a forecheck and sliding it across to Caggiula for a shorthanded goal to tie the game at 2-2 with 2:01 left in regulation.

Wilkes-Barre/Scranton forced overtime and even had a power play after Drew O'Connor was tripped off the opening faceoff of the 3-on-3, but later proved victorious in the shootout.

Post-Game EXTRA!

Head coach J.D. Forrest

On not liking a majority of the contest in terms of his teams' play.

"We just kind of played a dull game for a little while, especially first 15 minutes of the second period. We were just kind of here, you know, we weren't really pushing it or asserting ourselves. We weren't doing a lot of things that make us a good hockey team. And then the last four minutes of the second, we kind of changed that up a little bit. [We] took that into the third and it made something happen there."

On tying the game with a shorthanded goal in final minutes of regulation

"You're not thinking that you might get a shorty to tie it up. You're thinking.. let's kill this and then we got a little bit [of] time [with] the extra man. And then you get that - it's just a nice jolt of energy."

Goaltender Dustin Tokarski

On reaching the 200-win milestone with tonight's win

"That's definitely a cool honor. To be honest, I didn't even know where I was at to start the year. It's been a pretty fun career. Some time in the NHL, lots of time in the AHL and I'm enjoying this year. We have a great staff, great teammates. You know, I got an incredible family - a beautiful wife and two beautiful daughters, mom and dad to thank for supporting me ever since it started, so to get to a milestone like this that shows a little bit of longevity. It's pretty cool."

Lehigh Valley Phantoms Lineup Notes

Pat Nagle got the start in net for LV Friday night. Nolan Meier served as the team's backup as Troy Grosenick remains injured and Samuel Ersson missed Friday's game due to illness.

Cooper Marody also missed Friday's game due to illness.

Phantoms scratches: Troy Grosenick, Sam Ersson, Adam Karashik, Linus Hogberg, Evan Barratt, Adam Brooks, Cooper Marody, Adam Ginning and Hayden Hodgson

Lines/Pairings:

Olle Lycksell - Artem Anisimov - Tyson Foerster Garrett Wilson - Eliot Desnoyers - Charlie Gerard Isaac Ratcliffe - Cal O'Reilly - Zayde Wisdom Alex Kile - Jordy Bellerive - Ryan Fitzgerald

Cam York - Louis Belpedio Egor Zamula - Ronnie Attard Kevin Connauton - Wyatte Wylie

Pat Nagle - Nolan Maier

Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins Lineup Notes

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

Penguins Scratches: Jordan Frasca, Colin Swoyer, Corey Andonovski, Jamie Devane, Sam Houde, Ty Glover and Jon Lizotte

Lines/Pairings:

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

Ty Smith - Mitch Reinke Mark Friedman - Taylor Fedun Xavier Ouellet - Jack St. Ivany

Dustin Tokarski - Filip Lindberg

GAME SUMMARY

1st Period

7:49: LV - (PP) Wylie, minor (hooking) 11:26: WBS - (PP) O'Connor, minor (high-sticking) 13:33: LV - Foerster (4) - Belpedio, Lycksell

2nd Period

5:51: WBS - (PP) Smith, minor (tripping)

3rd Period

10:33: LV - Desnoyers (6) - York 13:13: WBS - Puustinen (5) - Caggiula, Ouellet 17:18: WBS - (PP) Olson, minor (tripping) 17:59: WBS - SHG Caggiula (2) - Hallander

OT

0:08: LV - (PP) Foerster, minor (tripping)

Shootout

LV

Foerster - no goal Kile - no goal Desnoyers - no goal

WBS

Nylander - GOAL O'Connor - no goal Svejkovsky - no goal

BOXSCORE

Lehigh Valley   1 - 0 - 1 - 0 - 0 = 2 W-B/Scranton  0 - 0 - 2 - 0 - 1 = 3

Shots

Lehigh Valley  5 - 15 - 14 - 0 = 34 W-B/Scranton  8 - 10 - 14 - 3 = 36

Goalies

LV: Pat Nagle (33 saves - 36 shots) WBS: Dustin Tokarski (32 saves - 34 shots)

Power Play

LV: 0-for-3 WBS: 0-for-2

Penalty Kill

LV: 2-for-2 WBS: 3-for-3