Penguins’ Comeback Falls Just Short in 4-3 Loss to Wolf Pack
WILKES-BARRE, Pa. - The Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins came out swinging Friday night and nearly pulled off a dramatic third-period comeback, but a second-period surge from the Hartford Wolf Pack proved too much to overcome. In the first of back-to-back matchups at Mohegan Arena at Casey Plaza, the Penguins fell 4-3 in a game that was as fast-paced as it was frustrating.
Let’s start with the good: Gabe Klassen continues to look like a rising star. The 20-year-old forward opened the scoring less than four minutes into the game, capitalizing on a relentless forecheck by Atley Calvert that forced a turnover deep in Hartford’s zone. Tristan Broz made the heads-up play to find Klassen on the back door, and just like that, Wilkes-Barre/Scranton had the early edge.
But the lead didn’t last long.
Hartford answered three minutes later on the power play, with Jaroslav Chmelař cashing in to even things up. It was the first sign that this one was going to be a back-and-forth battle.
Klassen struck again midway through the second period, this time cleaning up a rebound off Hartford goalie Dylan Garand’s pads. It was a gritty, opportunistic goal - the kind that speaks to Klassen’s instincts around the net. That gave the Penguins a 2-1 lead, but once again, it didn’t hold.
Just sixteen seconds later, Brett Berard responded for the Wolf Pack, tying the game at two. That quick counterpunch seemed to tilt the ice in Hartford’s favor, and they took full advantage.
Kalle Väisänen gave Hartford its first lead of the night at 14:26 of the second period, redirecting a point shot that slipped past Sergei Murashov. Then, with less than a minute left before intermission, Justin Dowling made it 4-2, pouncing on a rebound to give the Wolf Pack a two-goal cushion.
That late-period goal stung - and ultimately proved to be the difference.
To their credit, the Penguins didn’t fold. They came out in the third period with urgency and energy, forcing turnovers and creating chances. One of those takeaways led directly to a highlight-reel play: Aaron Huglen stripped a Hartford defender and, with some serious flair, delivered a slick behind-the-back pass to Aidan McDonough, who buried it to cut the deficit to one with just over 10 minutes to play.
From there, it was all-out pressure. Wilkes-Barre/Scranton pulled Murashov for the extra attacker in the final minutes and peppered Garand with shots, but the Hartford netminder held strong, finishing with 21 saves and snapping the Wolf Pack’s seven-game skid on Penguins’ home ice.
Murashov, meanwhile, turned aside 28 shots in the loss. He kept the Penguins within striking distance, but Hartford’s second-period flurry was just too much to overcome.
The two teams will run it back tomorrow night, same time, same place. If Friday’s contest was any indication, fans should buckle in for another intense, tightly contested showdown between two teams that clearly don’t mind trading punches - or goals.