Wilkes-Barre/Scranton is heading into the final stretch of October with a bounce in its step after turning a home game on its head Saturday night.
The Penguins split their weekend set, dropping a 7-3 decision to Belleville on Friday before rallying for a 3-2 win over Hartford the next night. That comeback at home was the kind of finish Wilkes-Barre/Scranton had been chasing, and it came after the club fell behind 1-0 midway through the third period.
Finn Harding started the surge by scoring his first goal of the season to tie the game. Four minutes later, Harding turned playmaker and set up Tristan Broz for the go-ahead goal. Hartford answered with a six-on-four, man-advantage goal late to pull level again, but Owen Pickering fired home a slap shot with 80 seconds left to seal the win.
That result gave Wilkes-Barre/Scranton its first home victory of the season and also pushed the Penguins to 12-3-0-0 (.800) against Hartford under head coach Kirk MacDonald.
Friday’s loss to Belleville had a very different feel. The Senators came out fast, built a 3-0 lead after one period and later held off a Penguins push that featured goals from Tristan Broz and Daniel Russell early in the second period, plus a Jake Livanavage power-play marker in the middle frame. Belleville, though, answered with another three-goal run in the third to take control for good.
Now the Penguins close out October in Utica on Friday, Oct. 30, before opening November with a rivalry trip to Hershey on Sunday, Nov. 1. The Comets come in with Lenni Hämeenaho on a point-per-game pace at 3G-3A, while former Penguin Gabe Klassen has scored in consecutive games.
The Bears await next, and Sunday’s meeting will be the first between the teams this season and the first since Wilkes-Barre/Scranton eliminated Hershey from last year’s Cader Cup Playoffs on GIANT Center ice. Hershey will also be finishing a three-in-three weekend.
A few numbers explain why the Penguins have stayed dangerous even with some uneven results. Wilkes-Barre/Scranton ranks third in the AHL in goals per game at 3.88 and leads the league with 34.5 shots on goal per game. Its power play is third overall at 29.6 percent, and even better on the road, where it sits first in the league at 37.5 percent.
The second period has been a sweet spot too. The Penguins have outscored opponents 14-5 in the middle frame.
Broz’s production has been one of the biggest bright spots. He’s riding a five-game point streak with 3 goals and 3 assists, the longest of his career.
Livanavage has also made his mark, tying for fourth among AHL rookies and sitting second among rookie defensemen with seven points, including 2 goals and 5 assists. On the tougher side of the ledger, Lucas Ciona’s 38 penalty minutes rank second in the league.
Wilkes-Barre/Scranton’s recent transaction log has also been active. Since Oct. 18, the Penguins have seen Ryan Johnson reassigned from PIT, Ilya Solovyov recalled to PIT, Rutger McGroarty recalled to PIT, Chase Pietila recalled to PIT, Tiernan Shoudy recalled from FLA, Avery Hayes recalled to PIT, and Tiernan Shoudy reassigned to FLA on Tuesday.
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