In a tense showdown on Friday night at the Giant Center, the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins succumbed to a 4-2 defeat at the hands of the reigning champion Hershey Bears. This penultimate regular-season clash was a showcase of resilience, particularly from Penguins' goaltender Joel Blomqvist, who skillfully fended off an early offensive onslaught by Hershey, keeping his team within fighting distance right to the last whistle.
The visiting Penguins (39-23-7-1) saw a glimmer of promise from rookie Jack Beck, fresh from the Wheeling Nailers. Beck didn't merely make an appearance; he left his mark by tallying two points and netting his inaugural AHL goal. Talk about making a statement on the big stage!
The action kicked off with Hershey's Ivan Miroshnichenko lighting the lamp 9:41 into the game, asserting an early lead. However, the Penguins were not to be outdone. Zach Gallant brought them level, capitalizing on just their second shot of the game with a sneaky sharp-angle effort that eluded Hershey goalie Hunter Shepard, tying the game at 1-1 as the first period drew to a close.
Blomqvist stood tall in the early stages of the second period, delivering several pivotal saves. But the Bears found a way around him at 5:17, when Hendrix Lapierre restored their lead. Hershey then widened the gap to 3-1 partway through the third period with Bogdan Trineyev’s finish at the back post.
With the clock winding down, Jack Beck made Penguin fans take notice by scoring his first AHL goal, narrowing the margin to 3-2 with less than four minutes remaining. The Penguins ramped up the pressure, opting to pull Blomqvist for an extra skater in a last-ditch offensive push. Despite their efforts, Hershey’s Matt Strome put the game to bed, sending a backhander into the empty net.
Blomqvist showcased his skills with 33 saves, meanwhile, Shepard stood firm in the Hershey goal, recording 19 saves to secure the win.
The Penguins will close out their regular season at home, facing the Cleveland Monsters on Saturday, April 19. Fans are in for a treat with Fan Appreciation Night, featuring a puck drop at 6:05 p.m. at Mohegan Arena at Casey Plaza.
Catch all the Penguins' action online with AHLTV on FloHockey. This service not only grants access to every regular-season and Calder Cup Playoff game for all 32 AHL teams but also offers viewers an extensive library of over 21,000 hockey matches from various professional and junior leagues, along with other live event streams and replays across FloSports.
