PENGUINS FAIL TO SWEEP T-BIRDS, LOSE 5-4
WILKES-BARRE, Pa. – The Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins were outlasted by the Springfield Thunderbirds, falling to the tune of a 5-4 score on Wednesday night at Mohegan Arena at Casey Plaza.
Wilkes-Barre/Scranton (36-14-4-2) had its six-game point streak snapped in a game where a season sweep of Springfield hung in the balance. The Penguins battled back to tie the game in the third period, and then made it a one-goal contest again in the final minute. However, the Thunderbirds managed to stave off the rally, walking away with their only win against the Black and Gold this season.
After weathering an early storm, Springfield seized the game’s first goal with three minutes left in the first period. A pass from below the goal line pinballed right to the stick of Juraj Pekarčík, who quickly shuffled the puck across the goal line.
Another bounce benefitted the T-Birds for them to run their lead to 2-0. A backdoor feed was thwarted by the Penguins, but it ricocheted right to Dillon Dubé’s wheelhouse for a half-clapper one-timer that beat Joel Blomqvist at 13:18 of the second stanza.
Aidan McDonough put the Penguins on the board six seconds into their first power play of the night, ringing a wrist shot off the post and in at the 14-minute mark of the middle frame. Two minutes after the celebration, Dubé notched his second goal of the period – also a man-advantage marker – putting the T-Birds back ahead by a pair.
Wasting no time at the start of the third period, Tanner Howe whipped in a shot 77 seconds into the frame while the teams were skating at four-on-four. Another power-play goal by McDonough followed, tying the game 3-3 midway through the period.
Granted its seventh man advantage, Springfield took back the lead for good, albeit under dubious circumstances. Mathieu Joseph let loose with a backhand shot from the slot that glanced off of Blomqvist and went in as the Penguins netminder was collided into by Pekarčík. Despite pleas from Blomqvist and the Penguins, the play was deemed a good goal, making it 4-3 with 4:43 remaining in regulation.
An empty netter by Chris Wagner made it a two-goal edge for the T-Birds, which proved to be valuable insurance when Rafaël Harvey-Pinard chipped one behind Springfield goalie Georgi Romanov with under a minute left to play. A desperate bid to even the scales at five apiece proved unfruitful, and the T-Birds snuck away with the win.
Romanov recorded 27 saves in the victory for Springfield, while Blomqvist posted 17 stops in the loss.
Wilkes-Barre/Scranton’s next game is on Friday, Mar. 6 when the team travels up I-81 to take on the Syracuse Crunch. Game time for the Penguins and Crunch is slated for 7:00 p.m. at Upstate Medical University Arena.
The Penguins’ next home game is Friday, Mar. 13 against the Hershey Bears. Puck drop between the Penguins and Bears is set for 7:05 p.m. at Mohegan Arena at Casey Plaza.
Season-ticket packages for the Penguins’ 2025-26 season, including 12-game, Flexbook and Premium Seating plans, as well as Corporate Partnership opportunities are available by reaching out to the Penguins directly at (570) 208-7367. Individual-game tickets are also available by visiting Ticketmaster.com, the Mohegan Arena at Casey Plaza Box Office or calling the Penguins’ front office at (570) 208-7367.
Every minute of Penguins hockey can be watched online with the league’s streaming service, AHLTV on FloHockey. AHLTV on FloHockey provides its subscribers access to not just every regular-season and Calder Cup Playoff game for all 32 AHL teams, but also more than 21,000 hockey contests from other professional and junior leagues on FloHockey, as well as access to all other live event streams and replays across FloSports.
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