A short-handed goal and an assist by forward Joona Koppanen led the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins to a 3-1 road win against the rival Lehigh Valley Phantoms at the PPL Center in Allentown on Saturday.
Forward Jonathan Gruden and defenseman Ty Smith also scored goals for Wilkes-Barre/Scranton (24-16-6-0) which snapped a three-game losing streak.
Goaltender Joel Blomqvist made 20 saves on 21 shots and improved his record to 14-7-3.
Defenseman John Ludvig and forward Jesse Puljujarvi were each labeled as healthy scratches per the Penguins’ radio broadcast.
Ludvig is currently designated to long-term injured reserve with the Pittsburgh Penguins and was assigned to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton on Jan. 28 for conditioning purposes. On Saturday, he was quietly recalled to the NHL club. Puljujarvi, the fourth-overall selection in the 2016 NHL Draft by the Edmonton Oilers, is signed to a professional tryout contract (PTO) with Wilkes-Barre/Scranton as he rehabilitates from offseason surgery to both hips. In December, he worked out with the Pittsburgh Penguins on a tryout basis.
Highlights:
The Penguins’ next game is a road contest against the Phantoms on Friday, 7:05 p.m.
A goal at 2:56 of overtime by forward Justin Addamo gave the Wheeling Nailers a 4-3 home win against the Orlando Solar Bears at WesBanco Arena in Wheeling, W.Va. The victory extended the Nailers’ winning streak to a season-best eight games.
Addamo scored two goals while forward Tanner Laderoute contributed two assists for Wheeling (24-16-1-1).
Goaltender Jaxon Castor made 22 saves on 25 shots to improve his record to 5-1-0.
The franchise’s longest winning streak since it moved to Wheeling in 1993 is a 12-game stretch between Feb. 20-March 10, 2004.
Highlights:
The Nailers’ next game is a home contest against the Solar Bears on Sunday, 4:10 p.m.
Seth Rorabaugh is a TribLive reporter covering the Pittsburgh Penguins. A North Huntingdon native, he joined the Trib in 2019 and has covered the Penguins since 2007. He can be reached at srorabaugh@triblive.com.