Hershey rallies for overtime win over WBS Penguins in rivalry’s 300th meeting

In their 300th regular-season meeting, the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins and Hershey Bears wrote another thrilling chapter in their storied rivalry. However, the Bears escaped the milestone matchup with a 4-3 overtime win on Friday night at GIANT Center.

The Details

The spirited, back-and-forth game saw Wilkes-Barre/Scranton (7-5-2-0) take a 3-1 lead in the third period, only for Hershey to come back and force an extra frame. Taylor Gauthier delivered another 43-save performance in net, but the Bears’ 47th shot of the night foiled his bid at winning a sixth consecutive game.

The winning goal came 3:30 into overtime, when Gauthier charged out of his crease to thwart a Bears forward who was poised to win a footrace for a loose puck. Gauthier knifed the puck away from the attacker, but it was settled at the right-wing boards by Josh Dunne, who then flicked it into the open net.

The Penguins struck first, stringing together a series of passes that set up Hugh McGing for a power-play goal midway through the first period.

Bears rookie Lynden Lakovic broke loose for a tying tally four and a half minutes later.

Gauthier and the Penguins clamped down on a 57-second, five-on-three penalty kill late in the first period to keep the game tied at intermission.

Harrison Brunicke put Wilkes-Barre/Scranton back ahead, 2-1, out of a chaotic scene at the Hershey net-front. After the Penguins hit the post, players for both teams piled into the crease, lunging at the loose puck. The rebound eventually popped loose for Brunicke to step into a shot that he pounded past an unsuspecting Cal Petersen at 10:26 of the second period.

Hershey was awarded its fifth man advantage of the game early in the third period. Avery Hayes stripped veteran Johnny Brodzinski for a shorthanded breakaway, leading to Hayes’ team-leading eighth goal of the season.

The Bears received a spark when a turnover in the Penguins’ zone quickly resulted in Spencer Smallman snapping one to the back of the net at the seven-minute mark of the third. Bears captain Louie Belpedio sent a seeing-eye shot through traffic and behind Gauthier at 13:01, making it 3-3.

Wilkes-Barre/Scranton and Hershey combined for nine shots during the frenzied overtime, until Dunne brought the game to an end.

The Penguins went 1-for-3 on the power play and 6-for-6 on the P.K. with a shorthanded goal, but still suffered their second loss of the week. Petersen earned his first career win over the Penguins by making 26 saves.

Wilkes-Barre/Scranton’s next game is back on home ice Saturday when the Hamilton Hammers come to town for their first-ever showdown with the Penguins.

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