1/25- Penguins Fall in Overtime 4-3
By: Phil Schoener
Updated: January 26, 2012
WILKES-BARRE, Pa. - The Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins erased a two-goal period deficit in the third period, but were defeated in overtime by the Providence Bruins, 4-3, on Wednesday at Mohegan Sun Arena at Casey Plaza. Wilkes-Barre/Scranton went to 25-12-2-4 on the season and moved into sole possession of first place in the East Division.
Down by a score of 3-1 in the third, defenseman Joey Mormina pulled the Penguins within a goal at 5:48 as he sidestepped a Bruins forward and snapped a shot from the far circle to the top corner of the net.
Less than three minutes later, Wilkes-Barre/Scranton evened the contest at three when Geoff Walker spun out of the near corner and whipped a shot that rolled up the stick of Providence goalie Anton Khudobin and across the goal line.
In the overtime period, Craig Cunningham needed only 27 seconds to give the Bruins the win, intercepting a pass in front of the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton net and send a quick backhander past a sprawled out Brad Thiessen.
The Penguins' early game woes on home ice continued as the Bruins found the back of the net just 42 seconds into the match. Josh Hennessy took a faceoff win and centered a pass that Jordan Caron tipped over the leg pad of Scott Munroe.
Providence pushed its lead to 2-0 at 15:47 of the same period when David Warsofsky trailed in on a 4-on-3 rush and fired a shot from the center point that sneaked inside the near post.
Wilkes-Barre/Scranton tallied its first goal 66 seconds later as Matt Rust set up Colin McDonald in the high slot where he beat Khudobin with a quick wrist shot for his 12th goal of the year.
Holding a one-goal edge going into the second period, the Bruins went up, 3-1, at 4:31 of the frame. Trent Whitfield took a center-ice turnover and broke down the left wing before letting a loose a shot that eluded the glove of Munroe. Munroe would exit the game in favor of Thiessen, having made seven saves on ten shots.
Thiessen suffered the loss despite turning aside 8-of-9 shots in 36:14 of relief work.
