The Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins were on the wrong end of a 5-3 decision against the Utica Comets on Friday night at Adirondack Bank Center.
Wilkes-Barre/Scranton (20-10-4-0) received two points from Jesse Puljujärvi and Dan Renouf scored his first goal as a Penguin, but the team never led after allowing a goal four and a half minutes into the game.
Utica opened the offense on a net-front redirection by the team’s leading scorer, Brian Halonen.
Renouf pulled the Penguins even at 11:07 with his first tally in a Wilkes-Barre/Scranton uniform. However, the Comets responded four minutes later with a seeing-eye shot from Colton White.
Utica extended its lead to 3-1 when Xavier Parent took advantage of a Penguins turnover early in the second period.
At this point, the Penguins used a vicious forecheck and stretch passes in the neutral zone to generate many excellent scoring chances, but Comets netminder Nico Daws stepped up to keep his team’s lead intact. Among the flurry of middle-frame saves Daws made were a post-to-post denial of a Rutger McGroarty one-timer and a breakaway stop on Puljujärvi.
Tristan Jarry helped set up a power-play goal for Wilkes-Barre/Scranton that brought his team back within one. Jarry launched a pass to the far blue line for Avery Hayes, who found Puljujärvi streaking behind the Comets’ defense. Hayes knifed the puck to Puljujärvi, who quickly put a shot past Daws’ glove hand at 14:21 of the second stanza.
Parent scored again midway through the third period, reestablishing a two-goal edge for the home team.
Valtteri Puustinen picked up his second helper of the night on an extra-attacker goal from Sam Poulin. Poulin’s strike came with 106 seconds left in regulation, but instead of an extra-attacker equalizer, the time remaining led to an empty netter from Comets captain Ryan Schmelzer.
Jarry made 22 saves on 26 shots faced for the Penguins. Daws finished the game with a total of 32 stops.
Wilkes-Barre/Scranton’s next game is a rematch with Utica at home on Saturday. Puck drop for the Penguins and Comets is set for 6:05 p.m. at Mohegan Arena.
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