ROCHESTER, N.Y. – The second line of the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins put together one of the team’s top performances of the season in a 3-2 overtime loss to the Rochester Americans at Blue Cross Arena on Sunday evening.
The Penguins’ offensive unit of Tom Kostopoulos, Sahir Gill, and Carter Rowney combined for six total points and was responsible for all of Wilkes-Barre/Scranton’s scoring.
The second line strung together a picture perfect passing play with Rowney finishing off the sequence, giving Wilkes-Barre/Scranton a 1-0 lead 3:54 into the first period.
Rochester’s William Carrier corralled a rebound at 4:24 of the second period, tying the game, 1-1.
Kostopoulos, Gill, and Rowney combined for another marker, this time with the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton captain, Kostopoulos, putting the puck in the net for a 2-1 Penguins lead at 6:15 of the middle frame.
Carrier got his second of the evening after tipping in a shot on the rush, once again tying the score, 2-2.
After a scoreless third, the game went to overtime. It was the sixth time in the past 10 Wilkes-Barre/Scranton games that required the extra frame to determine a winner.
Without a single power play heading into the OT session, the Americans went to the man advantage after the Penguins were booked for tripping. On the ensuing four-on-three power play, Cal O’Reilly tapped in a loose puck for the game-winner.
As a result, Rochester finished the game one-for-one on the man advantage. Wilkes-Barre/Scranton did not convert on any of its three power play opportunities.
Tristan Jarry made 27 saves in net for the Penguins, while Nathan Lieuwen turned aside 36 shots between the pipes for the Americans.
With Penguins game report