The NHL may be on Olympic hiatus, but the AHL season is still in full swing, following the AHL All-Star Game festivities.
The Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins were crushed 5-0 by the Syracuse Crunch on Saturday and were trying to bounce back with a win against the Cleveland Monsters on Sunday, but that wasn’t supposed to happen. WBS trailed three times during the match and came back to tie each time before losing in overtime, 4-3.
Advertisement
Rutger McGroarty tied the score at one in the first period after pushing the puck from the front of the net. Avery Hayes took the first shot and McGroarty was able to finish the play.
McGroarty was assigned to WBS after the Pittsburgh Penguins defeated the Buffalo swords 5-2 in their last game before the NHL Olympic break. Before being fired, McGroarty was playing very well in the NHL and continues to look even faster. He has also improved defensively and is making quicker decisions with the puck on his stick. He will become a full-time NHL player very soon.
The Monsters took a 2-1 lead later in the first period before Ville Koivunen tied the game with just over a minute left in the period. The Monsters turned the puck over behind the net, leaving Koivunen with a wide open cage. He made no mistakes with the puck, making the score 2-2 heading into the first intermission.
Koivunen has had a few stints in the NHL this season and scored his first NHL goal against the Tampa Bay Lightning back on December 4. It’s been a long time since he had many chances in other games, but he wasn’t getting the rebounds he needed.
Advertisement
He has played in 27 NHL games this season and, according to Natural Stat Trick, has been on the ice for 57.7% of shot attempts, 58.8% of expected goals, 58.9% of scoring chances and 57.2% of high-danger chances. The process is there, but it is now a question of refining the smallest details of your game so that the results arrive. He’s still a player who will soon be back in the NHL.
Emil Pieniniemi scored his first AHL goal to tie the score at three in the third period. He snatched the puck from the left circle, and there was no doubt about it.
Pieniniemi played in six games for WBS this season, recording one goal and three points. This is his first full professional season after finishing the 2024-25 season with 10 goals and 60 points for the OHL’s Kingston Frontenacs.
Advertisement
Avery Hayes didn’t score in Sunday’s game, but he still made his presence felt by dropping the gloves with former Penguin Zach Aston-Reese. He delivered big right punches and got credit for the takedown. What can’t he do at this point?
Hayes recently scored a hat trick for WBS and scored two goals in his NHL debut against the Sabres. It won’t be long before he becomes a full-time NHL player.
Despite this weekend’s back-to-back losses, WBS is still in good shape in the Atlantic Division. WBS is 32-13-3-2, good for 69 points and second place behind the Providence Bruins. The next closest team is the Charlotte Checkers, who are 14 points behind the Penguins.
Advertisement
WBS will look to end its two-game losing streak on Wednesday against the Springfield Thunderbirds, who sit in seventh place in the Atlantic Division with a record of 18-24-4-2. They will then face the Bridgeport Islanders next weekend.
Add THN – Pittsburgh Penguins to your favorites on your Google News tab to keep up with the latest Penguins news, roster moves, player features and more!
