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WILKES-BARRE TWP. — Before Saturday’s game against the Syracuse Crunch, the last time a Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins player scored two short-handed goals in the same game was in 2006.
The last time Kevin Porter did it?
“Today,” he said. “That was the first time I’d ever done that. Maybe in pee wees.”
On a night when the Penguins penalty kill not only kept an opponent out of the game once again, but won it as well, Porter’s two shorthanded goals led to a 3-1 win. Porter’s goals came less than two minutes apart, and Dominik Simon added an insurance tally late to seal the win. The game also marked the second straight stellar goaltending effort for the Penguins, and this time it was Casey DeSmith stopping 25-of-26 shots in his first start this season.
After being blanked for four consecutive periods dating back to Friday’s 1-0 loss to Springfield, Porter broke the drought during a Syracuse second period power play. As the Crunch tried to set up in the Penguins end, Porter stole the puck in the neutral zone for a breakaway, beating netminder Adam Wilcox with a shot in the top corner.
Porter said his goals were the result of the Penguins exposing a Syracuse weakness.
“They were kind of lackadaisical on the power play. We watched it on video and knew we had to pressure them hard,” Porter said. “Just pressure them a little bit and they’re going to turn the puck over.”
The goal made it 1-0, and Porter wasn’t done yet.
On a separate Syracuse power play less than two minutes later, Porter stole the puck from defenseman Dylan Blujus in the Crunch zone and quickly skated in to beat Wilcox top shelf again.
” I’m just looking for an opening. I like to shoot high glove and I saw an opening there,” Porter said of his second goal. “It worked the first time, so I decided to try it again.”
That gave Porter his second shorthanded goal in a span of 1:19 and put the Penguins up 2-0. The last Penguins player to scored twice in the same game while shorthanded was Jonathan Filewich, who accomplished the feat on Dec. 23, 2006 in a 4-1 win over Norfolk.
After Porter’s second goal, Syracuse did connect on the remainder of the power play to cut the Penguins lead to 2-1 in a period marred by seven minor penalties.
But the shorthanded tallies swung the momentum in the Penguins direction for the rest of the game.
“It’s huge (to score shorthanded),” Porter said. “You get amped up for the PK and score a goal, it takes the wind out of their sails.
Simon put the game away when he sent a wrister from the slot over Wilcox to give the Penguins a 3-1 lead with four minutes remaining. Porter earned an assist on the play, giving him three points on the night, and Reid Gardiner was credited with a helper as well for his first pro point.
Head coach Clark Donatelli also noted his team’s strong defensive play – which has now allowed just two goals in as many games. And despite an 0-for-8 showing on the power play, Donatelli wasn’t discouraged.
“I would be concerned if we weren’t getting chances. We had eight or nine scoring chances and we’re doing the right stuff. The pucks just didn’t go in,” he said.
NOTES
– D Ethan Prow, D Stuart Percy (injury), RW Patrick McGrath, LW Sahir Gill and C Oskar Sundqvist were scratched for the Penguins. Forwards Adam Krause and Jarrett Burton and defenseman Barry Goers were inserted into the lineup for the first time this season.
– Percy has a lower body injury and is considered week-to-week. Donatelli said Sundqvist, who recently returned from an injury, sat out the game to rest.
– The Penguins wrap up their three-in-three on Sunday in Hershey.
