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WILKES-BARRE TWP — When John Hynes coached Wilkes-Barre/Scranton and Matt Murray was his goaltender, it was common for the Penguins to limit teams to one or two goals each night.

Two years after Hynes went to the NHL, Clark Donatelli stands behind the bench, Tristan Jarry controls the net and teams still can’t score more than a goal or two against the Penguins.

On Wednesday, it was the team that serves as the AHL affiliate for the Hynes’ New Jersey Devils that was smothered by the Penguins.

For the fourth consecutive game, Wilkes-Barre/Scranton limited its opponent to one goal in a 3-1 win over the Albany Devils. Jarry stopped 19 of 20 shots and the Penguins scored an even strength, power play and shorthanded goal.

The loss was the first for the Devils (6-1), who came into the game as the hottest team in the AHL and a squad known for being dangerous off the start.

“We knew they were a good team and they’ve been on a streak. We just wanted to come in and execute, outwork them and get that momentum in our favor, and I think we did that,” said defenseman Chad Ruhwedel, who scored his first goal of the season on Wednesday.

The Penguins established their dominance in the first period, outshooting Albany 17-7 and getting on the board first during one of four power plays in the period.

With less than two minutes left, Ruhwedel sent a low shot in from the point that snuck through traffic in front and beat Scott Wedgewood for a 1-0 lead.

The goal was the Penguins first power play tally in their last 19 chances, and it marked the second time this season that Albany didn’t carry a lead out of the opening period.

“Our power play hasn’t scored in a little while, so it was good to get that goal,” Ruhwedel said. “It got the ball rolling for us.”

The Penguins carried their hot start into the second period and established a 3-0 lead despite four power plays for Albany.

During the Devils’ second power play of the period, the Penguins generated a 3-on-1 rush with Josh Archibald finishing via a shot into the far corner.

Late in the period Sahir Gill faked a shot and dished a pass to Jake Guentzel, who streaked in alone and buried a shot for a 3-0 lead.

Despite stopping 25-of-28 shots through two periods, Wedgewood was pulled for Mackenzie Blackwood to start the third.

On the night, the Penguins penalty kill was perfect on five chances and is now an AHL -best 23-for-24 on the season.

“The guys are executing, talking and communicating out there,” Donatelli said. “They’re blocking shots and doing the little things.”

Ruhwedel said he expected Albany to get some power play chances later in the game as things evened out, but it didn’t change the Penguins’ approach.

“You kind of expected it, but we didn’t care if they got power plays or not,” he said. “We were going to keep the pedal down.”

Albany did chip in a goal midway through the first period to make things interesting, but the defense and Jarry mitigated any comeback to keep the 3-1 lead intact.

On the season, the Penguins defense has allowed just six goals in five games. Wednesday’s effort against Albany proved to be another strong showing for a defense corps that keeps building its confidence with each game.

“That’s a good team over there,” Donatelli said of Albany. “To hold them to one goal and 20 shots, it’s a good job and solid team defense.”

NOTES

D Stuart Percy (injury), LW Kevin Porter (injury), RW Patrick McGrath, C Adam Krause and D Barry Goers were scratched for the Penguins. Donatelli said Porter is day-to-day with an upper-body injury.

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By Tom Venesky

[email protected]

Penguins 3, Albany 1

Albany`0`0`1 — 1

Penguins`1`2`0 — 3

First Period

Scoring – 1. WBS, Chad Ruhwedel 1 (Rowney, Guentzel) power play 18:10. Penalties – ALB, Thomson (interference) 2:38; ALB, Helgeson (holding) 12:28; ALB, Quenneville (interference, high-sticking) 17:21; WBS, Gardiner (goaltender interference) 18:27.

Second Period

Scoring – 2. WBS, Josh Archibald 2 unassisted, shorthanded 5:46. Penalties – WBS, Wilson (elbowing) 3:59; WBS, Burton (tripping) tripping) 8:16; WBS, Simon (hooking) 11:01; ALB, Wood (roughing) 12:45; WBS, McNeill (roughing) 12:45; WBS, Oleksy (tripping) 13:41; ALB, Gormley (cross-checking) 18:45; ALB, Santini (fighting) 18:45; ALB, Sexton (roughing) 18:45; WBS, Haggerty (fighting) 18:45; WBS, Sundqvist (roughing) 18:45.

Third Period

Scoring – 3. ALB, Nick Lappin 1 (Pietila, Gibbons) 8:05. Penalties – ALB, Wood (goaltender interference) 12:29; ALB, Helgeson (slashing) 12:48.

Shots on goal

Albany – 7-7-6-20; Penguins – 17-11-8-36.

Power-play Opportunities

Albany – 0 of 5; Penguins – 1 of 7.

Goaltenders

Albany – Scott Wedgewood 3-1-0 (25 saves – 28 shots); Mackenzie Blackwood – start of the third period (8-8); Penguins – Tristan Jarry 3-1-0 (19-20)

Starters

Albany – G Scott Wedgewood, D Andrew MacWilliam, D Reese Scarlett, LW Brian Gibbons, C Blake Coleman, RW Miles Wood

Penguins – G Tristan Jarry, D Tim Erixon, D Steve Oleksy, LW Jarrett Burton, C Jean-Sebastien Dea, RW Ryan Haggerty

Three Stars

1. WBS, Jake Guentzel (goal, assist) 2. WBS, Josh Archibald (game-winning goal) 3. WBS, Chad Ruhwedel (goal)

Referee – Tim Mayer, Stephen Reneau. Linesmen – Leo Boylan, Matt McNulty.

Attendance – 4,105

Reach Tom Venesky at 570-991-6395 or on Twitter @TLTomVenesky