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WILKES-BARRE — The Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins found the perfect remedy for their recent goal scoring woes on Friday night when they faced the team that has allowed the most goals in the league.

The end result, an 8-1 win over the Hartford Wolf Pack with goals by eight different players. Derrick Pouliot recorded the first four-point game of his AHL career while his partner on the blueline, Barry Goers, had his first three-point night with a goal and two assists to surpass the 100-point milestone for his pro career.

Jean-Sebastien Dea and Kevin Porter each added a goal and two assists while Casey DeSmith stopped 19 of 20 shots for his 16th win.

Coming off a 3-0 shutout loss to the Lehigh Valley Phantoms on Wednesday, a lopsided win was exactly what the 40-17-3-0 Penguins needed.

“It’s nice when you have those games where everything you touch, every play you make seems to turn out good,” Pouliot said. “It was a great bounce-back game for us.”

The Penguins wasted no time taking control of things when Pouliot connected on a long wrister from inside the blueline to make for a 1-0 lead six minutes into the game.

On his next shift, Pouliot skated the puck deep into the Hartford end and slid a pass across the crease to Jarrett Burton for the easy tap in and a 2-0 lead.

Porter closed out the period with the third Penguins goal when he backhanded a rebound from a David Warsofksy shot.

The Penguins kept rolling in the second period, Dea’s deflection made it 4-0 and, after a Hartford goal to chip at the lead, Sahir Gill made it 5-1 when he flipped a puck in the net from the crease.

At the other end, DeSmith wasn’t tested as Hartford was limited to 14 shots through two periods – including five in the second – but he did come up big with several saves during a Wolf Pack power play in the first period.

The scoring parade continued in the third period minutes after the Penguins killed off a four-minute minor to Thomas Di Pauli for high-sticking.

Dominik Simon skated to the side of the Hartford net and threw a pass in front that deflected off the blade of Wolf Pack’s Garrett Noonan and into the net for a 6-1 lead.

Tom Kostopoulos became the seventh different goal scorer of the night for the Penguins when he shoveled in a rebound during a power play for a 7-1 lead. The goal was the 21st of the season for Kostopoulos, tying him for the team lead with Jake Guentzel.

During the final minutes of the game, Goers became scorer No. 8 for the Penguins when he flipped a shot into the net to make it 8-1.

Head coach Clark Donatelli was happy to see his team score consistently throughout all three periods.

“It’s been tough for us to score some goals of late,” he said, adding his team did a good job of going to the net. “We executed our game plan and the puck was going in the net.”

On Saturday, the Penguins face the Providence Bruins, who are six points behind for first place in the Atlantic Division. The Penguins hope the momentum from Friday’s eight-goal performance carries over.

“It’s always fun to see everybody be a part of the scoring,” Dea said. “The boys are smiling. That’s all that matters.”

NOTES

• F Oskar Sundqvist was recalled to Pittsburgh on Friday and Adam Krause was brought up from Wheeling to take his place.

• The Penguins had seven different goal scorers in a game three times – twice in 2005 and once in 2007.

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Penguins wing Ryan Haggerty, center, tries to put the puck in the net as Hartford goaltender Mackenzie Skapski, along with, defenseman Garrett Noonan (49) and Michael Paltiotta attempt to keep the puck away.
https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/web1_TTL031117pens_wp1_faa.jpg.optimal.jpgPenguins wing Ryan Haggerty, center, tries to put the puck in the net as Hartford goaltender Mackenzie Skapski, along with, defenseman Garrett Noonan (49) and Michael Paltiotta attempt to keep the puck away. Fred Adams | For Times Leader

Penguins defenseman Derrick Pouliot celebrates the second goal of the game, scored by Jarrett Burton, in the first period.
https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/web1_TTL031117pens_wp2_faa.jpg.optimal.jpgPenguins defenseman Derrick Pouliot celebrates the second goal of the game, scored by Jarrett Burton, in the first period. Fred Adams | For Times Leader

Penguins’ Adam Krause pushes his way between Hartford defenders Phillip McRea and Michael Paltiotta (44) during Friday night’s game at the Mohegan Sun Arena.
https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/web1_TTL031117pens_wp3_faa.jpg.optimal.jpgPenguins’ Adam Krause pushes his way between Hartford defenders Phillip McRea and Michael Paltiotta (44) during Friday night’s game at the Mohegan Sun Arena. Fred Adams | For Times Leader

Penguins’ Josh Archibald cuts around a Hartford defender to head toward the goal.
https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/web1_TTL031117pens_wp4_faa.jpg.optimal.jpgPenguins’ Josh Archibald cuts around a Hartford defender to head toward the goal. Fred Adams | For Times Leader

Penguins’ Thomas Di Pauli lays a shoulder into Hartford defenseman Ryan Graves.
https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/web1_TTL031117pens_wp5_faa.jpg.optimal.jpgPenguins’ Thomas Di Pauli lays a shoulder into Hartford defenseman Ryan Graves. Fred Adams | For Times Leader

By Tom Venesky

[email protected]

Penguins 8, Hartford 1

Hartford`0`1`0`—`1

Penguins`3`2`3`—`8

First Period

Scoring – 1. WBS, Derrick Pouliot 6 (Goers, Dea) 6:27. 2. WBS, Jarrett Burton 3 (Pouliot, DeSmith) 8:15. 3. WBS, Kevin Porter 10 (Warsofsky) 19:42. Penalties – HFD, Noonan (roughing) 5:44; WBS, Haggerty (roughing) 5:44; HFD, Paliotta (holding) 10:45; WBS, Burton (interference) 13:19.

Second Period

Scoring – 4. WBS, Jean-Sebastien Dea 17 (Goers, Pouliot) 5:50. 5. HFD, Taylor Beck 14 (Joly, Summers) 9:02. 6. WBS, Sahir Gill 5 (Krause, Dea) 14:22. Penalties – None.

Third Period

Scoring – 7. WBS, Dominik Simon 10 (Porter, Prow) 6:53. 8. WBS, Tom Kostopoulos 21 (Porter, Warsofsky) power play 10:17. 9. WBS, Barry Goers 2 (Pouliot) 17:49. Penalties – WBS, Di Pauli (high-sticking – double minor) 1:39; HFD, Hughes (slashing) 9:32; WBS, Haggerty (slashing) 10:44; WBS, Porter (cross-checking) 13:43; HFD, Matt Carey (tripping) 14:30.

Shots on goal

Hartford – 9-5-6-20

Penguins – 15-9-11-35

Power-play Opportunities

Hartford – 0 of 5

Penguins – 1 of 3

Goaltenders

Hartford – Mackenzie Skapski 1-7-0 (27 saves – 35 shots)

Penguins – Casey DeSmith 16-4-2 (19-20)

Starters

Hartford – G Mackenzie Skapski, D Ryan Graves, D Chris Summers, LW Michael Joly, C Marek Hrivik, RW Taylor Beck

Penguins – G Casey DeSmith, D Barry Goers, D Derrick Pouliot, LW Dominik Simon, C Teddy Blueger, RW Josh Archibald

Three Stars

1. WBS, Derrick Pouliot (goal, three assists) 2. WBS, Jean-Sebastien Dea (goal, two assists) 3. WBS, Kevin Porter (goal, two assists)

Referees – Cameron Voss, Michael Mullen. Linesmen – Jud Ritter, Kory Nagy

Attendance – 5,177

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

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Derrick Pouliot talks about his four-point game.

Video Credit: Tom Venesky | Times Leader

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