PROVIDENCE, R.I. – The Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins scored a buzzer-beater to force overtime, but ultimately fell by a 5-4 score to the Providence Bruins on Sunday afternoon at Dunkin’ Donuts Center.
Wilkes-Barre/Scranton (23-23-3-4) smothered Providence in the final frame of regulation, with its efforts culminating in a tying goal from Valtteri Puustinen with 3.3 seconds left in regulation. However, Oskar Steen notched the game-winner 24 seconds into the sudden-death session.
A quiet first period ended with the Bruins ahead, 1-0. Providence snapped a 0-0 deadlock on a goal by Cameron Hughes with 2:23 left in the opening frame.
The second period featured far more scoring than the first, as the Penguins and Bruins combined for six tallies. Wilkes-Barre/Scranton earned the first two goals of the period, starting with a power-play goal by Michael Chaput at 4:12. Sam Poulin briefly put the Penguins in a 2-1 lead just two minutes later.
The Bruins responded swiftly and rattled off three consecutive goals. Back-to-back-to-back strikes from Hughes, Victor Berglund and Jack Studnicka put Providence up, 4-2.
Jonathan Gruden pulled the Penguins back within one by stuffing a loose puck across the goal line with 3:51 left before the second intermission.
The Penguins held the Bruins to just one shot on goal during the third period, which came during a five-on-three man advantage. Wilkes-Barre/Scranton came up with a pair of clutch penalty kills late in regulation, and the team went a perfect five-for-five on the P.K. over the course of the game.
Puustinen picked the top corner in the dying seconds of the third, allowing the Penguins to squeeze out a point in the standings.
Playing on fewer than 24 hours rest, Penguins goalie Alex D’Orio recorded 20 saves. Kyle Keyser earned the win with 33 stops for the Bruins.
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