Penguins record third straight shutout over Falcons Murray stops 28 shots to collect fifth shutout of season

WILKES-BARRE, Pa. – For the third time in as many meeting versus the Springfield Falcons, the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins skated to a shutout victory as they triumphed, 4-0, on Tuesday at Mohegan Sun Arena at Casey Plaza.  Penguins goaltender Matt Murray – who has been in net for all three wins against Springfield – made 28 saves to collect his fifth shutout of the season, tying him for the league lead.

Despite the Falcons controlling play for much of the first period, the Penguins were able to take a 1-0 lead into the locker room after heading to the power play just before the intermission.  Taking a drop pass from Nick Drazenovic at the far circle, Scott Wilson cut toward the crease and lifted a shot over the shoulder of Munroe with 2:02 left in the period.   Conor Sheary also provided an assist on what was Wilson’s 10th goal of the season and his seventh in his last seven games.

The score would hold until the 4:07 mark of the third period when Bryan Rust started an odd-man rush across the Falcons blueline and sent a pass to high slot for Nick D’Agostino.  The Wilkes-Barre/Scranton defenseman fired a snapshot that was stopped by Springfield goalie Scott Munroe, but the rebound was put back by Rust to put the Penguins ahead, 2-0.

Wilkes-Barre/Scranton put the game firmly out of reach in the final five minutes of regulation after the Falcons were assessed back-to-back high sticking penalties.  Andrew Ebbett would take advantage not once, but twice over a span of 55 seconds, scoring both 5-on-3 goals on one-timers from the right dot.

Ebbett’s two-goal effort was the second in his last four contests.  Rust and Wilson each gathered a goal and two assists in the match.  Wilkes-Barre/Scranton has outscored Springfield, 14-0, over the first three games of the season series.

Murray now has seven wins, three of them shutouts, in his last three starts and has turned aside all 77 shots he has faced from Springfield this season.  Munroe stopped 22-of-26 as the Falcons winless streak stretched to seven games.