Wilkes-Barre/Scranton topples Bridgeport, 5-1

WILKES-BARRE, Pa. – It was an evening of many firsts at Webster Bank Arena on Sunday.

First goals, first points, first wins and first losses all showed up on the score sheet when things were all said and done between the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins and Bridgeport Sound Tigers, with the Penguins ultimately coming out on top by a score of 5-1.

Bridgeport came into the game as the AHL’s top team, undefeated at 5-0-0-0, but now it has one blemish on its record thanks in large part to the 35 saves Tristan Jarry made between the pipes for Wilkes-Barre/Scranton in his professional debut.

Kael Mouillierat opened the scoring with a power play marker and his first goal as a Penguin at 11:11 of the first period.

Oskar Sundqvist scored his first goal with Wilkes-Barre/Scranton and his first goal in North America by redirecting a Will O’Neill blast from the point past Stephon Williams with less than three minutes left in the first.

Tom Sestito netted his first goal in a Penguins uniform, too, and he got it by batting in a loose puck around the crease. Steve Oleksy was awarded the secondary assist on the Sestito goal that put Wilkes-Barre/Scranton up 3-0, giving the defenseman his first point as a Penguin.

Conor Sheary added another power play goal late in the second, beating Williams five-hole to put the Penguins up 4-1.

Carter Rowney extended Wilkes-Barre/Scranton’s lead to 5-1 at 6:38 of the third frame on the Penguins’ 32^ndshot of the game, and an assist to Sheary on the goal gave him his second point of the evening.

Scott Wilson finished the game with two assists.

Bridgeport’s lone goal came courtesy of Ryan Pulock scoring at 12:36 of the second period on a four-on-three man advantage.

The Penguins penalty kill went six-for-seven on the evening, and has now killed 16 out of 18 (88.8%) mad advantages this season. The Penguins power play converted twice on five chances, improving to 36.8% on the season.

The Sound Tigers’ Stephon Williams made 24 saves on 29 shots, and was handed his first loss of 2015-16.

Sundqvist’s first period tally completed all of the Penguins’ European newcomers’ quests for their first AHL goals, as Niclas Andersén and Dominik Simon scored the night before against Lehigh Valley.