

Photo: JustSports/Hershey Bears

The Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins beat the Hershey Bears 4-3 Saturday night at Giant Center. The teams alternated goals for most of the game, with Alex Alexeyev potting the games first tally on the game’s first shot. The Penguins took a 3-2 lead in the middle frame and added another goal early in the third period to take a 4-2 lead before Matt Moulsen cut the Pens lead to one late in the final frame, but the Bears could not tie the game.

The Bears are back in action on Sunday when they close-out their season-opening two-game homestand with a tilt against the Providence Bruins. Puck drop is set for 5:00 PM at Giant Center.

STARTERS

Vitek Vanecek got the start in goal for the Bears. Casey DeSmith got the start between the pipes for the visiting Penguins.

Scratches: Kris Bindulis, Steve Whitney, Matt Weis, Kale Kessey, Riley Sutter, Tobias Geisser, Kody Clark, Bobby Nardella.

FIRST PERIOD

The Bears struck quickly with a goal on their first shot of the season from Alex Alexeyev at 1:02 of the first period. Garret Pilon would find Alexeyev open cross ice and make a nice backhanded dish to the wide open Russian. Pilon and Erik Burgdoerfer were credited with the helpers.

The Penguins would tie the game with a doorstep goal from Jake Lucchini at 6:45 of the first period.

The Penguins would take their first lead of the game with a goal from Stefan Noesen at 13:36 of the first frame, making it 2-1 Pens.

The Bears would tie the game with a goal from Christian Djoos at 15:35 of the first period. Shane Gersich and Philippe Maillet had the assists. Gerishc would force an initial turnover in the Pens zone, then follow that up with an additional retrieval and feed to Djoos from below the goal line.

The first period would end with the game tied 2-2. The Penguins lead 14-9 in shots on goal for the first 20 minutes.

SECOND PERIOD

The Pens would retake the lead early in the middle frame with a goal from Stefan Noesen at 2:55 of the second period. The goal was Noesen’s second of the contest.

That would be all of the scoring in the middle frame, as the Pens took a 3-2 lead into the second intermission. Bears outshot the Penguins 15-8 for the middle frame. Bears lead 24-22 after two periods.

THIRD PERIOD

The Penguins would stretch their lead to 4-2 with a goal from Anthony Angello at 4:20 of the final frame. Angello was allowed to get behind Lucas Johansen, knocked Johansen off the puck, giving him a clear path to the Bears goal.

The Bears would add a power play goal late from Matt Moulsen at 18:41 to make it 4-3, and that would be the final.

SHAVINGS

The AHL box score is here.

Bears outshot the Penguins 39-30 for the game.

Bears were 1 for 5 and the Penguins 0 for 2 on the power play.

SCENES FROM CHOCOLATETOWN

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