PENS OPEN SEASON WITH GRITTY 2-1 WIN OVER WOLF PACK
WILKES-BARRE, Pa. – The Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins defeated the Hartford Wolf Pack, 2-1, to open the 2025-26 season on Saturday night at Mohegan Arena at Casey Plaza.
Wilkes-Barre/Scranton (1-0-0-0) surrendered the first goal on opening night, but received strikes from Valtteri Puustinen and Owen Pickering in the second and third periods, respectively, to rally in front of the home crowd.
This marked the Penguins’ seventh-straight win over the Wolf Pack, dating back to last season.
Hartford seized the first lead of the game with an extra-attacker goal at 10:43 of the first frame. During a delayed penalty, the Wolf Pack shuffled the puck around the Penguins’ zone and created a one-timer in the slot for Trey Fix-Wolansky to pound to the back of the net.
The Penguins answered at 8:32 of the second period. Following a long, arial exit from their zone, Sam Poulin and Joona Koppanen cycled the puck behind the Hartford net. After winning a battle in the trenches, Koppanen swept the puck to Puustinen, who let loose with a pinpoint release to the far corner.
With that goal, Puustinen gathered his 150th career point in a Wilkes-Barre/Scranton uniform, tying him with Kris Beech for seventh all-time in team history.
Early in the third period, Pickering lit the lamp thanks to a seeing-eye shot through traffic. That put the Penguins in a 2-1 lead that they never relinquished.
Sergei Murashov stymied a late surge by Hartford to finish the night with 23 saves. Wolf Pack goalie Dyan Garand was credited with 26 saves in the loss.
Wilkes-Barre/Scranton’s next game is on the road tomorrow, Sunday, Oct. 12, against the Lehigh Valley Phantoms. Game time between the Penguins and Phantoms is scheduled for 3:05 p.m. at PPL Center.
Season-ticket packages for the Penguins’ 2025-26 season, including Full-Season, 22-game, 12-game, Flexbook and Premium Seating plans, as well as Corporate Partnership opportunities are available by reaching out to the Penguins directly at (570) 208-7367. Individual-game tickets are also available by visiting Ticketmaster.com, the Mohegan Arena at Casey Plaza Box Office or calling the Penguins’ front office at (570) 208-7367.
Every minute of Penguins hockey can be watched online with the league’s streaming service, AHLTV on FloHockey. AHLTV on FloHockey provides its subscribers access to not just every regular-season and Calder Cup Playoff game for all 32 AHL teams, but also more than 21,000 hockey contests from other professional and junior leagues on FloHockey, as well as access to all other live event streams and replays across FloSports.
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