GAME STORY: Binghamton - 4 at W-B/Scranton - 3 (OT) 2/8/21

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WILKES-BARRE, Pa. - The Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins (0-0-1) opened their regular season schedule Monday evening at home against the Binghamton Devils (1-0-0), this after the game originally scheduled Saturday needed to be moved to Monday due to the league's covid protocol involving the Binghamton Devils staff.

The Penguins had a 3-1 lead going to the third period, but the Devils stormed back to force overtime before completing the comeback with a 4-3 win in the 3-on-3.

Reilly Walsh tallied the game-winner for his first career pro goal, while Nolan Foote, Danick Martel and Ryan Schmelzer added a goal and an assist each. Evan Cormier stopped 20 of 23 for the win.

The Penguins got stellar goaltending from Emil Larmi, especially in the first period, but his 30 saves weren't enough Monday night. Team captain Josh Currie, Jordy Bellerive and Justin Almeida recorded goals in the loss.

Rosters And Lineups

Wilkes-Barre/Scranton

Tim Schaller - Josh Currie - Nick Schilkey Justin Almeida - Radim Zohorna - Micheal Joly Jordan Nolan - Jordy Bellerive - Kyle Olson Jonathan Gruden - Chase Berger - Zach Nastasiuk

Jon Lizotte - Will Reilly Cam Lee - Bill Sweezey Matt Miller - Josh Maniscalco

Emil Larmi

Binghamton Devils

Brett Seney - Ben Street - Nolan Foote Brandon Gignac - Travis St. Denis - Fabian Zetterlund Marian Studenic - Cam Darcy - Nate Schnarr Danick Martel - Ryan Schmelzer - Tyler Irvine

Colton White - Jeremy Groleau Nikita Okhotiuk - Josh Jacobs Michael Vukojevic - Reilly Walsh

Evan Cormier

GAME STORY

1st Period

It was a typical first-game start for both teams, as things were kind of sluggish in the opening minutes.

Binghamton got to their game as the period wore on, peppering Penguins' goalie Emil Larmi with 12-first period shots. Unfortunately for the Devils, Larmi was on his game - stopping all 12 and really keeping the Pens from getting behind big early.

While the Penguins were only able to manage six shots on net in the opening period, they were able to take a 1-0 lead with just over five minutes left before the first intermission after some strong work on the puck in the offensive zone by Jordy Bellerive.

Bellerive took a pass from Jordan Nolan and although his progress was stopped along the right-wing wall initially, Bellerive fought it off and fired a puck on net. Devils goalie Evan Cormier made the stop, but lost track of the rebound - with Bellerive following up his own shot and getting a rebound tally for the Penguins' opening goal of the season.

The Devils nearly tied it in the final minute of the period, if not for a tremendous pair of saves by Larmi.

Nolan Foote led an odd-man rush into the Devils' offensive zone, sending a pass under a sliding Penguins' defender across to Brett Seney for a quick shot. The rebound popped into the slot where Ben Street figured he had an easy put-back tap in. Somehow, Larmi dove back across the crease to come up with a huge save to preserve the Penguins' lead heading into the middle frame.

2nd Period

The Penguins got to their game in the middle frame, out-shooting the Devils 13-6 in the stanza and stretching their lead to 3-1 thanks to a late-period power play goal and a Devils' own-goal.

But not before Nolan Foote tallied his first career pro goal for the Devils and temporarily tied the game at 1-1 with 6:25 left before the second intermission.

Foote was stoned on a mini break-in on Larmi, but later in the shift was at the side of the net when a shot by Colton White from the left-wing wall bounced in past the Penguins' goalie off of Foote's..... foot.

Wilkes-Barre/Scranton re-gained the lead at 2-1 with just under three minutes left before the intermission on a power play tally from newly named team captain Josh Currie.

Then, things got weird.

While on another power play at the end of the period, the Penguins' Micheal Joly was tagged for a delayed penalty call.

Devils goaltender Evan Cormier began to head to the bench, and as the Devils were bringing the puck up ice they attempted a blind pass backward to no one.

The puck glided into the empty net and Penguins' forward Jordan Nolan made sure to box out a Devils defender diving in to attempt to swat it out of harms way.

Justin Almedia was credited with the goal, which technically counts as a power play tally as Binghamton's Travis St. Denis was serving the final seconds of his roughing minor.

The goal gave the Penguins a 3-1 lead heading to the 3rd.

Third Period

The Devils needed to have a strong effort in the final period if they were to have any chance of coming back. Their fourth line of Danick Martel, Ryan Schmelzer and Tyler Irvine stepped up to even the game at 3-3 in the first half of the period.

First, Martel finished off a play at the net front 4:20 into the period to draw the Devils within a goal. Their relentless pressure continued, and the 4th line was again on the ice to tie the game at 3-3 when Ryan Schmelzer picked up his first tally of the season at 9:55.

Out-shot in the period 15-4, the Penguins had a chance to re-gain the lead in the final five minutes after Devils forward Brandon Gignac was whistled for tripping. Despite being 2-for-3 on the man advantage, they weren't able to cash in on their fourth power play of the contest - sending the 3-3 game into overtime.

Overtime

The Devils completed the comeback in the extra session, with Nolan Foote spotting an open Reilly Walsh at the center point. Walsh beat Larmi with a quick wrist shot from between the circles to give Binghamton the come-from-behind 4-3 win.

GAME SUMMARY

1st Period

14:28: WBS - Bellerive (1) - Nolan, Lee 20:00: WBS - Bellerive, minor (roughing) 20:00: BNG - Martel, minor (roughing)

2nd Period

2:24: BNG - (PP) Vukojevic, minor (high-sticking) 10:23: WBS - (PP) Currie, minor (delay of game) 13:35: BNG - Foote (1) - White, Seney 13:59: WBS - (PP) Reilly, minor (high-sticking) 16:19: BNG - (PP) Martel, minor (boarding) 17:01: WBS - PPG Currie (1) - Lee, Schilkey 17:25: BNG - (PP) St. Denis, minor (roughing) 19:20: WBS - Almeida (1) - unassisted 3rd Period

4:20: BNG - Martel (1) - Irvine, Vukojevic 9:55: BNG - Schmelzer (1) - Martel, Vukojevic 15:19: BNG - (PP) Gignac, minor (tripping)

Overtime

1:49: BNG - Walsh (1) - Schmelzer, Foote

BOXSCORE

Binghamton    0 - 1 - 2 - 1 = 4 W-B/Scranton  1 - 2 - 0 - 0 = 3

Shots

Binghamton    12 - 6 - 15 - 1 = 34 W-B/Scranton   6 - 13 - 4 = 23

Goalies

BNG: Evan Cormier (20 saves - 23 shots) WBS: Emil Larmi (30 saves - 34 shots)

Power Play

BNG: 0-for-3 WBS: 2-for-4

Penalty Kill

BNG: 2-for-4 WBS: 3-for-3