Timesleader

Late Goal Allows Pens To Earn Tie With Albany

M.Davis3 months ago

By STEVE SEMBRAT [email protected]
Sunday, November 04, 2001 Page: 12C

ALBANY – Maybe Saturday will be a turning point for Robert Dome.

Maybe this past weekend will be a turning point for Wilkes-Barre/Scranton
as well.
Time will tell.

For the moment, though, Dome’s outstanding play and late goal gave the
Penguins reason to smile. Dome scored on a power play with 1:57 left in
regulation, lifting Wilkes-Barre/Scranton (2-9-2-1, seven points) to a 5-5 tie
with Albany in front of a crowd of 3,131 at the Pepsi Arena.

Wilkes-Barre/Scranton squandered two leads in the game, but rallied to
salvage the tie.

Dome refused comment after the game. Penguins coach Glenn Patrick said
Dome’s performance was one of the highlights.

“Robert played a great game,” Patrick said. “That might have been his
best game ever for us.”

Dome played for Wilkes-Barre/Scranton during its inaugural season. Because
of a contract dispute, the native of Slovakia returned to Europe and played in
the Czech Republic last season. He returned to the Pittsburgh organization
this season, but has struggled so far, and was a healthy scratch in 10 of the
Penguins’ first 14 games.

“He was playing physically,” Patrick said of Dome. “He was doing the
things you need to do to get the puck.”

Dome stormed the net and flipped a rebound over Albany goalie J.F.
Damphousse at 18:03. It salvaged a point for the Penguins, and gave them three
for the weekend after a 4-3 overtime victory on Friday at previously
undefeated Quebec.

“It was a great weekend for us,” Patrick said. “We felt we played well
enough to get a win (against Albany), but we were happy to get the point.

“Any time you get a late goal to get a point, you feel good about it.”

It was the kind of game that ended up in a loss during the first month of
the season.

Albany grabbed a 1-0 lead on its first shot on goal. A misplayed puck
allowed the River Rats a 2-on-1 break. Brian Gionta capitalized on it when he
zipped a wrist shot past goalie Sebastien Caron from the right offensive
faceoff circle 59 seconds into the game.

Wilkes-Barre/Scranton dominated the next 12 minutes and grabbed a 3-1 lead.

Penguins center Michal Sivek tied the score when he deflected in defenseman
Peter Ratchuk’s shot from the blue line at 9:11 during a five-on-three power
play. Tom Kostopoulos put Wilkes-Barre/Scranton ahead when he jammed home a
pass from Martin Sonnenberg at 10:50. David Koci made it 3-1 44 seconds later
with his first professional goal.

The lead didn’t last, though.

Stanislav Gron pulled the River Rats within 3-2 at 14:33 of the first
period. He slammed in a pass from Daryl Andrews after Albany got
Wilkes-Barre/Scranton running around in its own zone. The River Rats tied it
at 3 on Ted Drury’s power play goal at 16:29 of the first.

The second period featured a drastic change in the style of play, as there
were few shots and scoring chances. Wilkes-Barre/Scranton took a 4-3 lead
thanks to a kind bounce. As Albany attempted to clear the puck around the
boards and out of its zone, the puck hit Drury and deflected right to
Kostopoulos, who beat Damphousse at 15:03.

Kostopoulos had two goals on Friday at Quebec, including the winner in
overtime, and now has eight for the season.

“I’m getting chances and things are kind of going my way,” Kostopoulos
said.

“I like the way we’re competing now. We really stuck together as a team.”

Albany took a 5-4 lead in the third period on two shots on which Caron
probably should have come up with a save. Christian Berglund scored from a
sharp angle on a power play to tie the score at 4 at 8:07. The River Rats took
the lead on Jason Lehoux’s unassisted goal at 11:14. Lehoux took a long wrist
shot that Caron gloved and couldn’t hold, and Lehoux was able to score on the
rebound.

“We’re happy with getting three points this weekend,” Patrick said.
“We’re definitely not happy with letting in five goals. We’re not satisfied
with our goals against at all.”


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