Timesleader

Penguins End Win Drought On Road

J.Lee3 months ago

By BOB DONNELLY Special to the Times Leader
Saturday, November 03, 2001 Page: 8B

QUEBEC – Tom Kostopoulos scored a dramatic overtime goal at the 1:02 mark
to give the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins a come-from-behind 4-3 victory over
the Quebec Citadelles Friday night.

The Penguins (2-9-1-1) rallied from 2-0 and 3-2 deficits to post their
first road victory this season.
Quebec had an 8-0-2-0 record before Kostopoulos fired a shot from the slot
for the dramatic game-winner. Kostopoulos finished with two goals on the night
and has six on the season.

“I am very pleased with the overall team effort on the road,” said
Penguins coach Glenn Patrick. “TK up front and Sebastien Caron were excellent
for us tonight. Discipline has been a problem all through the season, but we
are pleased with our second win overall.”

The team’s lack of discipline seemed to be confirmed by a heated post-game
argument in the Penguins dressing room while reporters talked with the coach.

Jan Fadrny and Shane Endicott also scored for the Penguins, while Eric
Chouinard, Craig Darby and Michael Fadrny scored for Quebec.

The Citadelles went ahead 3-2 on Michael Ryder’s tip-in six minutes into
the second period, but the Penguins answered 69 seconds later as Endicott
one-timed a pass by Luc Belanger from the slot.

The Penguins had a chance to take a 4-3 lead in regulation but did not
capitalize on a three-on-one break led by Alexandre Mathieu and a breakaway by
Michal Sivek, forcing Belanger to make two good stops.

Quebec had taken a quick 2-0 in the opening period before the Penguins
fought their way back. Kostopoulos tied the game on a great individual effort,
scoring short-handed on a breakaway. He went in and beat Belanger going up
high on the glove side.

At the end of the period, Brendan Buckley got a major and game misconduct
for boarding against Mathieu Descoteaux when the Quebec defenseman cut his
head on the boards. But the Penguins showed great penalty killing, limiting
Quebec to one shot on goal in five minutes of play.