PORTLAND 5, WILKES-BARRE/SCRANTON 2
After falling behind 2-1, Portland scored four unanswered goals to take a 5-2 home-ice win over Wilkes-Barre/Scranton on Sunday in Game 3 of the Eastern Conference Finals. Portland now holds a 2-1 edge in the best-of-7 series.
Geoff Platt had a game-high three points (1-2-3) for the Pirates, and Jason King scored the game-winner in the second period.
Wilkes-Barre/Scranton’s Mark Ardelan netted the only goal for either side in the first period, his third of the playoffs.
Pirates rookie Bobby Ryan scored eighth goal at 4:43 of the middle stanza to make it 1-1, but the Penguins regained their one-goal advantage at 10:43 on Tim Brent’s league-leading 10th tally of the playoffs.
Platt tied it 1:32 later for Portland, and King put the Pirates on top to stay just 2:42 after Platt’s goal.
Stephen Dixon and Simon Ferguson added third-period goals for Portland, which improved to 6-0 this postseason at the Cumberland County Civic Center. Goaltender Mike McKenna stopped 27 of 29 shots in the winning effort.
It marked Portland’s ninth victory of the playoffs overall (9-4), but its first by more than a one-goal margin.
The Pirates will host Game 4 of the series on Tuesday.
