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Luzerne County DA: Charter, precedent support salary increases

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Times Leader P.M. Update: Saturday, April 24

Alexander Alexeyev has only been in Hershey’s lineup for a few games after coming over from Russia at the start of the month and going through quarantine.

But the Bears defenseman showed why the Washington Capitals made him a first-round pick a few years ago — and the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins saw it firsthand on Saturday.

With the game tied late in the third period, Alexeyev snapped a pinpoint shot from above the right circle and tucked it under the bar behind Penguins goalie Alex D’Orio for the decisive score in a 3-1 Hershey victory at Giant Center.

It was a tough way to end the afternoon for the Penguins, who played the first-place Bears tight before losing their fourth straight game in regulation.

Wilkes-Barre/Scranton didn’t back down from a physical challenge from Hershey and didn’t blink when the Bears broke a scoreless tie early in the third period on a goal by Axel Jonsson-Fjallby.

Drew O’Connor answered with a tying goal on the power play 4:34 later, getting the puck down low from Anthony Angello and cutting out of the corner to the net before sneaking a shot through Zach Fucale. Josh Currie also picked up an assist.

The Penguins had a chance to take the lead when Jonathan Gruden was awarded a penalty shot, but Fucale made the stop to keep the game tied.

With under four minutes left in the third, the Penguins had possession behind their own net. Hershey’s forecheck created a turnover as Kale Kessy dug out a loose puck and got it back to the left point to Martin Fehervary, who sent it across to his defense partner.

Despite not being in an ideal shooting lane — above the circle and outside of the dot — Alexeyev wired a shot from long range for his first AHL goal of the season. The No. 31 overall pick from 2018 had played all of 2019-20 for the Bears but returned to his native Russia to play a full season in the KHL before rejoining Hershey this month.

It was the key play of a chippy afternoon that saw Angello drop the gloves with Eddie Wittchow during a hard-played second period. Angello was whistled for boarding and Wittchow was assessed an instigator penalty and a 10-minute misconduct for coming after him.

Penguins defenseman Pierre-Olivier Joseph later tussled with Mason Morelli for matching roughing calls with Kessy picking up a 10-minute misconduct of his own.

Brian Pinho added an empty-netter to close out the scoring for the Bears, who have now won six of seven against the Penguins this season.

Wilkes-Barre/Scranton (7-11-3-2) will get another crack at Hershey Sunday when the teams shift to Mohegan Sun Arena for a 5 p.m. game.

Late goal lifts Hershey past WBS Penguins