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<p>WILKES-BARRE TWP. &#8212; With just two weeks left in the regular season, the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins experienced several significant &#8220;firsts&#8221; during Saturday&#8217;s game against the Lehigh Valley Phantoms.</p><p>Frank Corrado scored his first goal as a Penguin.</p><p>Troy Josephs tallied the first goal of his pro career.</p><p>And Casey DeSmith stopped 26 shots to earn his first shutout in the regular season.</p><p>All three combined to lead the Penguins to a 3-0 win over the Phantoms and move them closer to clinching a playoff spot. The Penguins (47-19-3-0) can accomplish that on Sunday with a win over Utica.</p><p>The Penguins are now 6-4 against Lehigh Valley with two more meetings left between the Atlantic Division rivals. They&#8217;ve won the last two &#8212; both by shutout &#8212; and have been the only team to blank the Phantoms this season.</p><p>&#8220;It&#8217;s big going into playoffs to have the mental upper hand on them,&#8221; DeSmith said. &#8220;You never know when we might meet up.&#8221;</p><p>After a feisty first period that saw plenty of big hits, the Penguins got established on the scoreboard in the second.</p><p>With matching roughing minors to Tom Kostopoulos and Lehigh Valley&#8217;s Danick Martel, the Penguins capitalized during four-on-four play when netminder Alex Lyon bobbled the puck and Corrado rushed to the crease to poke it in.</p><p>The goal gave the Penguins a 1-0 lead, and they would strike again late in the period.</p><p>During a long forecheck, the Penguins made the Phantoms pay when David Warsofsky snuck a shot from the point that was deflected by Josephs for a 2-0 lead.</p><p>With less than two minutes left in the second period, DeSmith kept the lead intact when he stretched to make a skate save on a Greg Carey breakaway.</p><p>&#8220;That&#8217;s an important time in the game. If they get one there, the momentum could change,&#8221; DeSmith said. &#8220;I think that took some of the wind out of their sails.&#8221;</p><p>At the end of two periods, the Penguins had outshot the Phantoms 31-19, but Lehigh Valley pushed back in the final frame.</p><p>The Penguins expected it, but they didn&#8217;t sway from their goal.</p><p>&#8220;Anytime you&#8217;re playing these divisional games late there&#8217;s going to be some emotion there,&#8221; Penguins coach Clark Donatelli said. &#8220;Our goal was to try to win the third period, and if not, leave it at 0-0 and we&#8217;d win the game.&#8221;</p><p>DeSmith was up to the task again, denying Chris Conner on a two-on-one rush and then again on a breakaway to maintain the 2-0 lead.</p><p>With both teams back at four-on-four after matching roughing minors to Zach Aston-Reese and T.J. Brennan, Derrick Pouliot gave the Penguins a cushion when he connected on a blast from the high slot to make it 3-0.</p><p>The win extended the Penguins&#8217; shutout streak against the Phantoms to 155:38, lowered their magic number to clinch a playoff spot to two and left them feeling confident entering Sunday&#8217;s game against Utica.</p><p>&#8220;It was one of our best games of the year. From the defensemen to the forwards, everybody played a great game,&#8221; DeSmith said. &#8220;It&#8217;s one of those feel-good games for us.&#8221;</p><p><strong>NOTES</strong></p><p>&#8226; Pittsburgh recalled Josh Archibald on Saturday. Garrett Wilson sat out after playing in his first game on Friday since returning from an injury. Donatelli said Wilson will be back in the lineup on Sunday.</p><p><ins>For other sports stories, <a href="https://www.timesleader.com/category/sports" target="_blank">click here</a>.</ins></p><style>
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<div class="neCaption">Wilkes-Barre/Scranton forward Zach Aston-Reese passes the puck while going around teammate Tom Kostopoulos and Lehigh Valley&#8217;s Samuel Morin at Mohegan Sun Arena on Saturday. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo0>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/web1_pens_lvp1_faa-2.jpg</photo0><caption0>Wilkes-Barre/Scranton forward Zach Aston-Reese passes the puck while going around teammate Tom Kostopoulos and Lehigh Valley&#8217;s Samuel Morin at Mohegan Sun Arena on Saturday. </caption0><photoCredit0>Fred Adams | for Times Leader </photoCredit0></div><div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/web1_pens_lvp2_faa-2.jpg">
<div class="neCaption">Penguins forward Teddy Blueger exchanges words with Lehigh Valley defenseman Travis Sanheim during a feisty start to Saturday&#8217;s game. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo1>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/web1_pens_lvp2_faa-2.jpg</photo1><caption1>Penguins forward Teddy Blueger exchanges words with Lehigh Valley defenseman Travis Sanheim during a feisty start to Saturday&#8217;s game. </caption1><photoCredit1>Fred Adams | for Times Leader </photoCredit1></div><div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/web1_pens_lvp3_faa-2.jpg">
<div class="neCaption">Wilkes-Barre/Scranton defenseman Ethan Prow comes around the goal to get in position for a pass. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo2>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/web1_pens_lvp3_faa-2.jpg</photo2><caption2>Wilkes-Barre/Scranton defenseman Ethan Prow comes around the goal to get in position for a pass. </caption2><photoCredit2>Fred Adams | for Times Leader </photoCredit2></div><div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/web1_pens_lvp5_faa-2.jpg">
<div class="neCaption">Penguins captain Tom Kostopoulos gets off a shot during Saturday&#8217;s game against Lehigh Valley. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo3>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/web1_pens_lvp5_faa-2.jpg</photo3><caption3>Penguins captain Tom Kostopoulos gets off a shot during Saturday&#8217;s game against Lehigh Valley. </caption3><photoCredit3>Fred Adams | for Times Leader </photoCredit3></div><div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/web1_pens_lvp4_faa-2.jpg">
<div class="neCaption">Wilkes-Barre/Scranton&#8217;s Teddy Blueger battles for the puck against the boards with Lehigh Valley&#8217;s Corban Knight. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo4>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/web1_pens_lvp4_faa-2.jpg</photo4><caption4>Wilkes-Barre/Scranton&#8217;s Teddy Blueger battles for the puck against the boards with Lehigh Valley&#8217;s Corban Knight. </caption4><photoCredit4>Fred Adams | for Times Leader </photoCredit4></div></div>
<div class="metaInfo"><subheadMeta>Corrado scores 1st goal as a Penguin</subheadMeta></div><div class="metaInfo"><bylineMeta><p>By Tom Venesky</p><p>tvenesky@www.timesleader.com</p></bylineMeta></div><div class="metaInfo"><factboxMeta><p><strong> Penguins 3, </strong><strong>Lehigh Valley 0</strong></p><p><strong>Lehigh Valley`0`0`0 &#8212; 0</strong></p><p><strong>Penguins`0`2`1 &#8212; 3</strong></p><p><strong>First Period</strong></p><p><strong>Scoring</strong> &#8211; None. Penalties - LV, Miele (slashing) 4:11; LV, Morin (boarding) 9:12; WBS, Porter (cross-checking) 9:12; WBS, Dea (tripping) 10:45; LV, Hagg (holding) 17:50.</p><p><strong>Second Period</strong></p><p><strong>Scoring</strong> &#8211; 1. WBS, Frank Corrado 2 (Haggerty, Simon) 6:47. 2. WBS, Troy Josephs 1 (Warsofsky, Corrado) 17:03. Penalties - WBS, Erixon (tripping) 4:08; LV, Martel (roughing) 6:29; WBS, Kostopoulos (roughing) 6:29.</p><p><strong>Third Period</strong></p><p><strong>Scoring</strong> &#8211; 3. WBS, Derrick Pouliot 7 (Sundqvist, Simon) 7:00. Penalties - LV, Brennan (roughing) 6:43; WBS, Aston-Reese (roughing) 6:43; LV, Goulbourne (high-sticking) 12:55.</p><p><strong>Shots on goal</strong></p><p>Lehigh Valley &#8211; 7-12-7-26</p><p>Penguins &#8211; 14-17-14-45</p><p><strong>Power-play Opportunities</strong></p><p>Lehigh Valley &#8211; 0 of 2</p><p>Penguins &#8211; 0 of 3</p><p><strong>Goaltenders</strong></p><p>Lehigh Valley &#8211; Alex Lyon 24-14-4 (34 saves &#8211; 37 shots); Martin Oullette (8-8)</p><p>Penguins &#8211; Casey DeSmith 19-4-2 (26-26)</p><p><strong>Starters</strong></p><p>Lehigh Valley &#8211; G Alex Lyon, D Robert Hagg, D T.J. Brennan, LW Taylor Leier, C Scott Laughton, RW Cole Bardreau</p><p>Penguins &#8211; G Casey DeSmith, D Barry Goers, D Derrick Pouliot, LW Jean-Sebastien Dea, C Teddy Blueger, RW Thomas Di Pauli</p><p><strong>Three Stars</strong></p><p>1. WBS, Casey DeSmith (26 saves, shutout) 2. WBS, Frank Corrado (goal, assist) 3. WBS, Dominik Simon (two assists)</p><p><strong>Referees</strong> - Michael Mullen, Evgenii Romasko. <strong>Linesmen</strong> &#8211; Tom DellaFranco, J.P. Waleski.</p><p><strong>Attendance</strong> - 8,125.</p></factboxMeta></div><div class="metaInfo"><shirttailMeta><p>Reach Tom Venesky at 570-991-6395 or on Twitter @TomVenesky</p></shirttailMeta></div><div class="metaInfo"><videoMeta><p><table style="border:none;width:98%;" class="mceItemTable"><tbody><tr><td style="font-weight:bold;font-size:100%;vertical-align:top;text-align:right;border:none;">VideoID:</td><td id="videoid" style="width:50em;font-size:90%;">927Gzsv832k </td></tr><tr><td style="font-weight:bold;font-size:100%;vertical-align:top;text-align:right;border:none;">VideoType:</td><td id="videotype" style="font-size:90%;">YOUTUBE</p><p></td></tr><tr><td style="font-weight:bold;font-size:100%;vertical-align:top;text-align:right;border:none;">URL:</td><td id="url" style="font-size:90%;">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=927Gzsv832k </td></tr><tr><td style="font-weight:bold;font-size:100%;vertical-align:top;text-align:right;border:none;">Video Embed String:</td><td id="videoembedstring" style="font-size:90%;"> </td></tr><tr><td style="font-weight:bold;font-size:100%;vertical-align:top;text-align:right;border:none;">Video Caption:</td><td id="videocaption" style="font-size:90%;"></p><p>Goalie Casey DeSmith talks about WBS Pens&#8217; win over Lehigh Valley</td></tr><tr><td style="font-weight:bold;font-size:100%;vertical-align:top;text-align:right;border:none;">Video Credit:</td><td id="videocredit" style="font-size:90%;"> Tom Venesky | Times Leader</p><p></td></tr><tr><td style="font-weight:bold;font-size:100%;vertical-align:top;text-align:right;border:none;">Video Position:</td><td id="videoposition" style="font-size:90%;"> </td></tr></tbody></table></p><p style="margin-top:10px;font-size:70%;color:#555;">(use the &#8220;for files&#8230;&#8221; link above to associate attached files with this source)</p></videoMeta></div>

Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins on brink of playoffs after win vs. Phantoms