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CHRISTENSEN OPENS GREAT AGAIN, PENS BEAT MOOSE IN OVERTIME

  

Erik Christensen really likes opening nights.

Last season, the Pens’ sniper posted the first four-goal game in team history en route to an 8-1 win against the Bridgeport Sound Tigers.

The goals were considerably fewer this season, but maybe twice as important.

Christensen scored with just 17 seconds left in overtime, to give the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins a 3-2 win against the Manitoba Moose. The win raised the Pens’ record to 3-5-0-0 in regular season openers, and 4-4-0-0 in home openers.

“[The start] wasn’t as good as last year’s,” Christensen said, “but I put a little bit of pressure on myself to try and come out for tonight and start the season off good.”


The goal capped a see-saw game in which the Moose took an early lead, fell behind, then tied it up late in the third period.

“It was a good win,” said Todd Richards, who was making his head coaching debut. “We created some predicaments in the third period. We didn’t play very good, we didn’t manage the game well in the final 10 minutes of the game. I thought for 50 minutes we played well as a group. There were some breakdowns, but I think those are to be expected in the first game of the year. And really we’ve only had a day and a half with guys to work on the things that we need to work on.”

Despite the lack of prep time, the Pens came out strong, taking the first nine shots of the game and creating a plethora of chances. However, Manitoba’s Brad Moran made the Moose’s first attempt on goal count, swatting the puck behind Andrew Penner 3:30 into the opening period.

“No one panicked, we knew we were all over them, we knew we played a real good period…same with the second period,” said defenseman Alain Nasreddine. “Sometimes you play real well and you’re not always going to win. But we knew it was going to come and it did.”

Nasreddine, who had not scored a goal since March 4, 2005, erased the zero on the scoresheet midway through the game, following up a Jonathan Filewich shot and backhanding home a shorthanded tally to even the score.

“I was afraid some of the new guys would grab the puck thinking it was my first goal,” he laughed afterward.

Noah Welch gave the Pens the lead 2:43 into the third period with a shot from the point that beat netminder Drew MacIntyre through the five hole. But Prestin Ryan forced overtime with his first of the season with just 1:24 to play.

A tripping call on Jannik Hansen gave the Pens a four on three advantage for the final 1:27 of the extra period, and Christensen capitalized with his game-winner.

“The plan was just to get either me or Micki to get a one timer going,” Christensen said. “I looked up at the clock when Stoner had it in the corner and thought ‘I don’t think this is going to work.’ So I just fired one.”