WIN STREAK REACHES NINE - AGAIN

Kurtis McLean set a new franchise record with his eighth game-winning goal of the season, as the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins posted a 3-1 win against the Lowell Devils on Wednesday night at the Wachovia Arena at Casey Plaza.

“It was a tough game for us to play…there wasn’t a lot of emotion in it, it was tough to get emotionally attached,” said head coach Todd Richards, whose team has now put together two nine-game winning streaks this season.  “Not a rivalry game, we just played some games on the road and have been away such a long time.  A lot of times you’ll come out flat.”

After a scoreless first period, McLean broke the deadlock just 1:14 into the second with his 20th goal of the season, a shot from the point that squeaked by goaltender Frank Doyle.

Peter Vrana countered less than two minutes later, hitting a one-timer from the right faceoff circle that found its way behind a screened John Curry.  The power play goal was Vrana’s 13th tally of the season.

McLean didn’t wait long to regain the lead for the home team, shoveling a shot past Doyle from close range at 5:07 of the second for what turned out to be the decisive goal.  He moved out of a tie for the top spot on the Penguins’ single season game-winners list, which he had been sharing with Michel Ouellet (2003-04) and Matt Hussey (2005-06), and into a tie for first place in the AHL this season.

Nathan Smith iced the win with his 17th goal of the campaign, an easy tap in off a Jonathan Filewich dish in front of the net.

Fittingly, Curry made 20 saves to pick up his 20th win of the season.  It was his eighth straight victory between the pipes, and by allowing just one goal, he moved into a tie for the top spot in the league with a 2.04 goals against average.

With the win, the Penguins (41-24-0-3) upped their winning streak to nine games, tying the club’s all-time record, and moved to within one point of first place in the East Division behind the Philadelphia Phantoms.  Greg Moore of the Hartford WolfPack scored with 15 seconds left in regulation to force overtime, and Pierre Parenteau tallied at 37 seconds of the extra frame, thus allowing the Pens to gain ground on the division leaders.

 “Right now with 13 games to go, every game is critical and every point is going to be critical,” Richards said.  “We’ve got some big games coming up.  This was a game that easily could have gone the other way.”