If Mike Vellucci is going to beat his former team in his first season as Wilkes-Barre/Scranton head coach, it’s going to have to happen in Charlotte.
The Checkers scored four unanswered goals after trailing in the second period to beat the Penguins 6-3 on Wednesday at Mohegan Sun Arena.
Vellucci is now 0-2 on the season against the team he led to a Calder Cup championship last year after losing to the Checkers 1-0 back in November. Later this month, the Penguins will head south for back-to-back games in Charlotte on Jan. 24 and Jan. 25. Now on a four-game losing streak, the Penguins (17-15-3-2) are hoping to get back on track before that road trip.
Newcomer Cole Cassels scored his first goal in a Penguins uniform to send the game into the first intermission tied, 1-1.
Wilkes-Barre/Scranton surrendered a shorthanded goal early in the second to fall behind before Anthony Angello tipped in his 14th goal of the season on the same power play, and Adam Johnson gave the Penguins their only lead of the night off an Angello assist just five minutes later.
Steven Lorentz tied it midway through the second and a Morgan Geekie power-play marker gave the Checkers a 4-3 lead after two periods.
Julien Gauthier made it 5-3 in the third with a Lorentz empty-netter closing it out. Penguins goalie Casey DeSmith finished with 21 saves on 26 shots.
Wilkes-Barre/Scranton hosts Hershey on Friday.