Penguins Lose in Overtime to Cleveland

Brendan Gaunce's late goal sinks Wilkes-Barre/Scranton in AHL matchup

Published on Feb. 16, 2026

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The Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins fell to the Cleveland Monsters 4-3 in overtime on Sunday afternoon at Mohegan Arena. Brendan Gaunce scored the game-winning goal for Cleveland 2:45 into the extra period, handing the Penguins their second consecutive loss.

Why it matters

The Penguins are in second place in the AHL's Atlantic Division, six points behind the first-place Providence Bruins. This overtime defeat is a setback in their push for the division title and a higher playoff seed.

The details

Cleveland took an early 1-0 lead, but the Penguins tied it on a goal by Rutger McGroarty. The Monsters then went up 2-1 and 3-2, but the Penguins fought back to tie the game at 3-3 on a goal by Emil Pieniniemi in the third period. In overtime, Gaunce scored his eighth goal of the season to give Cleveland the victory.

  • The game was played on Sunday, February 15, 2026.
  • Gaunce scored the game-winning goal at the 2:45 mark of overtime.
  • The Penguins lost 5-0 at home to Syracuse on Saturday, February 14, 2026.

The players

Brendan Gaunce

A forward for the Cleveland Monsters who scored the game-winning goal in overtime.

Rutger McGroarty

A forward for the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins who scored a goal to tie the game 1-1.

Emil Pieniniemi

A forward for the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins who scored a goal to tie the game 3-3 in the third period.

Joel Blomqvist

The starting goaltender for the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins, who made 13 saves on 16 shots in 29:56 of action.

Sergei Murashov

The relief goaltender for the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins, who made 14 saves on 15 shots in 32:50 of ice time.

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What they’re saying

“We must regroup and bounce back from these tough losses. The division race is tight, and we can't afford to drop many more points.”

— Ville Koivunen, Forward, Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins

What’s next

The Penguins will look to end their two-game skid when they host the Hershey Bears on Wednesday, February 18, 2026.

The takeaway

This overtime defeat is a setback for the Penguins in their push for the Atlantic Division title, but they remain in second place and have an opportunity to bounce back in their next game against a divisional rival.