Vasily Ponomarev tallied his first professional hat trick for the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins on Saturday night.
On Saturday night at the XL Center, the Wilkes-Barre Penguins picked up a 6-2 win over the Hartford Wolf Pack thanks to two goals from Valtteri Puustinen and Vasily Ponomarev's first professional hat trick.
By the end of the third period, the Penguins were up 3-0 thanks to two goals from Puustinen and one from Joona Koppanen. However, the Wolf Pack made things interesting in the middle frame, but that's when Ponomarev took over.
Once Bryce McConnell-Barker got the home team on the board, Ponomarev scored his first at 7:39. Jake Leschyshyn made it 4-2 going into the second intermission.
To start the third, Ponomarev collected his second of the night at 3:28 before finalizing his first professional hat trick at 18:33 thanks to an assist from Rutger McGroarty.
Saturday was the seventh time in Ponomarev's AHL career that he scored at least two goals in a game, but the first time he's scored three at the U-20, QMJHL, and AHL levels.
The 22-year-old Russian forward, acquired in the Jake Guentzel deal in March 2024, has four goals and seven points through nine games. He's now on pace for 28 goals and 49 points.
Meanwhile, the win kept the Penguins in second place in the Atlantic Division with a 12-5-1 record and 25 points.
They are in a three-way tie with the Springfield Thunderbirds (12-9-1) and Charlotte Checkers (11-5-1-2), who are chasing the Hershey Bears (16-5-3). The Penguins next game is Sunday against the Providence Bruins.
