Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins Clinch Playoff Spot With Shootout Win

A shootout goal from a freshly recalled forward sealed Wilkes-Barre/Scranton's return to the Calder Cup Playoffs, as the Penguins defeated the Belleville Senators 2-1 at CAA Arena on Friday night to punch their postseason ticket with 10 regular-season games still to play.

Aidan McDonough provided the lone regulation goal in what was a tight, defensive battle through 65 minutes before Avery Hayes delivered the decisive moment in the shootout. Hayes went backhand, forehand and tucked the puck under the pad of the Senators' goaltender to seal the win. The Penguins needed only a single point to clinch; they finished with two.

The timing of Hayes' heroics carried an added layer of story. He had been re-assigned to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton from Pittsburgh just the day before, making Friday's game his first back with the AHL club. Hayes has appeared in 11 NHL games this season, with both of his NHL goals coming in a single performance: his debut on Feb. 5 against the Buffalo Sabres.

With the victory, the Penguins improved to 38-16-6-2 for 84 points, sitting second in the Atlantic Division. They became the fourth AHL team to clinch a playoff berth this season, joining the Grand Rapids Griffins, Providence Bruins and Laval Rocket. Within the Atlantic Division specifically, Wilkes-Barre/Scranton is the second club to secure its spot, following the Providence Bruins.

The clinch marks the franchise's 21st trip to the postseason in 25 tries since joining the AHL in 1999, a figure that speaks to the sustained organizational pipeline between Pittsburgh's NHL club and its primary development affiliate.

The Atlantic Division will send six teams to the Calder Cup Playoffs. The top two finishers earn byes directly into the division semifinals, while the clubs finishing third through sixth will meet in best-of-three first-round series. Wilkes-Barre/Scranton's current second-place position puts a bye within reach, though first-round opponents and schedules remain undetermined as the regular season winds toward its April 19 conclusion.