During Wilkes-Barre/Scranton's training camp, assistant coach Kevin Porter said that he anticipates forward Valtteri Puustinen being "a big part of our team."
"He's got a lot of skill, and he's got a great shot," Porter said of Puustinen. "He's also intelligent, he makes great plays, gifted offensively."
Four games into Wilkes-Barre's season, the 22-year-old Puustinen is living up to those expectations.
Puustinen on Sunday scored the game's opening goal and the game-winner for the Penguins in a 2-1 overtime win over the Phantoms in Lehigh Valley.
Near the midway mark of the first period, Puustinen opened the scoring when he capitalized on a turnover by the Phantoms in their own end:
Wilkes-Barre clung to that one-goal lead until the final minute of the third period, when Lehigh Valley's Max Willman put in a rebound to tie the game and snap Louis Domingue's shutout bid:
Just 57 seconds into the extra frame, Puustinen fired this laser of a shot from the slot:
Through four games, Puustinen leads Wilkes-Barre in both goals (3) and points (4).