BY: Bob Crawford, Hartford Wolf Pack
Wilkes-Barre, PA, November 2, 2018 – Three third-period goals by the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins broke open a 2-2 game and carried the Penguins to a 5-3 win over the Hartford Wolf Pack Friday night at the Mohegan Sun Arena at Casey Plaza, in the first of back-to-back games between the two teams in Wilkes-Barre.
The Wolf Pack scored all three of their goals on power plays and got a goal and two assists from Lias Andersson, but Ethan Prow had a goal and two helpers for Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, and Sam Lafferty had a goal and an assist.
“I liked our game, 2-2, tie the game, going into the third period on the road, against a good team,” Wolf Pack head coach Keith McCambridge said. “And then a breakdown on a simple rush-against and it’s in the back of our net. Still, I liked the fact that we fought back, but then started losing some momentum after the game got out of reach with penalties.”
The Wolf Pack, who were 3-for-7 on the man advantage, were shorthanded eight times, allowing two power-play goals-against. That was after allowing four power-play tallies in their previous game, a 6-2 defeat at Springfield on Sunday.
“I liked both power-play units,” said McCambridge. “I thought every time they went on the ice, they looked dangerous. And our penalty kill, there’s ups and downs with it during the season, right now it’s in a downturn. So we need to get that back on track.”
After a scoreless second period, Lafferty scored the goal that put the Penguins ahead to stay 1:50 into the third. He carried the puck into the Wolf Pack zone and got between Hartford defensemen Sean Day and Brandon Crawley with an outside-inside move, before putting a backhand shot up under the crossbar behind Wolf Pack goaltender Dustin Tokarski (37 saves).
Then, less than three minutes later, at 4:44, Prow scored on a power play, with Andersson off for slashing. Ryan Lindgren blocked a shot from the left point by Lafferty, but the puck caromed right to Prow, and his quick blast from the right side of the slot beat Tokarski.
The Wolf Pack got back to within one at 13:46, on a two-man advantage. Andersson handed the puck to Steven Fogarty along the goal line on the left side, and he passed it into the goalmouth. Cole Schneider re-directed it, and the puck went off of Penguin defenseman Zach Trotman and into the net.
With 3:04 left, though, Anthony Angello scored off of a faceoff to restore the two-goal margin. Linus Olund won a draw from Andersson, in the circle to Tokarski’s right, and the puck came to Angello, whose quick shot beat a screened Tokarski to the stick side.
The two teams combined for three power-play goals in the first period, starting at 3:48, when Andersson gave the Wolf Pack the game’s first lead, on the first man advantage of the evening.
Just 22 seconds after Wilkes-Barre/Scranton’s Zach Aston-Reese was sent off for interference, Andersson’s bid from the left-wing boards went off of Penguin defenseman Will O’Neill’s skate in front of the goal and got behind Wilkes-Barre/Scranton goaltender Tristan Jarry (30 saves).
The Penguins drew even less than three minutes later, though, at 6:41, on a goal by Tobias Lindberg. After Jarrett Burton spun the Wolf Pack’s Peter Holland around on the forecheck, Olund passed the puck out of the right-wing corner to the slot, and Lindberg fired it past Tokarski.
Wilkes-Barre/Scranton then clicked just 13 seconds into its first power play of the night, after Michael Lindqvist was called for tripping. Prow passed from the middle of the blue line to Aston-Reese at the top of the left circle, and Garrett Wilson got his stick free in front of the net and deflected Aston-Reese’s shot past Tokarski.
The Wolf Pack power play got that one back at 10:50, with Lindberg in the penalty box for holding. Andersson dropped a pass to John Gilmour at the left point, and his one-timer went through a Tim Gettinger screen and into the net.
The Wolf Pack and Penguins go at it again Saturday night at the Mohegan Sun Arena at Casey Plaza, with faceoff at 7:05 PM. All of the action can be heard live on News Radio 1410 WPOP, and online at newsradio1410.com and iHeartRadio. Video streaming is available at theahl.com/AHLTV.
The Wolf Pack’s next home game is also against Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, next Saturday, November 10 at 7:00. That is “Country Night” at the XL Center, and tickets for all 2018-19 Wolf Pack home games are on sale now at the Agera Energy Ticket Office at the XL Center, online at hartfordwolfpack.com and by phone at (877) 522-8499. Tickets purchased in advance for kids 12 or younger start at just $13 each, and all tickets will have a $3 day-of-game increase.
Season ticket information for the Wolf Pack’s 2018-19 AHL season can be found online at hartfordwolfpack.com. To speak with a representative about all of the Wolf Pack’s many attractive ticketing options, call (855) 762-6451, or click here to request more info.
Hartford Wolf Pack 3 at Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins 5
Friday, November 2, 2018 – Mohegan Sun Arena at Casey Plaza
Hartford 2 0 1 – 3
Wilkes-Barre/Scranton 2 0 3 – 5
1st Period-1, Hartford, Andersson 4 (Butler, Gettinger), 3:48 (PP). 2, Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, Lindberg 2 (Olund, Burton), 6:41. 3, Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, Wilson 4 (Aston-Reese, Prow), 8:07 (PP). 4, Hartford, Gilmour 3 (Andersson, Gropp), 10:50 (PP). Penalties-Aston-Reese Wbs (interference), 3:26; Lindqvist Hfd (tripping), 7:54; Lindberg Wbs (holding), 10:24; Butler Hfd (holding), 18:17.
2nd Period- No Scoring. Penalties-Hajek Hfd (holding), 3:12; Lindberg Wbs (interference), 5:31; Di Pauli Wbs (high-sticking), 14:59; Lafferty Wbs (slashing), 18:36.
3rd Period-5, Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, Lafferty 2 (Aston-Reese, Prow), 1:50. 6, Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, Prow 4 (Lafferty, Blueger), 4:44 (PP). 7, Hartford, Schneider 4 (Fogarty, Andersson), 13:46 (PP). 8, Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, Angello 4 (Olund), 16:56. Penalties-Andersson Hfd (slashing), 3:05; Bigras Hfd (roughing, roughing), 5:48; Haggerty Wbs (roughing), 5:48; Hajek Hfd (slashing), 7:25; Beleskey Hfd (fighting), 10:31; O’Neill Wbs (fighting), 10:31; Angello Wbs (tripping), 12:33; Summers Wbs (hooking), 13:02; Tokarski Hfd (throwing the stick), 18:21; Holland Hfd (tripping), 19:58.
Shots on Goal-Hartford 8-12-13-33. Wilkes-Barre/Scranton 15-12-15-42.
Power Play Opportunities-Hartford 3 / 7; Wilkes-Barre/Scranton 2 / 8.
Goalies-Hartford, Tokarski 1-2-1 (42 shots-37 saves). Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, Jarry 3-1-1 (33 shots-30 saves).
A-3,962
Referees-Beaudry Halkidis (48), Guillaume Labonte (35).
Linesmen-Tom DellaFranco (71), Matt McNulty (26).
