OLIVER: PACK SELF-DESTRUCT IN THIRD LOSE TO AMERICANS

BY: Philip Oliver, Hartford Wolf Pack

Hartford, CT, November 18, 2018 – The Rochester Americans scored three third-period goals to erase a 3-1 deficit Sunday at the XL Center, in a 4-3 win over the Hartford Wolf Pack.

Zach Redmond netted the game-winner with 3:50 left in the third, 34 seconds after Danny O’Regan had tied the score.  A Lawrence Pilut goal started the comeback.

Peter Holland, Gabriel Fontaine, and Cole Schneider scored for the Wolf Pack, and Rasmus Asplund added a goal and an assist for Rochester.

Holland opened the scoring at 8:12 of the first period, on a 2-on-1 with Bobby Butler.  Butler’s shot from the right side was stopped by American goaltender Adam Wilcox (35 saves), but the rebound came to Holland at the left side of the slot, and he easily buried the puck.

“It felt nice to get the monkey off the back,” said Holland, who came into the game with a Wolf Pack team-leading 15 points, but only one goal.  “Bobby made a nice shot and it landed right on my stick, and it was nice to see it finally go in.”

Asplund brought Rochester even 1:45 into the second.  He stole the puck from Brandon Crawley just inside the Amerk blue line and had a breakaway, beating Wolf Pack goaltender Marek Mazanec (24 saves) to the stick side.

Fontaine scored through a Schneider screen at 5:18 to put Hartford back in the lead, and then Schneider made it 3-1 at 11:53.  Ryan Lindgren drove a shot from the left point that Schneider deflected up in the air.  The puck went over Wilcox’ shoulder, dropped behind him and went just over the goal line.

The Americans came out strongly in the third period, though, and Pilut cut it back to a one-goal margin at 5:28.  He put the puck at the net from high in the slot, and it went through a screen and past Mazanec.

After several big saves by Wilcox kept Rochester in the game, O’Regan tied the score at three at 15:36.  Mazanec stopped a shot by Asplund off the rush, but the rebound went right out into the slot and O’Regan fired it in.

Then, at 16:10, Redmond’s winner came from a nearly impossible angle.  Pilut worked the puck toward the right-wing corner and Redmond snapped it from below the faceoff dot.  Mazanec appeared to have the goal post sealed to his left, but the puck somehow found an opening and flew into the net.

The Wolf Pack got a power play with 2:21 left, when Redmond cleared the puck out of play in his own zone and was called for delay-of-game, but were unable to capitalize, despite getting Mazanec to the bench for an extra attacker.

With the result, the Wolf Pack finished the first quarter of their season with a record of 7-9-1-2.

The Wolf Pack’s next action is this Wednesday night, November 21 at the XL Center, a 7:00 PM meeting with the Providence Bruins.  That is another chance to take advantage of the Wolf Pack’s “Click It or Ticket Family Value Pack”, which includes two tickets, two hot dogs and two sodas, all for just $40.

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.

Rochester Americans 4 at Hartford Wolf Pack 3
Sunday, November 18, 2018 – XL Center

Rochester  0 1 3 – 4
Hartford    1 2 0 – 3

1st Period-1, Hartford, Holland 2 (Butler, Bigras), 8:12. Penalties-Guhle Roc (interference), 4:02; Lindgren Hfd (boarding), 12:15; Porter Roc (roughing), 13:49.

2nd Period-2, Rochester, Asplund 1 (Olofsson), 1:45. 3, Hartford, Fontaine 2   5:18. 4, Hartford, Schneider 6 (Lindgren, Gilmour), 11:53. Penalties-served by D. Smith Roc (bench minor – too many men), 2:09; O’Gara Hfd (boarding), 8:54; served by D. Smith Roc (bench minor – too many men), 16:58.

3rd Period-5, Rochester, Pilut 3 (Redmond, Nylander), 5:28. 6, Rochester, O’Regan 6 (Asplund, Borgen), 15:36. 7, Rochester, Redmond 12 (Pilut, Bailey), 16:10. Penalties-Redmond Roc (delay of game), 17:39.

Shots on Goal-Rochester 11-4-13-28. Hartford 12-13-13-38.
Power Play Opportunities-Rochester 0 / 2; Hartford 0 / 5.
Goalies-Rochester, Wilcox 5-1-1 (38 shots-35 saves). Hartford, Mazanec 4-5-2 (28 shots-24 saves).
A-2,377
Referees-Beaudry Halkidis (48), Anthony Tapper (9).
Linesmen-Kevin Briganti (39), Brent Colby (7).