BY: Gerry Cantlon, Howlings
HARTFORD, CT – The Hartford Wolf Pack used 29 saves from Dustin Tokarski, and a two-point performance from Gabriel Fontaine and a full-sixty minute effort from the entire roster on Wednesday night before an announced crowd of 2,248 at the XL Center in shutting out the visiting Providence Bruins, 3-0. The game was the team’s last home game before the Christmas break and broke a five-game losing streak.
“It was nice for the guys to be rewarded from the last couple of games when they didn’t. We played the right way and we got some big goals from the power-play, capitalized on our chances and felt good about the win, ”Pack head coach, Keith McCambridge said with a bright grin on his face.
The Pack (12-15-1-0) clinched the win with a late powerplay tally. Peter Holland was at the right point and took a Chris Bigras diagonal pass from the left wing corner and one-timed his shot into the top-shelf with a glove-side laser registering his seventh of the season and first goal in four games.
Tokarski has not played in three weeks and was superb making several top-shelf saves, the most challenging coming with 4:00 to go through a rolling screen that he snagged on Connor Clifton’s shot.
When asked if he was able to see the shot with the screen in front of him Tokarski said, “To be honest, no. I saw it at the very last second and made the reaction.”
The Pack played a strong, 60 minutes. Tokarski knew that was what they needed.
“It was a really good game by us. Whenever the momentum started to shift, we made a big play to take it back. A solid effort all around and it was fun to be a part of it.”
Tokarksi picked up his sixth win holding onto the same groove he was in when he left for New York.
McCambridge couldn’t have been happier for the team than he was for their netminder. “The guys got confidence from him and any breakdowns he looked big in the net. They had some really good looks on their powerplay and he played really strong for us.”
The team defense was solid throughout and especially when called upon to assist Tokarski. Ryan Lindgren blocking shots. Libor Hajak battled in front while forward Gabriel Fontaine backchecked hard and wrestled the Bruins’ Anton Blidh to the ice when he got his elbows up on Tokarski after a stopped shot.
The second period saw the Pack play a strong two-way game and any time Providence (12-12-5-0) got a break Tokarski slammed it shut.
Just 20 seconds into the second period, Tokarski denied Cameron Hughes off the left wing. Then the same for Trent Frederic when he was at the side of the goal. Gemel Smith, just sent down by Boston earlier that afternoon, was denied as he cut across the net from the left wing. Tokarski gave him nothing to shoot and then smothered his attempt.
The Wolf Pack got 10 shots on net. John Gilmour shot from the right point with Cole Schneider screening in front. Schneider had his deflection tip-in chance stopped by Zane McIntyre. With 1:38 left, Holland had his quality scoring chance nullified.
The period was a bit chippy not quite like the old days when the Bruins and Wolf Pack battles, with one fight erupting. The Bruins 6’7, Chris Breen, a veteran with 45 fights under his belt (courtesy of dropyourgloves.com) scored a TKO over 6’6, rookie Tim Gettinger who has just nine fights to his credit. Breen scored with an overhand right that sent Gettinger to the ice and to the locker room for a concussion check.
Gettinger did not return and there was no post-game report on his condition.
The gloves also dropped late in the second when the Bruins’, Emil Johansson, was penalized on a play and clipped Holland on a rush off the left wing at the blue line.
There were two scrums in the period.
The Wolf Pack got their first two goals via the play of their special teams.
While on the power play, Hartford gained entrance into the Bruins’ zone. Finnish rookie, Ville Meskanen, sent a short pass to Fontaine, who went wide on the left wing. Fontaine sent a shot that went through the crease right to a wide-open Gettinger on the open left side. Gettinger easily deposited his eighth of the season past McIntyre at 6:03.
“I’ve got to give credit to my coach and teammates for doing a lot of video with us. He told me to try to go to the net more, and it paid off,” Fontaine said with a laugh.
The Wolf Pack tallied their second goal shorthanded late in the first period.
Defenseman, Brandon Crawley, zipped a head-man pass to Schneider and the Pack captain got some distance and position on Clifton, a former QU Bobcat. Schnieder sent a pass to the right wing and Fontaine, like Gettinger before him, was wide open on the right wing side and able to bang the puck into the open net for his third goal of the season.
This was Fontaine’s first multi-point game in a little over a year (December 15, 2017) when he did so against the Wilkes Barre/Scranton Penguins.
“I was going fast and I felt I might go past the net,” Fontaine said in his French-accented English. “Cole made a nice pass, so I was happy about that.”
“I’m happy for Gabby,” McCambridge said of his second year forward playing on the second powerplay unit. “That learning curve and development in his game takes time and he got some powerplay time tonight and made some strong plays all over the ice.”
McCambridge was happy with Schneider’s work to set that play up. “He did a great job of keeping his feet moving and getting the separation from the ‘D’ and finding Gabby with a perfect pass.”
NOTES:
Providence saw Jeremy Lauzon and Gemel Smith returned from the Bruins as they’ve reduced their injury list.
PACK SCRATCHES:
Dawson Leedahl
Vince Pedrie.
WOLF PACK LINES:
Schneider* – Fogarty** – Lettieri
Gettinger – Holland – Meskanen
Belesky – Wallin – O’Donnell
St. Armant – Fontaine – Butler
Gilmour – Lindgren
Bigras – O’Gara**
Crawley – Hajak
Tokarski
*Captain
**Assistant Captain
