BY: Gerry Cantlon, Howlings
HARTFORD, CT – Paul Thompson’s four goals helped to propel the Springfield Thunderbirds to a 7-4 victory over the Hartford Wolf Pack at the XL Center before 1,876 fans Wednesday night.
The two teams combined for 74 shots on goal for the game and as the Wolf Pack lost their third in a row and got into their third run and gun hockey game in three weeks second with Springfield in the last two weeks.
“Third period with 12 minutes left in the game, 4-4 game against a divisional opponent here, those are games you’ve got to find a way to make sure that you’re taking care of pucks and finding ways to score goals.” said head coach Keith McCambridge.
Springfield (20-19-6-4) for 50 points hopped into third place and the Wolf Pack remain in 8th place slip under .500 at (19-20-2-2).
”This a game we had to win. It’s a team we’re chasing in the standings. We’ve got to make a decision here as a group at this point of the year or it’s going to be another disappointing year,” remarked a tight-lipped, clearly upset, Steven Fogarty one of the three assistant captains.
The Pack out of a possible eight points in this current stretch managed just two-not enough in a playoff push with 33 games to go. There are only 10 points separating second place Bridgeport and last place Hartford in the Atlantic Division, but it seems like Mt. Everest at this point.
In the third period, the Wolf Pack had a critical early five on three power play for a 1:09 span and couldn’t connect on either penalty.
The Thunderbirds scored the all-important fifth goal Thompson on the second flip pass against the same player (Ryan Lindgren) by Harry Zolniercyzk (one goal and two assists) that went over his head and landed on Thompson’s stick went in on a breakaway and went upstairs on Alex Georgiev.
Springfield then got a five on three shortly thereafter and didn’t miss their chance.
Thompson at the left side of the net took Zolniercyzk cross-ice pass from the right wing circle for his 21st of the season at 10:17.
The Wolf Pack Lias Ande5rsson who had a team-high seven shots missed a breakaway that could have shut the gap, but he wasn’t alone in missing on quality chances.
Thompson off a defensive zone faceoff win launched a 180-foot shot that went into the net for his fourth tally and 22nd goal of the season at 18:33 to seal the Thunderbirds victory.
In the second period, both teams very arm weary from the first-period frenzy had just seven shots in the first half of the period. Then the second half finally connected on the net, but the Wolf Pack were the only team to score in the period.
The Wolf Pack scored late on the powerplay as Peter Holland took Vinni Lettieri’s pass along the left wing boards and sent a perfect cross-ice pass to Steven Fogarty standing at the right side of the net and he made a perfect tip-in for his ninth of the season at 18:33 to even the score at four and hopefully give the Pack the momentum swing going into the third.
“Credit Peter he told me when we out there to get there (at the net) he made a good play with the puck all I had to do was put my stick out,”
Both goalies were superb last Saturday hung out to dry in the first period had a chance to make some key saves with a semblance of defense being played.
Among Alex Georgiev’s better saves was on the Thunderbirds Jonathan Ang with 3:20 left in the period and he kept Matt Marcinew, Harry Zolniercyzk, Riley Stillman and Bobby Farnham at bay and the red light off.
At the other end, Chris Driedger turned away Rob O’ Gara twice.
The first period it was the shootout at the XL Corral featured seven goals and 32 shots between the two teams and barely enough time to breathe.
The Wolf Pack and the Thunderbirds combined had four goals in the first seven minutes.
The Thunderbirds struck first at the 50-second mark as Anthony Greco wide open easily deposited the rebound of a Juho Lammikko shot that came via a turnover by the Wolf Pack’s Chris Bigras from the right wing corner.
Hartford’s quick response team went into action and scored 52 seconds later.
This time Sean Day at the right circle spotted his new defense partner Rob O’ Gara coming in off the left point and all the rangy defenseman had to do was redirect the puck in the open side for his third goal of the year and first since December 1st against Charlotte.
The Pack took the lead at 2-1 at 5:16.
Ryan Gropp with a solid chip in along the wall behind the Springfield net and Steven Fogarty got to the puck first and gorgeous blind backhanded pass to Lias Andersson in front and he was stopped on his first shot, but got the rebound and chopped in his ninth goal of the season.
“I knew he was there I just didn’t know how open he was and it was a good goal for us,” said Fogarty.
Right back came the Thunderbirds as Ludwig Bystrom at the left point let a wrist shot go and veteran Thompson, an offseason free-agent signing was 10 feet out with an inside position on Pack defenseman redirected his 19th past Alex Georgiev with no chance on that play at 6:21.
The Thunderbirds would take a 3-2 lead on a set play as Dryden Hunt’s center ice flip pass-the hockey ally-oop, went up in the air over Ryan Lindgren and Harry Zolniercyzk was right there to sweep in off the right and slip his ninth of the season on a breakaway behind Georgiev at 13:52.
“I’d have to look at it again on the replay whether he might have been offside.
The Wolf Pack didn’t wilt as John Gilmour took Shawn St. Amant’s pass zoomed in off the right wing and with a rolling puck slipped his 13th goal short-side over the outstretched goal of Thunderbirds Chris Driedger a 16:22.
Gilmour has 13 points over a span of 13 games.
The Thunderbirds 48 seconds later on the powerplay scored again to take the lead back at 4-3 and Tomas Jurco scored his third goal in three games since being reassigned by Florida at the side of the net on a short feed from Anthony Greco on the right wing.
“We weren’t good enough tonight. Turnovers, this team is too good to take shifts off on. A good team like you can’t give those type of chances. It’s unfair to him (Georgiev) when he comes here and we play like that. He has given us a chance every night. He shouldn’t hang his head, it’s on the players to play better in front of him,” remarked Fogarty.
SCRATCHES:
Shawn O’Donnell (upper body)
Brandon Crawley (healthy)
Bobby Butler (healthy)
Dawson Leedahlt (healthy)
LINES:
Holland-Beleskey-Meskanen
Nieves-Lettieri-Brickley
Fogarty-Gropp-Andersson
Fontaine-Gettinger-St. Amant
Gilmour-Lindgren
Bigras-Hajak
Day-O’Gara
NOTES:
Thompson was one goal short of the record for most goals scored against the Wolf Pack when Brendan Morrison then with Albany River Rats scored five in the last game of the regular season of the Wolf Pack’s first season in 1997-98.
The Thunderbirds Driedger’s shutout on Saturday was the 100th against the Wolf Pack in their 22-year history.
The Rangers off for 10 days for the NHL All-Star break made a paper transaction flip-flopping Dustin Tokarski and Marek Mazanec on recall. Maz was the backup for Georgiev.
The Pack defense is tied for fourth-most goals against in the AHL with 148.
The Thunderbirds like the Wolf Pack got players back from the parent Florida Panthers for the NHL All-Star break in defenseman’s Josh Brown and Ian McCoshen plus Pack killer, forward Jace Hawryluk.
The Wolf Pack, of course, got back defenseman Ryan Lindgren and center Boo Nieves. The team released from PTO deals and returned to Maine (ECHL) center Terrence Wallin and defenseman Zach Tolkinen, a former QU Bobcat.
Jordan Samuels-Thomas (West Hartford) another former QU Bobcat and Hartford Jr. Wolf Pack were recalled by Hershey after one game where he was a minus three at South Carolina (ECHL).
Another ex-Bobcat Alex Barron leaves EHC Freiburg (Germany DEL-2) and signs with HK Propad (Slovakia-SLEL) the rest of the season.
In an AHL game, Sunday former Wolf Pack captain Cole Schneider paced a 4-0 shutout by Milwaukee In Chicago against the Wolves.
Schneider earned the second star with two primary assists on their opening goal, but, Nicolas Baptiste with a nice short backhand pass off a rebound to an open Baptiste who put it in an open net.
He then made a perfect diagonal pass from the left wing side to Anthony Richard coming in as the trailer on the right wing scored from 30 feet out on their second goal.
The Admirals third goal was scored by ex-Wolf defenseman Pack Vince Pedrie on a slapshot from the left point for his first goal of the year.
The Admirals Mathieu Olivier, son of ex-New Haven Knights defenseman Simon Olivier scored the last goal an empty netter and had a solid toe-to-toe no buckets battle, the best one thus far this season with Alex Gallant of Chicago, younger brother of ex-Sound Tiger and current Cleveland Monsters winger Brett Gallant.
The Bruins Paul Carey (Salisbury Prep) who notched his second hat trick of his career against the Wolf Pack to help the Providence Bruins pull away from the Wolf Pack 5-2 on Monday in a previously unscheduled MLK Holiday matinee in Providence.
The game was originally scheduled for Sunday but was moved to Sunday because of Sunday’s ice/snow storm.
Carey had a four-goal effort when he was with Hershey and was robbed of a 5th goal near the end of the game when two fights broke out and the refs never noticed his wraparound tally!
Brian Flynn (Pomfret Prep) leaves San Antonio and signs with EV Zug (Switzerland-LNA) for the rest of the season.
Earlier this afternoon in a first at the XL Center ACHA (American College Hockey Association) Division-2 club hockey meeting between the Central Connecticut State Blue Devils (New Britain) and the Westfield State Owls (MA) with the Blue Devils pulling away in the third period for a 4-1 victory.
