CRAWFORD: PACK DROP HEAVILY PENALIZED CONTEST TO T-BIRDS
Springfield Thunderbirds 4, Hartford Wolf Pack 1
BY: Bob Crawford, Hartford Wolf Pack
Springfield, MA, March 8, 2020 – The Springfield Thunderbirds scored three third-period goals against the Hartford Wolf Pack for a 4-1 victory Sunday at the MassMutual Center, in a contentious game that saw the two teams combine for 97 minutes in penalties.
The Wolf Pack’s Ryan Dmowski scored the only goal of the second period, to tie the game at one, but Chase Priskie, Rodrigo Abols and Danick Martel all connected for Springfield in the third.
Priskie’s goal, at 6:12 of the final frame, was the game-winner. After the Wolf Pack failed to get the puck out of the defensive zone along the boards, Daniel Audette passed from the left-wing circle to Priskie in the slot, and he wired a hard shot past the catching glove of Wolf Pack goaltender Adam Huska (31 saves).
“I thought we played a pretty good game, up until the end,” Wolf Pack head coach Kris Knoblauch said. “When they got that second goal, we were pressing to score a goal, looking offense, and were very tired, playing [three games in three days] with a very short bench, and then they got the last couple of goals.”
The first period was delayed by an incident that occurred at the 6:50 mark and resulted in two Wolf Pack players, Vinni Lettieri and Mason Geertsen, and one Thunderbird, Brady Keeper, being assessed game misconducts. The trouble began in the corner to Huska’s left, as Hartford defenseman Darren Raddysh and the Thunderbirds’ Ryan Haggerty tussled. More players got involved, Keeper dropped the gloves with Matt Beleskey, and Lettieri wrestled with Abols. Lettieri was called for leaving the bench to join an altercation, and Geertsen was judged to have left the penalty box. The keeper was called for abuse of an official.
“The guys that played, and their replacements, really stepped up,” said Knoblauch of compensating for the two players who were ejected. “The defense, I was happy with them, those five guys played pretty well. And some guys, like (Ryan) Gropp, (Greg) Chase, I thought they elevated their games.”
After that was sorted out, Springfield’s Joel Lowry scored the only goal of the opening session, giving the Thunderbirds the day’s first lead at 12:40. A shot from the right point by Priskie deflected up in the air, and Abols found the puck along the goal line on the left side. He fed it into the goalmouth, and Lowry shoved it inside the post on Huska’s glove side.
The Thunderbirds got another big opportunity late in the period when Beleskey was assessed a major penalty for boarding at 18:05. Not only did the Wolf Pack kill the penalty, though, Dmowski tied the score at 3:53 of the second period, just 48 seconds after Beleskey’s penalty expired. Ty Ronning carried the puck into the Springfield zone to the left side of the slot and dished to Dmowski, and fired a forehand shot past Thunderbird goaltender Philippe Desrosiers on the stick side.
That would be the only one of 35 Wolf Pack shots to get by Desrosiers, though, and after Priskie’s go-ahead goal, Springfield would tack on two more in the final 1:45 of the game.
Abols scored his seventh of the year at 18:15. After a Beleskey pass was blocked in center ice, Danick Martel moved into the Wolf Pack zone and played the puck to Abols on the left side, and he unloaded a shot that went just under the crossbar behind Huska.
Martel completed the scoring with 33.3 seconds left, taking a feed from behind the net by Haggerty and moving to his backhand to slip it past Huska.
The next action for the Wolf Pack is back on home ice at the XL Center this Wednesday night, March 11, a 7:00 battle with the Providence Bruins. That is another chance to take advantage of the Wolf Pack’s “Click It or Ticket Hat Trick Pack”. The Hat Trick Pack includes two tickets, two sodas, and one large popcorn, all for just $40.
Tickets for all 2019-20 Wolf Pack home games are on sale now at the Sunwave Gas & Power Ticket Office at the XL Center, on-line at hartfordwolfpack.com and by phone at (860) 722-9425. Tickets purchased in advance for kids 12 or younger start at just $10 each, and all tickets will have a $3 day-of-game increase.
To speak with a Wolf Pack representative about season or group tickets, or any of the Wolf Pack’s many ticketing options, call (860) 722-9425, or click here to request more info. To visit the Wolf Pack online, go to hartfordwolfpack.com.
Hartford Wolf Pack 1 at Springfield Thunderbirds 4
Sunday, March 8, 2020 – MassMutual Center
Hartford 0 1 0 – 1
Springfield 1 0 3 – 4
1st Period-1, Springfield, Lowry 8 (Abols, Priskie), 12:40. Penalties-Djuse Spr (slashing), 1:01; Gropp Hfd (hooking), 2:44; Beleskey Hfd (fighting), 6:50; Chase Hfd (misconduct – continuing altercation), 6:50; Geertsen Hfd (roughing, leaving penalty bench, game misconduct – leaving penalty bench), 6:50; Lettieri Hfd (slashing, roughing, game misconduct – leaving the bench), 6:50; Abols Spr (roughing), 6:50; Haggerty Spr (roughing), 6:50; Keeper Spr (roughing, fighting, game misconduct – physical abuse of officials (cat. ii)), 6:50; Martel Spr (misconduct – continuing altercation), 6:50; Thompson Spr (goaltender interference), 13:10; Beleskey Hfd (major – boarding), 18:05.
2nd Period-2, Hartford, Dmowski 4 (Ronning, Ebert), 3:53. Penalties-Priskie Spr (cross-checking), 6:52; LoVerde Hfd (interference), 13:17; Rodewald Spr (holding), 16:05.
3rd Period-3, Springfield, Priskie 8 (Audette, Prow), 6:12. 4, Springfield, Abols 7 (Martel), 18:15. 5, Springfield, Martel 20 (Haggerty, Djuse), 19:26. Penalties-LoVerde Hfd (holding), 3:09; Beleskey Hfd (diving/embellishment), 6:29; Mangene Spr (interference), 6:29.
Shots on Goal-Hartford 10-18-7-35. Springfield 11-11-13-35.
Power Play Opportunities-Hartford 0 / 4; Springfield 0 / 5.
Goalies-Hartford, Huska 11-8-6 (35 shots-31 saves). Springfield, Desrosiers 16-10-2 (35 shots-34 saves).
A-5,439
Referees-Alex Garon (64), Olivier Gouin (54).
Linesmen-Ben O’Quinn (92), Kyle Richetelle (47).
