CANTLON: OT WIN ENDS WOLF PACK LOSING STREAK
BY: Gerry Cantlon, Howlings
MARLBOROUGH, MA – The Hartford Wolf Pack snapped a four-game losing streak after Morgan Barron scored in overtime on Monday afternoon, giving the New York Rangers’ AHL affiliates a 3-2 win over the Providence Bruins at the New England Sports Center.
Jonny Brodzinski, fresh after returning from his Rangers recall, had a strong afternoon with two goals and an assist,
Goaltender Tyler Wall, who struggled earlier this season, turned in a strong performance making 38 saves in his first AHL victory.
The game-winning play started when Darren Raddysh blocked Paul Carey’s (Salisbury School) shot deep in the Wolf Pack end. The puck came to Brodzinski, who slipped a pass to Barron, and the pair was off to the races.
Barron motored down the left-wing, showed patience with the puck, and outwaited Dan Vladar before snapping his shot over the Bruins goalie at 3:22 of the extra session. The goal was Barron’s third of the season.
Providence nearly won it earlier in the OT session when Cooper Zech stole the puck from Patrick Khordorenko and went in on a breakaway. His shot went off the top of Wall’s stick, deflecting over the crossbar at 1:54.
PACK TIE THE GAME
The Wolf Pack tied the game at two each in the third period on Brodzinski’s second goal of the game. Tim Gettinger sent a head-man pass that Brodzinski corralled. He then weaved his way for a solid entry before zipping the equalizer from 35-feet to the far side of Vladar at 3:17.
Each team had their chances to untie the knot.
Providence’s Brady Lyle was on the right-wing side and saw his chance stopped by Wall, and the goal post helped the Pack netminder when it rejected an Ian McKinnon blast.
For the Pack, Brodzinski and Gettinger both tested Vladar, who repelled their opportunities.
In his last game, Samuel Asselin had a hat-trick. In this one, he had two scoring chances that Wall denied. Both Barron and Anthony Greco were stopped for Providence by Vladar.
PACK LATE PENALTY GIVES BRUINS PP
The Bruins had a late-game power play at the end of regulation. Anton Blidh, Jakub Lauko, and Oskar Steen were all turned aside with shots on the man-advantage. Providence’s inability to seal the deal sent the game to overtime.
SECOND PERIOD
The second period saw a limited amount of five-on-five play, as penalties plagued the frame. Referees Jordan Decard and Terry Koharski had active whistles. The Bruins, however, maintained an edge in the period’s play and tested Wall often.
The Wolf Pack had two strong scoring chances. Khordorenko early in the frame and then Michael O’Leary later on a backhander.
Providence took a 2-1 lead on Robert Lantosi’s power play tally.
Cameron Hughes maintained puck control and sent it back to Jack Achan operating at the right point. Achan sent a tape-to-tape pass to Lantosi, who wired it past Wall to the short-side for his fourth goal of the season at 11:20.
Carey had two chances stopped, and the Wolf Pack had a very late chance when Justin Richards left a drop pass for O’Leary as he came off the left-wing side. Vladar stopped his shot as Paul Thompson went strong to the net seeking a rebound.
SOLID 1ST FRAME PLAY BY THE VISITORS
The Wolf Pack got off to a strong start as they looked to end their losing streak.
After a dump-in just 15 seconds into the contest, the Wolf Pack forechecker caught Vladar by surprise when Gettinger intercepted his blind backhand clear behind the net.
Gettinger quickly fed Greco, who in turn zipped it over to Brodzinski, who came in with speed off the right-wing side before burying his third of the season, sending the puck to the far-side past Vladar for an early 1-0 led.
Just moments later, at 1:50, at center ice, the Wolf Pack’s Mason Geersten and the Bruins Ian McKinnon squared off for a lively toe-to-toe exchange. The Wolf Pack’s pedestrian play remained for most of the first period until they lifted their play in the last minute.
Wall denied both Zach Senyshyn, Zech, and Blidh each attempted to even the game for the Bruins but were all stopped by Wall, who left few rebounds for secondary scoring opportunities.
The shots in the period favored the Bruins 9-4.
TURNING POINT OF THE GAME
Ahcan, McKinnon, and Karson Kuhlman tested Wall but failed before the game’s pivotal moment occurred.
Pack rookie, Will Cuylle, was on the forecheck. After he had passed a puck, Cuylle leveled Zech, driving him into the left-wing boards inside the Providence zone and leaving the Bruins’ d-man in a heap. Josiah Didier went after the Pack rookie, who got the only punch in. Cuylle wasn’t hit with a fighting major but received a five-minute major for interference and game misconduct at 12:05.
So for the second game in a row, the Pack lost a forward in the first period.
Late in the first on another power play, the Bruins got their first goal.
Senyshyn came off the right-wing and toe-dragged the puck around a sliding Tarmo Reunanen, who went for a full-length body slide, but leaving his feet, took him out of the play.
Senyshyn went for the five-hole, but Wall made the save. Hughes was there for the loose puck in front of Wall. Hughes was able to jam it home for his third of the season at 17:13.
The Wolf Pack gained two points, and their record improves to 3-4-0 (6 points) while Providence slips to 7-2-1 (15 points). The Bruins still sit atop the Atlantic Division.
The two teams will meet again on Friday at the New England Sports Center at 1 PM.
LINES:
Brodzinski-Greco-Gettinger
Khordorenko-Barron-Newell
Rueschhoff-Cuylle-Richards
Thompson-O’Leary-Geersten
LoVerde-Reunanen
Sieloff-Raddysh
Guittari-Crawley
Wall
Brassard
SCRATCHES:
Gabriel Fontaine (upper-body injury)
Ryan Dmowski
Ty Ronning
Jake Elmer
James Sanchez
NOTES:
Raddysh’s younger brother, Taylor Raddysh, was recalled from the Syracuse Crunch by the Tampa Bay Lightning’s taxi squad. The Lightning sent ex-Sound Tiger goalie, Christopher Gibson, to Syracuse to get playing time.
Saturday’s postponed game with the Bridgeport Sound Tigers has yet to be rescheduled.
