BY: Bob Crawford, Hartford Wolf Pack
Hartford Wolf Pack 5, Bridgeport Sound Tigers 2
Hartford, CT, March 27, 2021 – Special teams made the difference for the Hartford Wolf Pack in its second straight win Saturday, a 5-2 victory over the Bridgeport Sound Tigers at the XL Center.
Darren Raddysh and Austin Rueschhoff scored power-play goals for Hartford, and Justin Richards had a shorthander for his first pro goal. Tarmo Reunanen and Paul Thompson added third-period goals, and Adam Huska made 20 saves for his second consecutive win.
Cole Bardreau scored both Bridgeport goals, and Jakub Skarek stopped 32 shots.
The Wolf Pack got the only goal of the first period, at 12:28, after some vital work early by Huska, who had made 23 saves in his first win of the season Thursday, a 4-2 decision at Providence on Thursday.
With Otto Koivula in the penalty box for hooking, Raddysh blasted a shot from the middle of the blue line through a screen and high into the net behind Skarek.
The Wolf Pack power play scored on its next opportunity at 4:29 of the second period, with Yanick Turcotte serving a charging penalty.
Thompson fed a pass from the left-wing side to Rueschhoff headed to the net, and he deflected the puck through Skarek’s pads.
Then, on Bridgeport’s first man-advantage opportunity, the Wolf Pack added a shorthanded goal at 9:58. With Thompson off for cross-checking, Anthony Greco sped down the left-wing and fired a shot that Skarek stopped, but the rebound came off his pads, and Richards easily buried it.
Bardreau got Bridgeport on the board at 12:26, though, with his fourth goal of the season. Tom Kuhnhackl sent the puck off the right-wing corner boards from inside the red line, and Bardreau caught up to the carom and sent a close-in shot past Huska.
Bardreau struck the first shift of the third period, only 12 seconds in, cutting the margin to 3-2. Richards tried to pass the puck behind his net to the corner to Huska’s left, but Bardreau intercepted and sent a quick backhand shot that found its way under Huska’s right arm and into the net.
After that, the Wolf Pack settled down, though, and Reunanen got the lead back to two goals at 13:51. Ty Ronning broke down right-wing and centered a pass that Tim Gettinger deflected on goal. Skarek made a sharp save but could not control the rebound, which came to Reunanen high in the slot, and Skarek had no chance on his hard shot.
Thompson completed the scoring with 3:54 left, taking a pass from Patrick Khodorenko and firing a sharp-angle shot from nearly the bottom of the right circle that went over Skarek’s short-side shoulder and under the crossbar.
The Wolf Pack’s next game is at Bridgeport this Friday, April 2. Faceoff is 1:00 PM, and all of the Wolf Pack’s 2021 action can be seen live online at theahl.com/AHLTV.
Bridgeport Sound Tigers 2 at Hartford Wolf Pack 5
Saturday, March 27, 2021 – XL Center
Bridgeport 0 1 1 – 2
Hartford 1 2 2 – 5
1st Period-1, Hartford, Raddysh 1 (Ronning, Richards), 12:28 (PP). Penalties-Koivula Bri (hooking), 10:36.
2nd Period-2, Hartford, Rueschhoff 2 (Thompson, Greco), 4:29 (PP). 3, Hartford, Richards 1 (Greco), 9:58 (SH). 4, Bridgeport, Bardreau 4 (Kuhnhackl, Kubiak), 12:26. Penalties-Turcotte Bri (charging), 3:15; Timashov Bri (tripping), 5:57; Thompson Hfd (cross-checking), 8:07; Wotherspoon Bri (fighting), 12:35; Gettinger Hfd (fighting), 12:35; Holmstrom Bri (high-sticking), 13:03.
3rd Period-5, Bridgeport, Bardreau 5 0:12. 6, Hartford, Reunanen 3 (Gettinger, Ronning), 13:51. 7, Hartford, Thompson 2 (Khodorenko), 16:06. Penalties-Raddysh Hfd (cross-checking), 7:28; Carpenter Bri (slashing), 10:44; Turcotte Bri (cross-checking), 17:45.
Shots on Goal-Bridgeport 7-10-5-22. Hartford 11-16-10-37.
Power Play Opportunities-Bridgeport 0 / 2; Hartford 2 / 6.
Goalies-Bridgeport, Skarek 1-6-0 (37 shots-32 saves). Hartford, Huska 2-1-0 (22 shots-20 saves).
A-0 (Covid Protocol)
Referees-Terry Koharski (10), Casey Terreri (75).
Linesmen-Glen Cooke (6), Brent Colby (7).
