BY: Gerry Cantlon, Howlings
HERSHEY, PA – Justin Richards scored a late game-winner as the Hartford Wolf Pack bounced back with a 3-2 win in Central Pennsylvania, gaining a weekend split with the Hershey Bears.
Zac Jones came off the bench on the game-winner, caught the puck, and put it back into the Hershey zone, keeping them from a shift change and keeping the tired players on the ice.
Lauri Pajuniemi forced a turnover deep in the Hershey territory. He recovered the puck for a left-wing drive that went wide. Ty Ronning tracked down and retrieved the loose puck at the right-wing boards and sent a backhand pass to Tarmo Reunanen at the right point. As Reunanen wound up and shot, Richards came out from behind the net, parked himself in front of the net, and beautifully deflected the Pack defenseman’s shot for his third goal of the season at 17:14.
The Pack’s commitment to team defense held up for the win. In a late defensive zone draw, Ronning demonstrated his dedication to the team in a diving effort to get the puck out of the zone and out to Alex Whelan.
The Wolf Pack record improves to 18-11-3-2 (41 points). They are now in second place .10 percentage points behind the new division leader, the Providence Bruins.
Hershey’s record falls to 19-12-3-2 (43 points) and a .597 winning percentage.
The Pack was recharged by the entire line of Jonny Brodzinski-Tim Gettinger-Anthony Greco and Reunanen and Jones on defense.
Adam Huska was in goal for the injured Keith Kinkaid. Huska made 24 saves, including a huge early third-period beauty on a three-on-two rush stopping Shane Gersich and Mike Vecchione at 7:21.
At 5:36 of the second period, Jones and Brodzinski combined to get one past netminder Zach Fucale for Brodzinski’s 12th goal of the season.
Hershey retaliated shortly after that with Gersich behind the net, finding Vecchione, who went over Huska’s glove at 7:16 to tie the game at two.
The Wolf Pack took the lead in the first period, with Tanner Fritz scoring his first goal in two months from Ronning at 7:08. However, Hershey tied it late as former Yale Bulldog, Joe Snively, continued his torrid home play with his 13th goal of the season, all scored on home ice. Snively converted a Gersich pass on a late power-play at 19:02.
LINES
Brodzinski-Gettinger-Greco
Richards-Pajuniemi-Khordorenko
Rueschoff-Ronning-Fritz
Whelan-O’Leary-DiGiacinto
Bitetto-Skinner
Lundkvist-Robertson
Jones-Reunanen
Huska
Wall
SCRATCHES:
Kinkaid (lower-body)
Hayhurst
Elmer
Luchuk
Sanchez (day-to-day)
Taylor
Brassard
NOTES:
The Pack’s Double AA affiliates, the Jacksonville Icemen, released forward Jacob Panetta after 31 games for allegedly making racist taunts at defenseman Jordan Subban, the youngest brother of NHL defenseman PK Subban in an overtime game Saturday with South Carolina.
The entire incident is under review by the league, and they will render an official comment and likely suspension in the coming days. Subban hasn’t played at the AHL level in two years.
