BY: Alex Thomas, Hartford Wolf Pack
HARTFORD, CT – The Hartford Wolf Pack fell behind 2-0 in the first period for the second day in a row on Sunday at Webster Bank Arena. Unfortunately, for the second day in a row, the hole proved to be too large for the Pack to dig out of as they were blanked by a final score of 2-0 at the hands of the rival Bridgeport Islanders.
Bridgeport got the game’s first powerplay just over the halfway point of the opening period. Andy Andreoff collected a loose puck at the top of the crease and threaded a backhand pass through traffic to Chris Terry. The veteran settled the puck quickly and fired a shot by Wolf Pack starter Adam Húska for his 15th tally of the season 14:47 into the contest.
The goal would stand as the eventual winner and marked the fourth straight game with a powerplay goal for the Islanders against the Wolf Pack.
The Islanders would extend their lead to 2-0 3:59 later with yet another Terry tally. This time, Otto Koivula sent a pass into the slot for Terry, who cleanly beat Húska for his team-leading 16th goal of the season at 18:46.
The Wolf Pack had their chances in the second period, getting three straight powerplay opportunities, but could not solve Ken Appleby. The North Bay, Ontario native, made nine saves in the second period, then turned aside another eight bids in the final 20 minutes for his first shutout and victory of the season.
The Wolf Pack return to action on Friday night when they visit the Springfield Thunderbirds at the MassMutual Center. Puck drop is set for 7:05 p.m., with coverage starting at 6:50 p.m. on AHLTV and Mixlr.
The Pack is back at the XL Center next Saturday, February 26th, when they host the Providence Bruins in an Atlantic Division matchup. Puck drop is set for 7:00 p.m. on ‘Hartford Hockey Heritage Night.’ In addition, the Wolf Pack will be hosting Hockey ‘N Hops and Hockey ‘N Vine pregame in the Exhibition Hall of the XL Center. Ticket packages for Hockey ‘N Hops and Hockey ‘N Vine are available at hartfordwolfpack.com. Single-game tickets for the game are also available.
