BY: Gerry Cantlon, Howlings
HARTFORD, CT – After being kept off the scoresheet in regulation, Jonny Brodzinski remedied his frustration in overtime by potting his 17th goal of the season and the game-winner off an Anthony Greco pass to give the Hartford Wolf Pack a 2-1 win over the Rochester Americans at the XL Center.
“Greco with his speed and Jonny were due. He had so many chances tonight. It was nice to see him get rewarded with the game-winning goal,” said Wolf Pack Head Coach Kris Knoblauch.
The game’s first goal came early in the third period as Matt Robertson and his defense partner, Zach Giuttari (Loomis Chaffee), were responsible for the starting and ending of the play.
Giuttari moved the puck out of the Wolf Pack end of the ice with a short pass to Anthony Greco. He then kept moving to the opposite side of the ice where he received a cross-ice pass from Greco and as soon as it arrived, he sent it right back across to an open Robertson in the right-wing circle.
KNOBLAUCH REACTS
“Your offense is usually generated from the back line, and Zach was excellent. Robbie (Robertson) has that big shot and connected for us. They picked up where they left off on Friday night. They have been playing well together and have some good chemistry,” remarked head coach Kris Knoblauch.
Robertson put everything into it and blasted the one-timer past goaltender Aaron Dell for his first AHL goal. The score came just 36 seconds into the third period.
“It took a while. You try not to think about it. You start thinking about it, it can affect you a little bit. It’s things you can’t control. It was the proverbial monkey off my back. Zach made a great pass just try to keep your head down and play your game,” remarked Robinson whose last goal was with the Edmonton Oil Kings in juniors back in the spring.
Brodzinski and Ty Ronning had numerous chances in the third. Those offensive chances led to key Rochester defensive plays, or Dell goalie stops keeping the Wolf Pack from their second goal.
“He had one with about 30 seconds left. He (Ronning) fires a sneaky little shot that hits the crossbar.”
HUSKA
Goalie Adam Huska made three saves over a one-minute span in the last two minutes.
“Adam was excellent he has played so well for us with the exception of one game or two, he has given us what we needed. He’s a little unhappy with his record, but that’s a product of the season we’ve had with all the interruptions we’ve had.
We expect when he is in the net, two goals a game. That’s not just clamming up and playing defensive hockey. I hope he gets rewarded in the second half of the season and he gets the goal-support he deserves.”
The last goal on Peterka came with 1:41 left on a breakaway that kept the game tied.
Rochester played a strong counterattacking offense that carried things midway. At 9:58 Nick Boka broke up a Wolf Pack attempt and led the Americans out of their zone. Boka fed JJ Peterka on the left side. His first shot was stopped by Huska. The rebound, however, bounced off Boka. There was some contact with Huska, and after a review, it was called a good goal.
Mitch Eliot, the son of former New Haven Nighthawk Daren Eliot, was stopped twice. Mike Mersch, the son of late Nighthawk Michael Mersch, made a critical block on a Brodzinki’s left-wing bid with a minute to go.
TINORDI
Jarred Tinordi played an effective game at both ends of the ice contributing an important block at 9:45 his coach noticed him all night.
“Jarrod provides a lot of what we don’t have. If he is a little out of position he can use his (long) reach to help out or he can use his size and strength to push somebody out of the way for a goalie. It’s so important to have good positioning out there and teams can develop a good cycle out there when we don’t have a player of Jarrod’s qualities out there, That’s the most important thing in defense, which is the first word in defenseman he is good at that.”
LINES
Gettinger-Brodzinski-Greco
Ronning-Fritz-Lorito
Richards-Khordorenko-Ruesschoff
Whalen-O’Leary-DiGiacinto
Tinordi-Lundkvist
Giuttari-Robertson
Reunanen-Bitetto
Kinkaid
Huska
SCRATCHES
Pajuniemi (Questionable, 50/50 he may play next weekend)
Jones (Recalled late Saturday)
Taylor
Skinner
Wall (Recalled from Jacksonville)
Morgan Barron (He and Kappo Kakko out in New York)
Luchuk
