BY: Alex Thomas, Hartford Wolf Pack
HARTFORD, CT – The Hartford Wolf Pack snapped a nine-game point streak for the Providence Bruins in the head-to-head rivalry on Saturday night with a 5-2 victory at the XL Center in Hartford. Five different players lit the lamp for the Pack in the win, while captain Jonny Brodzinski added three assists.
Nils Lundkvist scored his second AHL goal 11:44 into the second period, getting Hartford’s powerplay off the schneid. Lundkvist took a pass from Brodzinski and blasted a heavy shot from the point through traffic to break a 2-2 tie. The goal stood as the game-winner, giving Lundkvist his second game-winning goal of the season.
For the fourth time in a row, the Wolf Pack found themselves trailing. Adam Húska came out to play a puck but mishandled it and turned it over to Joona Koppanen. Koppanen had a wide-open net and deposited his ninth goal of the season just 2:56 into the contest. The goal gave Providence the icebreaker for the eighth time in as many games in the season series.
The Wolf Pack fought back and tied the tilt just under two minutes later. Brodzinski took the puck deep into the Bruins’ zone, then fired a backhand pass into the slot for Matt Lorito. Lorito quickly fired a one-time shot that beat Kyle Keyser for his second of the season at 4:33. The Pack took their first lead of the game 5:02 later as Austin Rueschhoff buried his 12th goal of the campaign. Lorito took a pass from Brodzinski and got a high-danger scoring chance but was denied by Keyser. Rueschhoff followed up the play and put the rebound home at 9:35.
The seesaw first period continued just under seven minutes later at 16:32. Justin Brazeau checked in, scoring his seventh goal of the season. Jack Studnicka and Cameron Hughes picked up the helpers.
The Wolf Pack took over the game in the final forty minutes, scoring the game’s final three goals. First, Lundkvist lit the lamp on the powerplay at 11:44 of the second period. Then, Patrick Khodorenko scored his fifth goal of the season 9:44 into the third and final stanza.
Ty Ronning tapped the puck to Khodorenko at the side of the Bruin goal after taking a pass from Anthony Bitetto. Khodorenko took the feed, then danced in front of the net while going forehand-to-backhand before tucking the puck in beyond an outstretched Keyser. The powerplay goal, Hartford’s second of the night, was Khodorenko’s second against the Bruins this season.
The scoring was punctuated with Ronning’s career-high eleventh goal just under two minutes later at 11:37. Anthony Greco drove to the net but was denied by Keyser. The rebound popped into the slot, where Ronning was waiting to pounce. The goal gives Ronning four points (2 g, 2 a) in third periods this weekend.
The Pack concludes this key three-in-three weekend tomorrow with a trip to Providence, with puck drop set for 3:05 p.m. The Wolf Pack return home on Wednesday night when they host the Belleville Senators at the XL Center. Puck drop is set for 7:00 p.m. and tickets are available at hartfordwolfpack.com.
