BY: Gerry Cantlon, Howlings
CHARLOTTE, NC – Maxim Letunov scored 21 seconds into OT, giving the Hartford Wolf Pack a 4-3 win over the Charlotte Checkers, snapping a seven-game losing streak and keeping their slim playoff hopes alive.
The Pack earned their third OT win of the season and ended a 16-point Charlotte home winning streak.
Anthony Greco fed former UCONN forward, Letunov from the left-wing side. Letunov then used his 6’4 frame to barrel down the middle of the ice during the three-on-three OT session and put the only shot of the extra period on the net. Charlotte’s Christopher Gibson made the initial save but couldn’t control the puck as it rolled off the netminder and trickled over the goal line. The goal was Letunov’s 15th overall and his first game-winner as a member of the Wolf Pack (second overall). It was also his second goal as a member of the Wolf Pack.
Despite Charlotte having no incentive to go hard in the game, having already clinched a playoff appearance, it was anything but easy for Hartford.
CHECKERS NEARLY WIN IN THE THIRD PERIOD
The Checkers nearly won the game late in the third period.
Krys Barchman kept the puck in the zone at the blueline benefitting Logan Hutsko, who out-worked two Wolf Pack players along the left-wing boards. Hutsko was able to wheel in front of the net and launched a shot with 50 seconds remaining in regulation. Netminder Adam Húska stopped the shot. A mad scramble for the loose puck ensued as the Checkers’ Alexander True went to an open right side on a wraparound attempt that Jarred Tinordi blocked.
The Wolf Pack had a tremendous last-minute chance of their own. Lauri Pajuniemi worked hard on the right-wing wall to spring the puck free. He got it to Tanner Fritz in the right-wing corner near the goal line. Fritz snapped a cross-ice pass to Zach Jones, who fired off a quick shot stopped by defenseman Conor Bunnaman with twenty seconds left in regulation.
The game was tied at three at 9:05. True was in the right-wing circle and zipped a shot past Húska, giving him six points and six games.
PACK TAKES THE LEAD
The Pack went up at 3-2 as Patrick Khordorenko continued his strong play down the stretch. At 5:21 of the second frame, Khordorenko was on the right-wing side and sent a short backhanded pass to Anthony Greco, who was an open back door on the left-wing and buried his team-best 19th goal and his third point of the game.
The two teams concluded this three-game set and the season series portion in Charlotte.
The first period started as a track meet, with the teams combining for four goals. The first goal was from Zac Jones, his ninth at 1:45, taking Khordorenko’s forehand pass from the right-wing off a three-on-one.
Then as has sadly been the case lately, it took just 35 seconds for Charlotte to tie the game.
Luke Henman tallied on a two-on-one using Serron Noel as a decoy and got the puck past Matt Robertson and then by Húska.
The Checkers took a 2-1 lead on a delayed penalty. Zac Dalpe, playing in his 600th AHL game, came in alone on Húska, taking an Alexis Heponiemi pass, before going forehand-to-backhand, potting his 28th of the season into the back of the net at 16:52.
PACK COME BACK
The Pack came back to even the score at two.
After some strong passing around the horn, Greco was at the left point and went down low to Ty Ronning, who spotted Fritz in the right-wing faceoff circle. Fritz snapped his 12th, a hard forehander in the slot over Gibson’s glove at 18:46.
LINES
Ronning-Merkley-Letunov
Lorito-Fritz-Pajuniemi
Gettinger-Khordorenko-Greco
Richards-Trivigno-Rueschoff
Tinordi-Skinner
Jones-Lundkvist
Robertson-Guitarri
Huska
Kinkaid
SCRATCHES
Whelan
DiGiacinto
Taylor
O’Leary
Ethan Brodzinski
NOTES
During the game, one of Charlotte’s NHL affiliates, the Seattle Kraken, announced the signing of their first-ever first-round pick, Matty Berniers. The team signed Berniers to an ELC deal. Berniers comes out of The University of Michigan (Big 10) fresh off a Frozen Four appearance in Boston last weekend.
The Belleville Senators had a flurry of transactions as Mark Kastelic was shipped back from Ottawa Senators for Wednesday’s meeting with the Wolf Pack. Ottawa sent back Cole Reinhardt, then released Josh McKechney and Paul McAvoy. Both were assigned to the Atlanta Gladiators (ECHL).
In a tight playoff race with Toronto, Belleville is in fifth place in the North Division and are percentage points from the Marlies. .557 to .563
The Pack now head for games in Canada in Toronto and Belleville and conclude the road trip in Rochester next Saturday. They play in Belleville on Wednesday. The Pack plays Charlotte at home next Friday and concludes the home portion of the schedule next Saturday against Bridgeport. They end the season the next day in Wilkes-Barre/Scranton against the Penguins.
The Pack (30-28-6-2) sit in sixth place and have a .515 winning percentage. They trail the fourth-place Hershey Bears, who have a .543 win percentage. They have three games in hand. The Pack has just a single game in hand on the fifth-place Penguins (.522). It would take a miracle for the Pack to make the post-season now.
Charlotte (39-23-4-0) concluded its home schedule on Sunday. Their win on Friday became the first team in the Atlantic Division and Eastern Conference to clinch their spot in the Calder Cup playoffs. They are in first place and inched past the Springfield Thunderbirds by going to OT. Despite the loss, the Thunderbirds were denied being the second team in the division to qualify for the playoffs by the Pack.
