HARTFORD WOLF PACK BEAT CHECKERS IN OT (10/29) 

By: Gerry Cantlon, Howlings

HARTFORD, CT – The Hartford Wolf Pack swept a pair of weekend battles to get themselves into the win column, including a 3-2 OT win over the Charlotte Checkers on Andy Welinski’s game-winner 47 seconds into the extra session.

The Pack travels locally next week in Springfield on Friday and Bridgeport on Saturday.

The game was a one-goal game until about ten minutes remaining, when it became a wild affair from there on in. A tight Hartford defense and off-target shooting from both rosters combined to keep the scores close.

In overtime, during three-on-three, the Wolf Pack’s C. J. Smith was on the left wing side. Smith faked a shot and feathered a short pass through two Checkers right to Welinski.  His shot went past Checkers goalie Mack Guzda for his first goal and the victory.

“He appeared to paint himself into a corner but didn’t lose possession of the puck before e made a terrific pass to (Zelinski). He was able to make a play out of nothing,”  Wolf Pack Head Coach Kris Knoblach said.

Earlier, Charlotte tied it from the left-wing circle. Pack goaltender Dylan Garand made a glove save of John Ludvis’ shot, but unfortunately, the rebound seemingly hit defenseman Blake Hillman sliding toward his net, and it went in at 8:57 with Grigori Denisenko in the neighborhood. The official scorers ruled it went off his skate blade in a non-kicking motion. That evened things up, with Denisenko credited with the tally.

In his post-game comments, Knoblauch had yet to review the game tape to review the play, but the damage was done.

“It was tough on the players. We had two one-goal leads and they (still) came at us. We were still able to respond. Guys can lose their focus because we’re fighting to get wins and we were able to do that and stick with it.”

Then, Lauri Pajuniemi tied things up at 15:22. After being stopped on two previous chances in the same shift, Pajuniemi won a net battle with ex-Pack Michael Del Zotto and redirected Hillman’s left point shot past Guzda for his third goal and a 2-1 lead. It seemed like that would have been the game-winner.

“He knows his responsibilities more, and he’s getting more opportunities to shoot the puck more. Primarily, he was known all over Europe for scoring goals. We also want to add to his mix to hold onto the puck more and to be able to also deliver passes, make those plays, and protect the puck. We want him to be that goal scorer, and he did all the right things to put himself in position for that goal.

“His basic strength though is shooting the puck, and you have to get to the center of the ice to score those goals. He did so right there. He did not get away from that area and battled hard for that position.”

The Checkers tied the game at two.  Just off the bench as an extra attacker, Logan Hutsko went straight to the net. He received a pass from Alexi Heponiemi and slipped it in on the open left side for his third goal of the season to tie the score despite Garand’s diving save attempt that was just a second too late.

This came just after a five-on-three by the Pack that kept the Checkers off the scoreboard.

“Things bounce your way, and you stick with it. We fought so hard to get a 2-1 lead, and they tied it up late on a 5-on-3 situation. We just have to finish those plays and did make a heckuva play to even the game up.”

Garand, who faced little work on the night the first two periods, was sterling at the end of the game. Making stops with the blocker with 2:15 left on Zac Dalpe, ex-Pack Anthony Bitetto on a left point drive and a pad save on Heponiemi with 1:50 remaining. Del Zotto had a tough night missing the net four times.

“He showed hard work tonight and professionalism, and you don’t see too often on young goalies.  He is very motivated and very driven too make the most of his time here and very successful career. He didn’t have a lot of shots, but that can be deceiving you’re he was able to get his stick on several point-blank shots. When we were shorthanded, he made many key saves,“ commented Knoblauch.

Hartford got the lead as captain Jonny Brodzinski one-timed a blast from the left wing circle as the Pack got the game’s opening goal for the second night in a row.

LINES:

Cullye-Brodzinski-Smith
Gettinger-Fritz-Pajuniemi
Trivigno-Rueschhoff-Elson
Whalen-Korczak-Henriksson

Harpur-Welinski
Skinner-Scanlin
Emberson-Hillman

Garand
Domingue

SCRATCHES:

Rydahl (upper body)
Zach Guitarri
Matt Rempe

NOTES:

What made Deniskov’s goal even harder is the setup of the off-ice situation, the only team we have found using this system. The team has eliminated goal judges and relies on an off-ice guy in the middle of the stands (lower level) watching the referee and turning on the red light as the referee points to the net.

This was supposed to be a pandemic-era action; however, now it’s the Hartford standard.

Charlotte defenseman John Ludvig is the son of former New Jersey Devil Jan.

Former UCONN captain Adam Karaschik (Ridgefield/Avon Old Farms) is recalled from Reading (ECHL) after two games by Lehigh Valley.

Ex-Sound Tiger and former NHL’er David Desharnais, after 15 games, is reportedly going to retire from HC Fribourg-Gottéron (Switzerland-LNA) and from hockey.

The Pack’s Ben Harpur and Jonny Brodzinski both have younger brothers playing for the Orlando Solar Bears (ECHL). Ben’s brother, Chris, is a Niagara University (AHA) grad, and Michael Brodzinski played with the Pack last year in a December emergency recall situation.

Alex Whelan (Quinnipiac University) was recalled from Jacksonville, where he had four points in three games to fill for Rydahl and Khordorenko. Rydahl may be ready for next weekend, but Khordorenko is long term likely weeks, not months.

Former UCONN recruit, Matej Blümel,  was recalled from Texas but scratched for the Dallas Stars’ last two games-Washington and the Rangers before being returned to Austin and the Texas Stars.

The Rangers beat the Dallas Stars 6-3 on Saturday afternoon ay American Airlines Center.

Julien Gauthier, who was just recalled from Hartford, had a solid game in Dallas with a hit and pass to Zac Jones,  the ex-Pack, for his pro goal and seconds later, Gauthier got around goalie Steve Wedgewood, in relief for an injured Jake Oettinger scored into an open net.

Ex-Pack Nils Lundkvist had three shots and nearly set up Joe Pavelski for a goal, plus he had 17:50 of ice time, and Mason Marchment, son of late Whaler Bryan, had a strong game.

For Blümel, it was supposed to be a sort of a “homecoming,” having played as a youngster in the Five Nations Tournament for Czechia (Czech Republic) at the nearby Dr. Pepper Arena (now Comerica Arena) in Frisco in 2016, which is a half-hour from downtown Dallas. The high-end facility that puts the XL Center to shame, impressed him so much it got the talented Czech youngster Interested in playing in North America.

The arena is the Stars practice facility and part of a series of buildings that dot the Texas landscape that the soft drink company sponsorship is all over Texas. The building is used by Texas high school hockey, and another building is used by the University of Texas A &M Aggies-College Station, a club team four hours from Dallas.

He was hooked up by former UCONN assistant coach now at BU, Joe Peirara (West Haven/South Kent Prep)  and went to the Waterloo Black Hawks (USHL). He committed to the Huskies and matriculated for three weeks on campus before unexpectedly bolting Storrs just before his freshmen college season was about to start, as he hightailed it back home to  HC Pardubice in the Czech Elite League (CEL) to play at the pro level.

He was subsequently drafted in 2019  in the 4th round by Edmonton, but that didn’t work out.

He signed a free-agent deal with Dallas in the summer and had five goals and eight points in his first five AHL games to earn the recall.

Vitali Kravtsov has been hurt again as he was rubbed out by 6’6 Jani Hakanpaa in the offensive right-wing corner in the late stages of the second period and never returned.

Cole Cassels, the son of ex-Whaler Andrew, is giving Belleville, a third try after leaving Södertälje SK (Sweden-Allsvenskan) a Swedish league after just 13 games.

UCONN (7-1-1) is ranked #8 in the latest poll that keeps rolling along. Last week with a 5-1 win over BC, they scored four in the third, Ryan Tverberg scored twice in the game, and Logan Terness made 33 saves.

HARTFORD WOLF PACK

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