HARTFORD WOLF PACK SMACK THE SYRACUSE CRUNCH (2/25)
By: Alex Thomas, Hartford Wolf Pack
SYRACUSE, NY – For the first time since December 21st, 2016, the Hartford Wolf Pack claimed a regulation victory over the Syracuse Crunch. Captain Jonny Brodzinski struck twice, while Louis Domingue made 37 saves to help the Wolf Pack capture a 4-1 decision at Upstate Medical University Arena.
Brodzinski gave Hartford the lead for good 11:11 into the hockey game, striking on the powerplay. Ryan Carpenter’s pass across the ice hit a Syracuse stick, then bounced into the legs of Will Cuylle. The puck eventually found its way to Brodzinski, who made a spin move to get the puck onto his forehand. As Brodzinski spun to face the net, Hugo Alnefelt lost his footing and fell to the ice. From a sharp angle, Brodzinski snapped a shot over the sprawled-out Alnefelt for his eighth goal of the campaign. The marker would stand as the game-winner.
Carpenter opened the scoring for the second straight game against the Crunch, this time scoring the fastest goal to start a game on the road this season for the Wolf Pack. Just 1:16 into the contest, Turner Elson pulled up in the right-wing corner of the Crunch zone and sent a pass to the faceoff circle. Carpenter corralled the puck and quickly fired a shot that snuck through Alnefelt to break the ice.
Just like on January 28th, however, the Crunch had the answer. Just 93 seconds later, Gabriel Dumont fired a shot from the top of the right-wing circle that beat Domingue. The veteran goalie was screened on the play as Gabriel Fortier provided traffic out in front. The goal, scored at 2:49, was all the home side could muster in this contest.
Brodzinski restored the lead at 11:11 of the first period, striking on the powerplay for the second time in the season series.
The captain then added the insurance marker at 14:57 of the middle stanza. Shorthanded due to a Blake Hillman penalty for delay of the game, Ty Emberson beautifully defended an attempted zone entry on the left-wing side. Emberson then snapped a pass up to Cuylle, who entered the Crunch zone and fired a shot from the right-wing circle. Alnefelt stopped the initial shot, but Brodzinski raced down the left-wing side and found the rebound, depositing it by a diving Alnefelt for his second goal of the night. The tally was Hartford’s fourth shorthanded goal of the season.
Domingue, meanwhile, was sensational in the Hartford net. The veteran goaltender made 18 saves in the period, holding a furious Crunch attack off the board to preserve the lead through forty minutes.
In the final frame, the Wolf Pack would lock things down and prevent the Crunch from threatening the potential equalizer. Cuylle ended the intrigue at 18:34, scoring his team-leading 18th goal of the season into an empty net.
The Wolf Pack continue their longest road trip of the season on Friday night when they visit the Springfield Thunderbirds. The puck drop is set for 7:05 p.m. The Pack return to the XL Center on Sunday, March 5th, for a matinee matchup with the Charlotte Checkers. The puck drop is set for 3:00 pm. To get tickets, visit hartfordwolfpack.com.
