By: Gerry Cantlon, Howlings
HARTFORD, CT – Despite Louie Domingue’s repeating his season-high 42 saves, the Hartford Wolf Pack lost 1-0 to the Springfield Thunderbirds on Quinnipiac grad Matt Peca’s glove-high game-winner.
Dylan Garand posted a scoreless 65 minutes against Hershey, making the Pack 2-7 in shutouts this season.
The lone Pack shootout goal was by a defenseman, newcomer Adam Clendening wearing jersey #5.
In overtime, the Pack displayed a strong PK after Matt Robertson was penalized on a Will Bitten clean breakaway. The Pack had three blocks, and broke-up two plays, and Domingue, was solid on the delayed penalty situation on Robertson, while making a beautiful right pad save on Hugh McGing.
He had three strong late OT saves on a stick save on Adam Gaudette, Matt Kessel, and Martin Frk to keep it scoreless.
The Pack got a solid bid to win early in OT by Will Cullye.
In the third period, Domingue was strong, made early saves on Gaudette, leading scorer Matt Highmore, who was just sent down by the St. Louis Blues, and Mathias Laferriere.
McGing and Kessel tested Domingue. Steve Santini had a quality shot with Mikhail Abramov in front waiting for the rebound. Zac Jones followed with a good stick stop on Santini on his next shift.
The Pack’s Bobby Trivigno, Ryan Carpenter, and then Libor Hájek tested Springfield goalie Joel Hofer in the last five minute overtime.
In the final minute, with 45.7 seconds left, Hofer stopped Abramov. Cullye had a good chance as time expired in regulation.
The second period saw Springfield mount some sustained offensive zone pressure. First, Carpenter had two shots five seconds apart in the first three minutes. He was left muttering to himself and six minutes in Cullye tested Hofer.
Springfield Frk, Mitchell Hoelscher, and Peca were in on Domingue. Matt Rempe was in front and was pushed away by Griffin Luce (Salisbury School).
Dmitri Samurukov had a quality shot at Domingue. Karl Henriksson, made a smart defensive covering the left point as Carpenter had two shorts five seconds apart in the first three minutes, left muttering to himself.
Karl Henriksson made a quality defensive play at the left point, preventing any Springfield breakout and keeping the puck in as Hájek pinched in.
The first period felt like a training camp period with the Wolf Pack, as they have had seven players traded over the last 72-hours all finding new addresses. Finding chemistry was going to be tough.
Not changing was captain Jonny Brodzinski. At 3:40, the Pack had the first quality shot on goal in a scoreless first period. Matt Robertson from the left point. Hofer stopped Rempe on the Springfield doorstep. At 10:03 the Pack tested Hofer with their tenth shot on goal.
Both teams had a powerplay chance, and neither registered a shot on goal.
Domingue made a save at 12:57 and at 14:23. Newcomer Jake Leschyshyn had a chance with 1:50 to go in the period.
Riding a four-game winning streak, and enduring having their lineup changed during the week. the Wolf Pack were ready for an all-important three-games-in-three-days weekend.
The first two games are on the road. On Friday, they head twenty minutes up the road back to Springfield and then an hour South to Bridgeport to meet the Islanders on Saturday.
Then, they have a Sunday mid-afternoon clash with the Charlotte Checkers at 3 pm at the XL Center.
LINES:
Cullye-Brodzinski-Pajuniemi
Gettinger-Elson-Carpenter
Trivigno- Fritz-Jake Leschyshyn
DiGiacinto-Henriksson- Rempe
Jones-Hájek
Emberson-Robertson
Scanlin-Adam Clendening
Garand
SCRATCHES:
Joe Lockwood (healthy)
Cooper Zech (healthy)
Wyatt Kalynuk (unavailable in transit)
Anton Blidh (unavailable in transit)
Ben Tardif (healthy)
Patrick Khordorenko (season-ending shoulder surgery)
C.J. Smith (hip area surgery done for the season)
NOTES:
Bridgeport’s top goal scorers Simon Holmstrom and Otto Koivula were recalled by the big Islanders. They returned Arnaud Durandeau, a notorious Pack killer for the past three years.
Winger Collin Adams was recalled from Worcester (ECHL).
Calgary Wranglers (AHL) recalled ex-Pack defenseman Tyson Helgesen and ex-Sound Tiger Calder Brooks from Rapid City (ECHL).
Goalie Jon Gillies (Salisbury School) goes from Tucson to Cleveland.
Hamden’s Jonathan Quick was traded twice this week, first from LA to Columbus, and then Blue Jackets moved him the next day to the Vegas Goldne Knights. Quick (AOF), who won two Stanley Cups with Los Angeles has struggled this year. He was pulled in New York despite two of the three goals not being his fault, and his visible annoyance was shown by the 37-year-old exiting on TV.
He flew back with the team at the end of a road trip to LA and then was told he was traded to Columbus.
Nick Bonino (Farmington/AOF) was traded from the San Jose Sharks to Pittsburgh.
Vladislav Namestnikov, the son of ex-Pack Evegeni “John” Namesnikov, now a Maple Leaf scout was traded from San Jose to Winnipeg.
Ex-Pack Sammy Blais who was just traded to St. Louis. He signed a contract extension.
Ex-Pack goalie J.F. Berube was recalled then sent back to Charlotte by Florida.
Adam Erne, (North Branford) was called up from Grand Rapids by Detroit.
Pete DiLiberatore (QU) was recently sent to Savannah (ECHL) by Henderson and was dealt by Vegas to Wilkes Barre/Scranton.
Fellow former Bobcat Chase Priskie goes from Rochester to San Diego.
Kevin O’Neil (UCONN/Yale) was cut loose by Colorado Eagles (AHL) released from his PTO, and heads back to South Carolina (ECHL). The team also had ex-Pack goalie Keith Kinkaid, who just traded and recalled by the Avalanche.
Luke Evangelista was recalled from Milwaukee by parent Nashville.
Ex-CT Whale Mike Pelech of the Atlanta Gladiators (ECHL) is officially now the second all-time leader in assists in ECHL history, recording three on the road in Savannah, GA, Thursday night.
Former UCONN forward Jordan Timmons was dealt from the Reading Royals (ECHL) to the Kansas City Mavericks (ECHL).
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