By Gerry Cantlon, Howlings
SPRINGFIELD, MA – Joel Hofer’s third shutout in the last four games and his second against the Hartford Wolf Pack allowed the Springfield Thunderbirds to whitewash the visitors 4-0 in a mid-week Atlantic Division tussle. Thunderbirds leading scorer Matt Highmore and Matt Peca had a goal and an assist in the victory.
After going 199 minutes without allowing a goal, the Wolf Pack have now gone 80 minutes without scoring one of their own.
The loss, combined with a Bridgeport Islanders win in Charlotte over the Checkers, has dropped the Wolf Pack (24-22-3-7) to seventh place and out of the playoff picture. They are three points ahead of the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins.
The Wolf Pack continue their eight road games in their last nine games as they journey up to Rochester and Toronto on the weekend.
The Pack surrendered goals to Springfield at the end of the first period and the beginning of the second. In addition, the Pack had problems with the reigning AHL Player of the Week, Highmore, and trying to solve Hofer.
At 16:30, Mike Perunovich reversed at the top of the left-wing circle on Ty Emberson and sent the puck down low to Highmore below the goal line. He then sent it right back into the slot and found Mathias Lafierre in front, who fired it on Louie Domingue, who made the pad save. However, in a wild scramble in front of the net, Lafierre was able to find the loose biscuit and forehand it past Domingue for his seventh goal of the season.
At 55 seconds of the second period, while on the power play, the Wolf Pack shot themselves in the foot by allowing a shorthanded goal as Peca, a former Quinnipiac Bobcat, took off on a clean breakaway from center ice. Peca went in on the forehand and slipped his fifth over Domingue’s blocker, giving the Thunderbirds a 2-0 lead.
The Thunderbirds expanded their lead again in the first minute of the third period to make it 3-0 just 37 seconds in. Dmitri Samurukov shot from the left and put a hard, low shot on the net. Highmore tipped the puck past Domingue for his 15th goal. Pack defenseman Matt Roberson could not tie up Peca in front as he started the whole scoring sequence with a pass. Highmore was able to redirect the shot by Domingue, who had no chance on the play.
The T-Birds closed out the scoring on the power play as Martin Frk was up top and blasted his 22nd goal past a diving Dominque who tried vainly to stop it. However, Adam Clenendening thought his backhander was clearing the zone. Frk’s tally was the third special teams’ goal surrendered by the Pack on the night (two powerplay goals and a shortie). It’s what sunk the Pack boat.
In a tight-checking second period, newcomer Will Lockwood thought he had his first Wolf Pack goal; however, his backhander hit the post.
Before a Pack two-on-one fully developed, Springfield’s Austin Ozmanski broke the play up.
Lafierre was on the right wing and had a great scoring chance, but Domingue shut the door. Halfway through the period, Hájek had another good opportunity, but Hofer kept the lead to one. Two minutes later, Perunovich was denied.
In the third, before Springfield could bolt the door shut, Blidh was stopped, and Adam Gaudette hit one of the posts. Then the T-Birds Kenan Waskurak, with half the net open, was stopped.
Peca had two solid chances a few minutes apart. On one rush-in attempt, Leschysyn was upended head over heels on a well-executed hip check.
Despite an 8-1 shot advantage in the period, the Pack couldn’t capitalize on a power play chance.
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