By: Gerry Cantlon, Howlings
HARTFORD, CT – The Hartford Wolf Pack employed solid defense, good goaltending, and opportunistic scoring to defeat the Bridgeport Islanders 4-1 in a must-win game for the New York Rangers AHL affiliates. The win propelled the Wolf Pack past the Islanders by a point for the sixth and final playoff spot. Seven games remain for both teams.
The Wolf Pack hosts the Providence Bruins on Friday. The sixth-place team would likely play the Bruins, who had already made the playoffs. On Saturday, the team travels to Allentown, PA, to play the Lehigh Valley Phantoms. The game will be broadcast on the NHL Network live at 7 PM.
“I was very happy down 1-0 in a must-win game. We came out in the second with no nerves and just let’s get this done; do it right. We made a lot more easy, simple plays and forechecked better,” Pack Head Coach Kris Knoblauch said while unloosening his tie.
Unlike past third-period struggles, the Wolf Pack buckled down. At 1:02, the Pack nearly extended the lead as Brandon Scanlin put a huge drive from the point toward the net, but starting netminder Corey Schneider made a shoulder save. The rebound went to his left-wing side. With the net wide-open, Tanner Fritz fanned on his shot.
“We knew they would come back in the third with a big push (16 shots). They need points too and to score. We did all the right things and we put pressure at the right time when they had the puck,” Knoblauch commented.
The physical play picked up.
In one sequence, in the right-wing corner at 6:21 and after a super right shoulder save by the Pack’s Louis Domingue on Arnaud Durandeau. It prevented the game from becoming a 3-2 contest early in the third. However, Ryan MacKinnon was stopped on the rebound.
“Louis is one of the better goalies in this league, and that (sequence) showed it. We’re very fortunate to have him when the game is on the line. His save percentage when the game is on the line has gotta be there. I don’t know it, but it’s very favorable to him,” said Knoblauch.
After Bridgeport’s Cole Bardreau jumped at Pack Captain Jonny Brodzinski, Scanlin backed up his captain, and all five Wolf Pack – Brodzinski, Cullye, Scanlin, Lockwood, and Elson were involved.
“Guys want to win,” Knoblauch said. “They know what’s on the line.”
Ultimately, the commitment to team defense and outstanding goaltending for the Pack prevailed.
Brodzinski became the second Wolf Pack to hit the 20-goal mark with his 20th at 17:57 with an empty-netter.
In the second period, the Pack evened the score at 2:10 on a two-on-one break-in. Brodzinski was on the right wing and used Will Cullye as a decoy before firing in his 19th upstairs over Schneider. Brodzinski successfully maneuvered around a sliding Islander, trying to block the shooting lane.
The Pack took the lead on the power play to register their second goal. Jake Lechyshyn went down the left wing, took Lauri Pajuniemi’s pass, and fired it over Schneider’s right shoulder for his third tally at 9:49.
“Jake, great shot,” Knbolauch said. “He had a very strong game, very good defensive plays and face-offs and was rewarded with a goal. He had a lot of crucial face off wins in the defensive zone tonight.”
Leschyshyn knew where he wanted to go with his shot and the game’s magnitude.
“I saw a little room and put the shot there, and it went in. It was a big game. We all knew what was at stake to go with his shot.”
The Pack extended the lead to 3-1 late in the second. Scanlin was at the right point and launched a rocket off Pajuniemi’s pass. It hit the stick of Karl Henriksson past Schneider’s blocker side at 17:02.
It was Henriksson’s sixth goal.
Pajuniemi’s all-around efforts at both ends of the ice were appreciated.
“Lauri has been playing really well for us lately. I was happy with the way a lot of guys that have been playing when games have been on the line. Scanlin’s been playing very played where Robertson (out injured) left off.
Henriksson’s play brought a smile to Knoblauch’s face.
“We appreciate his play and he’s appreciated in that locker room. He’s going to continue to get better and better. Next year he has a lot of upside going in. He’s very polular in the room and guys were cheering for him,” said Knoblauch.
The play was aided by the Islanders’ Ryan MacKinnon, who fell trying to execute a crossover skating backward that allowed the play to stay in the zone.
The Pack held the Islander offense in check to just four shots on goal but faced 16 in the third when the expected push-back came. But, when it did, the Pack held firm.
The first period was played in classic playoff style with close-checking. It was the Islanders, though, who would score the first goal.
Collin Adams won the four-player rugby scrum with teammate Dennis Cholowski on the right wing boards battling Tim Gettinger and Libor Hájek. The puck came out to ex-Pack Paul Thompson (game-high six shots), who snapped his ninth of the year over Louie Domingue’s blocker side just above the right-wing face-off dot on just their sixth shot of the game.
Thompson helped create space for himself with a small crosscheck to the back of Pack’s Ryan Carpenter and skated backward into the slot.
The Pack had two quality chances of their nine shots. The first came early by Cullye at the right-wing side of the net and another by Leschyshyn.
“Guys all stepped from Lauri to Brandon to every one in the room. It was obviously a big win for us. Everybody was important and going forward, with everybody pitching in,” remarked Leschyshyn.
LINES:
Cullye-Leschyshyn-Brodzinski
Gettinger-Lockwood-Carpenter
Fritz-Pajuniemi-Blidh
Elson-Berard-Trivigno
Jones-Emberson
Hájek-Scanlin
Clendening-Kalynuk
Domingue
Garand
SCRATCHES:
Matt Robertson (upper-body, long-term)
Karl Henriksson (Healthy)
Matt Rempe (Healthy)
Blake Hillman (Healthy)
Adam Sýkora #29 (Healthy)
Bryce McConnell-Barker (Healthy)
Patrick Khordorenko (Season-Ending, Shoulder surgery).
C.J. Smith (Hip Area Surgery, Season Over)
NOTES:
The crowd was announced at 2,007, which seemed exceptionally generous.
Goalie Carter Hart was injured in Philly. That forced the team to recall Samuel Ersson from Lehigh Valley, likely nixing him from Saturday’s game. In addition, Lehigh Valley recalled Pat Nagle from the Reading Royals (ECJL). He is a 37-year-old journeyman with success against the Pack.
The Pack added two players and deleted one.
They have added Adam Sýkora from HK Nitra (Slovakia-SLEL) and Bryce McConnell-Barker from the Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds (OHL). Sýkora was the first pick last year in the second round (63rd overall) in 2023 in Montreal. He played with Slovakian WJC the previous summer in Edmonton and this year in Moncton/Halifax. He also played for the Slovakia World Championship team.
With HK Nitra this season, Sýkora registered 21 points (8 goals, 13 assists), tying him for third-best in the club’s scoring. His 13 assists tied him for second on the team.
The goal he scored in Edmonton was the highlight of last summer’s WJC tournament. But, surprisingly, he didn’t play with the Medicine Hat Tigers (WHL), who had selected him #1 overall in the CHL Import Draft but elected to go back to Slovakia instead.
McConnell-Barker was a third round (97th overall) in the 2022 draft. Both players are 18 years old and signed Amateur Try-Out (ATO) deals. Both have had their respective European and junior seasons end. Both arrived late yesterday and didn’t play. Depending on Knoblauch’s evaluation after a practice, they should either play against Providence Friday or, in Allentown, PA, against Lehigh Valley on Saturday.
McConnell-Barker is a left-handed centerman. In 68 games with the OHL’s Soo (Sault Ste. Marie) Greyhounds this season. He finished the 2022-23 OHL season with 77 points (30 goals, 47 assists). His 47 assists and 77 points led the Greyhounds; his 30 goals were second on the club. Gettinger is a program graduate, and current assistant coach Jamie Tardif coached him for two years in Sault Ste. Marie.
McConnell-Barker was the team captain of the Greyhounds and was named the OHL’s Player of the Week the first week of January after he recorded eight points (four goals and four assists) in three contests.
Because both players will be 19 next year, as per the CBA, they will be ineligible for the AHL. As a result, neither will be able to play in the AHL until their junior seasons end next year.
“We’ll see after (Thursday) practice, and we’ll make decisions then. We’re hoping to get both players some American (Hockey) League time at some point,” remarked Knoblauch.
Cristiano DiGiacinto was sent back to the Jacksonville Icemen (ECHL), where he started the season to get some game time. The addition of these two players slides DiGiacinto down the depth chart.
This season, DiGiacinto appeared in 36 games, with the Wolf Pack scoring 12 points (3 goals and 9 assists). In ten games with the Icemen earlier this season, DiGiacinto scored six points (3 goals and 3 assists).
Matt Stienburg, the son of former New Haven Nighthawk Trevor Stienburg, will sign shortly with the Colorado Eagles (AHL) coming out of Cornell University (ECACHL). However, he is likely waiting until mid-August to get more from the Avalanche, who drafted him as per the CBA.
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