HERSHEY BEARS COME FROM BEHIND IN GAME ONE OT WIN OVER HARTFORD WOLF PACK 

By: Gerry Cantlon, Howlings

HERSHEY, PA – The Hartford Wolf Pack built a 2-0 lead through two periods in Game 1 of the Atlantic Division best-of-five finals, but the Hershey Bears scored twice in the third period before Henrik Borgstrom scored at 4:41 of overtime to 3-2.

The game-winner came on the third odd-man rush of overtime.

Pack defenseman Wyatt Kalynuk collided with the linesman at center ice, creating a two-on-one that Dylan Garand stopped. Then there was a four-on-two after Joe Snively, a Yale alum, was stopped, with the upper part of the net staring at Garrett Pilon.

On the final two-on-one came, Borgstrom scored to allow the Bears to come away with the win.

GAME WINNER

Pilon sent a stretch pass to Borgstrom, who came in with Snively. They attacked the Pack’s number one defensive pair of Zac Jones – Ty Emberson, who had just come on the ice for their shift.

Borgstrom didn’t play in the first Bears series against the Charlotte Checkers in the lineup because Mike Sgarbossa couldn’t go for Hershey. Rumors have Borgstrom heading back to Sweden next year, and he made the most of his time in this opportunity.

Borgstrom went from the right wing to center and fired his shot past Garand. The goal sent the crowd of 7,274 into a frenzy.

Game Two between the two teams is Saturday night at 7 PM in Hershey.

Early in the third period, Hershey cut the Wolf Pack lead to one.

Sam Anas was at the right point on their fourth power play of the contest. He shuffled the puck over to the left point. Logan Day one-timed a rising rocket of a shot going off the crossbar and into the net. It was his first goal as a Bear and his first goal of the season. It came at 2:52.

It was former QU Bobcat Anas team-leading fifth assist and seventh point of the playoffs.

PLAY INTENSIFIES

After Tim Gettinger was stopped early on the Pack’s power play bid, Pilon crunched Lauri Pajuniemi as Gettinger made a drop pass that inadvertently left him vulnerable. Pilon nailed Will Lockwood, who took a retaliation penalty that led to the power play goal by Day.

Lockwood would find his moment to return the hit later in the game when he drove Pilon into the curved portion of the glass on a clean, hard hit at 4:51, but the Bears had already done their damage.

GAME TYING GOAL

The Bears pressed the Pack and came up with a game-tying goal late in the third period. Day was at the right point, settled the puck down, and sent it over to Jake Massie. He waited for the screen to materialize in front of Garand.

Just as he unleashed his shot, Connor McMichael was cruising in front of Garand and got a piece of it before Jones could get to him. Emberson was keeping an eye on Joe Snively. This happened before goaltender Hunter Shepard could even get to the bench for the extra attacker at 17:51.

SECOND PERIOD

Anton Blidh took a hard hit along the boards and skated back to the bench, bent over and in what appeared to be some manner of discomfort. Paramedics immediately came to the bench to deal with whatever was ailing Blidh. Referees and the coaches decided to send the teams to their respective locker rooms while a determination was made about Blidh’s condition. The final 2:39 of the period would be played prior to the second period after a one-minute intermission and the switching of sides.  The actions of the paramedics in treating Blidh were considered “precautionary.” Fortunately for Blidh and the Wolf Pack, he was able to return to play for the second period and played to the finish. The official word from the Wolf Pack was that Blidh developed an upper-body non-life-threatening injury. According to other non-team attendees at the site of the game, Blidh had the wind knocked out of him,

The Wolf Pack scored early on their second power play of the game. Tanner Fritz, at the right point, fed it over to captain Jonny Brodzinski, who tallied with his first of the post-season. The whole play started after Shepard made the original stop, but in scrambling around the net, was unable to get into position before Brodzinski’s shot.

The Wolf Pack had two power play goals in the six regular season games between the two rosters. They now had two in Game 1. It’s the first meeting between the two teams since February.

In the second period, the Wolf Pack got far more shots (16) and offensive riding time than they did in the first, when they only mustered three shots for the entire first twenty minutes.

At 11:43, Garand made an impressive glove save, but the goal judge turned the red light on. The refs took the puck from Garand’s glove and chatted among themselves, confirming there was no goal.

The Pack’s penalty killers were a perfect three for three in the first two periods.

FIRST PERIOD

In the first period, the Pack was under constant attack and pressure from the Bears, both with rubber being fired at Garand and physically. Still, despite that, they were able to leave the bench for intermission with the period’s only goal.

The Pack had to handle the first three shots and had a seemingly early PK they would have to kill after Snively lost an edge and ducked a Pajuniemi hit attempt.  At first, referees Beau Halkidis and Jack Young signaled a call. It was clear that Pajuniemi was hot, and he vehemently protested. The refs huddled mid-ice, and they decided that there was no penalty on the play, and the call was reversed.

Good thing Pajuniemi was not ejected, as he would play the primary role in the Pack taking the 1-0 lead.

Gettinger sent a pass up the left wing to Jones, who broke into the clear and fired a shot at Shepard. He gave up a rebound, and Pajuniemi was there to scoop it up and bury his fourth goal of the postseason.

Garand was the difference for the Pack in the first period, as they were outshot 17-3.

The Pack didn’t get their first shot till 4:05.

LINES:

Brodzinski-Carpenter-Cullye
Fritz-Pajuniemi-Blidh
Leschyshyn-Gettinger-Lockwood
Elson-Henriksson-Trivigno

Jones-Emberson
Hillman-Scanlin
Hájek-Kalynuk

Garand
Domingue

SCRATCHES:

Adam Clendening (suspended the first two games of the series)
Talyn Boyko #40
Matt Rempe (healthy)
Adam Edström  (healthy)
Louie Roehl #4 (healthy)
Brett Berard #27 (healthy)
Matt Robertson (upper body, may return in the latter half of this  round of the playoffs)
Patrick Khordorenko (season-ending shoulder surgery).
C.J. Smith (hip area surgery done for the season)

NOTES:

The Wolf Pack have just one player with an overtime game-winner in their lineup. Ryan Carpenter, with the San Jose Barracuda.

The last OT goal in franchise history was on May 13, 2015, by Chris Mueller in a shorthanded goal against Hershey.

Hershey won four of the six meetings this year. The last contest was on February 11th, resulting in a 2-1 Hershey win as Shepard made 33 saves.

In one of the worst-kept secrets, a week after his season ended ex-Pack Gustav Rydahl is heading back to Sweden and the SHL signing with Frölunda HC.

Rydahl started the talks in Hartford but was loyal and finished out the year out West playing 12 games with the Eagles.

Now 16 AHL players have signed for Europe for next year.

He had a strong training camp, with many feeling he should have been in New York. He played effectively on a Wolf Pack team that struggled most of the year until recently.

Being scratched twice in the last 10 days before his trade didn’t help.

MORE NOTES:

Ex-Pack in Winnipeg Neal Pionk, youngest brother Aaron commits to Minnesota-Duluth (NCHC) from Waterloo (USHL).

News on a trio of ex-Sound Tigers, Travis St. Denis (Quinnipiac University) switches teams in Germany going from EHC Straubing (Germany-DEL) and signs with ERC Ingolstadt for next year.

Jesse Graham changes teams in the Russian-based KHL from Barys Nur-Sultan (Kazakhstan) to HK Sochi (Russia).

Johan Sundstrom heads from Frölunda HC (Sweden-SHL) to Sport Vassa (Finland-FEL).

Former Quinnipiac University goalie Dylan St. Cyr, post-graduation, played one game with Grand Rapids after his transfer year at Michigan St. (Big 10). He is heading to France to continue his career. St. Cyr will play for HC Anglet of the French Elite Magnus League. He has a brother Dakoda Rhéaume-Mullen who is playing with the US National Development Team-NDTP (USHL).  His cousin Nick Rhéaume plays at UMASS-Lowell (HE). His uncle is ex-Pack and Ranger Pascal Rhéaume, who is an assistant coach with the Trois-Rivières Lions (ECHL), the Canadiens Double AA team to Laval.

COLLEGE

A few college assistant coaching moves.

In the process of a complete coaching change, Dana Borges leaves the Colgate Red Raiders (ECACHL) for the Arizona St. Sun Devils (NCAA Independent) leaves for the assistant coach/player development position.

Tayler Nelson, UMass-Lowell Assistant Coach, is the new assistant with the brand new D1 program at  Augustana University (SD) Vikings (NCAA Independent). At Canisius College (AHA), he had four years there and two years at UMASS-Lowell (HE).

American International College-AIC (Springfield, MA) has announced the promotion of assistant coach Matthew Woodard to the position of associate head coach. At one time, he was Yale’s women’s hockey coach.

WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP

The IIHF World Hockey Championship begins on Friday.

The Team USA captain is Nick Bonino (Unionville via Farmington/AOF), Jack McBain, son of ex-New Haven Senator Andrew, Springfield Thunderbird Scott Perunovich, and ex-Springfield Falcon, two-time AHL MVP former Springfield Falcon T.J. Tynan.

The assistant coach is an ex-New Haven Nighthawk, Scott Gordon. He’s from the Columbus Blue Jackets and will feature GM Chris Clark (South Windsor).

Team Canada ex-Pack Sammy Blais and Springfield Thunderbirds Jake Neighbours and goalie Joel Hofer.

The GM is ex-Springfield Falcon Shane Doan.

Czechia (Czech Republic) has Ranger and ex-Pack, Filip Chytil and ex-Pack Tomas Kundratek.

Denmark-Ex-Pack Nicklas Jensen

Finland-Ranger Kappo Kakko and ex-Springfield Thunderbird Juho Lammikko

Germany-Former P-Bruin Kai Wissman

Latvia-Ex-Thunderbird Rodrigo (father, Artis, will be the assistant coach), Karlis Cuskte (Quinnipiac University-ECACHL), and ex-Sound Tiger Kristers Gudlevskis.

The head coach will be ex-New Haven Senator Harijs Vitolins.

Sweden-Ex-Pack Oscar Lindberg and son of Ranger/Whaler Mikael Nylander, his son Alexander.

Former Springfield Falcon, Assistant GM Josef Boumedinne

Slovakia-Ex-Sound Tiger Richard Pánik.

Switzerland-Playing in his record-setting 13th World Hockey tourney is ex-Pack Andres Ambühl and ex-Sound Tiger Nino Neiderreiter.

Sad news, former UMass-Lowell and Quinnipiac goaltender and 2005 Hockey East rookie of the year Peter Vetri passed away unexpectedly on May 4, 2023.

Vetri was age 37.

Vetri was awarded a full athletic scholarship to play hockey at UMass-Lowell (HE). He transferred to Quinnipiac University (ECACHL) for his junior season in 2007-08 and played just nine games for the Bobcats.

He left during his senior year to pursue professional hockey in the SPHL and ECHL. Vetri played for the SPHL’s Twin City Cyclones, ECHL’s Wheeling Nailers, and one full season with the FPHL’s Danbury Whalers and a total of 41 games for them over four years.

HARTFORD WOLF PACK

HOME