HARTFORD WOLF PACK BEAT P-BRUINS IN SHOOTOUT
By: Alex Thomas, Hartford Wolf Pack
PROVIDENCE, RI – The Hartford Wolf Pack’s Brennan Othmann announced his presence to the American Hockey League on Friday night, striking twice in Hartford’s season-opening 3-2 shootout victory over the Providence Bruins.
Jonny Brodzinski scored the shootout winner in the bottom half of the first round, snapping a shot over the blocker of Brandon Bussi to give Hartford a 1-0 lead. Louis Domingue stopped all three Bruins shooters to preserve the victory on opening night. The win was Hartford’s sixth in a row in Providence.
The Bruins opened the scoring 13:51 into the game, scoring a powerplay goal via a three-on-one opportunity. After winning a board battle in front of their bench, the Bruins sprinted into the offensive zone with an odd-man rush. Luke Toporowski slid a perfect cross-ice pass to Jayson Megna, who buried his first as a Bruin.
Providence controlled the opening stanza, outshooting Hartford 10-8 and taking the 1-0 lead into the locker room. However, Hartford came out swinging in the middle stanza, ripping two quick chances on Bussi in the opening minute.
Bussi was sensational in the frame, making 15 saves and keeping the Bruins ahead for most of the period. Finally, the Wolf Pack broke through on the powerplay at 15:03. Brodzinski passed to Othmann, who wired home a one-timer for his first AHL goal to even the tilt 1-1.
The Bruins regained the lead in the third period, however, as Oskar Steen tipped home a Michael Callahan shot at 11:36. Steen won a battle in front of the Wolf Pack net and tipped the shot by Domingue for his first of the season.
Late in the game, Alec Regula flattened Othmann in the Bruins zone, earning a two-minute minor for cross-checking. With the net empty and a six-on-four advantage, the Wolf Pack found the equalizer on Othmann’s second goal of the night.
After a frenzy in front of the Bruins goal, the puck popped right to Othmann in the right-wing circle. Othmann lasered home his second goal of the night, evening the affair and forcing overtime.
In the extra frame, chaos ensued. Both teams generated multiple high-danger chances, with the Wolf Pack outshooting the Bruins 6-3. The madness solved nothing, however, and a shootout was needed.
In the skills competition, Brodzinski scored the lone goal, pushing Hartford to their first opening night victory since October 15th, 2021.
The Wolf Pack conclude opening weekend tomorrow night when they visit the Springfield Thunderbirds. The puck drop is set for 7:05 p.m., and full coverage is available on AHLTV and Mixlr. Pregame coverage begins at 6:45 p.m.
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ABOUT THE HARTFORD WOLF PACK: The Hartford Wolf Pack has been a premier franchise in the American Hockey League since the team’s inception in 1997. The Wolf Pack is the top player-development affiliate of the NHL’s New York Rangers and plays at the XL Center. The Wolf Pack has been home to some of the Rangers’ newest faces, including Igor Shesterkin, Filip Chytil, and Ryan Lindgren. Follow the Wolf Pack on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and TikTok.
