By: Gerry Cantlon, Howlings
WILKES-BARRE/SCRANTON, PA – The Hartford Wolf Pack dug a four-goal first-period deficit that proved to be too much to overcome en route to dropping a 4-2 decision to the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins. The Wolf Pack road trip continues Sunday when they travel to play Lehigh Valley tomorrow afternoon at 5 to conclude their three-in-three weekend.
In the third period, the Wolf Pack play vastly improved as they put pressure on the Penguins. Just 29 seconds into a power play, Pack captain Jonny Brodzinski was the beneficiary of some solid puck movement and from the left-wing circle fired a one-timer that beat Phamtoms’ goalie Joel Blomqvist for his fifth goal of the young season, extending his point streak to six games with his blast that scored after hitting the post.
Alex Belzile and Mac Hollowell also extended their point streaks with the assists on the Brodzinski goal. Belzile, who had the primary assist, has a five-game streak, while Hollowell has had a point in all six games.
The Penguins tried to reestablish momentum, but Wolf Pack netminder Dylan Garand shut the door. Garand stopped Jansen Harkins twice on a breakaway at 3:50. Blomquist was also strong with the Pack’s improved play. He stopped fellow Swede Anton Blidh with his shoulder and then Matt Rempe twice 27 seconds apart. Belzile then hit the post at 6:10.
Garand turned aside Marc Johnstone’s bid at 9:22. Hollowell answered back with a nice move up the left wing but hit the side of the net off a creative move.
Wolf Pack Head Coach Kris Knoblauch attempted to close the goal deficit by pulling Garand on a late power play to make it a six-on-four-man advantage. Belzile was in a solid scoring position, but his stick broke while the team had good puck movement and quality zone time.
The Pack were outshot 41-24. It was the first 40-plus shot game for the opposition this season. The Pack had a strong third period but dropped their second straight because they didn’t have a full sixty-minute effort.
SECOND PERIOD
The second period was no better than the first. The Pack had only three shots on goal with the Pens possessing the puck for the bulk of the period. Garand kept his team in the game with a strong effort denying multiple Grade-A scoring chances for the Penguins as he stopped all 13 shots tossed his way.
Despite having only three shots in the period, the Wolf Pack did manage to score on one of them. Turner Elson scored his first goal of the season after Brodzinski led him on a pass that allowed him to charge to the net. Elson went backhand-to-forehand and slipped it past Blomqvist.
FIRST PERIOD
The first period was highly forgettable for the Wolf Pack.
The Penguins dominated and blitzed the Wolf Pack as Garand was left on an island by himself.
At 3:24 Valtteri Puustinen came down the right wing slipping past a check attempt by Connor Mackey. Nikolas Brouillard tried to come over and close the gap, but Puustinen snapped his first goal of the new season past Garand with Ty Smith earning the lone assist.
Then, at 9:05 the Pack surrendered their second shorthanded goal in as many games as Joona Koppanen streaked past Hollowell and went backhand-to-forehand putting in his first as a Penguin. Koppanen was a Pack-killer last season with the Providence Bruins.
The scoring avalanche continued at 11:11 as former Yale Bulldog Jack St. Ivany moved to the center of the ice just inside the blue line and let it fly. Garand made the initial save but left a rebound that Jon Gruden made a play on. Garand stopped that one as well but left another rebound. The Wolf Pack defense was nowhere to be found allowing Gruden to jam home his second goal and establish a 3-0 lead.
The Penguins earned their fourth goal on the power play as Jansen Harkins, with a game-high six shots, worked the puck up the left-wing wall. He then curled back and found an open seam before putting it on the stick of Rem Pitlick, alone in the slot. Pitlick snapped it home past Garand at 13:21.
Rempe and the Penguins’ Jagger Joshua had a tilt late in the first period as the Penguins held an 18-5 edge in shots.
WOLF PACK LINES:
Jake Leschyshyn – Brett Berard – Adam Sýkora
Adam Edström – Riley Nash – Anton Blidh
Alex Belzile – Jonny Brodzinski – Brennan Othmann
Matt Rempe – Ryder Korczak – Turner Elson
Mac Hollowell – Connor Mackey
Blake Hillman – Nikolas Brouillard
Brandon Scanlin – Matt Robertson
Louie Domingue
Dylan Garand
SCRATCHES:
Bobby Trivigno
Karl Henriksson
Drew Worrad (not in residence)
Ben Harpur
NOTES:
Knoblauch changed the forwards and the defense got no offense or defense to start.
The Penguins Rem Pitlick is the cousin of the Rangers’ Tyler Pitlick. His brother Rhett plays at Minnesota with Jonny Brodzinski’s younger brother Bryce. His father Lance is a former NHL’er.
The Penguins Xavier Ouellet was a teammate of Belzile with the Laval Rocket last year. He had a strong night with an assist and four shots.
Former Bridgeport Sound Tiger Dymtro “Dima” Timashov was assigned to the Bridgeport Islanders at the end of camp. He has been reassigned to Europe to HC Ajoie (Switzerland-LNA) rather than head to The Park City.
Despite Matt Wood’s 10 shots on goal, UCONN lost 1-0 to UMASS-Lowell at the XL Center in a Hockey East meeting.
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