WOLF PACK BEAT CRUNCH IN BACKEND OF HOME-AND-HOME
By: Gerry Cantlon, Howlings
HARTFORD, CT – The Hartford Wolf Pack scored 1:40 into the game and would cement the win by scoring three goals in the second period, leading the way to a 5-2 victory in the tail-end of back-to-back home-and-home games with the Syracuse Crunch before 5,220 at the XL Center on Saturday.
“We pushed and protected the puck well tonight and were down a couple of bodies. (Adam) Sýkora got cut, nothing serious, a few stitches. We did a good job of making the most of the opportunities,” remarked Interim Pack Head Coach Steve Smith.
Captain Jonny Brodzinski led the Pack to victory by contributing two assists.
Gabriel Dumont’s line started for the Crunch. No surprise there, considering they led Syracuse to victory on Friday night over the Pack. Smith countered by tweaking his lines and defensive combinations, and the moves paid immediate dividends as the Pack scored only 1:40 into the game.
“We made some minor changes; brought in a a few guys and we were able to roll three lines and we had four. Everything pulled together and again we have solid veteran leadership,” said Smith.
The goal came when Sýkora was behind the net and sent a sharp pass out front. Karl Henriksson got between two Crunch players to tally his first goal of the year past Crunch starter Hugo Alnefelt.
The second period started with Louis Domingue making a solid save for the Pack off a shot from the right wing by Maxin Groshov. Brodzinski and Adam Edström had chances wrapped around that shot.
Syracuse tied the score when Grant Gabriele, who was playing his first game, had two challenging shifts in a row. On the prior shift to the goal, he collided with a teammate just inside the Crunch zone. Then, on his next shift, he faced some forechecking pressure from Gabriel Fortier and Mitchell Chaffee. Gabriele had a chance to clear the puck, but it was soft off the boards and went right to Fortier, who sent it to Chaffee.
The Crunch right wing then wheeled around through the left-wing circle and zipped his fourth goal of the campaign through the Domingue five-hole at 10:25.
The tie score lasted only 29 seconds as the Pack answered right back.
Brodzinski intercepted Alfnet’s clearing attempt and then found Brett Berard at the right post, got him the biscuit with a cross-crease pass through a crowd. Berard tucked his fourth of the season into the net just inside the post to make it 2-1 at 10:55.
The Pack made it a two-goal margin off a lucky bounce at 7:40.
With Edström using his big frame to screen Syracuse goalie Alfnelt, Matt Robertson launched a shot from the left point just inside the blue line. Edström deflected it past Alfnet for his fifth of the season at 15:40. The goal would prove to be the eventual game-winner.
It was the best two-way game for the lanky rearguard this season.
“I felt more comfortable, confident in my game,” said the unassuming third-year defenseman.
As Pack teammates began to celebrate, Max Crozier went Edström, the biggest target, and a full scrum erupted. After a wrestling match involving the Pack’s Robertson and Zach Berzolla and the Crunch’s Daniel Wolcott, an ex-Pack, and Cozier, the Pack ended up with a power play.
Edström would come out of that ruckus with an Unsportsmanlike penalty and then a Game Misconduct for Abuse of Officials.
But the Pack and made it count, increasing the lead to three goals.
Brennan Othmann made a strong shot at the net from the right-wing circle. Riley Nash was there on the rebound, but he was stopped, and the loose was right there for Belzile to put in his fifth back door, unchecked at 17:01 for the power play maker his fifth.
Domingue was sharp early with two saves on Chaffe, Shawn Element, Jack Thompson, and Crozier.
The Pack plays a pre-Thanksgiving game against the Providence Bruins on Wednesday night.
LINES:
Henriksson – Blidh – Sýkora
Belzile – Nash – Othmann-
Edström – Brodzinski – Berard
Rempe – Korczak – Trivigno
Brouillard – Cairns
Scanlin – Gabriele
Berzolla – Robertson
Domingue
Garand
SCRATCHES:
D Ben Harpur (upper body, upgraded to month-to-month)
D Mac Hollowell (upper body, day-to-day)
F Jake Leschyshyn (upper body, week-to-week)
F Turner Elson (healthy)
D Blake Hillman (healthy)
F Drew Worrad (not in residence).
NOTES:
Wolf Pack has six of their next seven games at home.
Brodzinski enters the night sixth in AHL scoring, with 16 points, and second in goals scored with 10. Springfield’s Adam Gaudette leads with 13. Brodzinski is also second to Gaudette with five power play goals and eight power play points.
Domingue is second in the AHL GAA with 1.60
The Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins goalie Alex Nedejlkovic scored his second goal in a 4-2 win over Providence. He did it the first time with the Charlotte Checkers on March 10, 2018, against the Wolf Pack. In AHL history, he is the 22nd goalie to achieve this feat and the second Penguin. The Penguins have had one scored against them.
The only Wolf Pack to accomplish it is Jean-François Labbé. He did it on February 5, 2000, against the defunct Quebec Citadelles. Labbe and ex-Pack Jason LaBarbera wore #35.
Two ex-Pack goalies have scored. Robb Stauber, who was also an ex-New Haven Nighthawk, did it with the Rochester Americans against the equally dead Prince Edward Island (Charlottetown) Senators on October 9, 1995.
Ex-Pack Chris Holt, while with the Binghamton Senators on March 19, 2010, tallied against Rochester. Strauss Mann (Greenwich) did it earlier this year for the Laval Rocket on October 18 against Rochester. Rochester has had four scored against them.
Ex-Pack Travis Oleksuk switches Germany Division-3 teams, leaving Rosenheim and signing with the Hannover Indians.
The third period saw the Pack play efficient, smart hockey in shutting down Syracuse.
