By: Alex Thomas, Hartford Wolf Pack
HARTFORD, CT – Bo Groulx’s third goal of the season was his biggest as a member of the Wolf Pack. His goal 39 seconds into the overtime period on Friday night pushed the Wolf Pack to a 4-3 victory over the Lehigh Valley Phantoms at the XL Center in Hartford.
Groulx waited out a sliding Alexei Kolosov before slipping the puck through the five-hole to secure the two points just 39 seconds into the overtime frame. Brett Berard, who capped off a two-point night, picked up the primary assist, while Casey Fitzgerald was credited with the secondary helper.
The Wolf Pack came out hot, with Adam Sýkora registering two chances in tight in the opening ten seconds. The club capitalized on the momentum as Berard capped off a pretty passing play to beat Kolosov over the left pad with a backhander. Berard’s fifth season marker came at 3:38, with Nathan Sucese recording his first point as a member of the Wolf Pack with an assist.
A power play for Lehigh Valley opened the door for their offense to get into a groove. Dylan Garand stood tall as the Pack got the kill, but moments later, it was Rodrigo Abols putting home his first goal as a Phantom at 11:00 off a feed from Olle Lycksell.
The Phantoms controlled the play in the opening minutes of the middle stanza and were rewarded with the go-ahead goal. New addition Oscar Eklind batted home a caroming puck at the back door to make it 2-1 Phantoms at 6:38. The goal was the Swede’s second of the season.
The Pack strung together some strong shifts in the offensive zone in the latter half of the middle stanza, leading to a game-tying strike off the stick of Matthew Robertson. The defenseman threaded a shot through several screening bodies and beat Kolosov under the blocker to make it a 2-2 game at 15:44.
The Wolf Pack were put on the kill in the early going of the final frame. The penalty kill struck, however, as Sýkora forced a turnover right at the blue line before setting up Jake Leschyshyn for a breakaway. The veteran forward buried his first of the season under the bar at 49 seconds to put the Pack ahead 3-2.
The Phantoms still had nearly two minutes of power play time and could capitalize on it, courtesy of a one-timer off the stick of Samu Tuomaala that beat Garand up high to make it a 3-3 game at 1:18.
A back-and-forth third period could not find a go-ahead goal for either club, and the teams headed to overtime for the second time in as many meetings.
Groulx’s game-winner came after a near goal from Berard, who could not convert on a semi-breakaway bid, before dishing the puck back out front to Groulx, who cashed in.
The win pushes the Wolf Pack to 2-0-0-1 in overtime this season.
The Pack is back at the XL Center on Sunday when the Springfield Thunderbirds return for Round 2 of the ‘I-91 Rivalry’. The puck drop is set for 4:00 p.m. All ticketed fans are welcome to join us for the first postgame player skate of the season. All participants must sign a waiver, bring their skates, and hold onto them for the game’s duration. Player availability is subject to change.
Full-season tickets, 20-game plans, 12-game plans, flex plans, and single-game tickets for the 2024-25 season are on sale now! Visit hartfordwolfpack.com or call 860-722-9425 for more details!
About Oak View Group (OVG): Oak View Group (OVG) is the global leader in live experience venue development, management, premium hospitality services, and 360-degree solutions for a collection of world-class owned venues, and a client roster of arenas, convention centers, music festivals, performing arts centers, and cultural institutions. Founded by Tim Leiweke and Irving Azoff in 2015, OVG is the leading developer of major new venues, either open or under development across four continents. Visit OakViewGroup.com, and follow OVG on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and X.
ABOUT THE HARTFORD WOLF PACK: The Hartford Wolf Pack has been a premier franchise in the American Hockey League since its 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.
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