WOLF PACK KNOCK OFF BRUINS AGAIN 4-2
By: Jason Alwang, Howlings
HARTFORD, CT: Hartford Wolf Pack defenseman Connor Mackey provided the game-winning goal at 8:15 of the third period, and Matt Rempe added a late goal and an assist, powering the Pack past the Providence Bruins 4-2 in back-to-back nights of this Atlantic Division showdown at the XL Center.
“We’re comfortable in one-goal games.” Wolf Pack Head Coach Grant Potulny said. “You’ve built that throughout the status in the game.”
Mackey’s goal was the seventh consecutive goal for the Wolf Pack coming from a defenseman. Mackey was free down the middle of the ice and wristed it past Bruins’ netminder, Brandon Bussi, and gave the Pack a 3-1 lead.
The Pack scored first when Blake Hillman tallied his first of the season at 5:05 of the opening frame off a shot from the circle that snuck through Bussi’s five-hole. Brett Berard and Alex Belzile recorded the assists on the play.
After Rempe was sent off for interference at 6:49, ex-Pack Vinni Lettieri tied the game for the Bruins with a power play goal with a point shot through traffic that screened Dylan Garand (32 saves) at 8:14.
Casey Fitzgerald would make it 2-1 with his third goal of the season, scoring for the second straight game on a one-timer at 5:43 of the third frame. This time, he received a pass from Adam Sykora, who had two assists in the game, after circling the net and dishing it to Fitzgerald.
With the Bruins trailing by a pair and with less than four minutes to play, Marc McLaughlin brought it to a one-goal game at 3:48 after circling the net and spinning for a shot that was able to get past Garand and make it 3-2.
In his seventh game since being sent down by the New York Rangers to the Wolf Pack, Rempe found the back of the net with a wrister for his first goal of the season off a 2-on-1 rush on a perfect feed from Sykora just 23 seconds after McLaughlin’s tally for the insurance goal and the final 4-2 score.
“He’s played fantastic.” Potulny said of Rempe’s performance. He spoke of his ability to play both at wing and center spot. “He’s good on the dot. It’s good when a player can be versatile, and they can play one more than position.”
Garand stopped 32 of 34 shots for the Wolf Pack and recorded his fifth win of the season. He was solid, particularly on the penalty kills when the team only allowed one goal on five power play attempts for the Bruins.
“Dylan did a good job of making his own life easier,” Potulny said. “Every puck that touched him was either a whistle or was in the corner.”
Hartford (7-5-1-1) is third in the Atlantic division and won back-to-back games. They’ll shoot for their third straight on Tuesday when they play host to the Springfield Thunderbirds.
