By: Jason Alwang, Howlings
HARTFORD, CT: In a thrilling and must-win game for the Hartford Wolf Pack, they rallied from behind 3-1 against the defending champions, Hershey Bears, in a 4-3 clash at the XL Center Friday night.
The game featured a Dylan Rooboreck game-winner and Noah Laba scoring his first professional goal in his AHL debut after signing an entry-level contract with the parent New York Rangers on Tuesday.
Rooboreck played the hero in the third when he went backdoor on a saucer feed from Blade Jenkins, who had put forth a great effort along the boards to keep the puck in the zone, to then dish it to Rooboreck for the put-in to put the Wolf Pack ahead at 14:34 of the third period.
“We got contributions from lots of lines and guys that maybe haven’t scored in a little bit,” Wolf Pack Head Coach Grant Potulny said on tonight’s comeback victory. “It was a really, really good win.”
Hersey scored the first goal of the game when Hendrix Lapierre skated right down into the offensive zone with a quick-releasing wrist shot in the circle that beat Dylan Garand (21 saves) to give the Bears a 1-0 lead 4:39 into the opening period.
In his first professional game, Laba got hold of the puck. At the same time, they were shorthanded on Hershey’s only power play of the night, skated up the ice for a breakaway, and made a slick move on Clay Stevenson (26 saves) to beat him to tie the game at one and give Laba his first goal in his AHL debut.
“Really fortunate the coaching staff put trust in me to put me on the kill,” Laba said. “Getting the system down took a little, but I feel pretty good in it now.”
Brad Hunt scored his fourth of the season. Left alone in the far circle by the Hartford defense, he released a flashy wrister that went off the post and in past Garand to give the Bears a 2-1 lead at 12:59 of the first period.
Riley Sutter cashed in off a 2-on-1 rush from Hershey, taking the feed from Brennan Saulnier to tap in the puck by Garand to extend the lead to 3-1 for the Bears at 3:33 of the second period. The goal was Sutter’s fourth on the season.
Bryce McConnel-Barker surprised Stevenson on a shot near the high slot with a wrist shot that beat him cleanly, cutting the Hershey lead to 3-2 with the second period halfway through.
Garand had to make several key saves after Barker cut the lead to one. A chance up front at the crease for Hershey resulted in Garand lunging with his glove to rob the Bears of doubling the lead late into the second period.
“At that moment in time, it was kind of the save we needed,” Potulny said. “He’s such a competitor and had a great season for us.”
Roobroeck capitalized on a battle for the puck on the side of the net when Jenkins was able to gift him the pass for Roobroeck to roof it in the top corner of the net past Stevenson to tie the game at three at 17:28. The goal was Roobroeck’s 14th of the season.
“When you can get three goals from your so-called fourth line, you’ve probably got a pretty good chance to win,” Potulny said.
Picking up two big points in hopes of making the playoffs, the Wolf Pack play again Saturday night against the Milwaukee Admirals and now sit at 26-29-5-2 on the season.
