WOLF PACK DOUBLE UP ISLANDERS (3/5)
BY: Jason Alwang, Howlings
HARTFORD, CT: The Hartford Wolf Pack defeated the Bridgeport Islanders Wednesday night in a game that saw 13 players record a point for the Wolf Pack in a 6-3 statement win at the XL Center.
“We did some good things offensively.” Wolf Pack Head Coach Grant Potulny said of the six goals tonight. “I don’t know that we were as tight defensively as we’d like to be… but offensively it was a very good game.”
Jaroslav Chmelar scored the game-winner at 1:15 of the third period after taking the puck from Bryce-McConnel Barker along the boards to set him up for the quick release from the circle to beat Hunter Miska (7 saves), who had just entered the game at the start of the period. The goal is Chmelar 9th of the season off the pass from Barker to extend the lead to 4-1.
Chad Ruhwedel opened the scoresheet on a wrist shot on a cross-ice feed from Alex Belzile, allowing Ruhwedel to roof the puck past Tristan Lennox (18 saves before being pulled to start the 3rd) for his 3rd goal of the season at 6:36 of the first period to give the Wolf Pack the 1-0 lead.
Belzile scored off a one-timer on the power play at 9:16 of the second period off the feed from the point from Erik Brannstrom. Belzile’s tally is his 16th of the season from Brannstrom and Nathan Sucese to give the Wolf Pack the 2-0 lead. The tally from Belzile was his 50th point of the season.
“The league is too good to do things on your own.” Belzile scored his team’s high of 50 points. “We need that chemistry going.”
While on the power play once again, the Wolf Pack got overzealous with the puck, resulting in a two-on-one rush the other way that was finished by Cam Thiesing from the circle, beating Dylan Garand (38 saves) and cutting the Bridgeport deficit to 2-1 at 13:10.
Dylan Roobroeck recorded his 11th of the season after getting a piece of an Adam Sykora shot while tangled up in the crease with the puck slowing crossing the goal line past Lennox to extend the Hartford lead to 3-1 at 16:57 of the second period.
“We’re a team that will not quit.” Belzile on the team’s play. “Finding a way to get points, finding a way to win. We have to control what we can control.”
A shot from the point halfway through the third went right past Garand for William Dufour’s 8th of the season to cut the Hartford lead to 4-2 at 10:03.
Blake McLaughlin responded under two minutes later with his first goal as a member of the Wolf Pack on some physical forechecking by the Hartford fourth line. Their effort was rewarded with McLaughlin’s tally to put the Wolf Pack up 5-2 at 11:53.
“I trust them, they bring energy,” Potulny said on the fourth line. “You give efforts like that, and you’ll get more ice.”
Alex Jefferies scored his ninth of the season after a scrum at the crease saw the puck get behind Garand as the net was taken off. After a review by the officials, it was determined that the puck completely crossed the goal line before the net came off, with Bridgeport officially cutting the Hartford lead to 5-3 at 15:55 of the third period.
With time running out for Bridgeport, Barker got the puck from the Wolf Pack blue line and fired the puck into the empty net with just over two minutes left in regulation for his 6th of the season to give the Wolf Pack the 6-3 lead.
“We have to come at teams, wave after wave after wave,” Potulny said.
The Wolf Pack is now 23-26-5-2 on the season and 9 points out of a playoff spot with 16 games remaining.
