By: Jason Alwang, Howlings
HARTFORD, CT: The Hartford Wolf Pack dropped their final matchup with the Providence Bruins this season, falling 6-2, capped by a dominating performance from Matthew Poitras, potting two goals and two assists in front of 7,629 fans at the XL Center Friday night.
Tyler Pitlick potted the game-winning goal, his 21st of the season, from the slot on the feed behind the net from Jeffrey Viel after Chad Ruhwedel failed to clear the puck out of the zone, giving the Bruins the 3-0 lead 11:23 into the second period.
“We got to a point where we were pushing too much.” Wolf Pack Head Coach Grant Potulny on tonight’s game. “It was probably a bad night to have poor execution against a team that’s got that good a team’s speed.”
Poitras would open the scoring for Providence first on a play at the crease 40 seconds after Brandon Bussi (23 saves) robbed Alex Belzile of a one-timing shot with the glove. Poitras scored his 15th of the season on a backhand shot in front of Dylan Garand (32 saves) to put the Bruins in front 4:49 into the opening period.
Dans Locmelis scored his first professional goal from the slot, receiving a taper feed from the boards from Poitras to give the Bruins the 2-0 lead at 8:53 of the second period.
Pitlick’s goal came over halfway through the middle period, and the Wolf Pack only had nine shots on Bussi halfway through regulation.
Oliver Wahlstrom fooled Garand with a slap shot from the circle that beat him five-hole for his 8th of the season to extend the Bruins’ lead to 4-0 at 1:25 of the third period.
The Wolf Pack scored their first goal of the game off a shot from the point by Dylan Rooboreck that was deflected in behind Bussi by Anton Blidh for his 18th of the season to cut the Bruins lead to 4-1 at 3:18. Jackson Dorrington recorded his first professional point for the Wolf Pack in his 6th game since being placed on an amateur try out (ATO), receiving the secondary assist on Blidh’s tally.
“Any young player, it’s hard to come from junior hockey or college hockey to the (AHL), the jump is monumental,” Potulny said. “He’s doing a nice job with the penalty kill; he’s doing a great job getting the puck through.”
Poitras cashed in for his second of the game on the power play, seven seconds into it, on a high-sticking call from Noah Laba, deflecting in a shot from the top of the circle to give the Bruins the four-goal advantage back at 3:59.
Adam Sykora cut the lead back to three with his 9th of the season, cashing in a rebound chance on the shot from Blidh that Sykora wasted no time putting behind Bussi at 14:37 of the third period.
“This team doesn’t quit, they work every game in and out; they work to the end, and as a coach, that’s what you can ask for from your players,” Potulny said.
John Farinacci potted the empty-net goal with 51 seconds remaining for his 9th of the season, icing the game at 6-2.
The Wolf Pack went 3/4 on the penalty kill, and Garand made many solid saves to keep the Wolf Pack in the game throughout, but the Wolf Pack couldn’t get much sustained offensive pressure.
The Wolf Pack has three games left in the 2024-25 campaign, concluding their road slate in Bridgeport before heading back to Hartford for the season’s last two games. The Wolf Pack is now 28-32-7-2 on the season.
