WOLF PACK FALL 5-2 TO PENGUINS
WOLF PACK FALL 5-2 TO PENGUINS
By: Alex Thomas, Hartford Wolf Pack
HARTFORD, CT – The Hartford Wolf Pack opened the newly renovated PeoplesBank Arena in front of over 7,100 fans on Friday night. Despite that, the club dropped a 5-2 decision to the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins to drop to 0-2-0-0 on the season.
The Wolf Pack’s penalty kill was tested early, as the club faced a five-on-three just 6:57 into the hockey game. Jackson Dorrington was whistled for hooking at 5:56, then Dylan Garand took a delay of game penalty for puck over glass at 6:57.
Garand made six saves on the ensuing shorthanded sequence, keeping the Penguins off the board.
Rafael Harvey-Pinard opened the scoring 12:01 into the game, however, taking a pass from Chase Pietila and darting in on a partial breakaway. Harvey-Pinard snapped a quick shot by Garand to put the visitors on top.
Moments later, at 14:59, an errant pass ended up on the stick of Danton Heinen. Heinen fed Atley Calvert in the high slot, where he snapped a shot off the goal post and by Garand to make it 2-0. The assist was the first of three for Heinen on the night.
Avery Hayes extended the lead to 3-0 5:57 into the middle frame on the power play. Hayes took a feed from Sam Poulin and ripped a shot top shelf for his second goal of the season.
Gabe Perreault got the Wolf Pack on the board at 16:24, tipping home his first career goal. Blake Hillman took a pass at the right-wing point and stepped into a shot that Perreault tipped over the left shoulder of Sergei Murashov.
The goal gave Perreault (1 g, 1 a) his second point of the season.
Adam Sýkora drew the Wolf Pack within a goal at 6:50 of the third period, tipping home a Derrick Pouliot point shot. Pouliot took a pass at the right-wing point and fired a shot that Sýkora was able to get a piece of. The goal was Sýkora’s first of the season.
Calvert reestablished the two-goal lead at 11:53, pouncing on a rebound and burying his second goal of the night to make it 4-2. He found the loose change off a Ryan Graves shot from the point.
The Wolf Pack had a late six-on-four advantage to try and draw back within a goal, but Tristan Broz hit the empty net at 17:46 to cement the victory for the visitors.
The weekend concludes tomorrow night when the Wolf Pack visit the Providence Bruins. The puck drop is set for 7:05 p.m., and coverage is available on AHLTV on FloHockey.
The Pack is back at the newly renovated PeoplesBank Arena on Wednesday night when the Springfield Thunderbirds come to town! The puck drop is set for 7:00 p.m. Tickets are available here.
ABOUT THE HARTFORD WOLF PACK: The Hartford Wolf Pack has been a premier franchise in the American Hockey League since the team’s inception in 1997. The Wolf Pack are the top player-development affiliate of the NHL’s New York Rangers and play at PeoplesBank Arena. The Wolf Pack has been home to some of the Rangers newest faces including Igor Shesterkin, Will Cuylle, and Matt Rempe. Follow the Wolf Pack on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, Flickr, and TikTok.
