By: Jason Alwang, Howlings
HARTFORD, CT: The Hartford Wolf Pack dropped their second straight game to the Charlotte Checkers, 2-1 in the shootout, unable to generate enough quality shots before 6,934 at PeoplesBank Arena Sunday.
Brian Pinho was the hero for Charlotte, scoring the only goal of the six skaters in the shootout, lifting a wrist shot above the glove side of Spencer Martin (27 saves) to secure the back-to-back wins in consecutive days for the Checkers.
“If you would’ve told me before the weekend that we were going to give up one goal two nights in a row, I would’ve felt pretty good about our chances. Wolf Pack Head Coach Grant Potulny said postgame. “We’ve got to find a way to keep playing stingy defensively but add in some more offense.”
Jack Devine capitalized on a shot from the high slot past Martin on a two-man advantage to give him his 17th goal of the season, giving Charlotte the 1-0 lead at 3:19 of the second period. The assists on the goal came from Ludvig Jansson and Sandis Vilmanis. The two-man advantage came from back-to-back minor penalties, with the second one being a delay of game from Casey Fitzgerald.
Brandon Scanlin fired a shot from the point through traffic that got through Louis Domingue (26 saves) to tie the game up for the Wolf Pack at one a side for his 4th goal of the season at 7:34 of the second period. Brody Lamb and Cooper Moore recorded the assists on Scanlin’s goal.
“When you get a goal from your (defense) or your bottom-of-the-lineup forwards, it’s usually a really good sign for you.” Potulny said on Scanlin’s goal.
Domingue had to make several big saves for Charlotte in his return to Hartford after being a member of the Wolf Pack last season, most notably a quick shot from Trey Fix-Wolansky that came off an offensive zone faceoff that Fix-Wolansky tried to pull glove side on Domingue, who deflected it wide.
Martin also ran into trouble but came up big on a point-blank save at the crease after a Charlotte attacker was left alone in front in the second period.
The loss is a crucial one for the Wolf Pack, who only have eight games remaining on the season and remain on the outside looking in by six points behind the Lehigh Valley Phantoms and the Springfield Thunderbirds.
“You have to continue to believe and to highlight the things you’re doing well.” Potulny on the playoff-type games as the season winds down.
The Wolf Pack will head to Bridgeport on Friday night in the ‘Battle of CT’. The Wolf Pack fell to 24-32-5-3 on the season.
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