BY: Gerry Cantlon, Howlings
HARTFORD, CT – The Providence Bruins’ Samuel Asselin netted his first pro hat trick to lead the team to victory over the Hartford Wolf Pack, 4-2, on Tuesday afternoon in the lone AHL game for the day.
The Wolf Pack record drops to 2-4-0 (4 points) have now lost four-in-a-row. The Bruins, meanwhile, improve to 6-2-0 (12 points) and have dominated Hartford thus far this season. Providence maintains its hold on first place in the Atlantic Division.
“The difference again was special teams as it has been in several of our games. We had an opportunity with a five-on-three to get back in the game with good scoring chances. We had some shots, but it was very unfortunate,” remarked Pack Head Coach Kris Knoblauch.
The Wolf Pack improved their play in the third period with 17 shots, but it wouldn’t be enough to make up their scoring deficit.
“It’s never good when you lose four straight,” Pack forward Tim Gettinger said. “Especially when three of them are against the same team. We had a chance at the end of the third, and we didn’t cash in on it. Luckily, we have some practice time before (Saturday) to work on things and straighten them out.”
Gettinger had a Pack game-high four shots.
TWO GOALS IN 3:01 CRUSH PACK
The P-Bruins scored twice in a 3:01 span midway through the third period to pull away in this contest.
Asselin tallied the first on the power play redirecting Joel Messner’s right point shot at 10:38.
Robert Lantosi came out from behind the net after winning a puck battle. He was alone in the left-wing circle and sent a cross-ice diagonal pass to Messner, who fired a shot on net that Asselin got a stick on.
Another man-disadvantage for the Pack led to Asselin completing his hat trick at 13:39. Cooper Zech was at the right point and fired a shot. Vincent LoVerde blocked it, but the puck found Asselin, who fired a shot past 18-year-old Pack rookie starter Dylan Garand from 15 feet out.
The Wolf Pack and Bruins combined for just 12 shots in the second period, with the ice tilted in Providence’s favor in an uneventful hockey period.
The Pack took too many penalties, struggled to maintain puck control in the neutral zone, complete passes, or generate any sustained offense.
“We have to find our spaces in the neutral zone, and checking is tight in this league, and even tighter in the National Hockey League. There are big adjustments to make for our player scoring from colleges and juniors, and our job is to show them the way,” Knoblauch said.
The only puck to elude Garand was on a power play with an open player on his doorstep. He faced six quality shots and prevented Providence from leading at the second intermission.
Asselin was at the right of Garand redirected Oskar Steen’s pass/shot at 15:36 to tie the game at two.
GARAND PLAYS WELL
Garand’s play made his first pro start and will likely note remaining with the team for much longer. The WHL’s BC Division teams have been given the green light to return to play, but there is presently no set start date.
“A lot of pressure for a young kid in the American League, and I thought he played well. He’s been waiting so long for it, practicing with us for over a month, and finally, he got his chance. It’s easy to put a lot of pressure on yourself; I thought he handled it well.”
Garand echoed his coach’s sentiments.
“It’s been a while since I played a full game. I played just a period and full game at the World Juniors (back in early January for the silver medal Canadian team). I didn’t feel bad and got better as the game went on, but obviously, I was disappointed with the final score there. There are some good things to take away from the game,” said Garand, who became the youngest player to start in net in a regular season game in Wolf Pack history.
The WHL has yet to set a return date or a date to start training camp, but when they do, Garand is likely might be heading to Kamloops. It could come as soon as the end of the week.
“We haven’t heard any dates for that clearance to go-ahead. Then the East Division was announced (Matt) Robertson went right away. When WHL set a date for the WHL Central Division was announced, we lost Braden Schneider. So, I assume it will happen quickly.”
Was his start made upon the fact of this news?
“No, we had planned several days ago to play him, and the BC Announcement didn’t come till yesterday. We had it planned he would play one of the next two games.”
GOALS
The Bruins’ Brady Lyle scored the game’s first goal from the right side as he uncorked a shot that cleanly beat Garand at 5:27.
The Wolf Pack got their first goal on the powerplay.
After being denied coming out of the corner, Gettinger, who was now behind the Bruins net, sent the puck right to Morgan Barron’s stick, and he stuffed in his third goal of the season behind Bruins’ starting goaltender, Dan Vladar, at 12:25.
“Tim is comfortable around the net on the power play, whether getting shots, making a pass, or setting up a screen. We changed things upfront, getting Barron in the slot, and the two of them made a nice play on that first goal,” remarked Knoblauch.
Garand’s best save denied Jack Ahcan on a breakaway at 13:47.
‘He did make the good saves, and he has frustrated our shooters in practice. They think they have a goal and an empty net, and he is so quick. His effort is outstanding, and he came up with that big save.”
PACK KNOT THE GAME AT ONE
The Wolf Pack tied the game at one at 15:33.
Zach Giuttari’s shot from the right point hit the post. The puck stayed untouched in the slot. Giuttari beat a Bruins player to the puck and stepped into the shot. The effort was rewarded as the puck flew past Vladar to the far side. For Giuttari, it was his first pro goal and gave the Pack what would prove to be their only lead in the contest, 2-1.
Knoblauch used a line-up comprised of 11 forwards and seven defensemen. It would pose an issue after the team lost a forward for the game in the first period.
Gabriel Fontaine, who has struggled with injuries in his young career, was injured again off a hit in the Bruins zone at 14:30. He crawled to the bench. Referee, Terry Koharski, helped him as he had little power to get to the bench.
This injury is a different upper-body injury than the one he was returning from.
“It’s tough because of our issues at center ice. It’s such an important role, and we have missed several over the past few games. Jonny (Brodzinski) got called up. Fontaine’s (first) injury and Richards was out for three games, so we haven’t had a whole lot of centermen as it is,” Knoblauch said speaking of something that has been a historical Wolf Pack issue, being thin down the middle.
PACK RETURN TO ACTION
The Wolf Pack will be back in action on Saturday in Bridgeport at the Webster Bank Arena against the Sound Tigers at 1 PM. The Wolf Pack don’t return to the XL Center until Saturday, March 20th, where they will face off against Providence again.
LINES
Khordorenko-Barron-Newell
Rueschhoff-Whelan-O’Leary
Fontaine-Greco-Gettinger
Thompson-Richards
LoVerde-Reunanen
Sieloff-Geersten
Guattari-Crawley
Raddysh
Garand
Huska
SCRATCHES
Ryan Dmowski
Ty Ronning
Jake Elmer
Tyler Wall
JUNIORS MAY BEGIN SOON IN CANADA
Garand will be departing to his Kamloops Blazers team soon. When his junior team begins play, he can either be there or in New York with the Rangers. That departure will likely come soon as British Columbia (BC) public health officials (PHO) have finally given the five WHL BC-based team’s clearance to begin a return to play through still some more refined details need to be finalized.
BC is the last of the WHL’s six locations to receive approval from its health authorities to start playing games this season. The Kamloops Blazers, Kelowna Rockets, Prince George Cougars, Vancouver Giants, and the Victoria Royals have offered a plan of playing out of hubs in Kamloops and Kelowna staying in hotels in those two cities.
A one-city hub scenario was discussed with PHO officials as well. The time frame for their 24-game season was to be spread out over six weeks. WHL officials weren’t precisely sure Monday what plan had been approved by public health.
The 17-team Junior-A level BC Hockey League (BCHL) is still waiting to hear about its return-to-play plan. The BCHL played exhibition games in empty arenas for eight weeks before being shut down in November due to Provincial Health Officer’s restrictions.
The teams have remained together and have been in practice-only mode since then. The players helped with costs by paying fees to their teams.
The only major junior hockey league yet to play or do anything is the Ontario Hockey League (OHL). They have not played this season or set a certain return to play date. So, as a result, the Wolf Pack’s Will Cuylle, will not return to his junior team, the Windsor Spitfires.
Officials in New Brunswick’s province gave the QMJHL permission for the league’s three New Brunswick teams (Acadie-Bathurst Titan, Moncton Wildcats, and Saint John Sea Dogs) in the six-team Maritimes Division to resume play against each other starting on March 8th.
The New Brunswick teams had been idle since mid-November. In contrast, the three other Maritimes Divisions teams (Cape Breton Eagles, Halifax Mooseheads, Saint John Sea Dogs) restarted play during the last week of January.
The only one of an 18-team league to remain on pause until March 14th is the (PEI-Prince Edward Island) Charlottetown Islanders.
