BY: Gerry Cantlon, Howlings
HARTFORD, CT – Tim Gettinger propelled the Hartford Wolf Pack to a 3-2 victory with a shootout goal over the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins in their return to the XL Center before 2,525 on Friday night.
For the second time against Wilkes-Barre this season, Gettinger scored the game winner but this was in the extra session of overtime with a five-hole goal.
The Pack looked to have the win in regulation just 16 seconds into their third power play of the game with 6:16 to go.
Morgan Barron, who was reassigned by the Rangers, was in the slot twenty feet in front of the net. Barron redirected a Zac Jones shot for his third goal and gave Hartford a 2-1 lead.
PRACTICE MAKES PERFECT
Barron has been working on his tips in practice.
“I’ve been doing it in practice and we’ve been doing it on the power play and it worked out at the right time for us,” remarked Barron, the hulking 6’4 All-Star forward in his second season.
“Morgan is very good in that position. Last year in the first five games he might have been uncomfortable in that position, but by the end of the season he was really comfortable there. A lot of his power play goals are from that spot. It was a crucial spot in the game and our power play is in position to win the games for us,” Kris Knoblauch, the third-year Pack head coach said.
The coach also paid a compliment to his rookie rearguard, who’s making his own adjustment to the smaller ice surface. His college experience at UMASS included practices and home games on an international surface.
KNOBLAUCH SPEAKS
“Not too many players can play tight on the line and get that shot off. It’s tough to get through their forwards and get a deflection. There is not much time for Morgan to react or other finesse guys to make a play,” commented Knoblauch.
However, the Penguins Samuel Poulin had other ideas, found a propitious time to score his first pro goal-late and in Hartford.
With time running out in the third period, a shot came from Pierre-Oliver Joseph hit the glass behind the net high. The puck stayed in the zone and allowed the Penguins to get an extra attacker on the ice.
Goaltender Louis Dominque made it to their bench. Poulin then wheeled around from 35 feet atop the circle and received a pass from Joseph. Parked in front of Kincaid was Jordy Bellerive and Radim Zohorna with Anthony Bitetto defending. Poulin whistled a wrist shot through the screen by Kincaid’s blocker going top shelf tying the score with 40.8 seconds left in regulation.
STARTING FROM BEHIND
”They were able to get the extra guy on the ice and had the odd guy. We took one guy out another was there. It was a great shot, great read, and screen. Ultimately, it was Keith’s guy. We were a little tired. We got caught up a little there in that situation. (There) was not much we could have done there,” said Knoblauch.
For the fifth time in six games the Wolf Pack entered the final frame of regulation action tied at one and put pressure on Dominque (35 saves).
For the sixth time of the early season, the Penguins scored the first goal of the game. After two saves from Kinkaid on Nathan Legare from the right side. Legare was on the left-wing corner below the goal line and saw the puck after a Kinkaid sweeping paddle save (28 saves). He then put the puck back towards the cage and it went in the net off the skate of teammate Sam Houde at 5:45.
“Our first period was atrocious. We didn’t get a lead. It would be nice to see what we could do with a lead,” Knoblauch said.
TYING THE SCORE
The Wolf Pack tied it up by the end of the first period on a fluky goal by Anthony Greco.
After several quality chances in the game, Greco saw his chance trickle past Dominque. After a lengthy review the referees reversed their on ice call of no goal and evened the score at one.
The second period was more to Knoblauch’s liking. They held Wilkes-Barre to six shots on net and peppered Dominque with 13 shots.
LINES
Gettinger – Brodzinski – Greco
Barron – Richards – Ronning
Khordorenko – Fritz – Pajuniemi
Labrie – O’Leary – Whelen
Bitetto – Jones
Robertson – Schneider
Reunanen – Skinner
Kincaid
Huska
SCRATCHES
Giuttari
Rueschoff
Taylor
DiGiacinto
NOTES
Best wishes for a speedy recovery to former Springfield Indian player and current Henderson Silver Knights head coach Emanuel “Manny” Viveiros, who revealed his being diagnosed with prostate cancer. Assistants Jamie Heward and Joel Ward will handle the duties in his absence.
Viveiros, 55, announced he will have surgery to address the matter.
