BY: Gerry Cantlon, Howlings
PROVIDENCE, RI – Friday night, Oskar Steen, back in Providence from his Boston Bruins recall, converted on ex-Hartford Wolf Pack captain Steven Fogarty’s pass for the game-winner 36 seconds into OT for the win.
The game-winner began with ex-Bridgeport Sound Tiger, Aaron Ness (two assists). Ness had a clean zone entry, hit Fogarty, who was coming in off the left-wing.
Steen was patient and outwaited Troy Grosenick, who made the first move. Steen then deposited his sixth goal of the year.
THIRD PERIOD
The game was tight throughout until the Pack scored late. Their only goal of the game came from Ty Ronning early in the third period.
A nice D-to-D passing sequence from Hunter Skinner (right) to Tarmo Reunanen (left) was right along the offensive blue line. The Finn whistled a shot wide of the net which was flagged down by Tanner Fritz as it came off the backboards. He put a short, backhanded pass right on Ronning’s stick. The son of the former Vancouver Canuck was cruising past the front of the net and beat Grosenick via the five-hole at 5:03.
Grosenick (23 saves) was playing his first full game coming off the IR from pre-season. He started his career in nearby Worcester when they were in the AHL and played in Milwaukee. At one point, Grosenick was the top goalie in the league in 2016-17 with San Jose. He played down I-5 in Ontario/LA last year.
Pack goaltender, Adam Huska, was the difference in this game with thirty saves, especially in the second period when the Bruins had the better-quality chances. They also had an 11-6 shot advantage in a tight-checking matchup as the power play sputtered on the night going zero-for-five.
SECOND PERIOD
The Wolf Pack had a much more active third period and got the tying goal late in the contest for the second straight contest against the Bruins.
The game remained 1-0 in the second only because of Huska’s superb work in the net. He stopped Chris Wagner, twice in the early going. Then Huska denied Asselin’s two-on-one with Zach Senyshyn. He came in too deep and saw his attempt pushed aide at 6:31.
Former Yale product Curtis Hall was rejected at 9:10 and then at 11;34 Cam Hughes was stopped. Jesper Froden made a shorthanded bid for his second goal late at 17:30. Then with 38 seconds left and with three Bruins on his doorstep, Jakub Lauko, Jack Studnicka, and Semshyn. Huska was sprawled down and out and at their mercy but found a way to keep it out of the net.
The Wolf Pack chances were rare, but they had a good one from Jonny Brodzinski at 9:01.
In a tight checking first period only one got to go by Providence to the delight of a Friday night home crowd.
Ness was cruising down the left-wing side and spotted Froden in front of the net. He feathered a perfect pass through some legs and traffic, and he found the back of the net at 11:12.
LINES
Whalen-Brodzinski-Greco
Barron-Ronning-Pajuniemi
Fritz-Khordorenko-Richards
Labrie-O’Leary-Rueschoff
Schneider-Robertson
Jones-Hájek
Reunanen-Skinner
Kinkaid
Huska
SCRATCHES
Bitetto
Digiacinto
Brassard
Guittari
NOTES
-Hajek will likely play all this weekend and a decision to be done on Monday regarding his conditioning assignment.
-Gettinger was scratched as a maintenance day will be likely be back in the lineup Saturday as he nurses the usual bumps and bruises
-Utica set an AHL record with their 12th straight win at the start of the season at home in a 4-1 win over Charlotte (Florida/Seattle), The old record of 11 was held by the 1984-85 Rochester Americans who they play on Saturday night,
The league record for consecutive wins is 28 held by the defunct Norfolk (VA) Admirals in 2011-12 enroute to the Calder Cup title and the only losses they suffered in their march to the title in that amazing run were at the hands of the CT Whale in the playoff quarterfinals which they lost in six games.
-Ex-Pack Deven DiDiomete signs with Gyergyói HK (Romania-MOL) in the Erste League,
-Then Max Sauvé, who played at Avon Old Farms (CTPREP) played at Penn State (Big 10) signs with Wheeling (ECHL).
