BY: Gerry Cantlon – Howlings
SPRINGFIELD, MA – Justin Richards scored twice to help the Hartford Wolf Pack break a six-period scoreless drought and upended the Springfield Thunderbirds 3-1.
The Wolf Pack kickoff a three-in-three weekend against the current Atlantic Division-leading Springfield Thunderbirds at the MassMutual Center.
The team had to do some lineup juggling because of injuries. Lauri Pajuniemi (upper body) and Aaron Luchuk (lower body) were known. Unfortunately, they got unsuspecting losses in center Tanner Fritz and on defense Tarmo Reunanen. That forced the team to go with an 11-7 format.
After a spirited scrap by a pair of rookies, Springfield’s Griffin Luce (Salisbury School) and Cristiano DiGiacinto seemed to spark the Wolf Pack. Jonny Brodzinski had a strong bid with Tim Gettinger in front that Thunderbirds netminder Charlie Lindgren gobbled up at 7:10.
PACK SCORE
The Pack equalized the score at one right after killing off a minor penalty. Richards converted a rebound off an Anthony Greco shot from the left-wing side at 11:28.
With Richards net-front presence put him in the right spot as a last-minute forward line combination by Pack Head Coach Kris Knoblauch paid off with big dividends for Hartford.
Greco was dead center and launched a shot from just inside the blue line past an onrushing Alexei Toropchenko. Ty Ronning made an expert deflection. Richards was sandwiched between Tommy Cross and Scott Perunivich and had that deflected shot go off his shoulder and into the net for his second of the game and fifth of the season at 12:16.
Wolf Pack goalie Keith Kinkaid had a sterling 42-save performance stopping four breakaways in the game, including a near 2-0 after Nils Lundkvist blew a tire allowing Matt Peca (Quinnipiac University) to come in all alone. Peca went to his forehand, and Kinkaid made the save and held it with his glove, as Mason MacEachern was coming in looking for a rebound with 2:50 left trying to tie the game.
WRAPPING UP
Brodzinski put his 18th into the empty net for his team-leading 35th point and secured the win.
In one series, Lundkvist late made a super defensive play with a block just after Gettinger was hobbled making another.
Lundkvist had several other good plays and bodychecks in the game.
Kinkaid made two last saves with 40,4 seconds left and one on Peca with 19.9 to go.
Late in the second period, Springfield scored its lone goal.
The Wolf Pack’s Alex Whalen made a poor passing decision and put the puck in front of the net. The puck found the stick of Nathan Walker, and the speedy Australian turned around and started a quick two on one breakout counter-attack.
Will Bitten arrived at the net with Walker’s cross-ice feed hitting him on his shin pad and went in for his ninth at 15:52.
It was reviewed as a good goal as no kicking motion was detected.
Then seconds afterward, Kinkaid robbed Anas on a breakaway off a Wolf Pack neutral zone turnover by Matt Lorito.
LINES
Gettinger-Brodzinski-Greco
Ronning-Richards-Ruesschoff
Lorito-Khordorenko-Whalen
O’Leary-DiGiacinto-Taylor
Robertson-Lundkvist
Giuttari-Tinordi
Skinner-Bitetto
Kinkaid
Huska
SCRATCHES
Pajuniemi (upper body out since February 4th)
Reunanen
Fritz
James Sanchez
Wall
Luchuk (lower body)
NOTES
Jeff Taylor skated as the swingman at forward and chipped in on defense as needed. James Sanchez, who just arrived, was a scratch on his birthday.
Springfield’s Steve Santini was a scratch as he and his wife were celebrating the birth of their second child.
Ex-Wolf Pack Phil DiGiuseppe is recalled from Abbotsford to Vancouver.
Charlotte released Ex-Pack defenseman Brandon Fortunato (Quinnipiac University), who’s likely headed back to Jacksonville.
Jake Lechshysyn, the son of ex-Hartford Whaler Curtis Lechshysyn, was recalled from Henderson to Vegas.
Mark Kastelic, the son of former Whaler Ed Kastelic, was sent down to Belleville from Ottawa.
Goalie Pat Nagle (US), Adam Cracknell (Canada ), and Josh Ho-Sang (Canada) are back at their respective AHL teams Lehigh Valley, Bakersfield, and Toronto from the Olympics.
Canon Pieper (Quinnipiac) was released by Orlando (ECHL). A year and two days older, his brother Bo has been out of hockey for three seasons.
